Page 35 of Kidnapped in Dark Waters
“We understand she broke it off with you. Were you upset when that happened?” Daniel asked.
“Well, yeah, I was upset. I was crazy about her, but that was a long time ago,” Oliver replied. “You know, you can’t make a woman love you if she doesn’t, but I’ve moved on from her. Why? Did something happen to her?”
“She was attacked by somebody we believe intended to kidnap her,” Daniel replied.
Oliver’s eyes widened slightly. “But, she’s okay?”
Daniel nodded. “She managed to fight the assailant off.”
“Thank God,” Oliver replied.
Daniel began to question him on his whereabouts at the time of the attack.
“I was here…in my home,” Oliver replied.
“Were you with somebody or alone?”
“I was alone, but I swear I had nothing to do with the attack on Dominique. I would never do something like that to her,” he said fervently.
For the next fifteen minutes, Daniel continued to drill the man with questions. Oliver’s replies were all the same, indicating that he was either telling the truth or was a very good liar.
“I have one last question for you and then we’ll leave you to the rest of your day. I see you have a bandage on your finger. What happened?” Daniel asked.
Luke hadn’t even noticed the small bandage. He mentally kicked himself for not noticing it before now.
“Oh, yesterday I caught a fishhook in my finger,” Oliver replied. “It was my own damn carelessness.”
“Mind if I take a look at the wound?” Daniel asked.
Oliver took the bandage off and held out his finger. Both Daniel and Luke got up to take a closer look. Although small, it was a nasty wound. With Oliver’s consent, Daniel took a picture of it and then the three left.
It was only when they were some distance away from the shanty that they stopped to discuss the interview. “What do you think?” Daniel asked Luke while Clay remained silent.
Luke frowned thoughtfully. “I believed he was innocent until I saw the wound. Dominique said she might have managed to stab the man assaulting her.”
“So, was that a fishhook wound or a small stab wound?” Clay asked. His question hung in the air as they continued on their way to Jacob Benoit’s shanty.
Was it possible that Oliver had never gotten over Dominique, that since their breakup he’d become obsessed with having her once again? Or was it possible the man was innocent and had really gotten a fishhook caught in his finger?
A deep frustration welled up in Luke. He hoped they would gain more clarity with the other men they interviewed. They had to catch the person before he acted again because the next time something like this happened, Dominique might not be as lucky.
Chapter Nine
For the next week and a half, each night Luke came to her shanty and they stalked Pierre through the marsh. However, to Dominique’s frustration, Pierre still hadn’t dug up the book she was so sure he’d stolen.
Luke had started coming to her place extra early so they had plenty of time to talk, time she enjoyed tremendously. Not only did she learn something new about him each time they had a deep conversation, they also laughed a lot, too. Twice during the week, they had gone to lunch together at the café.
She found him to be thoughtful and kind and funny. She also knew that when she was in his presence, she was absolutely safe from harm. When she wasn’t in his presence, she continued to keep her guard up.
There were no more times when she allowed her mind to wander when she was out in the swamp by herself. She stayed focused on her surroundings, kept her knife clutched tight in her hand, and thankfully there had been no more kidnapping attempts.
Today was her day off and she was headed into town to do a little shopping at All That Jazz. Tonight, she was cooking dinner for Luke. She had to make a stop at the grocery store as well to get a couple of pork chops to make for him. And, she intended dinner to be served promptly at six.
She was lucky to find a parking space right in front of All That Jazz. She parked and then went inside the store. “Hey, sis,”Monique greeted her in surprise. At the moment they were the only two inside the place. “What are you doing here?”
“I could say I just stopped in to have a short visit with you, but the truth of the matter is I have a purse full of tip money and I’m in the mood to shop.”
Monique grinned. “Well, then you’ve come to the right place. What are you looking for?”
