Page 31 of Death By Llama
Oliver grimaced in disbelief.“Yeah, an ancient wooden one.”
“Better than nothing,” I said with a plucky smile as I headed to where there was a break in the rock wall.
As I passed Oliver, I heard him groan, but I also saw him start to follow me.I hesitated as I reached the opening.Now that I illuminated the steps hewn from the natural stones of the seawall, my light glistened off the damp rocks.I could see green algae growing in the cracks and crevices.
I glanced back at Oliver, who still looked as dubious as I suddenly was.
“What are the chances we’ll find anything down there even if the tide is out?”
I stared at the steps that looked like the winding back of a slick eel returning to the churning waters below.
I glanced back at my friend.“Well, you know me, I’m going to wonder.”And with that, I took my first step down the stony stairs.
“Better to wonder than plummet to our own deaths,” he muttered, but like the loyal friend he was, he also stepped through the break in the rock wall and slowly started his descent.
In one hand I gripped the rickety handrail and in my other I held out my cell phone.Even though I couldn’t see the water below, I could hear it crashing.
“That sounds like high tide to me,” Oliver called loudly over the thunderous waves.
“It does,” I agreed, but I kept picking my way down the steps.My foot slipped once, my elf shoes not exactly made for rock climbing, but at least I couldn’t hear the jingle-jangle of the bells on them over the crashing of the waves.And thankfully, the weathered handrail held my weight.I only slipped down off of one rock and caught my footing on another.
“Are you okay?”Oliver asked.
I noticed he didn’t let go of the handrail or his phone to steady me.I couldn’t blame him.This climb was a little wilder than I had expected.I was concerned that once we got down, we wouldn’t be able to get back up the stairs but it was too late to worry about that now.
“Yeah, I’m okay.”I secured my footing, then pointed my light down toward the black, turbulent Atlantic Ocean.“I definitely think the tide is high.We won’t be able to see anything.”
I wasn’t one hundred percent sure, but I didn’t think I wanted to go any further down to check.Not my best plan, that was for sure.
“I agree,” he said.“Let’s go back up.”
I could tell from the muffled sound of his voice over the ocean that he had already turned to start climbing back up to stable ground.
I pointed my light back down at the water one more time.It definitely was high tide.I turned and started to follow Oliver.But as I did, I caught a glimpse of two people standing by the rock wall.It was just their silhouettes, but from the height and shape, I could tell it was a man and a woman.
Letting go of the handrail, I tugged on the back of Oliver’s windbreaker.“Do you see that?”
The second I distracted him, he slipped.His foot came off one of the steps and his body nudged into mine.For a split second we teetered on the edge of full blown disaster.Then Oliver managed to catch himself before his full weight could fall against me and send me flying.I did lose my footing, my elf shoes useless, but fortunately I managed to pitch my weight forward rather than backward.I landed hard on my knee on the edge of one of the steps.
“Sophie!”Oliver immediately cried.
“I’m okay.”My heart was racing as I used the rickety handrail to lever myself up onto my feet.My knee hurt, but I refused to acknowledge it.Instead, my eyes returned to the edge of the cliff and the wall.The couple was still there.
“Do you see those people up there?”I said trying to be loud enough from him to hear but not so loud it got the attention of the couple.I pointed past him up toward the cliffs.I could tell even from this distance that the couples’ silhouettes appeared to be facing each other and they weren’t aware of us down below them.
“Yes,” Oliver said.“Though honestly, I’m not sure I care.We almost plunged to our deaths.”
“That could be the ones who wrote the message on the back of the business card.”
“Okay.”He glanced over his shoulder, clearly confused.“Or it could be any of the guests staying at the Inn.”
That was true.
“And even if it is,” Oliver added, “I still don’t understand how this has anything to do with Peanut falling off a cliff.And, frankly, I’m a little concerned we’re about to join him.”
Another good point.
“You’re right.This is just a wild goose chase.”A dangerous one.
