Ripple Effect: Lantern Beach Blackout, Book 3 Read online

  Ripple Effect

  Lantern Beach Blackout, Book 3

  Christy Barritt

  Copyright © 2020 by Christy Barritt

  All rights reserved.

  No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

  Created with Vellum

  Contents

  Complete Book List

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Chapter 24

  Chapter 25

  Chapter 26

  Chapter 27

  Chapter 28

  Chapter 29

  Chapter 30

  Chapter 31

  Chapter 32

  Chapter 33

  Chapter 34

  Epilogue

  Coming Next: Rising Tide

  Also by Christy Barritt:

  Other Books in the Lantern Beach Universe:

  You might also enjoy …

  The Worst Detective Ever:

  About the Author

  Complete Book List

  Squeaky Clean Mysteries:

  #1 Hazardous Duty

  #2 Suspicious Minds

  #2.5 It Came Upon a Midnight Crime (novella)

  #3 Organized Grime

  #4 Dirty Deeds

  #5 The Scum of All Fears

  #6 To Love, Honor and Perish

  #7 Mucky Streak

  #8 Foul Play

  #9 Broom & Gloom

  #10 Dust and Obey

  #11 Thrill Squeaker

  #11.5 Swept Away (novella)

  #12 Cunning Attractions

  #13 Cold Case: Clean Getaway

  #14 Cold Case: Clean Sweep

  #15 Cold Case: Clean Break

  #16 Cleans to an End (coming soon)

  While You Were Sweeping, A Riley Thomas Spinoff

  The Sierra Files:

  #1 Pounced

  #2 Hunted

  #3 Pranced

  #4 Rattled

  The Gabby St. Claire Diaries (a Tween Mystery series):

  The Curtain Call Caper

  The Disappearing Dog Dilemma

  The Bungled Bike Burglaries

  The Worst Detective Ever

  #1 Ready to Fumble

  #2 Reign of Error

  #3 Safety in Blunders

  #4 Join the Flub

  #5 Blooper Freak

  #6 Flaw Abiding Citizen

  #7 Gaffe Out Loud

  #8 Joke and Dagger

  #9 Wreck the Halls

  #10 Glitch and Famous (coming soon)

  Raven Remington

  Relentless 1

  Relentless 2 (coming soon)

  Holly Anna Paladin Mysteries:

  #1 Random Acts of Murder

  #2 Random Acts of Deceit

  #2.5 Random Acts of Scrooge

  #3 Random Acts of Malice

  #4 Random Acts of Greed

  #5 Random Acts of Fraud

  #6 Random Acts of Outrage

  #7 Random Acts of Iniquity

  Lantern Beach Mysteries

  #1 Hidden Currents

  #2 Flood Watch

  #3 Storm Surge

  #4 Dangerous Waters

  #5 Perilous Riptide

  #6 Deadly Undertow

  Lantern Beach Romantic Suspense

  Tides of Deception

  Shadow of Intrigue

  Storm of Doubt

  Winds of Danger

  Rains of Remorse

  Lantern Beach P.D.

  On the Lookout

  Attempt to Locate

  First Degree Murder

  Dead on Arrival

  Plan of Action

  Lantern Beach Escape

  Afterglow (a novelette)

  Lantern Beach Blackout

  Dark Water

  Safe Harbor

  Ripple Effect

  Rising Tide

  Carolina Moon Series

  Home Before Dark

  Gone By Dark

  Wait Until Dark

  Light the Dark

  Taken By Dark

  Suburban Sleuth Mysteries:

  Death of the Couch Potato’s Wife

  Fog Lake Suspense:

  Edge of Peril

  Margin of Error

  Brink of Danger

  Line of Duty

  Cape Thomas Series:

  Dubiosity

  Disillusioned

  Distorted

  Standalone Romantic Mystery:

  The Good Girl

  Suspense:

  Imperfect

  The Wrecking

  Sweet Christmas Novella:

  Home to Chestnut Grove

  Standalone Romantic-Suspense:

  Keeping Guard

  The Last Target

  Race Against Time

  Ricochet

  Key Witness

  Lifeline

  High-Stakes Holiday Reunion

  Desperate Measures

  Hidden Agenda

  Mountain Hideaway

  Dark Harbor

  Shadow of Suspicion

  The Baby Assignment

  The Cradle Conspiracy

  Trained to Defend

  Nonfiction:

  Characters in the Kitchen

  Changed: True Stories of Finding God through Christian Music (out of print)

  The Novel in Me: The Beginner’s Guide to Writing and Publishing a Novel (out of print)

  Chapter One

  Bethany McIntyre watched as her daughter, Ada, ran into a tunnel in the play area. Her daughter’s friend Luke chased her, and giggles of delight escaped from both of them.

