Wolf Island by Cheryl Gorman

chair, “I’ve had a great deal of
training in hand-to-hand. In addition, I’ll be carrying one of the most
effective self-defense devices used by law enforcement agencies around the
country.” She laid a small object on top of his desk. It looked similar to a
gun and was slightly larger than a cell phone. The square shape of the barrel did
not look like a firearm, though. “This weapon is called a Taser. It might not
look like much, but believe me, it will bring Victor down. When fired,
the Taser releases probes connected by thin, insulated wire. When they make
contact with a body or clothing, the perpetrator loses neuromuscular control
and collapses.”
    “I
still don’t like it.” Devlin shook his head. “Sounds like you have to get
pretty darn close for that thing to work. What if Victor knocks it out of your
hand? What if he catches you from behind?”
    “There’s
one other thing that might help ease your mind. Before the probes reach the
attacker, an electrical pulse interferes with communication between the brain
and the muscles. You’ve got to trust me about this, Mr. Morgan, and let me do
my job.”
    She
was obviously full of confidence now, but how would she feel if and when she
faced Victor?
    “Dev.”
Jake drew his attention back to him. “I’m a cautious man. I wouldn’t put an
officer’s life in jeopardy if I didn’t believe this plan had a damn good chance
of succeeding.”
    Dev
rubbed the back of his neck. “Your plan has disaster written all over it. I can
tell by the look on your face that you’re determined to go through with it, no
matter what I think. But Jake, the stakes are even higher now. The bastard got
inside the castle last night. He left me a calling card in the library ...
a rabbit with a set of chimes twisted around its neck.” Devlin heaved a heavy
sigh. “Everything was locked up tighter than a convent around here. I checked
every door and window myself after I found the gull.”
    Jake
studied him. “Have the locks ever been changed? Victor is cagey; he’s clever.”
His words were slow and deliberate. “Could he have gotten a key and hidden it
somewhere on the island? The guy’s so paranoid, he could have hidden one, or
more, years ago.”
    “I
don’t think so. I could ask my grandparents, but if they get wind of the
trouble around here, they’ll hot foot it back to the island. No way am I
putting them in danger, as well. I’ll have Otis call the locksmith and have all
the door locks changed ASAP.
    Jake
nodded. “It can’t hurt. If that’s how he’s getting in, it’ll at least slow him
down a bit and make it harder for him to gain access. I think we’ve covered
everything we need to, Dev. I’ll keep you informed on how it goes.”
    Devlin
let Jake and Officer Lowell out the front door. When he closed the door behind
them, he heard a rustle at his back and turned. Abby stood in the foyer,
adjusting her purse strap over her shoulder with one hand and gripping an
umbrella with the other. “Where do you think you’re going?” Devlin listened to
the rain hammering against the roof of the castle. She’d be soaked before she
made it to her car.
    Her
back straightened at the censure in his voice. “Into the village.” Her tone was
excruciatingly polite.
    Devlin
crossed his arms over his chest and stared at her. “What about breakfast? You
finished awfully fast.”
    “The
French toast was delicious, and now I need to pick up a few things.”
    “You
need to stay close, remember?” He mustered his most patronizing tone. “If you
want something, Otis will be glad to pick it up for you.”
    Abby
leaned on the handle of the umbrella and crossed one of her feet in front of
the other at the ankles. “When you said I needed to stay close, I thought you
meant at night.” Her expression stilled and grew somber. “I admit that hearing
about that poor rabbit last night was frightening, but I figured since the
ferry isn’t running, there won’t be any