Chapter 1
It was three o’clock in the morning and instead of sleeping, Lily sat on the couch, staring at the television tuned to a black and white movie with the sound muted, listening to the clock tick away minutes, adding to the hours Mel had been missing. She petted her dog, Fritz, while the puppy, Bodie, burrowed into her lap. With each stroke across Fritz’s golden back, she tried to calm the sense of dread that had taken residence in her chest since yesterday when Mel hadn’t come home.
It had been a Wednesday like any other, until it wasn’t. She and Mel had worked on cleaning the cottages and Mel took off for the library after they enjoyed an early lunch on the deck. Lily had been wracking her brain since last night, replaying their conversations and looking for any hint that Mel had intended to run away. It paid to have a friend in the Chief of Police, Jeff, who she had met when she first moved to Driftwood Bay. Lily had spent most of the evening in Jeff’s office, brainstorming possibilities with him and aiding the investigation—the one that shouldn’t even technically be going on since Mel was an adult. They had just celebrated her birthday two weeks ago.
Jeff’s wife, Donna, who was the town librarian, first introduced Lily to the young woman. Mel had been volunteering at the library while living in the local shelter. Her father had died in action in the Middle East and then her mother had committed suicide the following year, leaving Mel to the whims of the foster care system. She had not had an easy life and when they suggested Lily could give her a stable environment and present it as an exchange for helping her with the cottages, she was reluctant. Now, after a few months, she had grown close to Mel, and was filled with worry at her disappearance.
Since Jeff was familiar with Mel and her situation, he had bent the guidelines that required a seventy-two-hour wait before the police would consider a person to be missing. Unlike most nineteen-year-olds, Mel had no cell phone and the bike Lily let her use was still locked up in the rack by the library. Donna had joined them at the police department late last night and had broken down in tears when they explained that Mel hadn’t come home and her bike was still at the library. She, too, had no sense that Mel was looking to run away or leave Driftwood Bay.
Lily was convinced Mel hadn’t left on her own, but there was a tiny thread of doubt that pulled at the back of her mind. Mel had been living at Glass Beach Cottage for such a short time and to say she was tight-lipped would be an understatement. Mel hadn’t had an easy life and Lily didn’t know her entire history, only that she had no family and had lived at the shelter in Driftwood Bay.
When Donna and Jeff had approached Lily about letting Mel stay with her and giving her a job cleaning the cottages, she had let her heart override the warning signals in her brain. She wasn’t looking for drama. She’d had enough of that to last her a lifetime. But hearing the heartbreaking story of the young woman who had no family and volunteered at the library, where Donna had befriended her, led Lily to agree to the plan.
She never expected to form an attachment to the young woman with the harsh exterior. Mel was a tough cookie and having been through what she had suffered, Lily suspected that was how she had survived. Her reluctance to trust, to form relationships, to let anyone get too close, made sense. She was wary and not someone who would strike up a conversation with strangers, so if she didn’t run away, how did anyone get close enough to take her?
Questions, scenarios, and possibilities swirled through Lily’s mind. Her eyes stung and her head throbbed. She needed to sleep, but couldn’t turn off her brain.
To complicate matters, Lily was flying to Virginia tomorrow morning. The thought of leaving without knowing where Mel was or if she was safe, sent a shudder through her. While never exuding much joy, Mel had seemed content at Glass Beach Cottage and had just revealed her first glimmer of excitement when they had discussed her classes at Driftwood Community College while at the Labor Day barbecue.
Mel’s first class was set for today and Lily had little hope she would be there. Donna had worked her magic and secured a scholarship for Mel, who would be taking three classes this semester. Mel wanted to take more, but Donna convinced her to start slow and increase her load next semester, once she had a handle on a new routine. “I wonder if the idea of college spooked her and she couldn’t face it?” Lily looked at Fritz as if expecting an answer. Bodie was fast asleep, cuddled in her lap.
The golden retriever answered in his own way, gazing at her with his gentle eyes and giving her hand a quick lick. Lily concentrated on taking deep breaths, comforted by the calmness of the dogs, willing her mind to quiet. She focused on approaching the situation more professionally and less personally, letting her law enforcement instincts assess the case, rather than her maternal ones.
Jeff tasked his detectives with gathering any camera footage of the area surrounding the library. Driftwood Bay was a far cry from the big city and they didn’t have traffic cameras or other coverage throughout the town. Most of their cameras were dedicated to tourism and beautiful views of the coastal areas. The library had a camera on the main entrance, but not the side door that Mel always used.
Mel was obsessed with daily routines and Lily couldn’t fathom her ignoring the patterns that served to stabilize her. With all the trauma Mel had endured in her short life, Lily assumed the routines comforted her and gave her a sense of control. Lily’s heart ached for the young woman, and she murmured another quick prayer for her safety.
