by A J Rivers
“Yes. And was told essentially the same thing. Boats don't go out there.”
“What do you think that means?”
“I know what I saw. And tomorrow, I'm going to figure out why I did.”
The next morning my body aches, but it doesn't keep me in bed. Getting up carefully, I cringe at the sore places and force myself into a shower. It doesn't do much to make the pain go away, but at least it loosens up my muscles so I can get dressed and head for the lobby. Catherine is walking across it just as I enter, and she immediately changes course to come to me, her expression worried.
“I heard what happened last night,” she says. “Are you doing alright? Is there anything I can do for you?"
"I'll be fine. More embarrassed than anything," I tell her, trying to look sheepish.
"Don't be embarrassed. That area can be treacherous. I just can't imagine why you would be out there so late."
Her kindergarten-teacher voice makes me feel like I'm being scolded for going down the slide headfirst on my stomach.
"It was an accident," I offer. "My friends were out for the night, and I decided to take a hike to the cliffs. It was so peaceful the last time I was up there, and I just wanted some time to think. It's been a hard year for me. But then the storm started, and I got turned around."
"I'm very glad the team found you. That is not an area we generally encourage guests to go to. We don't block it off because the owner wants the island to be as accessible and natural as possible, but we leave it off the guide maps."
I tilt my head to the side with a curious expression.
“Really?” I ask. “That's strange because Alonso suggested I get instructions for how to find it.”
“He did?” she asks, sounding surprised. The sweetness in her seems to falter just for a second before she picks it back up. “He must have gotten the impression you are an experienced hiker and could handle the terrain.”
“Well, I certainly wish I'd found it on purpose,” I tell her. “Happening on it that way isn't going to be my favorite vacation memory.”
I'm trying to break the tension a bit, and it works. She smiles at me.
“I would certainly think not,” she says. “And again, I'm so sorry you went through that. If there's anything I can do to help you.”
“Actually, there is.”
“Of course, what is it?” she asks.
“It's somewhat of a private nature,” I tell her.
She nods.
“Absolutely. Come with me.”
We cross the lobby, and she brings me down a long hallway to her office. Closing the door behind her, she motions for me to sit down.
“When I first went up to the cliffs, I thought I saw a boat far out in the water,” I start.
She closes her eyes briefly and nods like she already knows what I'm going to say.
“Yes,” she tells me. “Alonso mentioned that. Like he told you, we don't have any activities that go out that far in the water. That area is restricted access, and boats are not permitted near the rocks. It's an environmental issue.”
“I understand that’s the policy, but I saw the boat again yesterday. There is a security camera that covers an unused portion of the shoreline. Is it that area?" I ask.
Catherine looks surprised I know about the security camera but doesn't mention it.
"Yes," she nods. "We monitor that area to ensure no one from neighboring islands or who is traveling by will come ashore without us knowing they're here."
I nod. "That's what frightens me about the boat I saw. I know you told me there can't be any boats there, but I feel very anxious about the situation. You see, I've had a very challenging year, and it has put me into a bad headspace. My boyfriend went missing three years ago and resurfaced last year, but then was murdered."
"Oh my god," she says, her hand touching the necklace at her throat.
“As you can imagine, that experience had a serious effect on my feelings of personal safety. In fact, this is the first vacation I've taken since he disappeared. I really want to feel safe here because I enjoy it very much and would like to return. You may have noticed I've already lengthened my vacation. But if I can't feel secure and know I'm protected here, that's not something I can entertain,” I tell her. “Which is very disappointing because I know a lot of people who would really love this resort. Some of the men have very particular tastes like men tend to do, and I think they would be happy here. But I can't honestly recommend it if I feel unsure about the safety.”
"I fully understand that, and I want you to feel absolutely secure and at ease when you're here," Catherine says. "Would it reassure you to see the security camera footage?"
I let out a big breath and smile.
"Would that be possible?" I ask.
"Of course. Not a problem at all. Wait right here, and I will get it for you."
She leaves the office, and I snatch a business card from the holder on her desk, then run around to her computer. It's open, and I scan the icons on her desktop, hoping each of the managers has access to the same information. My heart jumps when I find the folder containing the guest's expense records. Moving as fast as I can, I email the entire file to myself. I then search for recent applicants and send myself that file as well, making sure to cover my tracks and delete the evidence from her outbox. I want to keep digging, but there isn't time.
I've just gotten back into the chair when Catherine opens the door again. She shows me a flash drive in her hand and goes around the desk to her computer. A flicker of confusion crosses her face when she looks at the screen. Shit. I must have left something up or not put the cursor back where she left it.
"I'm sorry," she says a second later, shaking her head and getting the smile back. "Our reservation system is acting up today, and I've been trying to figure it out."
Relief loosens my hand on the edge of my seat, and I smile at her.
"Technology can do that to you," I say.
"I swear, it's taking over," she laughs. "But anyway, I have that footage for you. Our security office gave me everything since you checked in. It's a continuous stream, but we can fast-forward so you can see everything."
