Page 43 of The Lake Escape
“It was only a kiss,” I remind her.
“That’s all yousaw,” she shoots back. “Who knows what happened after that. Boys can be—pushy. Trust me.”
David’s warning rings loudly in my mind. I’m tempted to tell Taylor about the security camera blackout last night, but I keep quiet. Could Fiona have snuck out of the house to rendezvous withthe enigmatic young musician next door? It didn’t occur to me until just now that Fiona herself could have tampered with the system to get away with a late-night tryst.
“If I’m going to investigate, I need to know the whole story between you and Lucas.”
Taylor sinks into a moment of quiet contemplation, staring at the upturned earth that was once an unmarked grave.
“I’ll tell you what,” she says, refocusing her attention on me. “I want you to go into this unbiased. But if you find out exactly what happened between them or if he has anything to do with her disappearance, I’ll tell you everything. Honestly, I could use someone to talk to when I’m ready.”
Well, shit.How can I say no to that? Whatever this is about, it’s obvious Taylor needs a friend.
“All right,” I say. “I’m in.”
We shake on it, even though it feels wrong to make pledges at the site of a tragedy. Or perhaps that makes it a sacred vow.
Chapter 17
Julia
It would have been the perfect summer day if it weren’t for the divers scouring the bottom of the lake in search of a body. Thankfully, after several hours, the dive team cleared out (as did the spectators), having found nothing.
But a K-9 unit was on the scene and on the hunt. The trained animal picked up Fiona’s scent using a shirt David provided, but couldn’t trace it beyond the property’s perimeter. The paperwork requesting a cell phone ping was submitted. The ping itself, however, proved unnecessary, as David found Fiona’s phone in a nightstand drawer. Indeed, it was out of battery.
Even so, who leaves without their phone?
It felt like everyone was doing their job, but each moment that passed was more tense than the last. Julia found herself pacing her kitchen instead of relaxing with a book. She hadn’t even posted to any of her social media accounts that day, though she did her part to help with the search. While David, Christian, and Rick spent the afternoon scouring the woods, Julia and Erika kept watch over the twins as they worked their phones, contacting neighbors and uploading a pic of Fiona to the Lake Timmeny Community Page.
Every five minutes or so Julia would find herself thinking:What the actual fuck? How was any of this possible? Does the lake really take them?
On top of that, Fiona appeared to be an enigma. She had noonline presence. David didn’t know any of her friends in New York City and couldn’t get in touch with her parents if he wanted to.
Some boyfriend.
Julia checked in with local businesses, and sent those who agreed to help a picture to share online and in their stores.
So far, no luck.
Nobody had seen Fiona Maxwell. She wasn’t in the water. She had yet to be found in the woods (not too surprising considering she hated hiking). And her car and phone were still at the house.
Technically the car belonged to David, so maybe that’s why she left it behind. He could have reported it stolen. But if she snuck off, why wouldn’t she take her belongings?
Did she flee in a blind panic? Did she leave at all?
Julia shivered at the thought of Fiona’s body somehow hidden in a house made of glass.
But David wouldn’t… he couldn’t… could he?
The police had come. They’d seen no compelling reason to suspect foul play. All arrows pointed to a woman who was either accidentally lost orwantedto disappear.
Julia was distraught but remained determined to stay positive. Freaking out wouldn’t do any good. If Fionahadtaken off on David, Julia couldn’t blame her. In less than twenty-four hours, she’d observed serious problems in their relationship. Lord only knew what went on behind those closed doors.
With nothing to do but wait, everyone desperately needed a reset, so they planned to meet at the lakeshore for sandwiches and drinks.
Julia was surprised when David joined them, with a pitcher of gin and tonic, no less. Years of friendship must have trumped Erika’s earlier accusations, because he wasn’t acting like she’d called him a murderer. He focused his attention on his kids, who played nearby in the sand. He pretended everything was normal, perhaps for their benefit as much as his. Still, things felt strange.
Christian and Rick relaxed on beach chairs after hours of exhaustive searching. Everyone was scratched, dirty, and riddled withbug bites. Erika and Christian appeared to have switched places. It was he who was zoned out on his phone. Was he working or just mentally shut down after their emotionally draining day? Probably the latter. They had a decent GM to mind the business while they were away, and if there was a crisis (other than the obvious), he’d have told her.
