Page 35 of Spotted at Lighthouse Bay
He pulled into the driveway, shaking his head.
“There was no pity,” he said, stopping at the house. “I was hungry, and I needed to get more use out of that company card.”
“Uh huh.”
“We were two ships passing in the night,” he continued. “Two ships adrift in the same restaurant –”
Her uproarious laughter cut him off. He smiled to himself and shut off the engine. The night fell silent, save for the wind sweeping leaves across the ground.
Adelaide popped her door open. “I appreciate our,” she paused, “relationship.”
He groaned. “You’re terrible.”
She laughed again, jumping from the car and shutting the door.
Rick didn’t mean it, of course. Her spirit was back, as strong as before. He stepped out of the car, hiding his smile. The house looked different in the moonlight. Softer, somehow, the warm glow from the windows inviting them in.
Adelaide pushed the door open—it was unlocked, as always—and turned to look at him. Light flooded around her, illumining the gentle smile on her face.
His heart leapt. Another glimpse into a different life. Adelaide looking back at him, waiting for him. A place called home. A safe place.
“Everything okay?” she asked.
Snap back to reality. “Yeah, sorry.”
He followed her inside. The kitchen was empty. No sign of Sheila.
He liked Sheila well enough, but he didn’t want her to hear about Adelaide’s night yet. For this moment, it was between her and Rick. A small secret he got to keep.
She went upstairs and retired to her room. He said his goodnights, then went back to his room and opened the window. After a shower, he laid down on the bed, a towel still wrapped around his waist.
The ocean was calm tonight, barely any sound at all. The wind whistled in the window, the cold air a stark contrast to the warmth of the bed.
Rick’s eyes drifted shut, and his arms and legs sank into the bed, anchoring him into place. His breaths grew long and deep.
The shrill pangs of his alarm shocked him awake. Rick sat up, his heart thundering in his chest.
He rarely made it to his alarm, always waking early and restless from whatever broken sleep he’d claimed.
He got dressed quickly and rushed to Addy’s door. Inside, she sang a tune.
“Are you okay in there?” he called out.
“Yes, just getting ready! I have good news.”
He shouldn’t have slept so deeply. What if something had happened? He hadn’t woken all night. Hadn’t heard anything.
Sweat dotted his forehead. He wiped it away with the back of his hand.
He returned to his room to brush his teeth and splash cold water on his face. When Addy’s door opened, he was waiting to walk her down the stairs.
“Mia sent me a message,” Addy said, showing him her phone. “She talked to some people in Lawrence’s neighborhood, and one had doorbell footage of the guys who were going door-to-door.”
“That’s interesting.”
“Do you have access to some sort of database? Maybe we can put their pictures in and identify these guys?”
Rick smiled. “No, I don’t have access to a facial recognition database, and I wish no one did.”
