by Tara Brown
My desire to take Sage down grew into something I had to admit was unnatural. It had been bordering on unhealthy but had moved directly into obsession in the last couple of hours.
“Lainey?” Mazy called to me. She stopped at the entrance to my room, lifting her eyebrows. “Jake’s here.” She tilted her head. “Are you going on a date?” The shock on her face suggested I might look a bit over the top.
“Yeah,” I lied. It was easier than explaining that I was going to find Ashton.
“Mom’s gone so you don't have to dress pretty or pretend.” She was smarter than she looked.
“I’m not.”
“But you like Ashton.” Her little lips grew into a knowing smile.
My cheeks flushed as I lowered my gaze. “I’ll explain later.” I walked from the room, bringing my cell phone but keeping the volume off.
When I got to the stairs my dad and Jake paused their conversation. Jake’s dark eyebrows lifted. “Hey, Lain.”
“Hey.” What the heck was he doing home?
My dad’s face grew worried. He wasn't like my mom. He enjoyed my dressing down and nerdy ways. “Where are you kids headed?” His voice cracked a bit.
“I finally got Lainey to agree to go on a date with me. Thought we might take a walk on the path by the river, where the trees are really bright.” Jake lied like a pro. His bluffing skills were Jedi level.
“Well, don't be late.” He said it weird, maybe not realizing it was Saturday night.
“Okay.” I waved and ignored his expression. He was worried about the way I’d talked to my mom and stared at him. He saw the changes in me that I saw too. I was wearing girly clothes and my hair was down, and the smoothest guy in town, besides Vincent Banks, was by my side.
It was sick and disturbing, but I liked that my dad was worried.
If only he knew how I felt about Jake, he wouldn't be worried then.
Jake got the door to the Maserati he was given for his birthday. It was similar to Lindsey’s little sporty car but dark blue and not a convertible.
He started it with a roar and jerked us forward, speeding away from my house. “Your dad looks tense.” He grinned wickedly.
“So you want to make him more tense?”
“You’re rocking that blouse, so I assumed we were trying to mess with him. That's why I went for date instead of you helping me with my schoolwork.”
“We only had one day of school. Intro day is always on a Friday, and my dad knows that. He wouldn't buy schoolwork.” I didn't want to talk about the blouse.
He chuckled. “Yeah, but trust me, when you walked down the stairs, he gulped and maybe peed a little. You got the hair down and—”
“Anyway, Vince and I went to Rachel’s last night and then we went to Ashton and Sage’s.”
“You and Vince?” He gave me a hostile look as he raced down the winding road.
“Lindsey was trashed, like puking trashed. Rita and Sage were drunken hostesses, and Sierra and you were wrestling in the pool. Did you want me to see if Andrew wanted to come and find his father’s killer?” The words spit from my lips.
“Easy tiger, I was just trying to keep Andrew in good spirits. Sierra and me weren’t wrestling. And besides, I didn't think you and Vince did much alone.”
“Well, we both want to find Ash.”
“And the killer, I guess, huh?” he added.
“Yeah. And the killer.” I didn't know if I should tell him about Sage, but I decided to anyway. “I think it’s Sage.”
Jake jerked, swerving the car and skidding to a stop on the side of the road. “What?”
Swallowing the fear of saying the words aloud, I told him everything we’d found and what I had deduced on my own.
He sat silent until the very end of the story. “She set Ashton up? She would do that to her own brother? I don't believe it.”
“I know. But think about it—Tom is such a dick to her and Em, and he loves Ash. Her mom is always on Ashton’s side.”
“He’s the nicest guy—”
“I know.” I nodded. “But imagine always being the asshole and the disappointment and the sucky kid?”
He conceded, “I guess so, huh?” He paused for a moment. “What about Andrew’s dad?”
“That, I don't know. I think those answers are with Ash. We need to find him. And the picture of the fish is his happiest memory. When he was a little kid, his dad always took him to that crappy cabin in the woods. His mom and Sage never went. She hid the pic from the police because she knows he’s there.”
