The undeniable chill that ran down my spine as the impenetrable steel door slammed behind me should have been expected. It wasn’t like this was the first time I’d passed into a building designed to keep those who entered from leaving. I supposed the resolute nature of the doors closing behind those who entered should have given me comfort. But it didn’t. Not really. Of course, I wasn’t here to serve time for crimes committed against humanity; I was here to interview a man who’d been convicted of a crime he may, in reality, not have committed.

“My name is Sydney Whitmore,” I said to the man standing behind the bulletproof window. “I’m a forensic psychologist with the San Francisco office of the FBI, and I’m here to interview a man named Eugene Hatfield. I called ahead and made an appointment.”

The tall, broad-shouldered man with a steely expression looked at the visitor log he’d pulled up on a computer screen. “Yes. I have you right here.” He checked my ID, picked up an intercom, and made a call. Once he’d done that, he then returned his attention to me. “I’ll buzz you through.”

And then, just like that, I’d been admitted to a hallway that would take me deeper into the prison’s bowels. The further I traveled inside the giant structure, the more intense my instinct to flee. Not that I hadn’t been in this very position on more than once occasion, and not that I wouldn’t enter the same steel doors again in the not so distant future, but even given my experience, each time I visited this prison, or any prison, I felt my chest constrict just a bit.

I was prepared and knew exactly what I hoped to accomplish so my interview was wrapped up rather quickly. I left Vacaville behind and was heading toward the ferry for my return trip to Shipwreck Island, where I lived with my Aunt Charley, sisters Emily and Rory, and nieces Estelle and Esther, when an urgent call from my boss Colin Black informed me that I was being summoned to a small town north of San Francisco to help the team with a kidnapping case that had occurred earlier that morning.

“So, what exactly are we looking at?” I asked Colin as I merged into the slow lane and pulled off at the nearest exit.

“A young woman had been walking her four-year-old daughter to preschool around eight a.m. when a white panel van pulled up beside them. The side door slid open, and a man wearing dark clothes jumped out, grabbed the woman, and pulled both the mother and the baby she carried in a front pack into the van. The kidnapper got back out of the van and then attempted to grab the four year old as well, but a nearby jogger had seen what was going on and called 911. The kidnapper jumped back into the van, which then sped away. The jogger never got a look at the kidnapper’s face so the only real witness to the crime is the child who is hysterical and unwilling or unable to talk at this point. Time is not on our side, and we have very few clues. If we are going to save the life of this woman, I’m going to need you to work your magic and get a statement out of her daughter.”

“On my way,” I said, as I used the ramp to cross the freeway allowing me to enter the flow of traffic heading north toward the Golden Gate Bridge.

Now and Then, Resort at Castaway Bay Mystery #4
Genre: Cozy
Release: January 2022
Purchase Link

Sydney Whitmore, a forensic psychologist, moves to Shipwreck Island and renews her relationship with Ezra Reinhold, a reclusive billionaire who enjoys poking around in cold cases and has the means to hire the best people to find the answers no one else has been able to.

In book 4 in the series, Syd has settled into her new home at the resort just in time for a good old fashion Thanksgiving but before she can leave the stress of her old life behind she must first complete one final interview relating to Conrad Baker, the serial killer whose actions sent her running to Shipwreck Island in the first place.

About the author
USA Today bestselling author, Kathi Daley, lives in beautiful Lake Tahoe with her husband, children, and grandchildren. When she isn’t writing, she likes to spend time hiking the miles of desolate trails surrounding her home. Kathi enjoys traveling to the locations she writes about to generate inspiration and add authenticity to her descriptions. Find out more about her books at kathidaley.com.

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