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“That’s okay,” Fiona said. “Thank you.”
The woman nodded, then looked up at Fiona. “It’s been such a long time. Do you think you’ll find out what happened to her?”
Fiona sighed. “I’m going to do my best to find out what happened.”
The woman reached over and patted Fiona’s hand. “Good luck, sweetheart. I hope you find the answers you need.”
Fiona thanked the woman and stepped out of the store, her heart heavy. She knew that the chances of finding out what had happened to Julia Rowe were slim, but she was determined to try. She had to try, for Joslyn’s sake.
As she stood in the mall, Fiona couldn’t help but feel lost, like she was wandering this world for an answer she’d never find. There was another place she could look, a place she’d only returned to once in ten years.
Lindbergh’s Beach. The place where Julia was found dead.
The place where Joslyn had disappeared.
It was only a ten-minute walk from here, but Fiona hesitated. She’d gone back to the beach once after Joslyn’s disappearance, to see if she could remember anything about that day or find anything, but she never did, and neither did the police. Once the case became cold, a then-teenage Fiona became disheartened, and afraid to return to the beach.
Afraid of the memories.
It had once been her favorite place to go with her sister, and now it only held haunting memories that scarred her.
But maybe it was time to go back.
***
Fiona arrived at the beach, her heart heavy but her determination strong. She had to find out what happened to Joslyn, no matter how painful it would be. She walked slowly along the shoreline, taking in the sights and sounds of the waves crashing against the sand. The smell of salt water filled the air and seagulls cawed in the distance.
The sun was beginning to set, casting an orange hue over everything as if it were a painting. Fiona paused for a moment to take it all in before continuing on her way. The beach was mostly empty, save for a few people strolling along the shoreline or lying on towels near the sand dunes.
The feeling that Fiona had been here before came back to her as she stepped through the warm sand. She could still hear Joslyn’s laughter and feel her hand in hers as they ran around on the beach together all those years ago. A wave of sadness washed over Fiona as she remembered how happy they had been on that day, never knowing what would happen just weeks later.
Her relationship with Joslyn hadn’t been perfect—they often fought the way sisters did, and Joslyn had been such a lively and popular girl throughout their school years, while Fiona had always been the dorky one.
But Fiona would give anything to have her back now.
Ten years ago, they’d been on this very beach when Joslyn had gone missing. Fiona had seen her one minute, and then lost her the next. The beach had been busier than usual, on a hot summer day, filled with families like theirs.
And then Joslyn was gone.
It felt even more chilling now to look at this beach and know another teen girl had been found dead here, three years prior to Joslyn’s disappearance. How had they never heard about this?
Fiona checked the file in her pocket, which displayed the exact location Julia’s body had been found. Fiona reached a small group of rocks jutting out from the ocean’s edge. It was here. She stopped just short of them, feeling chills run through her body.
She closed her eyes and imagined what it must have been like for Julia, so young and alone, taken from the world too soon. Tears pricked at Fiona’s eyes as she thought of what could have been.
Fiona looked around, trying to imagine what had happened. Had Julia known her attacker? Was it a random act of violence, or had someone been following her for a long time?
Most of all—was it truly connected to Joslyn?
Fiona thought of the insect found on Julia’s flip-flop. It seemed strange. The insect was a Pandorus sphinx moth caterpillar, which could be found throughout North America, but not generally in Portland. It was also extremely weird that it was even found on the flip-flop at all. Surely, Joslyn hadn’t had it on her when she vanished. Did the kidnapper leave it behind for some reason?
Fiona wished she had the answers, but all she had was an empty beach and her own unanswered questions.
She lingered for a few moments, then turned and walked away, her heart heavy. But she knew she’d be back soon enough.
Something in her gut told her Julia’s case could be linked to Joslyn’s. She wasn’t sure how, yet. But she didn’t intend to stop until she did.
Just as Fiona was leaving, her phone buzzed in her pocket. She took it out, to see a text from Mark, the guy she’d been talking to.