She puts the flash drive in, and an image of a narrow, rocky beach appears on the screen. To one side is the rocky outcropping. The angle is different than I've seen it, but the footage covers the entire area, and I can clearly see the water in front of the rocks as well as out to either side and the front. Catherine leaves the video running for a few seconds. A few birds flutter by. A dolphin jumps through the water out in the distance. She scans through, and I stay focused on the water near the rocks. Minutes, hours, and then days pass, but the boat never shows up. When it's done, Catherine looks at me.
"Does that reassure you?" she asks.
"So much. It must have just been my eyes playing tricks on me."
"That happens. I'm just glad I could make you feel safer here. Is there anything else I can do?"
"Just one more thing. All this talk about water and boats has made me want to do some sailing. Can I arrange to rent a boat later?" I ask.
"Absolutely. But are you sure you're going to be up to it?"
"Definitely. I'm already feeling so much better."
Chapter Twenty-Nine
As soon as I leave the lobby, I head for Emmanuel's room. He didn't specify a time, so I want to try to get in touch with him as early as possible. I knock on his door, but he doesn't answer. A couple more knocks get the same reaction. I'm getting ready for another round when the door two rooms down opens. A woman comes out and smiles at me.
"Are you here to see Emmanuel?" she asks.
"Yeah. He asked me to stop by. Do you know if he's here?"
"He goes for a jog and then swims every morning. I'm assuming that's what he's doing. I just checked in, but we've stayed here at the same time before. Takes a few hours, but he should be back later."
"Okay. Thank you."
She looks me up and down, and a bemused smile curves her
lips.
"He's branching out," she comments. "I guess there's a spring sampler."
"Excuse me?" I ask.
She gives a dismissive laugh and pulls a pair of expensive sunglasses down over heavily made-up green eyes.
"Be careful. I heard swimming early in the morning can be dangerous for girls who know Emmanuel."
She breezes away, and I fight the sick feeling rolling in my stomach. The woman took the elevator, so I run into the stairwell and take the steps two at a time to my floor. I'm feeling it by the time I get there and slow down to a stiff limp as I head down the hallway. But I stop in my tracks.
The door to my room is standing open wide. My hand goes to my pocket before I remember my phone died a watery death last night. I'm about to turn around when I see a woman step out of the room. She's wearing a staff uniform, but her flaming red hair is not Graciela's.
"Hello," she says cheerfully when she sees me.
"Hi," I say, then point at my room. "You're taking care of my room today?"
"Yes, Miss Griffin. I'm Noelle."
"Where is Graciela?" I ask.
"I'm sorry, I don't know. Mr. Ordoñez assigned me your room this morning."
"Mr. Ordoñez— Alonso?" I ask.
"Yes. When I came to work today, he let me know I would be taking care of this block of rooms. I'm happy to help you with anything you need."
"Thank you," I say and step into my room. I'm about to shut the door when I stop. "Noelle, what rooms have you been taking care of?"
"I was assigned to the pool area. But I've been on leave for the last week, so I've been reassigned."
"On leave?"
"Yes," she says. "I was visiting my grandmother."
"That's nice," I tell her.
"Yes. She's been ill for some time, so it was good to see her. Let me know if there's anything I can do for you."
Noelle leaves, and I shut the door. Opening my computer, I pull up the emails I sent myself from Catherine’s computer. Scanning over them, I take note of a few things, check the time, and send a message to Bellamy and Eric telling them to meet me in my room in two hours.
When I get out to the marina, the boat I rented is already waiting for me. A man who embodies everything that comes to mind when you think of an island skipper stands with one foot on the boat and the other on the docks, his hands on his hips as he peers at me through mirrored sunglasses.
“Miss Griffin?” he asks.
“Yes,” I tell him.
“Perfect. Captain Alvin Ellison. This is your boat. Do you need any instruction?”
“No, I think I can handle it.”
“Are you sure?” he asks. “I'd be happy to go out with you and give you a couple of lessons.”
“No, thank you. I can do it.”
Ellison nods and steps out of the way so I can get down into the boat. He hands a life jacket down to me, and I put it on, pulling the hooks snugly. After my night bobbing around in the waterfall, I'd prefer to have a leg up on the water should I end up in it. The captain starts the engine, and I take hold of the steering wheel. I've only controlled a watercraft like this a few times, but I feel confident enough to handle the brief trip I have in mind.
I head out into the water, purposely moving at an angle toward the cliffs I visited. I move further out into the ocean until I can glance over my shoulder and no longer see Ellison standing on the dock. Then I turn the boat and head in a large arc for the rocky outcropping.
I'm within a few yards of it when I notice what looks like plastic fencing marking off a section of the water surrounding the front of the rocks. It looks like the type of barrier used to mark off coral regrowth areas. A sign posted on a buoy a few feet away marks the area as a protected sanctuary and warns that boats are not permitted.
I notice something on the slope of rocks on one side leading down into the water, so I carefully ease just slightly closer. From that vantage point, I can see it's an oxygen tank, like the kind used in scuba diving. But I don’t see a boat. Nothing’s there.
