Evil at Echo Point

by Grace York

  Something Max and Erin had spoken about today had made Erin upset.

  And on the night Erin's boyfriend was murdered, Max said he was going home to his room in the pub. But he hadn't.

  After seeing Mrs Jones safely home, he'd turned and walked in the opposite direction to the pub.

  He'd headed to Echo Point.

  25

  Addison spent Sunday morning worrying whether she'd done the right thing. Olivia had asked for the day to speak to Max, and find out whether he knew Erin before she arrived in Getaway Bay. She also agreed to ask him if he'd gone straight home the night Trent was killed, or out to Echo Point, and why.

  This meant Addison couldn't speak to Isaac about Max, and she couldn't tell Adam either. He'd want to go straight to Isaac.

  So she spent the morning planning the baking for the rest of the week then went into Riverwood to do the grocery shopping.

  By the time she got home after lunch on Sunday she was exhausted. She'd hoped Olivia had spoken to Max by then, but her daughter was nowhere to be found.

  "She was here earlier," said Adam, helping himself to some leftover cottage pie from the fridge.

  "Olivia?" Addison lifted the shopping bags onto the kitchen counter.

  "Yes. She came home just before lunch, went up to her room, and was gone again minutes later."

  "Did she say where she was going?"

  "Nope. Want me to get the rest of the bags from the car?"

  "Yes please."

  He went off to retrieve the shopping, leaving Addison to wonder what Olivia was up to. She'd gone to see Max at the pub this morning and was supposed to come straight home and tell Addison what he'd said.

  Perhaps she'd done just that but left again because Addison wasn't at home. That was fair enough.

  Adam brought the remaining bags of groceries into the kitchen and started unpacking them on the bench. Addison had stocked up on all of her staples, as well as the ingredients she needed for a week's worth of baking and meals. There was plenty of food.

  "Don't just take them out of the bags," she said to Adam. "Put them away. You know where they go."

  He rolled his eyes but did as he was told. Adam was a good help around the house, even if he had to be prompted and reminded like a child sometimes.

  Addison searched her handbag for her mobile phone and called Olivia. There was no answer. She tried again, but again it went to voicemail. She left a message asking Olivia to call.

  When she hadn't called back an hour later, Addison began to worry. She left another voicemail message.

  When Olivia still hadn't called back another hour later, Addison phoned Isaac.

  "Hi, how's it going?" she asked when he answered.

  "Not great. Still with the Burchards. What can I do for you?"

  Addison was torn. Olivia was a grown woman, and she wasn't exactly missing. But Addison had a bad feeling. She made a decision to tell Isaac what she knew about Max. She'd given Olivia long enough.

  "Is there any chance you could come over? I need to talk to you about something."

  "Sure. Give me half an hour to finish up here and I'll be right there."

  Addison turned the coffee machine on while she waited, and checked the cupboard for something to serve for afternoon tea. There were a couple of sad looking biscuits in the bottom of the tin, and that was about it.

  That wouldn't do at all.

  Addison decided a batch of scones would do the trick. They were quick to make, and lovely to eat fresh. It was getting late in the day, probably too late for afternoon tea, but Addison needed something to do. She was just putting the batch into the oven when Isaac rang the doorbell.

  "Come in," she called out to him. She walked through the great room to greet him, wiping her hands on a tea towel. She'd told him many times to come around to the back door, because she was usually in the kitchen, but he always waited at the front.

  "Hi," he said, wiping his feet on the mat before stepping into the house. He looked very tired.

  "Come through to the kitchen," said Addison. "I'll make you a coffee."

  "Where are the rest of the crew?" Isaac asked as he pulled out a stool at the kitchen bench.

  "Adam's around here somewhere. Lenny and Brooke have gone sightseeing for the day. I'm not sure where Olivia is." Her voice faltered on the last one, but Isaac didn't seem to notice.

  "Okay. So what's up?"

  Addison wasn't sure where to start. "I can't get hold of Olivia, and I'm getting worried."

