Page 100 of Places I've Never Been

His voice was soft but insistent, and it set every nerve on edge. Exhaustion fell away, replaced by anxiety. “Okay. I’ll be ready.”

She hung up. She had to find something to wear, but it was so dark in the room she couldn’t see the nightstand, much less her clothes or the door. She fumbled for the lamp and switched it on, then flinched as the light blinded her. Adam murmured something incoherent.

She opened the nightstand drawer, but her phone wasn’t there. Where had she left it? No time to look for it now. Something horrible must have happened for Piper to call her like this. She couldn’t get to the phone fast enough.

She pulled a sundress off the chair and threw it on, then looked around for shoes. She found flip-flops by the bedroom door and slipped her feet into them.

“Mattie?” Adam asked. He propped himself up on one arm and squinted at her. “What’s going on?”

“Piper needs to talk to me, but my phone’s missing. I’m going to the office to talk to her. I’ll be back.” She opened the bedroom door.

“I’ll go with you.” He blinked and yawned. “Just let me find my shorts.”

“No, don’t. I’m sure she’s just forgotten the time difference.” She climbed onto the bed to give him a quick kiss. “Go back to sleep. I’ll be back in a few minutes.”

She flicked off the light, slipped out of the room, and shut the door. It was pouring outside, and lightning temporarily lit her way through the living room and down the steps toward the waiting golf cart. Abayomi tried to cover her with an umbrella, but she was still soaked by the time she climbed in.

Abayomi took off as soon as she was settled. “I am truly sorry, Miss Mattie, about the intrusion on your privacy. It is not right.”

She stared at the path in front of them and wished the cart could go faster. “It’s not your fault.”

“He represented all of Syer Island and he betrayed you. He failed us, and he failed you. It is unforgivable.”

Abayomi pulled up to the side entrance of the main building where the door stood open and the general manager, Veronique, waited for her.

“This way, Miss Mattie.” Veronique ushered her into a small office and gestured to the phone lying on the bamboo desk. “Your sister is still on the line, and the computer is ready for you. Take as long as you need.”

Mattie snatched up the phone as the door closed behind her. “What’s wrong?”

“Are you alone?” Piper asked. She sounded tense and worried, which shot stabs of adrenaline through her heart.

She collapsed onto the chair. “Oh my God, what happened? Are you okay? Of course you’re okay, you’re on the phone. Is it Lizzie? Della?”

“It’s okay, we’re all fine. I’m sorry, Mattie. I didn’t mean to scare you, but this couldn’t wait. I called and called. Why didn’t you answer your phone?”

Mattie closed her eyes as the aftershocks of panic raced through her. The last time she’d had a middle-of-the-night phone call, it had been Lizzie calling to tell her Dad had been in an accident.

“I didn’t hear it ring. I put it somewhere…oh, in the suitcase. Shoot. I forgot to charge it. It’s probably dead.”

“Was Adam with you?”

“Yes. Why?” She didn’t like where this was going. Whatever had happened, it couldn’t be good.

“But he’s not there now, right?”

She wished they were on a video call so she could see Piper’s expression. “No. He’s back in my room. What’s going on?”

“There’s a computer on the desk, right? They told me there was one.”

Mattie glanced at it. A multicolored screen saver bounced around to indicate it was on. “Yes.”

“Go to theLA POPwebsite.”

Anxiety rushed up the back of her neck. “Piper, you’re scaring me.”

“Just take a look. I’m right here with you, and we’re going to get through this together, okay? I promise.” Piper’s voice was calm and overly soothing, like she was talking someone off a ledge. That, more than anything, made Mattie want to run screaming from the room.

Beneath theLA POPbanner, a larger-than-life photo filled the screen.

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