Page 23 of On The Beach

"Ireallyneed to find this guy."

She looked tremendously sad and my heart ached. "Why?"

"I…I need him to sign something over to me."

"What?"Fuck! Why was it that everyone wanted something from Dr. Nicholas Augustus? All that asshole did was give and give and give until there was nothing left.

She shook her head. "Doesn't matter." I wanted to rail at her for being another person in a long line who wanted to use me but she looked so dejected that I couldn't hold on to my anger.

I leaned against the wall and stretched my legs. "Come here."

She settled in between them, her head resting against my chest. I wrapped my arms around her, held her.

She put her hands on my forearms. "This is weirdly cozy."

"Yeah." It was. And maybe Belle was not acting like herself, but then neither was I.

We sat quietly surrounded by Reef Harbor's drunk and disorderly, the raucous snoring, half-asleep ramblings, and occasional shouting matches echoing around us. At one point, Tony rolled over and mumbled something about "the best damn gecko he ever met," and Belle dissolved into laughter, pressing her face into me to muffle it.

And honestly, with her curled up against me, laughing like she didn't have a care in the world, I felt something crack open in my chest. This ridiculous, tequila-drenched night was perfect in its own messy, unforgettable way. Belle fell asleep leaning against me, breathing slow and steady as the rest of the cell quieted down around us, I was grateful that this wild, beautiful disaster had stumbled her way right into my life.

CHAPTER 8

bottomless secrets

BELLE

Ihad secured a ticket for the boat that would get me off Reef Harbor the following morning at the hotel front desk after Mick walked me over from the jail cell.

I was a little melancholy about leaving, but I knew that I had to get back to my life, my work,andmost importantly, looking for Dr. Nicholas Augustus.

After I took a shower and washed the tequila and jail cell away, I managed to get Lady Arabella Augustus on the phone in that small space between my bed and the window where I got two bars of signal. Speaking to her was like trying to catch sand in a sieve. She was charming, yes, but her answers to even my simplest questions had a way of meandering off course and drifting into topics I hadn't even remotely brought up.

"So, you mentioned that your son, Dr. Augustus, was doing some work in the Reef Harbor area?" I asked for the third time, keeping my tone patient.

I had spent the past two days asking everyone if they knew of an elusive scientist hiding out in Reef Harbor, and while I'd met some colorful locals, none of them led me any closer to Dr. Nicholas Augustus.

"Ah, yes! That darling boy of mine. So, very talented. You know, I always thought he'd make a marvelous professional cricketer with his upper body strength, but no, no, he chose the sciences. I think it's because he's half American. I was married to a Yankee as they call them." She giggled, a sort of tinkling, airy sound. "He's my little genius, you know!"

"Who? Your husband?"

"No, darling, my son."

"Yes, of course," I replied, forcing a polite smile even though she couldn't see me. "And is he…in Reef Harbor?"

"Oh, he's somewhere out on an island. I wish he'd come back to civilization but…well, I do worry he spends too much time outside. He simply hates sunscreen, and with his skin? Honestly, it's a tragedy."

I rubbed my forehead, feeling a headache coming on. "So he's staying in Reef Harbor then?"

"Mm, I think so, dear. But I really don't know, I'm afraid! But yes, he's there. Maybe. Who knows. Was it last year that he mentioned going there? Or maybe…," she trailed off, seemingly lost in her own fog of memories. "I've always said my boy is a romantic at heart. Very drawn to the ocean, loves the beach but then who doesn't, though I prefer the Côte d'Azur. The French Riviera is so elegant and civilized, don't you think?"

"Yes, of course. Lady Augustus, did he mention a place he likes on this island?"

She laughed. It was a lilting sound. "I don't think so, darling."

"What's his favorite drink?" I asked as inspiration struck me.

"My boy loves his Scotch."

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