Beach Thriller(74)
Anna surprised herself when she burst out laughing. She laughed until she could scarcely catch her breath.
Conrad stared at her, bemused. “What? What’s so damn funny?”
Anna looked up, wiping her eyes. Finally her tears didn’t come from sadness. “This is all because of a penny. One stupid, worthless penny—and now you’re going to run off with me, leave all this, all the money, all the comforts behind, and we’re going to live some fairy-tale life where I’m a schoolteacher and you’re selling houses, and we’ve got a couple of kids and a big fat mortgage. Is that it?”
Conrad leaned in close, their lips almost touching. “That penny wasn’t worthless, it was priceless, because it brought us together. And yeah … selling houses for a living, a couple of kids, and a mortgage—it sounds like a beautiful life to me. What about you? Would you love me without all this?” He gestured around at not only the guesthouse but the grounds outside, the view, all of Miramar.
Anna paused as though thinking it over, but she knew her answer. “Absolutely,” she said, kissing him, her eyes welling up again. “There’s nothing I want more.”
* * *
It was late when Anna slipped out the door, moonlight bathing the path back to her cottage. A chill hung in the air, the ocean breeze raising goose bumps on her skin despite the late-summer warmth. It felt refreshing—cleansing, even.
Anna buzzed with giddiness. She was going home to pack. In a few days, they would leave, start a new life. She wasn’t sure where they would go or how she would tell her mother and Holly, but Anna and Conrad would work it all out—together.
With his love and support, she felt she could do anything. She flitted along the path, stars in her eyes and daydreams filling her head.
A noise in the dark caught her attention. She stopped. What was that?
She heard a twig snap, and a shadow passed in front of her. Anna didn’t dare move. She wasn’t alone. She saw a figure dart off into the distance, long hair flowing in the breeze. Was that Elizabeth? Had she been spying on them at the guesthouse? What did she see? How much did she know?
Anna retraced her steps. She had to tell Conrad that their dream life had quite possibly turned into a nightmare.
Chapter 40
Holly
The muffins at the Bean There Café smelled extraordinary.
She had bought one and mindlessly taken two bites before it was pretty much gone, so she bought two more.
The duo working the register had frowns that nearly scraped the floor. Holly knew why. Outside, the busker crooned like a dying animal. She thought he might be playing “Brown Eyed Girl,” but who could tell when one song blended into the next? He might be industrious, but one could say the same about a parasite.
“I’m so sorry you have to deal with that,” Holly said, tipping extra on her way out the door.
The girl with the heavy eyeliner and loads of piercings thanked her, while her coworker—equally bejeweled—blinked repeatedly as though trying to send Holly a cry for help in Morse code.
She considered grabbing a muffin for Jade, but she’d already left for work and wouldn’t be home until late. Were the extra hours Jade was putting in only for the fundraiser? Holly had her doubts. It better not be connected to Anna. Asking questions could be dangerous for Jade, who, Holly knew, had a natural disregard for rules.
Although she was worried about her young friend, Jade had shown herself to be resourceful, persistent, and hardworking—good signs for her future. Would Holly be part of Jade’s next life chapter? Would they stay close? Crazily, she hoped so.
Obviously, the young girl needed a positive role model, given the way her parents treated her. Those two were absolutely horrifying. Holly would add them to her growing collection of characters bound for deadly mishaps. But Jade’s life wasn’t fiction. She was on the brink of adulthood and would carve her own path forward. It would mean a lot to Holly if she could be a grounding, guiding force as she progressed.
Holly exited the coffee shop, hoping to avoid eye contact with the busker—but no luck. He locked onto her the moment she stepped outside.
She tried to scoot past, lose herself in the crowd, but just as she thought she was in the clear, the busker called to her.
“Holly,” he sneered. “You’re still here?”
A chill ensnared her. How did he know her name?
“Haven’t you learned?” The busker eyed her up and down.
Her skin crawled. She whirled to face him. “Why do you care? If you have something to tell me, just say it. I’m done with your stupid games.” Holly stood tall and firm—well, as tall as her petite stature would allow.
“I’ve already told you. Be careful in this town. You can’t trust anyone.” His voice dropped half an octave. “That lawyer you saw—yeah, I know what you’ve been up to—do you know what he did before he passed the bar?”
Holly shook her head, dumbfounded.
“Ever heard of an evidence custodian?”
Again, she shook her head.
“You should find out what that means. And then ask who bankrolled your lawyer’s law degree. Follow the money. People don’t do big favors without expecting something just as big in return.”
Without another word, the busker, in his scally cap and sweat-stained white button-down, picked up his guitar and started strumming his sad songs.