10. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

Hydessa

I left Saints and Sinners Tattoos with a smile and an appointment for the following week, that I knew I would have to cancel. As much as I was fan-girling on the inside, I needed to remember that just like all the others I have met, Ty is just another person of interest in my hunt for a murderer.

Since it's lunchtime, I decide to head to the café where I ate yesterday. The seafood salad was amazing, and I want to try something new today. Taking a seat at one of the empty tables under a pretty colorful umbrella, I look over the menu.

The chatter of other patrons and the occasional seagull's call create a soothing background noise. I listen in to the gossip, but it seems to all be the same as any other town. Mary something is seeing John and her dad is pissed. There's the occasional complaint about taxes being too high, and someone who knows how to fix the world if everyone would just listen to him.

It all feels so different than the city. There you have to fight to hear everyone. Instead of the calming sea, you are surrounded by car horns and police sirens. I can't remember the last time I ate outside without wanting to hunch my shoulders up to my ears just to make the noise stop.

The friendly waitress from yesterday notices me and makes her way over with a welcoming smile. "Back again, huh?" she says cheerfully. "Can't say I blame you. What can I get for you today?"

"Hi there, Lily" I greet her warmly. "I couldn't resist coming back. The seafood salad was fantastic after all, I can only imagine everything else will be too. What do you recommend today?"

She taps her chin thoughtfully. "If you're in the mood for something new, I'd suggest the grilled fish tacos. They're a hit with both locals and tourists and the fresh catch is some of the best."

"That sounds perfect," I reply, handing her the menu. "I'll have fish tacos and a lemonade, please."

"Coming right up." She swiftly jots down my order before heading back to the kitchen.

As I wait, I take the opportunity to people-watch and gather my thoughts from the conversations I had during the morning. Locals move with an easy familiarity, while tourists are more animated, their excitement evident as they take in their surroundings.

I pull out my phone and check my notes, going over the information I've gathered so far. Each victim had been a tourist, that detail had been easy to determine from the blog posts. That and the fact they all had limited resources.

Thinking back to the post from last night, I try to figure out if I can use it to help me narrow down the search a little. The writers always make it sound like the victims have been stabbed, and the fact that the one last night didn't struggle for long could be why there are no reports of her death.

I just can't seem to shake the feeling there is something I'm missing.

The waitress returns with my lemonade, placing it in front of me. "Your tacos will be out in a few minutes."

"Thanks, Lily," I say, taking a sip of the refreshing drink.

I'm still lost in thought when I notice a familiar face entering the café. The woman from the real estate office spots me and raises a hand in greeting before making her way over to my table.

"Hey, Taylor," she says, sliding into the chair across from me. "Mind if I join you?"

"Not at all," I reply. It takes a moment before her name comes to me. "How is your day today, Madeline?"

She waves her hand dismissively. "Oh please, call me Maddie. My day is going well. More importantly, how are you liking the island so far?"

I can't help but smile at her bubbly personality; it reminds me of Seanna. Who I make a note to call later today.

"It's nice here. The locals I have met have all been very friendly," I reply.

"Well, of course they are being super nice. At the moment, you're just one level up from a tourist. They will all just smile and wave at you until they can see if you stick around. Then the real fun begins."

I blink at her, but something tells me she is right. It's not going to be easy or quick to dig beneath the surface of this little town, but maybe the woman sitting in front of me might be able to help with that. Leaning back in my chair, I roll my eyes jokingly.

"Here I thought all small towns were a hive of gossip."

The grin on her face is huge as she leans forward almost conspiratorially. "Welllll, I could tell you a bit of gossip if you want. Best person for gossip around here, though, is Allegra. She hears it all."

I chuckle under my breath because Allegra kind of already told me as much. "I'll have to see if I can get some gossip with my coffee in the morning then."

Maddie grins. "You've met her already?" she asks.

At my nod, her lips lift even more. "That's great! Tell her I said hi when you see her."