  Something about having her three-year-old out of sight, even if only for a few seconds, always made Bethany tense. With an ex-husband who’d fought the world’s most violent and deadly people as a Navy SEAL, the harsh realities of life had always seemed too close at hand for Bethany, more so than the average person.

  “Aren’t they just adorable?” Bethany’s friend Cindi said as they stood beside each other, monitoring this kiddie wonderland.

  The two of them worked together at Engineering Plus Magazine. They’d brought their kids to a park that had just opened today in Virginia Beach. That had been their first mistake. Everybody else in town had the same idea. Not only was the park new, but the May weather was perfect.

  The playground was state of the art with multiple bridges, towers, and climbing walls. An area with colorful obstacles graced one side, and at least six slides looped from various platforms. The whole area was surrounded by a thin line of woods, a pond, and a Japanese garden. Mix that with the scents of freshly cut grass and popcorn from a nearby vendor, and it was nearly perfect.

  “Adorable?” Bethany smiled, remembering her friend’s observation about their kids. “Yes. A handful? Also yes.”

  Bethany and Cindi laughed together. This was the period of parenthood that left the most able-bodied moms and dads exhausted. Besides that, a bad feeling had lingered in Bethany’s gut all day, and
she had no idea why. She’d probably been watching the news too much lately. That always made her more suspicious of people and caused her to look for trouble around every corner.

  Cindi put her hands on her hips as she stared at the kids around them. Cindi was several years older than Bethany. She hadn’t gotten married until she was thirty-five, and she’d had Luke two years later. The woman had short blonde hair, stood at nearly six feet tall, and carried about forty extra pounds on her since having Luke.

  “I don’t know how you do it as a single mom, but you make it look easy,” Cindi muttered.

  “You’re being too kind.” Bethany’s eyes remained on the tunnel. She saw Ada run by a window on the side and breathed a little easier. The line between caution and paranoia was thin and wrought with potential breaches, it seemed.

  “You’re the type who handles anything life throws at you with a good dose of grace. Me? I run out of coffee in the morning, and my whole day is ruined. First world problems, right?”

  “I’ve had plenty of experience tapping into that grace.” Bethany wished she was joking, but she wasn’t. The past couple years had been trying at best. Life today looked nothing like she’d envisioned, but she was making the best of things.

  Bethany waited to see Ada emerge from the tunnel.

  She still hadn’t come out.

  Familiar worry filled her again.

  You’re at a playground, Bethany. There’s nothing to be concerned about.

  “So, you talk to Mason anymore?” Cindi asked before popping a cheese-flavored cracker—one of Luke’s snacks—into her mouth.

  Bethany glanced up in surprise. “My neighbor?”

  “Who else?”

  Bethany shook her head, the question throwing her off guard. “Mason is just a friend.”

  “He’d like to be more.” Cindi wiggled her eyebrows. “I’ve seen the way he looks at you.”

  “I’m not interested.” Bethany shrugged and kept her attention focused on the play area. She really didn’t want to talk about this, but she knew her friend meant well.

  “Not ready to date again, huh?”

  Bethany didn’t tell her friend that ending her marriage to Griff had torn her heart in half. She still wasn’t over her grief. Not even close. “I just want to focus on Ada.”

  “Makes sense.”

  Bethany released her breath when she saw Ada run out of the tunnel. With a huge, sloppy grin on her face, Ada darted to Bethany and wrapped her arms around her mama’s legs. Ada let out a little squeal as five-year-old Luke chased her. The boy’s arms were raised as if he were a T-Rex.

  “You didn’t let him catch you?” Bethany said. “Good girl.”

  Ada giggled before running off again. Luke followed, and Bethany’s momentary relief was replaced with familiar apprehension.

  Bethany would much rather hold Ada’s hand and keep her close. But she knew that wasn’t always possible. Children needed some freedom to explore—under supervision, of course.

  Ada was like her dad. She liked her independence, and she liked to do things her way.

  At the thought of Griff, Bethany’s smile disappeared. It was better if she didn’t think about her ex. All that ever brought was heartache.

  Had they really been separated for a year now? Sometimes, it felt like decades, and other times mere weeks. The divorce papers had been filed, and she was waiting to get the official documents back. She’d been told it could take up to a month.

  Bethany moved along the perimeter of the space to keep a better eye on her daughter. As she did, Ada climbed some stairs toward a bridge, and Bethany lost sight of her again. Her heart rate quickened.

  She’s going to come running out here anytime now, Luke behind her with his T-Rex arms raised.

  Bethany waited.

  Still no Ada. No Luke.

  Her heart beat faster.

  Anytime now, she told herself.

  Still not yet.

  “Where did they go?” Cindi scanned the crowds.

  “I’m sure we’ll spot them any minute now.” Bethany’s voice sounded strained, as if she doubted her own words.

