Page 90 of The Lighthouse on Plum Island
“What are you blabbering on about?” Vanessa looked at Caroline as if she’d grown two heads. “Why on earth would I want to take the credit for the drivel you write?” She looked at Caroline in disgust. “The only reason I took the job was to be close to Brad.”
“I told you, Vanessa,” Brad shook his head impatiently. “I don’t date co-workers.”
“I guess you would say that aroundher!“ Vanessa looked down her nose at Caroline. “Maybe I should show her all your late-night messages?”
“What?” Caroline felt the shock zing through her as she looked at Brad in disbelief.
“I haven’t sent her any messages.” Brad held up his hands. “I swear.”
“Really!” Vanessa sneered at him, pulling her phone from her pocket, scrolling to Brad’s messages, and handing her phone to Caroline with spite shining in her eyes.
Caroline took the phone and felt the world around her start to spin as she scrolled through all the messages Brad had sent her in the past few days since he’d arrived on Plum Island.
“I didn’t send those,” Brad’s voice pulled her back from her thoughts. “I can prove it.” He pulled his phone out of his pocket. “Send me a message,” he told Caroline.
She typed a quick message and sent it from Vanessa’s phone.
“See, there’s no message on my phone,” Brad showed them. “Wait for a few minutes.”
The three stood staring at the phone, and soon, the wiggling dots danced on the screen, indicating a reply was being typed.
“That’s not me!” He held out his phone for them to see.
Hey, baby. I can’t message you right now. I’m in a meeting. Did you go to the cottage and meet the author?
“What are they talking about?” Caroline looked at Vanessa.
“I got a message from Brad this morning to dress like a cat burglar and meet Carrie Lines at this cottage as she was going to do one of my screen tests,” Vanessa told them. Her eyes narrowed angrily. “Only, when I got here, there was another person dressed just like me that pushed me into that creepy old cottage and locked me in.”
“Who told you I was at the lighthouse yesterday?” Brad asked her.
“You did!” Vanessa pointed to her phone. “Go ahead. It’s all on there.”
Caroline and Brad scrolled through the messages that Brad allegedly sent.
“You told her to arrive on the island the same day you did.” Caroline pointed to the message. “To meet her at the lighthouse yesterday.” Her eye caught another message. “You bought her a tablet for easier communication throughout the production?”
“Not me.” Brad shook his head. “I didn’t buy her a …” His eyes widened, and he looked at Vanessa. “You were being set up.”
“For what?” Vanessa asked impatiently.
“Vanessa was given the wrong box when she went to pick up the tablet.” Brad looked at Caroline as the pieces fell into place.“When I went to get Caroline’s new laptop, a temp had given it to you and then left the shop, and they couldn’t get hold of them.”
“I’m not following,” Vanessa told them.
“There was spyware on my laptop that got stolen the other night,” Caroline explained. “The thief was setting you to take the fall for it by giving you access to the new laptop replacement Brad bought for me.”
“Oh!” Vanessa’s eyes widened. “Why would someone want to do that to me?” she asked in shock. “Everyone adores me.”
“Hi, Caroline,” the officer exited the car and approached them. “I believe there’s been an intruder at Betty’s cottage?”
“Yes,” Vanessa answered before they could and started blabbing on about what they’d been discussing with the poor, confused officer. “I think it’s Clover.”
“Why would you say that?” Caroline asked Vanessa in exasperation.
“Because the first night I was here, she made me smell like old rotten fish, and Dingle bit me because he can’t stand the smell of it,” Vanessa told them.
“How did Clover make you smell of fish?” Brad sighed.