She waves Lily over and orders a seafood salad for herself before leaning an elbow on the table. "Now tell me, who else have you met?"

With a laugh, I go through the list of people I've met so far. Maddie nods along but doesn't provide much more information until I mention Rye. Then she grimaces.

"Yeah, sorry about him. Unfortunately, he has a good reason to hate city girls. His ex-wife was one. Honestly, from what I know, the whole marriage was a shitty one, but then she ran away back to the city and divorced him within a month."

I wince, understanding helping me feel less personally attacked. Maddie suddenly motions with her head towards the café entrance. "What about the good doctor? Have you met him yet?"

Following her motion, I look over to see a man leaving the café entry, obviously having finished and on his way out. He doesn't look old enough to be a doctor, and I wonder if there should be some rule against doctors having perfectly tanned, tattooed skin because there is no way I could go to a man that pretty when I feel like shit.

His hair is dark blond, almost brown, and wavy, and like many others on the island, he wears it longer than usual. Do they only have one barber here who can do only two kinds of cuts?

But that's not what draws me in. It's his smile. It's big and charming when he stops by an older couple before exiting the door.

"No, I haven't," I reply, watching the interaction. I definitely need to create a profile for him, even if it is mainly to remember how pretty he is.

"That's Dr. Lachlan Hughes," Maddie says, leaning in a bit closer. "He's a general practitioner here. He's thirty and the youngest doctor we've had, and probably the most unconventional. But he's good at what he does."

"Unconventional?" I question, my mind slipping back to the way the stab wounds were described in the blogs.

"Yeah, he's practiced in a lot of different techniques and such." She waves her hand dismissively making me think she knows more than she is letting on, but I don't want to push my luck. Other than Allegra, she is one of the few who seems to speak openly to me and I can't afford to ruin that.

I watch as Dr. Hughes chats with the older couple, his demeanor warm and attentive. It's clear he's well-liked by the locals. But either way, something has me thinking I need to keep an eye on him.

"He seems nice," I say, turning back to Maddie.

"He is," she replies, her cheeks turning a light shade of pink. "And very dedicated. Moved here a few years ago and just fit right in."

"Let's hope you're saying the same about me in a few years," I say, trying to endear myself to her. Maybe if I'm seen to be fitting in well, then I will be able to dig deeper into the people.

She smiles and nods as our lunches are placed in front of us. Our conversation drifts to lighter topics as we eat our meal. Maddie's company is refreshing, and I appreciate her openness and friendliness. After a while, she checks her watch and stands up.

"I should get back to the office," she says. "But it was great getting to know you. We should do this again, okay?"

"Definitely. Thanks for the company, Maddie," I reply with a smile.

She heads in and pays for her lunch and I do the same, parting with her afterward with a wave. Deciding to head back to the house, I walk across to the beach, letting the sound of the waves and the salty breeze clear my head. The island has a charm that's hard to resist, but the underlying mystery still gnaws at me. I need to dig deeper.

The water brushing up against my toes makes me feel warm inside. It's calming to watch as families and couples enjoy their afternoon in the sun. The beach is a hive of activity, yet it feels peaceful. Nothing like the chaotic city I'm used to.

When I eventually arrive back at the house, I let myself in and make a beeline for the office. It may be strange to some, but my mother always seems to find peace while looking at her murder boards. Over time it has become the same to me.

It's almost like starting a five-thousand piece puzzle without knowing the image. The best place to start is to find all of the edge pieces. Once those are connected, more of the picture becomes clear. And it can't be perfect until the final piece is placed.

Sitting down at the desk, I open my notebook and start writing down all the interactions from the day and my thoughts. The border of my puzzle is starting to feel complete and this is how I plan to fill in the gaps.

I condense it all into a single list, tearing it out and sticking it prominently in the center of the wall.

