As she picked her way back across the ice toward the dunes, she could hear Shane yelling, “Get out of there, Samuel. I’m driving Caitlin to the ER, so you need to move your car. RIGHT NOW!”
But Caitlin was so angry at Shane for what he’d said, and even angrier at Sammy for scaring her that she didn’t want either of them near her right now. She hurried to the stairs and by the time she reached the upper landing, her scarf was saturated with blood. Aware she didn’t have bandages in the cottage, she headed straight for Marion’s house.
“I’m bleeding. Do you have any butterfly strips?” she asked as soon as her neighbor opened the door, with Pepper at her feet.
“No. But let me grab my car keys. I’ll bring you to the hospital.”
Because she was bleeding when she arrived at the emergency department, Caitlin was able to see a physician right away. As the doctor sutured and dressed her wound, he assured her that it was superficial, and he expected her skin to heal nicely within a few weeks or so.
“Would you like to spend the night at my house?” asked Marion as they drove home. “I’ll make soup for supper, and you can sleep in the guest room. I promise not to crowd you, but sometimes when you’ve suffered an injury like yours, it’s comforting to know someone else is nearby to chat or to bring you whatever you need.”
“Thank you, that’s very thoughtful, but I’ll be fine,” insisted Caitlin. “I’m too exhausted to even pack an overnight bag. After a hot bath, I’m going straight to bed.”
“On an empty stomach?” Marion looked worried.
“All that blood made me queasy. But if I get hungry, I’ve got plenty of food in my fridge.” Not that she could imagine eating lobster-stuffed mushrooms, or even glancing ata raw steak, for at least a week.
“All right, but promise you’ll call if you change your mind—it doesn’t matter what time it is,” Marion said as she pulled into the driveway.
“I will, thanks—and thank you for bringing me to the hospital. Going there was a much better idea than trying to bandage my face by myself.”
Just before Caitlin got out of the car, Marion told her, “Oh, I almost forgot—while I was in the waiting room, Shane called me to ask how you were. He also said he’d be happy to bring you anything you need.”
“That was nice of him,” Caitlin responded politely, even though he’d already texted the same message to her and she’d deleted it without replying.The only thing I need from Shane is distance, she thought.
That night, for the first time in at least a decade, Caitlan dreamed of Nicole. The two teenagers were in the car, on the way to a party, and Nicole was rummaging through the blue pouch, which she held on her lap. After pulling out several miniskirts, her snakeskin print bikini, and a dozen tubes of melted lipstick, she finally removed a small bottle of concealer.
Handing it to Caitlin, she said, “After I drown, you’re going to be scarred for life, but if you cover it up, maybe no one will notice.”
Caitlin woke with a start, and for the rest of the night, she couldn’t stop shivering.
SEVENTEEN
Even though the sky was clear, the sunshine was brilliant, and she imagined the bay view was dazzling, Caitlin couldn’t bring herself to drink her morning coffee upstairs. Being in the loft would remind her too much of Shane.
My cheek is already causing me enough pain—I don’t want to think about the hurtful things he said. And I don’t want to think about Lydia’s nephews trying to take away my inheritance, either.
As she rose from the kitchen table to make a second cup of coffee, there was a knock at the back door.
Maybe because he had a scrape across his forehead and a yellow half-ring of a bruise beneath his eye, or maybe it was because he was wearing casual clothing and a wool cap instead of a uniform, but when she saw the man standing on her doorstep, Caitlin didn’t immediately recognize him.
She cracked open the door. “Hello. Can I help you?”
“I’m here to answer your questions.”
It dawned on her who he was, and she stepped back. “Oh, of course! Come in, Craig.”
“I’d rather talk outside,” he said gravely, eyeballing the bandage on her face. “There’s a path through the trees to the beach, right? I’ll meet you there.”
He turned and left before she answered, heading toward the woods. As Caitlin put on her coat, hat, and gloves, she felt a little surge of discomfort.He wouldn’t lure me from the house to hurt me, would he?
But while Craig’s tone had been grave, he’d sounded more somber than angry. And despite the recent bar fight, as the fire chief, he had to be an upstanding person, didn’t he? Besides, he was here to give her more information and Caitlin felt she owed it to Nicole’s memory to find out as much as she could from him.
And despite what Shane thinks of me, I’mnotjust going to roll over and play dead, she resolved.
Before leaving the cottage, Caitlin retrieved the strip of photos, as well as the placemat, and tucked them into her coat pocket, just in case she needed them for reference. Then she hurried through the woods to the beach.
Craig was sitting on the upper staircase landing, scanning the horizon. He scooted to the side to make room for her. Caitlin sat down and waited in silence until he said, “I’m sorry I lied to you at the station, but I’ll answer honestly this time. So go ahead, ask whatever it is you want to know.”
