Page 123 of Vacation Friends

Finally, Kalani wandered toward her. He sat in the chair next to her, and the two faced the ocean. They probably looked like two old friends talking—though their body language was stiff.

Kalani glanced at her. “How are you feeling?”

She shrugged. “To be honest, I’ve been better. I really don’t want to be close friends with death.”

“It was heroic what you did. Most likely, Mr. Rankin wouldn’t be alive right now if you hadn’t been close.”

“I’m glad I was here when I was.” She rubbed her neck as she remembered the text she’d received.

Kalani tilted his head as he examined her. “Exactly why were you here?”

She hesitated, drawing in a deep breath as she considered what to say.

If she didn’t tell the truth, then she’d probably only continue to look suspicious. Besides, what could it hurt at this point? She hadn’t been fiddling with that hot tub.

She pulled out her phone and found the text. Instead of reading it, she showed it to him.

His eyebrows shot up as he scanned the words.

Then he looked back at her, his head still tilted. “Someone sent that to you . . . ?”

“Yes. It hasn’t been the only one.”

“May I see these others?”

She pressed her lips together, knowing she had no choice but to show him.

“Scroll up,” she murmured.

She peered over his shoulder at the words.

I know something you need to know. Someone is out to get you. I need to explain in person and not through text. Meet me at 5:30 a.m. on the beach. Tell no one—trust no one. Delete this message.

Jeepers Creepers.

Don’t be Clueless.

“The words in these messages . . .” He studied the phone with squinty eyes. “I feel like they’re references to something.”

“They’re all titles to movies from the nineties and early two-thousands. Mostly campy thrillers or rom-coms.”

He squinted even more. “Any idea why someone would reference these?”

“I used to watch a lot of those movies with my grandfather before he died,” she admitted. “Those were some of his favorites, especially when he was in a nursing home. He was actually an extra in a few. Later in life, he decided he wanted to be an actor, and he went for it. He was happy just being in the background.”

Curiosity glimmered in the detective’s eyes. “Sounds like you had a strong bond.”

“We did. There were more messages, other than the texts. Someone also slipped a paper under my door that said: Someone you know has cruel intentions. I’d be careful. They sent another saying something about 10 things I hate about Josh. There was a picture of Josh and Logan together.”

She decided not to mention the note that read, I Know What You Did That Summer. And, of course, she wasn’t about to mention her mugshot.

“Who else knows you liked to watch these movies? Josh, I assume.”

“Yes, Josh. No one else here—at least, not that I know about.”

Kalani nodded slowly. “Did you ever post anything about these movies on social media?”

Maddie nibbled on her bottom lip. “I thought about that, and I don’t think so. I did a quick search on my phone, but I didn’t find any references on posts I made. I’m not really active on any of the socials. They seem like a waste of time.”

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