Page 55 of Still See You Everywhere

“You found a body?”

“Is it a pirate’s?”

“Wait, recent remains…”

I ignore Trudy and Ann, who are standing wide-eyed in front of the stove. I poke Vaughn a second time. “Then, I get sent to clean the ritzy home of this island’s billionaire developer—”

“Your boss,” Vaughn growls.

“Who’s supposedly planning an eco-friendly resort, but whose own abode is a testimony to extravagant excess. And, oh yeah, while I’m dusting, I happen to notice a framed photo that, frankly, made me uncomfortable and concerned about the young girl involved. So yeah, I’m asking questions. I would be stupid not to!”

I stab him a third time. Which I’d like a whole lot better if his chest didn’t feel like granite.

“Are you done?” Vaughn asks me.

“I don’t know yet.” My outburst did feel good. But now, with the last of my anger draining, I’m tired. And really wishing it would just please, for the love of God, stop raining.

“If you have questions,” Vaughn states, his face inches from mine, “talk to me. But none of this gossiping in the kitchen. And especially no bad-mouthing a man you haven’t even met yet.”

That does make me feel slightly guilty. I concede his point with a single step back.

In return, he acknowledges: “You’ve had an unusual first day.”

“Difficult,” I correct. “Some might even say awful.”

“Less than ideal.”

“Seriously? I do not like you right now!”

“Umm, hello?” Ann has raised her hand behind us. “Human remains?”

“Recent,” Trudy adds.

Vaughn sighs heavily, raking a hand through wet hair already sticking out in every which direction, then sighs again. Based on the tired look in his blue eyes, it’s possible he’s had a difficult day, too. He is the one responsible for everything that happens on this atoll, though I’m still not ready to forgive him just yet.

“I’ll make an announcement at dinner,” he informs Trudy and Ann. “That way I can tell everyone at once, and put an end to unnecessary conversational churn.”

“Conversational churn.” Ann turns to Trudy. “Does he mean gossip?”

“No, I think that’s unauthorized speculations.”

“Or maybe salacious musings?”

“Oh, I know what he means—rumormongering. Definitely we should stop the unfounded chattering.”

Vaughn closes his eyes, inhales deeply through his nose, exhales all the way out. Then he turns on his heel and exits the kitchen.

“I still don’t like you,” I call out after him. Then I turn back to Trudy and Ann. “Though you two I love very much.”

They beam at me. Ann pats my arm. “You raise good questions. We don’t really know the girl.”

“Which maybe proves your point,” Trudy adds.

“We could probably find a way to get her on her own.”

“Encourage her to speak.”

“Learn more about how she truly feels.”

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