Page 110 of Beach Reads and Deadly Deeds

I cared what happened with Jason. Even knowing it was short-term, I felt something deep inside I couldn’t explain.

I thanked Charlie and rose from my seat. Then I spotted Amber Jones walking briskly down the beach from the north shore, near where Diana’s body had been found. She looked a mess, far from the classy actress I’d met on the ferry three days ago. In fact, she wore the same clothes she had on when Brie and I followed her last night. She would’ve had to circumnavigate most of the island to come back from the north. Had shebeen in the jungle all night? Where was Parker Briggs? I meant to tell someone that Brie and I had seen them on the opposite side of the lake. Then it completely slipped my mind after I fell into the pit.

I made a beeline toward Amber. She didn’t see me at first, almost walked right into me, then stopped as if just realizing I was approaching her.

“Amber, what happened?” I asked.

She poked me in the chest. “You!”

“Me?”

“Don’t think I don’t know what you’re doing,Mia.” She said my name like it was a curse.

“What did I do?”

She narrowed her eyes. “Where is it?”

Was she talking about the book? I was certain she and Parker had taken Diana’s book from my room. Was I wrong about that?

“Where’s what?”

“You know what I’m talking about! Don’t play stupid.”

“I really don’t.” I felt hot and cold at the same time. If not them, then who took the book?

“You found the file, didn’t you? I swear, if you don’t give it back, I’ll—”

“File? What file?” I said, more angry than intimidated. And wholly confused. I didn’t even know what the documents Diana had hidden were. Why on earth would Amber think I had them?

She growled, fists clenched, and stomped her feet in the sand, then winced. I noted then that she wore no shoes, and her feet were cut up.

“Amber, I don’t have what you think I have,” I said.

“I don’t believe you,” she whispered.

“You stole my book,” I said, deciding to lay it all out.

I paused a beat, waiting for her to deny it or explain; she did neither.

“We both know that Diana was blackmailing people on the island,” I said. “ButI didn’t find anything. Whatever Diana was up to, she didn’t leave very good clues. So go ahead, keep it, Idon’t care. But you might think about what was going on with her, becausesomeonekilled her. And if you didn’t know already? Everyone who was on the island Sundayis still a registered guest.”

Except CeeCee, I realized as if I’d been stung. CeeCee had disappeared yesterday. Just like Diana. Was she dead... or was she fleeing? Fleeing Trevor... or running from the law because she was a killer?

Amber stared at me with a flash of concern. Then she said, “Just stay out of it. This really doesn’t concern you.” She hesitated, then softened her voice. “And if youdofind the file, I will make it worth your while to return it to me.”

“What’s so important about this file?”

“Let’s just say Diana took something that neither of us quite understood the value of. And I need to get it back as soon as possible.”

To give to Parker, I thought but didn’t say. Diana took a file from Parker, and he needed it back before he met with his father on Monday, I deduced. Diana and Amber had been in on it from the beginning, but didn’t realize the repercussions of their actions. Did they intend to blackmail Parker? My guess was yes. Or... maybe they intended to blackmail someone else with the contents of Parker’s file. But with Diana dead and the file missing, Amber was on the hot seat.

“Like I said, I don’t have any files. Good luck.”

Amber stomped off.

“What was that all about?” Brie came up behind me, making me jump.

I told her what Amber said and what I thought it meant. “I think she was out all night.”

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