  "When was the last time you saw her?" Isaac asked. He sat up straighter, his voice full of concern.

  Addison was about to answer when Adam came into the kitchen and went straight to the oven.

  "What?" he said when they both looked at him. "I smelled scones."

  Addison turned back to Isaac. "Adam says she came home briefly just before lunch."

  "You talking about Olivia?" Adam asked, peering into the oven.

  "Yes," said Addison and Isaac together.

  Adam dragged himself from the oven door and joined them at the bench. "What's going on?"

  Addison stared at them both for a minute before coming clean. She explained how she'd seen Max and Erin talking at the pub yesterday, and it seemed to be a very involved conversation for two people who'd just met. Then she told them of her and Olivia's discovery that Max and Erin were from neighbouring villages in Cornwall. Finally she disclosed her conversation with Mrs Jones last night, where she'd discovered that Max had headed towards Echo Point the night of the murder.

  "Olivia was going to the pub to ask him about it this morning. She says she knows Max, and he's a kind and gentle person. He wouldn't hurt anyone. She wanted to give him a chance to explain before we told you all of this, Isaac."

  "But now you don't know where she is, and she's not answering her phone."

  "That's right."

  "And it's well into the afternoon."

  "That's right."

  Addison's kitchen timer went off, and she pulled the scones out of the oven. She wrapped them in a clean tea towel and set them aside.

  "What should we do?" Addison asked.

  "I don't know that there's much we can do, officially," said Isaac. "Olivia is a grown woman, and Adam saw her a few hours ago. I can't start a search just because she's not answering her phone, no matter how worried you are."

  Addison was about to protest, but Isaac held up a hand to stop her.

  "But I'll look into it. I can start at the pub and ask questions."

  "I'll go with you," said Adam. He'd lost all interest in the scones, which was unusual for him. He must be worried too.

  "Well I'm not staying here on my own," said Addison.

  It was Isaac's turn to protest, but Addison shook her head. "You said yourself it's not official, you're just asking questions. Three of us will do better than one at that." Addison made sure the oven was off, and turned the coffee machine off, too.

  Afternoon tea could wait. She needed to find her daughter.

  26

  In Isaac's car on the way to the pub Addison really started to worry. She called Olivia again, still no answer. She left another message.

  "Did you interview the Burchards again yesterday?" she asked Isaac. Discussing someone else might help keep her mind off Olivia.

  "I did," Isaac replied. "I think I opened a can of worms there."

  "Let me guess," said Adam. "Daniel Haddad wasn't just a teenager who needed a home all those years ago, was he?"

  "No. There's more to it than that," Isaac glanced at Adam in the rear vision mirror.

  "Well?" Addison asked.

  "This falls under your confidentiality agreement, okay?"

  Adam and Addison both agreed, so Isaac continued.

  "Daniel Haddad is Malcolm Burchard's illegitimate son."

  "Wow," said Addison.

  "I knew it," said Adam.

  "How could you have known that?" Addison asked him.

  "Well I didn't know, not for sure. But I
guessed. Why else would Malcolm have taken in a teenager not long after his wife passed away? There had to be some connection between them."

  Addison shook her head. "That's the crime writer in you," she said.

  "Probably." Adam turned his attention to Isaac. "So does that make Daniel a suspect?"

  "It certainly gives him as much of a motive as Chad," said Isaac. "Money. Although Malcolm wasn't forthcoming on whether he had any plans to further involve Daniel in the business, and Daniel was adamant he doesn't want to be more involved. He's happy as the driver and bodyguard."

  "Yes, but with one of his heirs gone, you'd have to think Malcolm more likely to hand some of the responsibility over to Daniel," said Addison. "He's not getting any younger, and he obviously trusts Daniel to keep him so close."

  "That's what I think," said Isaac. "They admit to being in town the night of the murder, but both swear they stayed at the apartment all night. According to the two of them Malcolm was working, and Daniel had an early night because he was tired from the drive."