She had searched through Mel’s bedroom last night and found nothing amiss. The book she had been reading was still by her bedside and her meager wardrobe hung in her closet. All her toiletries were in place in the bathroom. Nothing seemed to be missing except the clothes she wore and her backpack.
The aching band across the back of her head tightened and pain shot down into her neck. She hadn’t slept a wink since trying to go to bed hours earlier. Despite her habit of securing the property, Lily had left the house unlocked, hoping Mel might return, and she didn’t want her to be locked out or embarrassed to ring the bell. Lily hadn’t been in a hurry to have an extra key made, since she was never away when Mel was expected at home.
She let her eyes close as she continued to pet Fritz, now asleep, his head resting next to Bodie, the puppy he had come to love like a brother. Her mind continued to churn as she willed herself to remember to call the cleaning service and ask them to handle cleaning the cottages today. She didn’t know what, if any, news she might get from the police and wanted to spend all her time helping to find Mel.
When today’s guests checked out, she’d be free until next week. With her trip to her mother’s annual memorial in Arlington, she had made sure she wouldn’t have guests for a few days. Mac, the local veterinarian Lily had been spending time with, was taking the dogs to his place and Donna had planned to have Mel stay with her and Jeff for the long weekend. There was no way Lily could miss the memorial service or a chance to visit with her son, Kevin, but a part of her didn’t feel right leaving if Mel was still missing.
It was moments like these when she missed Gary’s calmness and his way of approaching difficulties, his confidence assuring her that they would handle it, no matter what. Though her husband had passed more than two years before, she still longed for his strong shoulders and comforting words.
* * *
Sun filtering through the large window looking out over the backyard, woke Lily. She startled when she opened her eyes, not expecting to sleep at all and then surprised to wake up on the couch. She groaned when she moved her head from the slumped position she had slept in and tried to stretch her neck and back.
“I’m getting too old for sleeping on the couch,” she muttered, as she led the dogs to the kitchen. She put grounds and water in the coffee maker, and as the coffee brewed, checked her phone for any updates from Jeff or Donna, but found nothing. There was a text from Cyndy, Mac’s sister who owned a gift shop and helped Lily decorate the cottages and, in the process, they had grown quite close. Cyndy wanted Lily to know she was thinking of her and praying for Mel.
Lily poured a cup and paced around the island counter a few times as she gulped down the hot elixir, while willing the guests to wake up early and hit the road, so she could be free of them. After, she had a quick shower, then headed downstairs with the dogs, taking little care to be quiet as they tromped past the cottages and hit the trail that led to the beach. She didn’t want to deprive the dogs of their morning routine, and the way she was feeling, she needed a bit of Vitamin Sea, as some of her guests like to refer to it, to ease her worries.
Fritz and Bodie ran along the edge of the water, playing and chasing each other, while she basked in the view that never failed to soothe her. The gentle lap of the water, the serenity of the horizon meeting the sea, the cool sand on her feet, and the sunlight dancing on the water served to calm her mind as she soaked in the tranquility and breathed the salty air.
She let the boys romp a bit more, each of them tugging on bits of driftwood and sticks they found, before signaling them it was time to go. They cocked their heads and gave her confused looks. They hadn’t had their usual amount of beach time, but still hurried to follow Lily.
She let them frolic in the yard while she fixed their breakfast, guiltily hoping their activity would prod her guests out of bed. She hollered for her furry friends to come upstairs and they bounded to the deck. Feeling jittery from coffee and nerves, she nursed a cup of tea. Food was out of the question.
As she savored the view, she saw a bit of action down at the cottages. She checked her phone, anxious for an update on Mel, but found no new messages. While she waited for the guests to depart, she concentrated on packing her suitcase for Friday morning.
Fritz and Bodie watched as she selected clothes, with Fritz’s eyes full of wariness. He was smart enough to understand the appearance of her suitcase was oftentimes a precursor to her leaving. “I won’t be gone long, Fritzie.” She petted his head to reassure him. Mac will take good care of you and Bodie and you’ll get to play with Sherlock.” Fritz’s eyes lifted at the sound of the name of Mac’s faithful golden retriever, who had become his best friend.
Lily forced herself to concentrate on her packing, knowing how pointless it was to worry about where Mel was and what could be happening to her. She finished the chore and wheeled her suitcase to the entryway, ready for tomorrow morning’s early trip.
Downstairs she found the guests in the process of loading their luggage and getting ready to leave. She wished them safe travels and breathed a sigh of relief when the last couple’s taillights disappeared. After herding the dogs into their enclosure, she hurried upstairs, gathered her things, and headed to town to find out what the police had learned about Mel.
But instead of turning at the intersection for the police station, she drove past it. Jeff would have called her if there was news. She’d do a little sleuthing on her own.
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