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Corrie McAfee orried And she knew that her husband, Roy, was too

Who wouldn’t be? Starting in July, Roy--a private investigator--had received a series of anonyes weren’t overtly threatening, they were certainly distressing

The first corets During the intervening weeks, there’d been several others Corrie had read each postcard so often she’d memorized them all The first one stated: EVERYONE HAS REGRETS IS THERE ANYTHING YOU’VE DONE YOU WISH YOU COULD DO OVER? THINK ABOUT IT There hadn’t been a signature then, or on any of the other cards They’d arrived at infrequent intervals and been es kept playing in herof time hadn’t helped; she was as much in the dark now, in October, as when she’d seen that first postcard

There was a final gasping, gurgling sound as the coffee drained into the glass pot The noise distracted Corrie frolance out the wide officethat overlooked don Cedar Cove, Washington Serving as Roy’s secretary and assistant had its advantages, and in this instance, disadvantages Sonorance truly was bliss; the current situation was definitely one of those cases She’d sleep better if she’d never learned about the ed to keep them hidden froe had been hand-delivered, at night, to their front door Not to the office like the others, but to their ho, someone had walked up the sidewalk and onto the porch of their house As it happened, Roy and Corrie were entertaining dinner guests that night--and had opened the door to discover that an unknown person had left a fruit basket and an accoht that this person knew their home address

"Is that coffee ready yet?" Roy called from inside his office Apparently she hadn’t delivered it fast enough

"Hold your horses--it’s co" Corrie didn’t mean to snap at her husband Normally she wasn’t short-tempered This uncharacteristic outburst revealed how upset she was by everything that was happening to the for Roy and carried it, stea, into his office

"Okay, that does it," she said, putting the coffee on the corner of his desk "We have to talk"

As if he didn’t have a care in the world, Roy leaned back in his chair and locked his fingers behind his head They’d been married for twenty-seven years, and Corrie found hie Roy had played football for the University of Washington and been a "big man on campus," as they used to say He was tall and broad-shouldered, still ood shape without apparent effort, and Corrie envied, just a bit, the fact that he’d never gained any weight His dark hair had thinned and was streaked with gray, which only added a look of dignity to his appearance

Of all the woe, he’d fallen in love with her Theirs hadn’t been an easy courtship, though They’d broken up for ether, they realized how much they loved each other; there’d been no uncertainty about their feelings They were raduation and their love had endured through trials and tribulations, through good years and bad They’d had plenty of both

"Talk about what?" Roy asked casually

His nonchalance didn’t fool Corrie Her husband knew exactly as on her mind "Does THE PAST HAS A WAY OF CATCHING UP WITH THE PRESENT tell you anything?" shedown in the chair normally reserved for clients She wanted Roy to understand that she wouldn’t be put off easily She was afraid he knew more about these postcards than he’d let on It would be just like hies don’t have anything to do with you, so don’t worry about it"

His answer infuriated her "How can you say that? Everything that happens to you affects ue, but after all these years, he recognized that she wasn’t going to be satisfied with glib reassurances "I’m not sure what to tell you I’ve rets, but who doesn’t?"

Roy had reached the rank of detective for the Seattle Police Department and been forced into early retire, Corrie had been excited to have her husband at home She’d hoped they’d be able to travel and do sos they’d always planned, but it hadn’t worked out that way Roy had the time now, but their finances had been adversely affected when he’d had to take early retirement Their income was less than it had been by at least twenty percent In a et Sound to the community of Cedar Cove The cost of property was much more reasonable in KitsapCounty, which also offered a slower pace of life When the real estate agent showed them the house at 50 Harbor Street

, with its wide front porch and sweeping view of the cove and lighthouse, Corrie knew immediately that this house and this toould beco city, and it hadn’t been as much of an adjustment as Corrie had feared Folks in toere pleasant, and Roy and Corrie had ood friends--notably the Beldons--but kept hbors’ nas, but that was about it

To Corrie’s disappointrown restless with retirement His moods had reflected his boredoed when he decided to rent office space and hang out his shingle as a private investigator It was a decision Corrie had encouraged Soon her husband was busy and looking forward to each day He took on the cases that suited him and turned down those that didn’t Corrie was proud of Roy’s skills, proud of his success and the way he cared about his clients Never did it occur to her, or apparently to Roy, that one day he’d be solving his ownher anxiety show She refused to hide her feelings, refused to pretend all hen it wasn’t

Roy shrugged "I doubt I’m in jeopardy If anyone wanted to do me harm, they would’ve done so before now"

"How can you say that?" she asked irritably "Bob was followed, and we both knoasn’t Bob they were interested in He was driving your car They thought they were following you"

Bob Beldon, together with his wife, Peggy, was the owner of the local bed-and-breakfast, Thyme and Tide Bob had borrowed Roy’s car and phoned in a near panic, sure he was being followed Roy had advised him to drive immediately to the sheriff’s office As soon as Bob had pulled in to the station, the tail had left hiure it out Whoever had shadowed Bob had assuer," her husband reminded her

"Of course! That’s what they want us to think," Corrie argued "Whoever’s doing this wants us to lower our guard"