Page 86 of Is Anyone Listening?
"It was interesting that he told his son he was done bailing him out of trouble. What trouble is Cole in?"
Finn stared back at me through narrowed eyes. "Cole doesn't have anything to do with what's been happening at the inn."
"When Tyler and I went to see Nathan the other day, I could have sworn I saw Cole near the dock in Cork Harbor."
"Well, he works for Jeff, and they run charters to Cork Harbor."
"That's true."
"Look, Cole isn't a bad kid. I've known him his whole life."
"Seems like you just said the same thing about Nathan. Just because you've known someone a long time doesn't mean you actually know who they are now."
He frowned. "I must admit I've never seen Cole get physically angry before, and that bothered me. He's going to New York with my sister. I need to talk to Sophie about it."
"Maybe she can tell you what's going on with Cole and his father, because it feels like it's been brewing for a while. Every time I've seen them together, there's an underlying anger that's undeniable."
"I've seen it, too, but I guess I've just gotten so used to Tom's volatility, his temper, his arrogance that I don't question it, and I should be questioning it. I should be questioning everything. You're not the first person to come through town wanting to know what happened to Natalie Warren. Her brother was here, a private investigator, and in the beginning, there was press coverage, too, but Tom stuck to his story, and so did Ellen, and we all believed their version of events. Same thing happened with Jessica Trent. It was a sad story—a woman rents a boat and never comes back. But it just seemed like she made a bad decision, misjudged her abilities to sail that particular weather and current. It wasn't that difficult to believe."
"I've noticed how often Tom and my grandmother spout off plausible explanations, never questioning or changing their tune, and I can see why they seem believable."
"It took two outsiders to shake things up," he said with a small smile. "You and Tessa did that."
"I want to do more than shake things up; I want to get answers."
"So do I. And once we start talking to people together, it won't just be outsiders looking for the truth. I think I can get people to put pressure on the sheriff to reopen the investigation into Natalie's disappearance."
"That would be amazing, Finn." This was what I had needed: someone from Stonecross to join my side. "Tessa was right about you. She thought you could help us, and you're doing just that."
"Better late than never, right?"
I nodded, and as our gazes met an odd tingle ran down my spine. It felt like things were getting personal, but I couldn't mistake his help, his friendship, for something more. We were like ships passing in the night. I'd be gone in a few days.
"So," he began. "I should talk to my sister. What are you going to do?"
"I need to check in with Tessa and go back to the inn and speak to my grandmother. I'll tell her what happened with Nathan and see if that opens up a new conversation, but I'm not particularly confident that it will. She's a tough nut to crack."
"I can see that. You two share that trait. You're both very determined."
"Unfortunately, our determination is putting us on opposite sides. I don't know what role she plays in any of this. And that scares me. I want her to be innocent, because she's my grandmother, but it's hard to believe she is."
He nodded in understanding. "I get it. But if anyone can get her to crack even a little bit, it's probably you."
"I'm going to try. Will you text me if you get any more information?"
"Only if you promise to do the same."
"I will, and thank you, Finn. Thanks for joining my side."
"One other thing," he said as I was about to leave.
"What's that?"
"Your friend, Tyler."
"What about him?"
"Where is he? What's he doing? And how is he connected to Jessica?"
