Page 16 of Lost Lake
She started down the cracked sidewalk and around the end of the long building. The lookout area spread out before her, lit by a single antique lamp on a post, the sound of ocean waves rushing to shore from the bottom of the cliff.
Near the security wall, Gabe sat on a dilapidated bench, shoulders hunched, elbows on his knees, staring straight ahead.
He wanted to be alone, but did he really mean it? He wasn’t the sort of guy who didn’t speak his mind. Meaning he wouldn’t want her here. She turned to leave, her boot disturbing nearby gravel, the rasping movement of rock sounding like a clap of thunder in her brain.
He swiveled on the bench.
“Sorry,” she said, and truly meant it. “I didn’t know you were here. I came out to stare at the ocean and clear my brain before heading back to the office. I’ll go now.”
“The view’s not working for me, but don’t let me get in your way.”
She hesitated, then moved directly to the wall, bypassing him to avoid seeing his anguish again.
She heard him get up and cross the gravel to stand beside her. “Did I miss anything at the meeting?”
She shook her head.
He took her arm and turned her to face him. “I won’t let you freeze me out of this investigation.”
“I know, but we’ll have to work together. You can’t go off on your own. Let me know in advance what you’re doing so we don’t have issues with contaminating evidence or jeopardizing the investigation. We both want to find Lucy, and Kenna’s killer.”
The fresh flash of grief in his eyes had her looking away at the ocean before she offered him some sort of physical comfort. Frothy waves rolled in, reminding her of the other body of water she’d left behind in the wee hours.
The lake had taken lives before. Would take them again. Might’ve taken one more last night. Even two. The second to be determined in the light of day.
What would Gabe do if divers found little Lucy’s body in the murky depths of the lake?
4
Gabe appreciated El’s concern, but if he let her in now, he might lose what little control he had left. His chest was already too tight, his thoughts too close to spiraling. On some level, he knew he needed her and he didn’t have the heart to send her away, but he couldn’t look at her.
Instead, he stared over the ocean raging below the bluff. The waves crashed against the rocks with relentless force, the roar swallowing everything else. When the water surged back toward shore, white froth glistened beneath a thin sliver of moon still fighting its way through the clouds.
It should have been beautiful.
He couldn’t appreciate it. Not when his mind was locked on a single thought, one twisted thing to be thankful for.
That Kenna and Lucy hadn’t gone to the ocean instead of the lake.
If they had, their bodies would never be recovered. No answers. No closure. Just endless water and unanswered questions. The relief curdled instantly into guilt, and a sudden chill worked its way through him. He shivered, though the night wasn’t that cold.
El noticed. Of course she did.
“Is there anything I can do?” she asked.
Her voice cut through the roar of the surf, steady and professional. Too steady.
“The best thing you can do,” he said, his throat tightening, “is work this investigation and work it fast. Find Lucy, and Kenna’s killer.” The words scraped his throat raw, and he gagged slightly as they left his mouth.
She pushed away from the low wall and turned to face him fully. “Then there’s something I need to get out of the way. I don’t want to upset you more, but I have questions. We can do this later at the office, but right now would be better.”
“Go ahead,” he said, even though the last thing he wanted was to talk.
She slipped a small notepad and pen from her pocket. In an instant, the concern vanished from her face, replaced by sharp focus. Her eyes narrowed slightly, unblinking, assessing, cataloging. It was the version of El everyone talked about. Methodical. By the book. Emotionally distant. He didn’t know why she kept herself so locked down, only that she’d hinted at guilt from her past. Whatever it was, it had taught her how to shut feelings off like a switch.
She poised her pen over the pad. “Is there anyone we should notify of Kenna’s death?”
Gabe swallowed. He’d been so consumed by his own grief he hadn’t even thought that far ahead. “She’s estranged from her parents, but they still need to know.Ifyou can locate them. She grew up near Portland, but she never mentioned where they’re living now.”