“Which sounds like she’s protecting him.”
“Or she’s biding her time until she’s ready to finish the frame job.”
Jake shrugged and started back onto the road again. “I think there are two very large holes in your story.”
“Which are?”
“If Sage hated anyone, and that's a big if, it would be Vincent and Linds. She has way more reason to be pissed at them over her brother who has always been awesome to her. Especially Vincent. I mean, he never loved her—ever. He dated her, he screwed her, but he never even came close to love. And the whole time she loved him. She says she didn't, but I know she did. She tried the whole ‘help me forget Vincent’ crap with me. And she knew he loved Linds the whole time too. She tried to break things off with him once, and her mom put her on meds. It was screwed up. I heard my mom talking about it.”
“Yikes.”
“Yeah. So why wouldn't she frame them or her mom instead of Ash? He might be the favorite kid, but he also protects the hell outta her.”
I processed that and shook my head. “You’re right. I don't know why she would go for Ash instead of Vince. But it does look like she might be framing Lindsey a bit.”
“How?”
“I can’t tell you yet.” I remembered we hadn’t told them that Lindsey and Sage left blood behind at the scene.
“Okay, whatever. Anyway, hole number two is timing. Sage was on the beach with us when Linds was attacked by the killer.”
“It doesn't matter who the killer is, they have a team. The killer would for sure pay others to do things when she is visibly with people so she has an alibi.”
“I’ll give you that point, but you are forgetting this girl is scheduled every day from dawn to dusk. She doesn't have time to take a piss without the royal wipers coming and ensuring she did it right. Her mom is up her ass, all the time. And even if she did manage to find a bit of free time, the other hole in the theory is still standing.” He glanced over at me, his eyes lingering on my chest. “I do like that blouse though. So you get a point for that.”
“Oh my God, stop.”
“What? I can’t help myself. You always have them wrapped up so tight. It must feel nice having them all free and shit. Like breathing is easier. I feel better with them out there like that.”
“I hate you.” I folded my arms around my chest, wrapping the cardigan around myself even more.
He laughed and nudged me. “You’re too easy to mess with, Lain.” He left town and headed north toward the highway to get to Darien.
I tilted the seat back and closed my eyes. I knew the drive was long enough we would either suffer through him harassing me or I could pretend to sleep as I processed. Sage had complained about it taking half an hour to get to the cottage when we were seven.
I jostled and drifted, and after a moment Jake’s voice was loud in my ear, “Lain, wake up.”
I blinked and sat up quickly, looking around. We were parked outside the run-down cottage on Old Huckleberry Road, a name I always thought sounded quaint.
“We’re here, Sleeping Beauty.”
“Stop,” I growled. “Don't be creepy.”
He gave me his winning smirk. “Don't be sexy.” He laughed and climbed out of the car, stretching. “Made it in seventeen minutes. That has to be a record.”
“How long was I asleep for?”
“Ten minutes. It was weird. You just passed out, snored a little, and then silence.”<
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“I don't snore.” I climbed out too, nodding. “I haven’t been sleeping well.”
His face lost all its humor. “Me either. Not since August. Will you be all right or do you need a minute to wake up?”
“I’m okay.” I sighed and stretched, realizing his eyes were lost on the front of my shirt. I jerked back to normal and wrapped my cardigan. “This is why I wear hoodies and sports bras, in case you were ever wondering.”
He blinked and looked confused. “What?”
“Nothing.” I groaned and walked to the cabin that didn't look like it had seen any life in years. Sage’s family never came up here anymore, not even Ashton really. With football and school and Rachel, he didn't have a lot of free time. And Tom hated it, likely because he was a narcissistic douche nozzle who couldn't stand that Ashton’s father and the family had spent all their free time here.
“Man, it’s sort of hot here, huh?” He stretched and looked around. My eyes caught a glimpse of his bare stomach when he lifted his arms. The tanned, smooth skin was attractive but the V-line above his hips held me captive. I had seen him without his shirt more times than I cared to count, but something about seeing it this way was voyeuristic and made it better.
