“I’m afraid so,” Daniella confirmed with a nod. “We have to go.”
When Finn echoed his thoughts, Brad had to stop himself from demanding he go with them, too.
“I’m coming with you,” Finn stated, only to have Liam grab his shoulder to stop him as Daniell held up her hand.
“No!” Daniella’s voice brooked no argument. “You’ll only get in the way. We’ll call you as soon as we know anything.”
“But—“ Finn started to argue, only to have Daniella shake her head, cutting him off.
“Finn, we’ll wait here. Let Daniella and Tanner do their job!” Liam held Finn back.
Finn relented, and Brad was about to excuse himself to find Sam or a cab to take him to the lighthouse as worry combined itself with fear in his gut for Caroline. He was pulled from his thoughts as the sirens for the emergency vehicle split through the night.
“To heck with that!” Finn’s voice was filled with determination. “I’m going after them.”
“I’ll join you,” Brad said.
“Me too!” Harriet held up her hand.
“Then I’m coming as well,” Liam told them. “One of us has to have their head on straight.” His shrewd eyes took in the looks of panic, fear, and worry on their faces.
“I’ll stay here and adult,” Tanith offered. “But please let me know what’s going on as soon as you get there!”
“I will do that,” Harriet promised, then glanced around the room. “Where’s Clover? I should let her know we’re leaving.”
“I think she left hours ago,” Tanith told her.
“It is three in the morning,” Brad pointed out, pulling Harriet along.
Brad, Harriet, and Liam followed Finn to his SUV. As they piled into Finn’s SUV, the night air held a sense of foreboding, the laughter of the party fading behind them as they headed toward the darkened silhouette of the lighthouse, standing sentinel against the vast expanse of the night.
The night was tense as Finn’s SUV approached the Cobble Cove Lighthouse. Emergency vehicles with their lights flashing, painted the scene with vibrant colors. Two police cars added to the heightened sense of urgency.
Finn leaped out of the SUV without bothering to close his door, driven by an urgent need to reach the entrance. Brad, Harriet, and Liam followed suit, their expressions reflecting the gravity of the situation. The pulsating lights of the emergency vehicles cast an eerie glow on the surroundings.
Liam’s voice cut through the silence. “That’s Officer Crowley and Jones’ car. They must be here with the dogs.”
The mention of the K-9 unit added another element of concern to the silent urgency enveloping them as they approached the cottage entrance. The door was ajar, beckoning them into an unknown realm of anxiousness. Finn, who was at the forefront, opened the kitchen door. The well-lit room greeted them, casting away the shadows of the outside.
Without exchanging words, they hurried into the lighthouse cottage. Their footsteps echoed through the house, the suspense growing as they drew nearer the living room. Finn led the group into the living room, which was usually cozy and inviting but now appeared disturbed. Books were scattered in disarray, ornaments had been toppled to the ground, and the coffee table had been pushed aside.
They stopped looking on in disbelief as the scene unfolded before them. Caroline, looking grumpy, was being examined by Daniella, with Tanner hovering over them.
“I’m telling you I’m fine, Daniella,” Caroline’s voice was impatient. “I need to console my animals. They must be distraught.”
“Don’t worry, Jenny has them locked in a bedroom upstairs,” Tanner tried to console her. “We can’t have those characters interfering with the police dogs or officers.”
“And you need to come with us to my emergency room so I can keep an eye on you and give you a proper examination,” Daniella insisted. “That’s quite a bump you have on your head, and Jenny told us you were out for a good two minutes.”
“Seriously, I’m fine. I don’t even have a headache,” Caroline told her.
“That’s a lie,” Daniella stated and sighed. “If you don’t come to the emergency center, I’ll have to stay here.”
“Fine, you can have Finn’s old room.” Caroline shrugged.
Brad’s attention was caught by Jennifer as she told a police officer what had happened.
“As we returned from the cove, Sandy rushed to the front door and anxiously tried to get into the house,” Jennifer explained. “When we opened the door, Sandy, Blue Beard, and Melton rushed up the stairs, and we followed. Caroline’s door was ajar.” She glanced at Caroline, shaking her head. “Caroline never leaves her bedroom door open because Blue Beard steals all herpillows. And I knew it had been closed when Caroline had come home. We walked to the door, and suddenly, this person dressed in black flew out of the bedroom. Caroline tried to stop them, but they pushed her flying into the wall.”
