Page 38 of One of Six

"Hmm, where to start." Pause. "My mom had a phone that no one knew about. I know because I saw her with it once. Richard has no idea. Long story short, there are videos and pictures and notes on it. I Airdropped them onto my phone and then hid Mom's phone.

"One of the notes had a list of names. Eight in all. Seven men and one woman. The first six are missing. The last two are dead. I looked them up on the computer. I don't know why Mom would have such a list."

"That's it? Just names?"

"On that one note, yes. In another, she had contact information for an FBI agent, and then a grocery list."

I'm nervous about mentioning his father, but I know I must. Maybe something will click, and we'll make sense of the names. "Essex?" I search his eyes as he turns to me. "The last name on the list is Joshua Redd."

He stills and swallows hard.

"You know I had to tell you, right? I didn't want it to be a secret."

He pulls me back into his arms, holding me tight. "Give me a minute."

Should I have kept my mouth shut? He misses his dad. I know he does. "Essex, if it's something bad, please don't hate me."

"I could never hate you, Bea. It was a shock to hear that. Who are the others on the list?"

"One I remember is Peter Frederick. He worked for Lincoln Construction. Did your father ever work there?"

"He got contract work on the houses Lincoln’s built. Since we're the best carpenters around, we usually get the kitchens. Stairs and landings too. That would have been my dad. He died on a Lincoln construction site."

"What? No!" My heart bleeds for him. "I'm so sorry." I burst into tears and cry all over him. "Did Richard have something to do with it?”

"I... Yes, he did. We were never able to prove it. Dad was there in the evening after the place was supposed to be locked up tight. No one knows why Dad was there, or so they say."

"God, this is terrible. Do you think the others on the list ever worked there?"

"Show me the list. I might recognize some of the names because we went with Dad sometimes. Atilio, Boone, and Nico worked for Dad back then."

"It'll be easier if you take it out of my pocket."

After a little fumbling, Essex has my phone. He lays it flat against his chest as he holds me to the gentle swaying of the hammock. Feeling sleepy, I reach for the phone. "Let me show you, then I'll take a nap." I bring up the list and the names.

"This is hard," he admits quietly.

I cup his face and kiss him gently. "I'm sorry I'm hurting you."

"It's not you, Bea." He looks at the screen and says, "I recognize Deedee's name. She lived a block over with her husband and daughter—a few years old at the time. She was an accountant for Lincoln Construction. She did the books for Redd WoodArt. Although back then it was just ReddWood.”

"Should I contact the FBI guy and ask who he is? I want to know how Mom knew him."

I lock my phone, and Essex puts it in my pocket and hugs me. "Don't do anything yet and let me think about it."

"Okay. Can we take a nap now? I didn't sleep well last night."

"Go to sleep. I'll protect you."

I fall asleep secure with Essex holding me.

19

ESSEX

The six ofus and Mom are sitting around the kitchen table. I felt something was going on as we sat down to eat. Now I know for sure.

Boone keeps looking at Mom. Mom is watching Atilio, who keeps looking in my direction. My oldest brother saw Bea and me in the hammock this afternoon. I didn't want to let her go. I did it because I knew I had to for now. That doesn't mean I'm happy about it. I didn't want to hurt my brother because of Bea, but she chose me.

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