By the time I realized I was staring and biting my lip, he was already grinning at me. “Something wrong, Lain? Your cheeks are all red.” He glanced down at his abs and waist, as if searching for the thing I was stuck on. “Should I throw a tensor bandage on that to help you fight staring at it?”
“What?” I looked away. “No.”
He chuckled and started looking around. “He hasn't been here. We made the first tire marks in the driveway.” Jake pointed, proving he was far more than just an insanely handsome face and a pair of sexy abs and whatever that V-shaped thing was called.
I strolled around the side of the building and nodded. “Yeah, he’s not here.” I didn't want to be near him, not with how I had just debased and ogled him, the way he always did me. I was being a hypocrite.
Glancing around, completely oblivious to my shame, Jake strolled to stand next to me and pointed at the lakeshore and the dock. “Someone has been here. Look.” He walked to the footprints in the mud that led to the back door. Someone had covered each one with dried gold and red leaves but some of the leaves had blown off. “He must have come by boat.”
“Then we wait here? Maybe he’ll come back.”
“I wouldn't. If I saw the car here I wouldn't come back.” He turned and looked around. “There’s a few small spots close by where he could get groceries and other things. I bet that's what he’s doing. It’s only a half-hour walk from here to the stores in Wilton. He wouldn't go to New Canaan. He’s too known there, and they have been posting the missing person shit everywhere. Wilton is a bit smaller and more touristy. Everyone likes to see the Underground Railway stops.” He walked back to the car. “We can go to town and split up.”
I gave him a look. “What did you mean when you said if the shoe was on the other foot, Ash would be searching high and low for me?”
His eyes widened, but he didn't answer.
“Dude.” I sounded like Lindsey.
“Not my secret. Try to convince that vault of a brain of yours to let that one slip through the cracks.”
I sighed and hated that I might be the one to find Ashton and that would be the only thing I ended up thinking about.
Chapter Nine
Swamps and hearts and fresh starts
I walked past Pinocchio Pizza and crossed the road to the coffeehouse, Connecticut Coffee and Grill. Two things I had never imagined together: coffee and food from a grill. I peeked in the windows, checking to see if I recognized a single face. One of the girls looked familiar, but she was actually a celebrity and not a friend.
Glancing down the sidewalk in front of the stores, something flashed an image in my mind. It was a gray hoodie similar to the one Ashton often wore. I liked the gray on him. It made his eyes pop.
The guy in the hoodie had the same dark-blond hair as Ashton. He walked away from me at a fast pace. Like he was a pied piper, I followed him—my feet moving before my mind committed.
When I rounded the corner of the building, he was already far ahead of me, like he’d run to the next set of buildings and was disappearing behind them when I got there.
Scared of losing him, I ran. It was awkward and uncomfortable in the loose bra and flimsy blouse, but I wrapped my arms around my chest and bolted.
I was huffing and puffing when I got to the side of the building where a bit of forest was. I bit my lip and contemplated walking into the forest.
It became quiet the moment I took my first step, as if my hearing had blocked out the sounds of the town and focused on the path before me.
My feet crunched with every step and the noise of the wind dragging the scratching leaves could send me over the edge, but I continued forward.
A cold wind tickled at my neck, giving me a chill as I rounded the corner of the small building and stood before the trees.
A stick snapped to the right, making me jerk to see what it was. I scowled and stepped to the left, moving away from a man with dirty clothes and a drunken smile for me.
Part of me wanted to go into the woods to find the guy with the hoodie, but the rational side of me whispered the hunt was over.
I wrapped my arms over my chest and turned, hurrying back to where I had started. The homeless-looking man put a pep in my step as I hurried back, constantly looking over my shoulder to ensure he wasn’t following me.
I hated that I might have lost Ashton before I even found him.
