Page 81 of Light of Day
“Not a one. Denton was well-liked, he was a widower still mourning his wife’s death, he had no children?—”
He broke off as something occurred to him. Was it possible that he had a secret child? Was that why he’d left his house to the mysterious Sasha Mackey?
His phone buzzed, making his heart jump. Maybe it was Heather finally checking in.
Even though the number on his screen was unfamiliar, he answered.
“Luke Carmichael? The constable?” a breathless voice asked.
“Yes.”
“This is Gabby Ramon. I think something’s happened to Heather. I finally got my phone working again and she’s not answering her texts. I’m driving to a water taxi right now, but I’m afraid I won’t get there in time. Can you hurry?”
Through the fear making his jaw clench, he asked, “Where to?”
“I don’t know! If you find out anything, call me at this number. For now, I’ll head to the inn.”
He quickly called Sally and found out that she and Heather had parted ways hours ago. Heather had hitched a ride with Heidi Ochoa on a golf cart…headed for the inn.
Heidi was a woman. She worked for the Carmichaels. Had his father recruited her to do their dirty work? He tried to imagine that giggly girl strangling someone with a scarf. Maybe she had a hidden dark side.
“Did you happen to see what Heidi was wearing?”
“Oh, I don’t know. Some uptight outfit for the front desk.”
“A scarf?”
“Yeah. Maybe.”
“Come on,” he called to Chen as he closed up his phone. “We have to get to the inn.”
“Check you out, acting like the boss of this investigation.”
“Heather is missing, last seen on the way to my family’s fucking hotel, and that’s where I’m going,” he said firmly. “And so is my truck. So?—”
“Let’s hit it.”
37
Heather could still rememberthe first time she ever swam in the Atlantic Ocean—before she even knew how to swim. She’d been playing on an abandoned fishing dock and fallen through a rotting plank. The sheer shock of the cold had obliterated every thought in her head. She hadn’t even had time for panic and had actually forgotten the fact that she didn’t know how to swim. She’d flailed her arms around until she’d found a rhythm that kept her head above water, and willed herself to shore.
Since then, she’d learned proper swimming techniques, but the terror of that first experience had never left her. She never enjoyed swimming, even in heated pools.
There was something else, too, she realized now as she stared at the waves surging into the cave. Those stories from her great-grandfather, they’d planted a seed in her mind.
The house moving toward the ocean.Everything about to change. Nothing to hold onto. A terrifying force chasing people away.
Was that why she avoided the ocean at all costs? Even on the very hottest days of summer?
Today was not one of those days. The air temperature was barely above seventy, and as for the water…her bare feet told her it was pretty freaking cold.
But she had no choice. The more time passed, the weaker she’d become without food or water. If she didn’t leave now, it would get too dark for a passing rescuer to spot her in the water. If she was afraid of the ocean during the day, just imagine what the night would be like.
She’d leave at peak tide, she decided. That would allow her some time to swim before the tidal currents really kicked in. She hoped the currents would help her, but she wasn’t sure about the tide—it would be pulling straight out to the ocean. That was the biggest risk of this plan—that and the rocks lurking under the surface, hidden by the high tide.
If she was lucky, she wouldn’t have to swim far, only to the closest cove or beach. From there, she’d climb rocks or ledges or barnacles or whatever it took to reach civilization.
One thing she wasn’t sure about was the flash drive. Saltwater was bound to ruin it, it if wasn’t already destroyed. In the end, she decided to leave it in the cave. She could come back for it later. She tucked it into the highest, driest crevice she could find, and pulled on her socks and boots.