  Addison had to admit she was surprised at this new revelation. Adam might have suspected a relationship between Malcolm and Daniel, but she'd had no idea.

  "Did Chad and Trent know Daniel was their brother?" she asked.

  "Half-brother, and no," said Isaac, shaking his head. He pulled into the parking area of the Red Lion. "They were only five years old when Daniel came to live with them, and as they grew up, they spent a lot of time at boarding school. As far as they were aware, Daniel was a loyal employee and nothing more. It certainly came as a surprise to Chad when Malcolm admitted the relationship."

  "Chad was there when they came clean?" said Adam.

  "Yes. I believe he didn't know. The look of shock on his face was genuine." Isaac parked the car, but they stayed seated while he spoke. "He was, however, aware that his father and Daniel were in town the night Trent was killed. He didn't say anything because he knew it would make Malcolm a suspect, which would have been very bad publicity for the company."

  "Is that why Malcolm and Daniel kept quiet too?" asked Addison.

  "That's the story they're giving me."

  "Do you believe them?"

  Isaac sighed. "I don't know what to believe with this case anymore. Come on, let's go and find your daughter."

  "What about Brody?" Adam asked as they climbed out of the car.

  "He wasn't there," said Isaac. "I'm yet to speak to him. But I suspect his story will be the same as Chad's. They knew Malcolm was in town a night earlier than he'd told me, and that's what they were hiding. I've got Kendall and Ryan checking all of Malcolm and Daniel's shoes against the footprints found at the lighthouse." The three of them made their way in through the back door of the pub. "Right, let me do the talking here, okay?"

  Adam and Addison fell into line behind Isaac. Addison's eyes quickly scanned the pub, but she couldn't see Olivia anywhere. The knot in her stomach grew tighter.

  Isaac approached the bar, where Bob Carter was serving someone. "Be right with you," said Bob, placing a glass of beer on the counter and taking the man's money.

  "Isaac," Bob said with a nod when he'd finished serving the man. "What can I do for you?"

  "Have you seen Olivia Lake today?"

  Bob nodded. "She came in just after we opened looking for Max, so I sent her up to his room. They're not there now, though. Left a couple of hours ago."

  "They both left?"

  Bob nodded. "And that girl was with them, too. Erin. She's been staying here since… well, you know."

  Addison couldn't stay in the background. "Olivia and Max left here with Erin Sinclair?" she asked Bob.

  "That's right."

  "Do you know where they were headed?" she asked.

  "No, sorry. But if you find them, tell Max to get his backside here pronto. His shift started an hour ago."

  "Have you called him?" Isaac asked, pulling out his mobile phone.

  "Three times," said Bob. "Keeps going to voicemail."

  "Give me his number," said Isaac. As he was putting Max's number into his phone, Addison noticed he got a text message. He quickly read it and then looked up at Addison.

  "What is it?" she asked, eyes wide.

  "It's from Olivia," said Isaac, turning and hurrying out of the pub.

  Addison and Adam struggled to keep up with him as he strode across the carpark.

  "What is it?" Addison asked again, breaking into a run.

  Isaac virtually threw himself into the driver's seat and slammed the door. "Get in," he yelled. "We need to go. Now."

  27

  Addison didn't need to be told twice. She and Adam jumped into the car, and Isaac took off out of the pub's carpark. He didn't put the lights and sirens on, but he drove like a man on a mission.

  "Can you tell me where we're going at least?" asked Addison. She held on tight to the car's roof handle as Isaac headed back in the direction of the beach house.

  Isaac kept his eyes on the road. "Olivia asked me to come to the lighthouse. She said it was urgent."

  "The lighthouse? Up at Echo Point?"

  Isaac nodded.

  Addison scrambled for her phone in her bag. "I have to call her."

  "No, don't," said Isaac. "She specifically said not to call. She can't talk."

  "What do you mean she can't talk?" asked Adam from the back seat.

  "I don't know," said Isaac. "But she's a smart girl. If she says she can't talk, I trust her. Now both of you, calm down and let me drive, all right?"