Satisfied with my work for the day, I step back and survey the wall, listening to the creaks and groans of the house as I try to make sense of it all. The women on the list don't strike me as the type to be killing tourists but I don't want to dismiss them entirely. After all, women can be the most deadly of us all when they want to be.

I flip through the profiles I've created, hoping that maybe the blogger will slip up and give me more information that can help narrow it down. The lack of a struggle could point to it being a woman. The victims could have felt safe until it was too late.

Or it could have been one of the charming men. They could take them out on dates, bring them to secluded areas under the guise of having sex or just being close and then, BAM.

At this point it could still be anyone and staring at this information is starting to cause a headache.

Instead of getting another cup of coffee, I decide to take out my phone and call Seanna. She answers immediately and I can hear her moving. I have a feeling she is finding a quiet spot to talk, so I wait until the sounds on the other end of the phone disappear.

"If I hide…" I whisper into the phone.

"Then I'll seek…" comes her reply. She sighs, her tone filled with concern. "You know I worry about you, especially with you on this mysterious island. How's the investigation going?"

I take a moment to gather my thoughts. "It's progressing, slowly. I've met some interesting people, but there are lots of pieces to this puzzle. There's something here, Seanna, something beneath the surface. I can feel it."

There's a pause on the other end of the line, and I can almost sense Seanna nodding in understanding. "Trust your instincts, Hydessa. You've always had a knack for finding the truth. You are so much smarter than me, believe in yourself. Have you even reached out to our parents or Uncle Max to help?"

"I don't want to involve them," I admit quietly, tapping my fingers against the table. "They're busy, and I want to do this on my own. I feel like I need to get to the bottom of this myself, to prove that I can handle it."

Seanna hums thoughtfully on the other end of the line, understanding my determination. "I get it," she finally says. "Just promise me you'll be careful, okay?"

"I will," I assure her, grateful for her concern. "And I promise to keep you updated."

"Good," Seanna replies warmly. "I'll be waiting for your updates. Now, back to the island life. You're surrounded by beaches and handsome men—please tell me you're having a little fun at least!"

I scoff softly, shaking my head even though she can't see me. "There are plenty of good-looking men here, but knowing my luck, I'd end up sleeping with the killer and he would stab me before I even climax."

Seanna bursts into laughter, her amusement contagious even through the phone. "Hey, you never know. You might have a knife kink and get off on being stabbed," she teases, her voice filled with mischief. "We both know our parents are deviant as fuck, maybe you inherited some of it."

Unable to hold back, I laugh along with her, the tension of the investigation momentarily forgotten. A faint memory niggles at the back of my mind but I dismiss it as I imagine Seanna's teasing grin. "You're terrible," I manage between laughs.

"I know, I know," she says, still chuckling. "But seriously, Hydessa, take a breather when you can. Don't let this mystery consume you completely. Enjoy the island while you're there."

"You're right," I agree, taking a deep breath. "I'll try to unwind a bit, too."

"Good. Now, go get some rest or do something fun. You've earned it," Seanna encourages.

"Thanks, love you Seanna," I say gratefully. "Talk soon."

"Love you, Hydessa," she says warmly before we hang up.

Reaching over to my tablet, I contemplate reaching out to Uncle Max to at least see if he can send me information on the names I have on my list. However, all thoughts of contacting him vanish when the screen turns on and there's a notification waiting for me.

My stomach drops—surely there can't be another murder so soon? Normally there is a few days, sometimes a week between each kill. If this timeline is accelerating, it could mean something far worse.

But as I read through the notification, I realize it's not another victim update. This blog post is different from the others entirely.

Come out, come out, wherever you are…

Are you looking for us? We are out in the open tonight, but you won't find us sitting up in that house. It's much too fun to run in the shadows.

Do you like playing games? How about hide and seek?

If you don't find us by midnight, then it's our turn. Let's count to twelve then, seems like a lucky number…

When it gets to twelve, you know what happens, right?

Tick, tock…

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