Scott and I exchange glances before rising in unison. We move and find Ms. Connor hunched over the table, her shoulders shaking as she sobs. The inn phone lies in pieces on the floor. Garrett stands nearby, pale and shaken, his hands gripping the back of a chair.
“What happened?” I rush to comfort Ms. Connor. Putting an arm around her, I lead her to the closest chair.
Ms. Connor’s face is streaked with tears, and she just shakes her head, unable to speak. Garrett turns toward us.
“There’s been an accident.”
Dread coils in my cold, heavy stomach as my mind races with the possibilities.
Elaine, alive only hours ago, is gone.
I’m back at my cottage, trying to reconcile all my emotions. Nathan’s video, the little girl, and now Elaine’s death.
An auto accident. The explanation is sterile, clinical, and just wrong. None of this makes sense. No one drives much faster than thirty-five miles an hour on the island. How could Elaine have died in an auto accident? The police said she hit a pole and broke her neck.
A knock at the door jolts me from my spiraling thoughts. “It’s me,” Scott calls from the other side.
I stand, my legs shaky beneath me. When I open the door, Scott’s gaze meets mine. He puts his arms around me and nuzzles me to his chest. “I’m so sorry. It’s been a hard day for you, baby.” I’m unable to speak past the lump in my throat. I step back to let him in. Closing the door, I sit on the couch.
“I don’t think Elaine’s death was an accident.”
His brows knit together.
I sink back into the cushions of the couch. “Elaine and I were talking here at the inn just yesterday.” My voice falters as I replay the conversation. “She mentioned Nathan was in love with someone before he disappeared. She said it was important, but she didn’t have a name. She was going to meet with someone to learn more today…” My throat tightens.
Scott crouches in front of me, his hands steady on my knees. “Go on.”
“We heard someone listening to our conversation outside the front door,” I whisper, my voice barely audible. “We were right here in my cottage. I opened the door, and they ran behind the corner of the inn.”
Scott’s eyes darken. “You think someone killed her because of what she knew?”
A tear rolls down my cheek. “I’m scared. If they would go that far to silence her, what if?”
“Stop.” His hands rest on my knees with a comforting pressure. “We’re going to get answers. Let’s start with the police.”
I gaze at him, my voice trembling and uncertain. “Do you think they’ll take us seriously?”
“They have to.” He extends his hand to me.
The fluorescent lights in the police station cast a harsh glow. The walls are cold. I sit next to Scott as he shares our suspicions with Detective Daniels, who listens intently.
“Are you saying that Dr. Fischer’s accident was a murder?” Daniels asks, leaning back in his chair. His expression remains neutral.
“I’m saying it’s suspicious,” Scott replies calmly. “Do you know for sure it was the car accident that broke her neck?”
I add “Elaine was meeting with someone who wanted to keep themselves hidden. Now she’s dead.”
Daniels taps his pen against the desk, his gaze shifting between us. “The coroner signed off. There wasn’t an autopsy. Do you have any proof? Any idea who might’ve been eavesdropping? A description?”
Frustration twists in my chest. “No.”
Scott throws his hands in the air. “Garrett and Wes were at the inn for both intruder incidents. They both stand to gain from Nathan’s work and they’ve been up to something for months. Now we have proof Nathan was murdered. You need to start with them to find out what they know.”
Wes doesn’t deserve this. I start to jump in.
Scott looks at me with sadness in his eyes. “Don’t defend him. You don’t really know him.”
Daniels scribbles in his notebook, his expression unreadable. “I’ll look into it. But without hard evidence, there’s not much I can do about Elaine. But we do have enough to reopen Nathan’s case immediately.”
