I finish my breakfast, staring at the small black USB trying not to think about how Slater could have had police property in his possession for years. And then my next problem is a device to open it on. I don’t care that I probably shouldn’t have this, I’m desperate to know what my mother could have saved here. And since I don’t have my own computer or laptop, and it’s too risky to open on a public device, I need to locate someone to help me. My best bet is probably River who is currently upstairs in the apartment having a shower. Another reason I think he’s been sleeping here.
I toss my rubbish in the trash and take the stairs back up to the apartment, scanning the room for his laptop. It’s on top of one of the bedside tables, closed. I open it to a login screen. Damn. I have a couple of guesses, obvious things like his birthday, but nothing works. The shower is still running, so I try something else. I have one more go before it locks me out.
“How about, hey River, can I borrow your computer, please?”
I flinch and flick my head back to him, steam filling the room from where he has the door open and the shower still running. “You’re supposed to be in the shower,” I mutter, not really caring he caught me in the act. My eyes lingering on his naked body a beat longer than they probably should.
He flicks the shower off and finds a towel, wrapping it around his waist. He takes the computer from me and sits on the bed with it on his lap, tapping in the passkey. “There you are.”
“Thanks.” I pull out the USB and plug it in. It’s a map of Deadwater Bay from ten years ago, but there is some sort of computer coding in a layer over top. It doesn’t make any sense to me. I know who might be able to read it. Slater. Is that what he wanted, for me to see this then have to come ask for his help? I feel like he would be smug like that.
“Did Slater stop by?”
“Yeah,” I mutter, distracted by the neon coding. I turn the laptop on its side to see if it makes any more sense that way, but it’s all still just a bunch of shapes and words that don’t mean anything to me.
“Finally decided to give it to you. Good for him.”
I flick my eyes back to him. He’s dropped his towel, his ass on full display, and man, it’s a nice-looking ass. The sheer width of his shoulders is striking, with powerfully sculpted muscles rippling across his entire back. No wonder he’s so comfortable walking around nude in front of me. “What do you mean finally? How long have you all known about this USB?”
He pulls on a pair of tan slacks. “Bodhi was waiting until you were ready.” He tilts his head, watching me. “I know you’re searching for answers, but have you ever thought maybe some shit from the past is better left buried? You may not like what you find.”
I stand, moving toward him. “I don’t care how bad the truth is, River, I deserve to know it.”
“Even if it will destroy you and the perfect family image you have from your childhood? If it was me, Dove, I wouldn’t want to know.”
My eyes narrow. They all knew some shit about my mum and have kept it from me. “Well, I’m not you.”
“Don’t hate us for trying to protect you. Some shit should be left in the past.”
“What is this map? Tell me what it means.”
“I’m not going to be the one to break your heart.” He looks genuinely sad about it as he turns and walks away from me.
I run after him. “River. You have to tell me what you know.” My hands are shaking. “Why would Slater give this to me without an explanation? It’s not fair.”
“None of this is fair, baby, the sooner you realize that the less the truth will destroy you.”
“I know she was having an affair with Keller.”
He stops walking now and turns back to me. “Was she?” he asks, and I know he already knows the answer. “What makes you think that?”
Shit, I’ve said too much. “I remember small snippets of the night she died.”
“You saw them together?”
I nod.
“Then you already know more than your mother ever wanted you to.” He walks away.
Anger rages through me. Even River won’t give it to me straight. They are keeping so much shit from me, and it’s not fair. I need to get out of here. I change into my swimmers and grab a towel and the keys to the combi.
River is behind the bar when I walk through the main floor area. I feel his eyes on me, but he doesn’t ask where I’m going or try to stop me. Good. If he did, I would tell him where to go.
I tear out of the parking lot. I have no idea where I’m going, all I know is I need space. A few minutes up the road, I go past a more secluded beach than the main beach and decide here is as good aplace as any to hide. I pull into the sandy lot and park, my heart still hammering.
What the hell is wrong with the three of them? Why can’t they just be normal? Tell me what they know, say it how it is. Why are they playing these games with me that make no sense at all? It feels like they are drip-feeding me information, but even then, I don’t know how much of it I can trust. I know I need to stay in Deadwater Bay or I will never really know the truth about what happened to her, but they make it almost impossible.
The beach is mostly empty except for a couple of surfers out the back attempting to take on the waves. The water is rough today, probably not ideal conditions for a swim. I pop open the door of the van anyway and walk down to the beach, letting the sun warm up my skin. Before I know it, I have walked the whole length.
