Total pages in book: 80
Estimated words: 76298 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 381(@200wpm)___ 305(@250wpm)___ 254(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 76298 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 381(@200wpm)___ 305(@250wpm)___ 254(@300wpm)
“Why the fuck are you asking me about that?”
“Uh,” I say, blinking. I tug at my hair even though it’s my nervous tell, but I hope she thinks it’s just because she’s incredibly terrifying, and not because I’m the missing girl’s sister. “I’m not really friendly with any other upperclassmen. You know, people that were here and know what happened. I’ve just heard rumors from Dom and Nathan.”
She keeps staring at me. “You shouldn’t listen to anything those two say.”
“Right, so it didn’t happen then, the girl?”
Lesley steps closer. “It happened, and it doesn’t matter anymore. She’s dead. If I were you, I wouldn’t ask about her.”
“Okay, uh, why? I mean, it’s not like—”
Lesley closes the distance between us and jabs two fingers into my chest. I’m too surprised to do more than take a couple steps back. If I weren’t already suspicious, all my warning bells would be screaming right now. Her reaction is way beyond typical.
“I know what you’re doing. You think you’re clever, don’t you?”
I stare at her and can’t find words. My breath is ragged and my chest feels like someone’s shoving their fist through my ribs. Is this how my cover gets blown? Did Lesley figure me out before Emilio did? I don’t look like my sister all that much, but it’s possible—
She continues, her hands curled into fists: “You think it’s fun to dig into salacious rumors. It’s exciting that some girl died here, isn’t it? You’re a fucking tourist. You come from your rich family to this pretty island and think it’ll be one big fucking party. And well, if people die, who the fuck cares? It’ll all get swept under the rug anyway. Well, don’t fucking bother. I knew Lucy and I liked her, and I’m not happy she’s dead. Go ask someone else about what happened if you’re still a curious little bitch.”
Lesley walks forward, bumps me with her shoulder, and hurries on toward the house.
I stand there alone on the path, stunned.
She knew my sister?
She liked my sister?
And it’ll all get swept under the rug?
I don’t understand what she’s saying. It sounds like she was friends with my sister and doesn’t like the way her death was handled, but that can’t be right. I mean, Lucy would never be friends with someone like Lesley, right? And I was under the impression that there wasn’t any official ambiguity around Lucy’s death. From what I can tell, there was a full investigation, and everyone walked away from it agreeing on the basics.
Lucy was drunk. She fell off a cliff, or maybe she threw herself off a cliff, there’s some minor dispute there that doesn’t really matter. It was a horrible accident, but it was an accident, that’s all.
I thought I was the only one that didn’t believe the official narrative.
Knowing Lesley thinks it might be bullshit too is like a blow to my guts, and even worse that she won’t tell me anything, because she doesn’t know who I am.
It’s a little hard to process, but now her reaction makes more sense. She thinks I was being a nosy little asshole, and apparently, she liked my sister enough that she doesn’t want to talk about her death. How does Lesley connect to all this then? Does she know what really happened through Emilio, or was she there somehow?
Should I tell her who I am? Maybe that’ll make her trust me.
But no, I can’t do that. She’s too close to Emilio, and he’s my main target right now.
There’s more to my sister’s death, and even though Lesley didn’t give me any new leads, she all but confirmed what I think is true.
My sister was murdered.
And the only person there the night she died was Emilio Bruno.
The man Lesley’s closest with.
I look up at the trees and close my eyes, taking deep breaths. I wonder if Lucy ever stood on this path just like I am, trying to get herself together. But Lucy never crumbled, not like me. She was too strong for that.
How did she end up dead then?
It takes a minute to pull myself together.
Lesley might know something, but she’s not going to talk no matter how hard I push.
Which means I need to find a new suspect to interrogate if I’m going to get to this bottom of this.
Chapter 7
Emilio
The boat drifts down the black cave, bobbing up and down. I stand at the wheel, keeping the motor down low, churning through the gentle but choppy black water. My lights sweep the cave walls, and if I’m not careful, if I move too fast or turn the wrong way, I could be slammed into the rock on either side.
There’s a reason nobody else uses these caves. There’s a reason this island has a reputation for hosting pirates and smugglers. Only desperate, reckless people would ever sail a damn boat into this nightmare, and I happen to be both of those things.