I don’t know how it happened. Everyone who’s ever spent time on the island knows about the ravine—and to avoid it. It’s the only break in the actual ‘halo’, spanning about thirty feet across. Because there are other ways to cross the island, no one’s ever bothered building a bridge to span it. Technically, we canclimb down it, too, since it’s on a slant with rocky handholds for the way back up, though I definitely wouldn’t recommend it.
Is that what happened? Did Vee decide she wanted to cross it and thought that would be easier than following the ravine to the lake and cutting back that way?
There’s no way to know. All we have is her broken body at the bottom ravine, and that’s not answering any questions for us, is it?
She’s wearing the same clothes she had on the night before. That’s the only thing I take in when I tiptoe to the edge of the ravine and peek down. She’s wearing the same clothes… Vee doesn’t sleep in her clothes. I remember that from high school sleepovers, and from things Aaron let slip while they were dating. Vee favors silky pajama sets, and even if she didn’t bring any, she would’ve changed before heading out again.
But she didn’t. Does that mean she never returned to her cabin?
She had to have, though. Right? I asked Tommy last night… he and Summer found the other two and everyone turned in to their respective cabins.
Right?
Tommy runs his fingers through his curls. He managed to peer down into the ravine longer than both Summer and me. Tyler didn’t even approach. I guess he’s already seen everything he needed to.
Chase is the one who lingers the longest. Even after Tommy gulps, swiping his hand over his face, looking lost and angry and helpless… even after he wraps me up in his arms and I realize I’m crying silent tears, Chase still stares down at Vee.
His back snaps straight. Careful not to lose his footing and join Vee on the ground, he turns, hands folded behind him.
Chase’s hazel eyes lock on Tyler. “Okay. Start from the beginning again, Ty. What happened?”
“Are you fucking serious, Chase?” A touch of hysteria tinges Summer’s voice. “You don’t think Tyler has anything to do with what happened to Vee, do you?”
“Of course not.” Chase’s tone is soothing. “It’s obviously a terrible accident. But we need to have our stories straight?—”
“Straight?” she echoes, her voice almost as high-pitched as her earlier scream. “Like we’relying?”
“No, no. Summer. Please. I know this is hard, but we have to stay calm?—”
“How are we supposed to do that?” Tommy asks, his voice flat. “Vee is dead?—”
Dead. God. The word is so fucking final.Dead.
There’s no coming back. One wrong step and any of us could’ve been gone. Vee grew up on Halo Island like we all did. She never would’ve gone near the ravine. Unlike Summer, her sense of direction is excellent. She wouldn’t have fallen.
But shemusthave.
Chase exhales. “I know. Isaw. But we need to know what happened. When we can eventually contact the cops?—”
My stomach lurches.
Summer moans.
Right.Cops. We’re going to have to tell them. I mean, we can’t leave Vee here forever. For one thing, Mulligan will notice if we came on to the island with seven guests and left with six. For another, she needs to be returned to her family.
Oh, God. We’re going to have to explain to herfamily…
Chase surges on. “The cops will see that it’s an accident. But I’m a lawyer, guys. You know that. Think. We know none of us did this to our friend.Weknow. The cops don’t. We have to make sure we know what we’re going to tell them. We’re in this together. Tommy? Ty? You understand, don’t you, Cyn? Summer… we have to know what happened. I’m not picking on Tyler. I’m just asking because he found her.”
“Yeah. I did.” A hollow laugh escapes him. “Threw up over there,” he adds, gesturing closer to the edge of the ravine. “Shit. If I hadn’t stopped to take a piss, I don’t even know I would’ve even noticed her down there.”
Tommy’s laugh is just as hollow. “Fucking hell, Ty. You wanted to piss in the ravine? What are you, twelve?”
“It’s just a thing I did when I was a kid. Be glad I wanted to see my piss arc into the hole otherwise we’d still be looking for Vee.”
“What were you doing out here anyway?” I ask, wiping my tears away with the back of my hand. Focus, Cyn. Try to figure this shit out. “You’ve got a toilet back at your cabin.”
Through her puffy eyes, Summer glares at me. “Weren’t you listening back at the cabins when he was trying to explain? We went to wake up Vee this morning to see if she wanted to have breakfast with us. She was missing. Probably gone to find that mysterious man of hers again. Tyler went to see if he could track her down and… and…”