Page 41 of Is Anyone Listening?
"Does he know what happened to me?"
"Yes. I contacted him to find out what happened. He said he didn't think you were that drunk, just tired. You apparently slept on the way back from your boat trip. He did express concern, and I texted him last night that you had made it through surgery."
"I think he's a good guy, Cassidy," Tessa said slowly.
"Well, I'm not convinced."
Tessa stared back at me. "You said I fell down the stairs. Do you think…is it possible that I was pushed?"
I sucked in a quick breath of air. "Do you think you were pushed?"
"I don't know. But I was thinking about the note we got. Someone wants us to leave, and now we're gone, or at least I am."
"I wondered about that, too, but it seems extreme, considering how little we actually know. We just have theories."
"Maybe our theories are a threat." Tessa let out a sigh. "Tell me what you did yesterday. Did you learn anything new?"
I told her about Ray, the bloody carpet, and my conversation with Tyler, and Tessa grew more amazed by the minute. "It sounds like Anna might be a victim, too."
"She might be," I said. "But I think I need to keep my focus on Natalie."
"Why? Anna just left. Her trail might be easier to follow."
"That's true. But I don't even know who Anna is. I have no last name. And it's possible Anna isn't even her first name. Ellen isn't going to tell me anything about her; that's for sure."
"Have you thought more about telling her who you really are? That could open things up."
"I can't tell her until I know she isn't a… God, I don't even want to say the word."
"Killer?" Tessa put in. "It's possible she's something else."
"Like what?”
"A trafficker. Think about it, Cassidy. There are no bodies. Not Natalie, not Jessica, not Anna, and those are just the three women we know about in the past year. Maybe they weren't killed. They could have been trafficked, and your grandmother or Ray is part of the operation, picking women who are alone and vulnerable."
I nodded, just as depressed by that thought as any other. "If that's true, it's also horrible."
"The sheriff could be in on it," Tessa added. "Maybe he and Ellen are keeping each other's secrets."
"Or it's just Ray who's involved," I said, knowing that was a stretch, but I had this deep-rooted, misguided need to defend my grandmother for reasons I couldn't even verbalize.
"Maybe," Tessa said diplomatically, no conviction in her voice. "Either way, I don't think we can end our investigation here."
"No, we can't. We have too many questions. And there are real women's lives who might still be at stake. We have to keep going. I have to keep going."
"You're sure?"
"I am. I'm also hoping that your very public fall last night will keep me safe for a few days. If anything happens to me now, especially if it occurred at the inn, it would bring Ellen a ton of scrutiny. The podcast we just released would make her a prime suspect."
"I hope you're right."
"Anyway, there is a chance that Ellen might kick me out before I decide to leave, but until she does, I'm going to keep digging. And I won't be completely alone in my effort. Tyler seems to be an ally. I'll tell him about Nathan and see if he got the same information you did."
"You should talk to Finn, too."
"I will."
"Do you want me to call Finn from here? He might feel sorry for me and tell me more."
