Page 21 of Hide Me Darling

She heads in and pays for her lunch and I do the same, parting with her afterward with a wave. Deciding to head back to the house, I walk across to the beach, letting the sound of the waves and the salty breeze clear my head. The island has a charm that’s hard to resist, but the underlying mystery still gnaws at me. I need to dig deeper.

The water brushing up against my toes makes me feel warm inside. It’s calming to watch as families and couples enjoy their afternoon in the sun. The beach is a hive of activity, yet it feels peaceful. Nothing like the chaotic city I’m used to.

When I eventually arrive back at the house, I let myself in and make a beeline for the office. It may be strange to some, but my mother always seems to find peace while looking at her murder boards. Over time it has become the same to me.

It’s almost like starting a five-thousand piece puzzle without knowing the image. The best place to start is to find all of the edge pieces. Once those are connected, more of the picture becomes clear. And it can’t be perfect until the final piece is placed.

Sitting down at the desk, I open my notebook and start writing down all the interactions from the day and my thoughts. The border of my puzzle is starting to feel complete and this is how I plan to fill in the gaps.

I condense it all into a single list, tearing it out and sticking it prominently in the center of the wall.

Satisfied with my work for the day, I step back and survey the wall, listening to the creaks and groans of the house as I try to make sense of it all. The women on the list don’t strike me as the type to be killing tourists but I don’t want to dismiss them entirely. After all, women can be the most deadly of us all when they want to be.

I flip through the profiles I’ve created, hoping that maybe the blogger will slip up and give me more information that can help narrow it down. The lack of a struggle could point to it being a woman. The victims could have felt safe until it was too late.

Or it could have been one of the charming men. They could take them out on dates, bring them to secluded areas under the guise of having sex or just being close and then, BAM.

At this point it could still be anyone and staring at this information is starting to cause a headache.

Instead of getting another cup of coffee, I decide to take out my phone and call Seanna. She answers immediately and I can hear her moving. I have a feeling she is finding a quiet spot to talk, so I wait until the sounds on the other end of the phone disappear.

“If I hide…” I whisper into the phone.

“Then I’ll seek…” comes her reply. She sighs, her tone filled with concern. "You know I worry about you, especially with you on this mysterious island. How’s the investigation going?"

I take a moment to gather my thoughts. "It’s progressing, slowly. I’ve met some interesting people, but there are lots of pieces to this puzzle. There’s something here, Seanna, something beneath the surface. I can feel it."

There’s a pause on the other end of the line, and I can almost sense Seanna nodding in understanding. "Trust your instincts, Hydessa. You’ve always had a knack for finding the truth. You are so much smarter than me, believe in yourself. Have you even reached out to our parents or Uncle Max to help?”

"I don't want to involve them," I admit quietly, tapping my fingers against the table. "They're busy, and I want to do this on my own. I feel like I need to get to the bottom of this myself, to prove that I can handle it."

Seanna hums thoughtfully on the other end of the line, understanding my determination. "I get it," she finally says. "Just promise me you'll be careful, okay?”

"I will," I assure her, grateful for her concern. "And I promise to keep you updated.”

"Good," Seanna replies warmly. "I'll be waiting for your updates. Now, back to the island life. You're surrounded by beaches and handsome men—please tell me you're having a little fun at least!"

I scoff softly, shaking my head even though she can't see me. "There are plenty of good-looking men here, but knowing my luck, I'd end up sleeping with the killer and he would stab me before I even climax."

Seanna bursts into laughter, her amusement contagious even through the phone. "Hey, you never know. You might have a knife kink and get off on being stabbed," she teases, her voice filled with mischief. “We both know our parents are deviant as fuck, maybe you inherited some of it.”

Unable to hold back, I laugh along with her, the tension of the investigation momentarily forgotten. A faint memory niggles at the back of my mind but I dismiss it as I imagine Seanna’s teasing grin. "You're terrible," I manage between laughs.

"I know, I know," she says, still chuckling. "But seriously, Hydessa, take a breather when you can. Don't let this mystery consume you completely. Enjoy the island while you're there."

"You're right," I agree, taking a deep breath. "I'll try to unwind a bit, too."

"Good. Now, go get some rest or do something fun. You've earned it," Seanna encourages.

"Thanks, love you Seanna," I say gratefully. "Talk soon."

"Love you, Hydessa," she says warmly before we hang up.

Reaching over to my tablet, I contemplate reaching out to Uncle Max to at least see if he can send me information on the names I have on my list. However, all thoughts of contacting him vanish when the screen turns on and there's a notification waiting for me.

My stomach drops—surely there can’t be another murder so soon? Normally there is a few days, sometimes a week between each kill. If this timeline is accelerating, it could mean something far worse.

But as I read through the notification, I realize it's not another victim update. This blog post is different from the others entirely.

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