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"Well, that went as well as I expected," Ed smiles.

"You knew they'd be there?"

"Suspected." He rubs his hands together. "Now we have to find out what they're hiding."

"Drugs don't make sense," I say. All eyes turn to me. "This is too big to be about drugs."

"Depends on how much money is involved, but you might be right," Ed says. "If the disappearances are connected to what's going on back there, then it's a lot bigger than I thought, because you don't have armed men protecting something in a family-oriented town... I originally thought that corners were cut in the development and that's why these people disappeared. We would have been talking about a lot of money. Millions. This trip has changed my mind.”

We drive the rest of the way back in silence when Ed tells us he's moving back to the Beachcomber, which makes sense now. Mom won't be too happy, though.

Before we go into the house, Ed pulls me aside. "Give us a day or two to gather more information. Spend time with Bea."

"You're kicking us out?"

He shakes his head. "No. I need to call in some favors, and that takes time. My niece has been through a lot lately. She needs time off. Make it happen and I promise to let you know when we have something solid."

I nod in understanding. As we part ways, I feel a sense of urgency to find Bea.

34

BEATRICE

The house wasquiet when I got home, but two hours later I hear the front door open and close. I carefully open my bedroom door so as not to make a sound and listen to the footstep’s downstairs. If I had to guess, it's Richard and Judge. One footstep sounds like it belongs to a woman—Evelyn? I expected her to be here when I arrived, but she wasn't. It would be odd for her to go anywhere with the men, though.

I close my bedroom door and make sure it’s locked. I don't want anyone coming in. Not with two large, packed duffel bags in the middle of my room. I chew my lip, wondering what to do. If I go downstairs with my bags, there will be a confrontation, which I can do without. Besides, I'll need someone to help me get to Den Hollows. I should have thought of that. Pulling out my phone, I hesitate over my messages with Essex. If I ask him to come, then we will no longer be a secret. I'm not ashamed to be with him, but I'm afraid of what Richard and Judge will do when they find out.

My heart pounds more when I switch from Essex to Ed. I quickly send him a message explaining that I need a ride to Den Hollows. Then I send a message to David asking if he could be here when Ed arrives to keep the peace and remind Richard and Judge that Ed is FBI. What a mess.

With a gasp, I fall back onto my bed and stare up at the ceiling, not sure what I'm going to do. A smile creeps across my face as Essex comes to mind. Whatever I decide to do in the future, I know I want it to be with him. My first love. My last love. It's a bonus that he comes with a large family who all like me.

A light knock on my bedroom door tells me it's Evelyn coming to see if I'm home. "One minute," I call quickly as I get out of bed. I grab a hoodie and pull it on before heading to the door, suddenly feeling cold. I open the door and smile at Evelyn. "Hi."

To my surprise, Evelyn pushes into my room and stops abruptly in front of my packed bags. "Going somewhere?" She turns to me. "What's going on, Beatrice?"

My eyebrows knit together in a frown as I struggle to come up with an explanation for the blank look on her face. "Surely you know I can't stay here. Not after what has happened."

"Your father won't like you leaving." Her eyes sweep over me and become distant. "I'm not sure you'll get out the door."

Irritated, I wonder what is wrong with Evelyn. She's always been in my corner, but lately she seems to be acting strangely. I'll have to find out what's going on with her later, but right now I need to focus on getting out of here. "He can't stop me. I'm eighteen. I have a place to go, so I will be fine." I step closer. "Why don't you leave too?"

"If I leave, who will take care of your father?" She walks past me to the bedroom door, and I grab her arm.

"He's not my father," I say through clenched teeth, letting go. "He killed my mother."

Evelyn swallows hard and takes another step toward the door. "He's just doing what needs to be done."

I shake my head. "What is wrong with you?"

"Nothing." She disappears down the hall. No doubt she's going downstairs to tell Richard what I'm about to do.

I cringe, hoping to get out of his controlling grip without too much trouble.No time like the present,I think as I grab the two duffel bags and make my way to the stairs. With determination in my heart, I take a deep breath and prepare for the confrontation, trying not to fall down the stairs under the weight of the bags. I make a lot of noise, which draws Richard and Judge out of the office.

Richard's face turns red with anger. "Where do you think you are going?" he hisses in a cold voice.

A tremor of fear starts in me at the sight of these two. I answer with a trembling voice, "I'm leaving.” While he's exchanging looks with Judge, I pull the papers out of one of the bags and throw them at Richard's feet. "I'm not signing this crap."

"You little bitch," Judge snarls.

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