Page 57 of Security Breach

A pause, then, “Why not?”

“Dad would have insisted we eat whether we were hungry or not. He said not eating what she’d prepared was disrespectful. Mom was a great cook. According to Dad, cooking and cleaning were her only skills.”

“Go back to the festival. You and your sister arrived in Seagull. What did you do when you parked the car?”

“We walked to town. Dad wouldn’t let us have the car.” She recounted their day from the time she and Anne entered Seagull.

“Think about the people around you. Who did you see?”

“So many people were in town for the festival that we had a difficult time walking from one booth to the next.”

“You said the first booth you visited sold blown glass. Take a mental picture of the people with you at the booth. Where did you go next?”

“A t-shirt booth.”

“Did you buy anything?”

“A shirt for David. I have no idea what happened to it.” That night had been so devastating that she hadn’t thought about the shirt since the attack.

“What was on it?”

She smiled. “Beach Body.”

David chuckled.

“The shirt made me laugh because unlike most of us, as a SEAL you always have a beach body.”

“Glad you think so.”

“Who did you see around you, Emma?” Jon interrupted.

“Tourists flocked around that booth.”

“Compare your mental picture to the first booth. Do you recognize the same hats, sunglasses, shirts, or shorts?”

She started to say no, but a memory sparked in her mind. She frowned.

“Don’t censor or analyze,” Jon instructed. “Just tell me.”

“At least ten of the same people were with us at both booths.” She sighed. “I’m sorry.”

“You’re doing great. Where did you and Anne go next?”

“Pretzel booth.” She laughed softly. “Anne wanted a hot pretzel with mustard. We split one. The pretzel reminded me of one David and I shared before he deployed.”

“Who is around you? The same ten people?”

Emma frowned. “No,” she said, the word drawn out. “We lost four, but gained others.”

“Where did you and your sister go next?”

She continued to recount their journey, booth by booth until she reached the last one.

“Don’t think, just respond. Did anyone follow you and Anne to most of the booths?”

A shudder wracked her body. “Yes.”

“Describe him.”

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