  Addison felt faint. She tried to focus on her breathing. She kept one hand tight on the handle and gripped the seat with the other.

  Her daughter could be in trouble.

  This was what she'd been afraid of when Olivia announced she was pursuing a career in forensics, but Addison hadn't been expecting it so soon. She was only a year into her degree, for goodness sake.

  Olivia thought she could save the world. She was too like her father.

  Adam shot question after question at Isaac from the back seat, but Isaac ignored him and focused on the road. Eventually Isaac told him to shut up and do something useful and call Kendall.

  "Tell her and Ryan to meet us out there," Isaac said as the car shot past the beach house and continued along the winding road out to Echo Point.

  Adam did as he was told for once.

  After what felt like an eternity, they pulled into the parking lot for the campground.

  "Where are they?" Addison asked when they were out of the car. The campground was empty, the last of the campers having left not long after the murder.

  Isaac pulled out his phone and read the text message again. "She just said the lighthouse. I'll tell her we're nearly there." He typed a quick message and sent it off to Olivia, before searching for the track. "It's this way," he said after a few seconds that felt like an eternity to Addison. "I don't suppose I can convince you two to stay with the car?"

  "Not a chance," said Addison. Adam almost laughed.

  "Then stay behind me, both of you."

  They were halfway up the path when Isaac's phone pinged with a message.

  "Is that her?"

  Isaac nodded, then put his finger to his lips and put the phone on silent.

  Addison waved her hand at him, asking him to show her the text, but he shook his head.

  "Show me!" she hissed. This was her baby girl they were talking about.

  Isaac showed her the phone.

  Hurry but come quietly, the message read.

  Addison stopped dead. She willed her legs to move, but they wouldn't.

  "If she's texting, she's fine," Adam whispered, grabbing hold of Addison's arm. "Come on. We're almost there." He gently propelled her forward, and Addison felt her legs start to move again. She held tight to Adam and they walked together. Isaac was now several strides ahead.

  They turned a corner in the path and the lighthouse came into view. Addison could see Olivia standing near it. In one piece. A wave of relief washed over her,
and now her legs were fully engaged. She ran towards her daughter and reached her just after Isaac.

  Olivia put a finger to her lips, and then nodded towards the edge of the cliff. A makeshift fence had been erected, and it was wrapped in police tape. Except for one section where the fence had been pulled out.

  Erin Sinclair stood just beyond the fence, tape flapping in the breeze around her. Addison could just see the top of someone else's head. A man. He was dangerously close to the edge of the cliff.

  "He's threatening to jump," Olivia whispered. "We think Erin's the only one who can talk him down."

  Isaac took a few steps closer to Erin. She turned and saw him, and held up a hand to get him to stop.

  Addison couldn't believe it. She'd thought Max was a lovely young man. He'd been to her house. She'd trusted him with her daughter. What was going on?

  Was Max responsible for Trent's death? Did he push him off this very cliff?

  And what were they doing back out here?

  Addison took a step forward to get a better view, and caught movement out of the corner of her eye. She looked past the lighthouse, and saw Max standing on the other side. He looked just as frightened as Olivia.

  What? If Max was safely on top of the cliff with them, who was Erin trying to save? Who was threatening to throw themselves over the edge?

  Addison moved closer, and finally got a decent view of the man.

  Brody Hitchcock.

  28

  Erin must have sensed their arrival, because she turned to look. So did Brody.

  "I'm not coming in," Brody called, and moved closer to the edge.

  "That's fine," said Isaac. He stood where the section of fence had been removed. Addison was grateful for his strong presence, but she was concerned about Erin. The girl was precariously close to the edge.

  "I'm going to need Erin to come to me, though," Isaac continued.

  "No!" said Brody. He turned his back to them and faced the water again. "I'll jump if she moves. I need her."

  Erin's eyes pleaded with Isaac. The detective nodded and held up both hands to indicate he wasn't going to make any sudden moves.