I've been here long enough, so I turn away and drive the boat far out into the water so I can curve around and come back to the dock from the other direction. I stop it at the end of the dock, and the captain walks toward me with a quizzical expression.
“You're already finished?” he asks. “I thought you would be out there for a while longer.”
“It's been a while since I've been on a boat,” I confess. “I need a little more time to get my sea legs.”
He laughs.
“Well, you know where to find me if you want to try again during your stay. You’re always welcome.”
“Thank you, Captain. You just may be seeing me again,” I tell him.
I head back into the hotel and ride the elevator to Emmanuel's floor again. This time there's a Do Not Disturb sign hanging from his doorknob.
When I get back to my room, I'm hoping for another note from him, but there's nothing. I take a shower and change my clothes. I'm just coming out of my bedroom when Bellamy uses the extra key I gave her to open the door. She and Eric come inside, and she immediately comes over to me for a hug.
“Where were you today?” she asks. “I thought you'd be trying to recover from last night, but then I got your message.”
“I can't just lie around,” I tell her. “But since I don't have a phone right now, the best I could do is email you and let you know I'd be back later.”
“Why couldn't you tell me where you were going?” she asks.
“Because I didn't want anybody to happen to see it or hear you talking about it,” I tell her. “I spoke to Catherine this morning about last night. Apparently, the waterfall where I fell is one of the most dangerous places on the island, and they don't recommend guests go there at all. It's not on the guide map.”
“But didn't you say Alonso told you to ask Joshua for instructions on how to get there?” Bellamy asks.
“Yes,” I nod. “And evidently he does sometimes guide people there. But it's for really experienced hikers. I have a feeling a lot of those accidents on that report are from that area. I'm thinking maybe Alonso wanted to add me to it.”
“Where did you go today?” Eric asks.
“I went to talk to Catherine about the boat I saw. Everyone I've spoken to says I could not have seen what I think I did. Even Joshua said boats can't be there. That I wouldn't have seen it, and if I did, it was some sort of bad omen that came from the spirits. So, I wanted to figure out what was going on. She mentioned the area is protected. So, when they say boats can't be there, they mean by law. Not because of anything that prevents them from coming.”
“But no one else saw the boat,” Eric notes. “I don't understand why no one else would notice it there.”
“Because they don't think it would be. It's easy to miss something you don't think should be there. Think about the kind of clientele we've seen here at the resort. Can you honestly tell me you think a whole lot of them are avid hikers? How many do you think would go up on that cliff and spend a lot of time looking around? The boat isn't visible from the beach. You have to be up on the rocks in order to see it.”
“Yeah, we were pretty high up,” Bellamy chimes in.
“The driver Joshua goes up there. There are probably a couple of other people who work here who are from the neighboring islands who might. But every single one of them grew up with the legends about this island. Even if they did notice the boat, they wouldn't want to mention it. They wouldn't want to say anything and have people think they've somehow been cursed because of the boat.”
“Do you really believe that?” Bellamy asks. “They must know it's just a story.”
“Just a story or not, legends like that are deeply important to people. They're part of cultural identity, and even if someone knows for sure it's not true, there's still a part of them that wants to respect it. Those memories can really run deep. I mean, we can all claim we don’t think Santa or the tooth fairy is real. But what do you do when some jolly
old man in red shows up in your chimney?”
She nods like she understands.
“But Catherine isn't from any of those cultures. She would have no reason to not talk about a boat,” Eric says.
“That's true, but again, she wouldn't see it if she didn't go up on the cliffs. She would have no idea it was even there. I told her I worried the resort wasn't safe, because maybe what I was seeing was someone who wasn't supposed to be here. Remember when I told you about the security cameras? I mentioned to her that I knew one of them covered an unused portion of the island. She admitted that was the section near those rocks. So she got me the footage for the last few days, and there was nothing. No boats, no people, nothing that got anywhere near that area,” I tell them.
“So, there was no boat?” Bellamy asks.
“Not exactly. I rented a boat and went out there to see it for myself," I explain.
“Alone? Why would you do that?” Eric gasps. “You need to have someone with you.”
"No, I don't. I need to be as unobtrusive as possible. The less you and Bellamy think I'm up to anything, the less the staff will pay attention to me. And it worked. They rented me a boat without question, and I went to see what was there. Like they said, there was a barrier saying it was a sanctuary, and no boats were permitted anywhere near as close as I saw the boat yesterday and the other day."
"But you just said you saw the footage," Bellamy points out. "Not only do you know there was no boat, but you know the cameras were there and were going to catch you being out there."
"Not exactly," I say. "From the footage I watched, security isn't going to get much information from the camera focused on those rocks."
"Why not?" she asks.
"There were no tides."
Chapter Thirty
"No tides?" Eric asks.
"The water level never changed," I explain. "The video went from morning to night a few times, but the tide didn't go from low to high. It stayed at essentially the same level the entire time. But that’s not how shorelines work. There are two low tides and two high tides every day. It takes a little more than six hours for the tide to go from its highest point to its lowest point, so the tide is at the same point a little more than twelve hours apart each time. But there was no evidence of that on the video."