Page 41 of Deep Tide

Leyla had a sudden flash of memory: a stark white face in the glare of a flashlight. She had dreamed about that face last night. Amelia’s face. And Amelia’s outstretched hand.

“Leyla?” Bailey leaned forward. “Are you all right?”

“Yes. Sorry.” She forced a smile. “I keep... tuning out lately.”

Bailey watched her. She had to know all about what had happened. Not only had Bailey been following the story in the news, but she’d probably heard details from Miranda.

Leyla turned away and her gaze fell on the coffee table, which was blanketed in Polaroid photos.

“Are those from the wedding?” She stepped over for a closer look. The wedding coordinator had put Polaroid cameras on some of the cocktail tables so guests could snap candids throughout the reception.

“I’ve been sorting through them for Joel and Miranda. There are some fun shots.”

Leyla peered down at the array of pictures, smiling as she recognized friends and cousins, most with drinks in their hands, hamming it up. Her gaze settled on a picture of Joel feeding Miranda a bite of wedding cake. There were dozens of shots of the cake-cutting moment. One showed them beside the cake table as Miranda smiled and held up a champagne glass, and Joel watched her with a look that could only be described as adoring.

“Your brother’s a good guy.”

Leyla glanced up. “He is. And Miranda’s good for him. I’ve never seen him so happy.”

Her gaze settled on another photograph. This one was of the cake, too, but what caught Leyla’s eye was Sean standing off to the side. He held a drink in his hand and talked to someone whose back was to the camera. Leyla leaned closer. Sean was a striking man, no doubt about it. The dark suit, the straight posture, the confident smile. It was the smile he’d given her less than an hour later when he’d found her alone on the beach and tried to charm her into leaving the party with him.

“Take one. Take as many as you want,” Bailey said. “They’ve got hundreds. And that’s not even counting the professional photos.”

Leyla picked up the snapshot of Joel and Miranda in front of the cake she’d made for them. She’d felt so proud in that moment, and so happy for her brother. He’d had a bad breakup before he met Miranda, and Leyla had once worried he wouldn’t give relationships a chance again.

“Benji. Ugh.” Bailey got up as Benji scratched at the door. “I think he needs his walk now.”

“Well, I should get going,” Leyla said, tucking the picture into her bag.

“I’ll walk you down.”

Bailey clipped a leash to Benji’s collar as Leyla stepped out of the house. It was a clear day, and the sun sparkled off the water in the canal beside the house. Leyla spied a kayaker in the distance, possibly Bailey’s fiancé on his way back.

“Thanks again for the dinner,” Bailey said as they tromped down the stairs.

“Sure thing. Have you talked to the newlyweds?”

“I’ve been trying to leave them alone. I had to call yesterday. We blew a fuse, and I couldn’t find the electrical panel. Other than that, I haven’t wanted to bug them. They really need this vacation.”

“Yep.”

“You know, they almost came back early. But the police chief—what’s his name?”

“Chief Brady.” Leyla stopped at the base of the stairs and looked at her.

“He talked them out of it. I think he basically told Joel if he came back early he could consider himself on permanent vacation.”

“He threatened to fire him?”

“I don’t know if he was serious, but”—Bailey shrugged—“it worked. They decided to stay.”

“Good. There’s nothing Joel can do anyway. He and Owen are sidelined because of me.”

Bailey lifted an eyebrow. “Well, I’m not sure how sidelined they are. Miranda tells me they’ve been on the phone together quite a bit.”

That didn’t surprise Leyla at all. Joel was a control freak, and there was no way he and Owen were going to sit out a murder investigation right in their backyard.

“I’m not sure who they’ve got in charge now, but I hope they make an arrest soon.” Bailey slid her feet into sandals. “Everyone can sleep easier.”

---