When I got back to the pizza place, I looked around the quaint little town, trying to calm myself down from the encounter with the homeless man and the endless list of things that could have gone wrong there. Tapping my fingers against my lips, I envisioned which shops suited which friends. I would be at Pinocchio Pizza eating. Lindsey would be in the coffeehouse behind me. Sage and Vincent would be at the pasta place, Portofino’s, or the wine bar we had passed on the way into town. Jake would be at the golf course. He was probably there now. Andrew would be at the deli across the parking lot or the theatre across town. Sierra would be at the nail salon in front of me or at the shoemaker. Who even had a shoemaker in their town anymore? Except in Italy, obviously.
But Ashton was sensitive, more so than anyone else knew. He would be where his dad had come with him. The grocery store maybe, of course the market one, not the supermarket chain version.
I wandered, passing tourists and locals alike. Small East Coast towns were always filled with camera-happy foreigners in the fall. Crimson Cove was no different. But we weren’t on the Underground Railway like Milton.
If anyone should have known where he’d go, it was me. I had studied him a very long time. But I didn't see anything Ashton might have stopped at until I reached the end of the parking lot where a little girl with an ice cream cone passed by me, licking it as she giggled with a lady I assumed was her mom.
Ice cream!
Of course.
His dad would have taken him for ice cream. What dad didn't do that? Okay, mine didn't, but Ashton’s would have for sure.
I walked in the direction they had come from, quickening my pace when I saw the sign: Scoops Old Fashioned Ice Cream.
When I opened the door a bell chimed and faces behind the counters lifted, all females with smiles and aprons. There were no patrons in the place. Everyone was outside enjoying their ice cream and walking about the cute touristy town.
“Welcome to Scoops.”
“Thank you.” I smiled and glanced about the candy-lined walls and adorable décor.
“We are famous for our swamp ice cream. Would you like to try it?” a blonde girl asked.
I shook my head. “No, thanks. I’m wondering if you’ve seen someone. I’m looking for a friend.” I lifted my phone out and brought up a picture of Ashton for the girls to look at.
All their eyes widened for half a second i
n recognition, but then all three went back to cool and collected. “Nope.” They shook their heads in unison. It was weird to watch. They were like Fembots from Austen Powers.
“No? Darn. I thought for sure he would come in here. His dad always brought him here.” I gave them all a disheartened stare, hoping they might change their minds, but they didn’t. I sighed. “Maybe I’ll try some of that swamp.”
The blonde smiled and nodded. “Okay. Sarah can ring you in.” She tilted her head to the cash register and the brunette.
I paid cash and waited, trying to keep the calm smile on my face. I wanted so badly to shake them and force them to tell me where he was, but I didn't want their heads to fall off or lasers to shoot from their eyes.
Jake strolled in just as I was about to burst. “Hey, Lain, any luck?” he asked and then gave me a look as the girl handed me a bowl of something sinister looking. “Seriously, you’re getting ice cream?”
“I—” I started to defend myself when I noticed the smiles on all the Fembots’ faces. They blushed and batted eyelashes as Jake walked closer, stealing my hand holding the spoon in my bowl and taking a slow bite, forcing me to feed him. Rolling my eyes, I muttered, “I figured Ash would have come in here, but he didn't. These girls don't know him.” I winked at him with the eye they could see, not that it mattered. They didn't even know I was in the room anymore.
“Really?” He licked his perfect lips and sauntered to the counter, working his magical mojo. The thick obsidian lashes around the dark-blue eyes, framed by a heavy brow, sucked your stare into his. But the chiseled face and supple lips were also a tough combination to avoid. I had caught many a girl staring at his mouth obscenely.
All of that was attached to tall, thick, dark, and handsome.
Jake was the perfect package. And he was a bit of a pervert, which some girls really liked.
I preferred the sensitivity of Ashton.
“You lovely ladies haven’t seen my cousin?” He leaned on the counter and smiled. He could easily pass for Ashton’s cousin. Both were gorgeous with dark-blue eyes and beautiful faces. Jake’s hair was a bit darker than Ashton’s but not much.