Page 58 of Whispers of the Lake

“I probably shouldn’t have left,” I said.

“You absolutelyshouldhave left,” Diana countered with furrowed brows. “We can’t have two people we know in trouble. You were smart for coming back.”

“Hopefully this is all just one big misunderstanding,” Daddy offered. “Hopefully Eve is fine but really needed time to herself and decided to leave everything behind. Maybe she knew you all would see that trip she booked to Thailand and take the bait. I never said it, but I worry about her mentally. Eve isn’t well. We all know this.”

That was true. Eve had a lot of mental issues—things that I told her she needed to seriously look into. She’d always shrug off the way she acted, saying things likeThis is just who I am, orGotta love me or leave me, right?

But being as attention-seeking as she was, wasn’t normal. Coming to my house crying because she felt lost and heartsick for no apparent reason, wasn’t normal. Waking up in the middle of the night because of night terrors about being abused wasn’t normal. Sleeping with your best friend’s husbandwasn’t normal.

Eve needed help, whether she wanted to admit it or not. It wouldn’t have surprised me if perhaps she did suddenly just snap and saidfuck it all. But if she did, that made this situation even more dangerous. A woman going through a mental crisis wasn’t safe. And if that were the case, we needed to find her as soon as possible.

Of course, I didn’t voice this to my family. Zoey would’ve freaked out. Diana and Daddy would’ve told me to let it go. As badly as I wanted to drop it, I couldn’t. “I think I’m going to head back home,” I said after we ate some of Diana’s apple pie. “I haven’t been sleeping well and I miss my bed.”

“I can imagine you haven’t.” Daddy stood when I did. After delivering hugs to Diana and Zoey, Daddy walked me to my car. “Rosette,” my father said when I was seated in the driver’s seat. The door was still open, and he was clinging to it, looking right at me.

“Yeah, Daddy?”

“I know how your mind works better than anyone else.” He looked me deep in the eyes with his warm brown gaze. “Promise me that whatever you decide to do, you’ll be careful.” His features were hard, unwavering.

My throat thickened as I nodded. “I’ll be careful. I promise.”

CHAPTER FORTY-ONE

Ineeded to keep myself busy while in my apartment. Daddy was right. I had ideas churning in my brain, but I wanted to leave Eve’s disappearance to the professionals. Kennedy was looking into it and there was only so much I could do as an average citizen.

I sat at the dining table and opened my laptop. As soon as the home screen lit up, I returned to my document on Robert Cowan and proceeded to work on the article. I had one more day, and Herbert was going to grill me if I didn’t get it in. He hated missing deadlines.

I typed about three more paragraphs with ease before my mind reverted to Eve again. Something was bugging me about all of this. Something just wasn’t adding up with the Reeds. I glanced at her purse on the sofa before standing and walking toward it. I dug through it again for her wallet, reading the name on the credit card again.

Victor E. McDonnell.

I tried thinking of all the times Eve spoke about the men she dated. I couldn’t remember a time when she talked about anyone named Victor. She must’ve met him recently, while we weren’t talking. That, or she didn’t take him very seriously and was just using him.

I returned to the table and checked my phone as if a text or call from Nico would be there. Nothing. “Just let it go, Rose,” I muttered, going to the kitchen to make tea.

When I sat down again, I glanced at Eve’s purse one more time. An object in my house that didn’t belong, full of personal things my former best friend was meant to be carrying. Objects she’d touched. Things sheneededto navigate this world.

In the back of my mind, I could hear her voice. The same one from my nightmare. Whispering.Demanding. Telling me to do something and not just sit on my ass. To get up and figure out what the hell happened to her.

I’m missing, Rose,I could hear her saying.I need your help. Please. I know you hate me right now, but I need you.

I polished off my tea, went for my shoes and hoodie, and left once again.

Eve’s house looked exactly the same as the last time I’d visited. I couldn’t even tell Zoey had been around. The kitchen was still clean. The table scarce with material. It even smelled like a hint of bleach. Her bed was made with the same comforter, no clothes missing from her closet. There were no signs that she’d been here to grab a few things and dip off again. The only difference in the bedroom was that her laptop was open.

I gave the spacebar a tap and sat in the chair at her desk. After entering her password, I sifted through her emails. There wasn’t much there except that confirmation flight to Thailand Zoey had mentioned, contacts from companies, and emails from her fans.

Any new videos this week?someone asked in an email.

Eve, I miss you! Please get back on IG!

Just want to let you know that no matter what anyone says, your videos are amazing.

I left the emails and clicked on her files. Nothing much there. I went to her photos next. Most of them were images she’d posted before. A few videos were mixed in between. I clicked play on one of them.

She was walking with her phone held up in one hand and an iced coffee in the other. She sipped from the coffee, walking and holding the phone up as if this were a natural way of life.

I clicked the arrow to get to the next video.

---