Meanwhile, Rick pounded his third Bud—or was it his fifth? Julia couldn’t keep count.
“Baker said she’s planning for a multiday search effort,” he said. “They’re setting up a command center down the road—tents, radios, specialized equipment, all that. They’re keeping it away from the house because of the kids.”
“Same with the reporters,” Erika added. “There’s been a few helicopters, and a couple news vans came around today, but Baker isn’t allowing them down this far anymore since it’s an… active search area.”
Julia keyed in on the pause, which felt intentional, probably because her brain automatically filled the gap with the wordscrime scene. Oh, David, please don’t be that guy.But it was good the reporters were going to stay away. Better for everyone that they did.
“The media won’t stick around for long anyway,” Rick continued. “They’ll move on to the next story, probably tomorrow. A toddler at church has a longer attention span. They won’t be back until she’s found.”
If she’s found.
Julia set her hand on Christian’s knee, breaking the spell his phone had over him. He was filthy and clearly drained from the strain of the day. Despite their problems, he had a big heart. He’d look for Fiona all night if it was safe to do so. She felt a surge of love and gratitude for her husband and for the life they shared. All the trite sayings used in times of crises felt true:Life is precious. Savor every moment because you never know…
“I love you,” she whispered. When he whispered back the same, the devotion in his eyes filled her heart. Julia let go of the fears thathad plagued her, the persistent gloom clouding her mind. They had their problems, but they also had each other.
Julia, trying to dispel some of the stress, stretched her legs and soaked up the scenery. A gentle wind created ripples that raced across the dark water before slapping against the canoes and kayaks latched to the dock. Under other circumstances, the hollow rhythmic sound of the lapping water would have lulled her into a meditative trance, but not today.
Everyone was doing what they could to distract themselves. For Christian, this meant returning to his phone. He wasn’t a newshound or social media junkie. Julia couldn’t say what kept him so captivated. But she had her own Instagram obsessions—who was she to judge?
“Do you think it’s related?” Julia’s voice was uneasy.
“You mean to the lake lore?” Erika asked.
“Well, yeah,” said Julia. “Weren’t we just talking about it? The other two disappearances were thirty years apart, and now it’s been thirty years since Susie Welch went missing.”
Julia’s gaze drifted across the water to Susie’s old house. It was a simple cottage with a wide front porch, perfect for enjoying sunsets. But now it didn’t look so inviting. Even though a new family had moved in long ago, it seemed like a facade—a falsely cheerful front covering a dark history.
“How can they all be related?” asked Christian. “The perpetrator would have to be in their eighties by now, or even older.”
“Maybe it’s a copycat criminal or a father-son legacy team,” suggested Rick.
“Sounds far-fetched to me,” David said. “But not implausible. I read theNew York Post. That rag is definitive proof thatanythingis possible, including father-son kidnapping tandems.”
“Or mother-daughter ones,” suggested Erika with a smirk.
“Right. We shouldn’t be sexist,” Rick agreed. “And we shouldn’t rule out any possibilities. For all we know, the disappearances could be connected to a voodoo ritual, something handed down through generations.”
Julia scoffed. “For what purpose? Do they need a human sacrifice for some witchy spell? That’s outrageous.”
“What, then?” Erika asked. “Why else would three women disappear from the same lake exactly thirty years apart from each other?”
Nobody had an answer. Music from Erika’s house interrupted a brief, weighty silence. It was Lucas practicing his guitar, this time through an amplifier. None of the stressful events appeared to affect his guitar playing. Lucas’s notes were crisp and soulful, yet Rick looked annoyed instead of proud of his son’s talent.
“Has he evenseenthe sun today?” Rick directed his question to nobody in particular. “He should be outdoors, appreciating nature, maybe socializing a little. What’s the point of coming to the lake if you’re going to sit on your ass and do nothing but noodle on your guitar all day?”
“Cut him some slack, will you? It’s been a rough day for everyone,” said Erika. “He had a long conversation with the police, and it was very emotional for him.”
“Oh, give me a break,” grumbled Rick. “If he hadn’t gotten his kicks with an older woman, he wouldn’t have had to talk to anyone.”
Erika tossed daggers with her eyes. “Way to show compassion, Rick. Here you are demanding I work less, and you’re afraid that Lucas won’t work enough. When you have the perfect balance figured out, please let me know. And if you’d actually take a moment to listen to your son’s music, you’d know he isn’t doingnothingwith his time.”
Rick balked. “I don’t hear a successful future, I can tell you that much. That boy should go to college, or at least get a full-time job.”
“Well, you didn’t go to college. Why are you so judgmental of him?”
“Because the world has changed since we were that age, and I don’t want him living in my basement.”
Erika groaned. “If you’re so concerned, why not let him work with you?”