  But she still didn’t see the kids, and her anxiety continued to rise.

  Luke came down a slide and ran toward them. “Mommy, where’s Ada?”

  “You were chasing her.” Cindi bent toward him. “You tell me.”

  “I think she may have hidden from me. Sometimes she likes to play hide-and-seek.”

  Ada was only three. Bethany knew she could only expect so much from the preschooler. But playing hide-and-go-seek in a public area set Bethany’s worry over the edge.

  “Ada!” she called.

  Bethany wandered between the slides and under the bridge and peered around to the other side of the tower.

  No Ada.

  Panic started to swell in Bethany until her head spun. Certainly, she was overthinking this. At any minute now, Ada would appear.

  They would hug. Everything would be okay. Bethany would insist that they leave and get some ice cream, just to get away from these crowds.

  Beyond the tower, Bethany still didn’t see her daughter.

  “No sign of her yet?” Cindi put another cracker in her mouth. “It’s so strange. How far away could she have gotten?”

  “Good question.”

  “Ms. Bethany! Over there!” Luke pointed toward the perimeter of the park, toward the back where the trees were.

  Ada . . .

  A man walked beside her daughter, leading her away from the playground.

  A man Bethany had never seen before.

  She wasn’t being paranoid.

  Bethany sprinted toward her daughter, her muscles burning under the strain.

  There was no time to waste. If that man left with Ada, Bethany might never see her again.

  Just then, the man glanced back. His eyes widened when he saw Bethany. The next instant, he lifted Ada into his arms.

  “No!” Bethany pushed her legs faster. “Ada!”

  She couldn’t let that man leave with her daughter.

  Bethany saw the chain-link fence in the distance, beyond the trees at the edge of the property. It had to be at least seven feet high.

  What would the man do? Try to scale it with Ada?

  Bethany pushed herself forward. She couldn’t make up the distance between them. She was fast, but not that fast. Still, she had to try.

  Footsteps sounded behind her. People yelled.

  Time seemed to slow.

  The man glanced back again.

  Bethany’s heart slammed into her ribcage, each beat causing an ache.

  What was he going to do? She prayed he wouldn’t hurt her daughter.

  The man glanced at Ada once more then back at the people running toward him. He hadn’t expected to be caught, had he?

  At once, he set Ada on the ground. Then he hopped over the fence and disappeared from sight.

  Bethany reached Ada and scooped her daughter up in her arms. She held Ada close. Felt those chubby arms around her. Smelled that honey-scented hair.

  She was never letting her daughter go. Never.

  * * *

  “I hate surfing!” Griff McIntyre yelled over the roar of the waves.

  He’d managed to stand up on the surfboard, but he felt unsteady. Being at the mercy of the ocean made him feel like life was out of control. He’d always hated that feeling.

  “You’re a former Navy SEAL,” Benjamin James yelled back. He was on the surfboard next to Griff’s, but he looked much more comfortable than Griff in his wetsuit. “Nothing is supposed to scare you.”

  “I didn’t say it scared me. I just said I didn’t like it.”

  “Wuss,” Benjamin said.

  “Takes one to know one.”

  “Real mature!”

  That was the last thing Griff remembered hearing before he wiped out. He tumbled beneath the water then surfaced among the tumultuous waves. Grabbing his board, he swam the rest of the way to shore. He was ready for a b
reak from his surfing lesson.

  It was May, and tourist season was about to hit hard in Lantern Beach, North Carolina. So far this week, Griff had no assignments for his job with Blackout, a private security firm that operated out of Lantern Beach, so he planned on enjoying a bit of the beach life.

  He plopped down on his beach towel and gave his friends Colton Locke and Dez Rodriguez a scowl as they glanced his way.

  “Not a word,” he muttered.

  “Who said we were going to say anything?” Dez rubbed some sunscreen on his shoulders.

  “You don’t have to. I can see it in your eyes. You’re both judging me.”

  “I thought you looked good out there.” Colton’s words lacked sincerity, and he covered his smile by taking a sip of his water—a long sip.

  “And by looking good, he means looking good for a total amateur.” Dez chuckled.

  Aggravation was their preferred means of communication off the job. It always had been. Griff brushed them off and reached into his bag to grab some cherries he’d packed. They were his favorite oceanside snack, and they reminded him of his Michigan roots.

  As he popped one in his mouth, his phone rang.

  He stiffened when he saw the name on the screen.

  Bethany McIntyre.

  He hadn’t talked to his ex in at least two months. She’d made it clear last time that she had no desire to ever speak with him again. So why was she calling now?

  “Excuse me.” Griff gripped his phone and walked away from any listening ears before answering. “Bethany. What’s going on?”

  Griff tried to keep his voice casual. It was always a struggle. Because casual was never something he felt around Bethany. No, he felt invigorated. Infatuated. Infuriated.