Summer on Highland Beach

Chapter Thirteen Secrets Never Die

April 1991

Cindy and CJ looked on while Indigo, who stood near the water, spoke in hushed whispers to her new friend.

“Do you know who she is?” CJ asked.

“Bree Miller. She’s visiting some family this summer.”

“Miller, huh?” CJ frowned as he stared out at the sea. “Maybe she’s related to Jacqueline Miller, mom’s old childhood friend, but I haven’t heard anything about another relative.”

Cindy shook her head. “You know they do the same thing to me? Who’s that girl beside CJ? Who are her people?”

CJ bit into one of the sandwiches he’d bought for their impromptu picnic with Indigo. “They know full well who you are, as many events as you’ve attended with Chris.”

“As friends,” Cindy stressed. Despite the two years that had passed since she’d assured him that she and Chris were just friends, CJ was still bitter about having not known how she felt for years.

“I’m telling you,” CJ said after taking another bite into his sandwich, “Chris knew I liked you.”

“You never told him so how would he know?” She defended her best friend.

He grunted, then asked, “Have you talked to this Bree girl yet?”

Cindy shook her head. She watched the girls splash each other in the water, then straighten up when two good-looking boys strutted past them like peacocks. “And as far as I’m concerned, she’s a wonderful influence. Look at her, making Indigo laugh.” She pointed at the friends.

CJ sighed. “I guess.”

“Don’t go blaming whatever is going on with Indigo on that poor girl. Indigo’s been through this before.”

CJ rewrapped his sandwich. “You’re right. I talked to Mom and Dad again about getting her some help. I found a few places in Annapolis, and even DC, if they need more distance.” He shook his head. “They said she’ll get through it. She’s fine. She’s just a teenager. But last night, when she took a long bath, Mom started banging the door down. She looked worried.”

Fear struck Cindy’s heart. “You don’t think she tried to... to harm herself, do you?”

“No. I think we had a long day out and she needed to decompress in the tub. But if Mom is so worried about her being in the bath for a long time, then she knows damn well Indigo needs help. And there’s no shame in that.”

Cindy wrapped her arm around CJ’s torso. “Maybe you should talk to Indigo. Ask her what she wants to do instead of deciding for her?”

CJ jerked back and studied Cindy. “Damn. Why didn’t I think about that?”

“Because you’re her overbearing big brother and you think you know what’s best.”

“Because I usually do.” He nodded. “I’ll ask her tonight before I hit the road.”

“Good.”

“Are you working tonight?”

Cindy shook her head. She worked at a laundry and dry-cleaning company in Annapolis. Most days she could bring her books and study in the back.

“Good. I’ll pop by your apartment before I leave.”

“All right,” Cindy eagerly agreed.

After her friend left, Indigo walked over to their spot on the beach.

“What are you two up to?” Indigo asked just before she plopped onto the beach towel beside CJ and lay down flat, with her arms folded behind her head.

“Talking about you and your new friend,” CJ said, getting right to his nosy point.

“Oh, Bree?” Indigo giggled. “She’s funny, and she’s really smart.”

“She’s smart, huh?” CJ gentled his voice.

“Extremely. Trust me, she’s going to be the first female president.”

“I’m not mad at that. Who are her people?”

Indigo played at the frayed bracelet on her wrist, avoiding his gaze and his question.

“Indigo?” CJ asked again. “Who are her people?”

She huffed like a dragon blowing smoke. “Who knows, who cares? Don’t get all elitist like Christine.”

“I’m not an elitist. I just want to know who you’re with. The world is getting crazy.”

“Yeah, well, I fit right in.”

Cindy’s eyes went wide. Did Indigo really feel that way about herself?

“You aren’t crazy,” CJ immediately insisted, his voice hard.

Indigo rolled over and punched his arm. “I know, I’m kidding.”

“Anyway,” she said, looking at Cindy, “I was thinking...”

“What about?” Cindy answered.

“I really would prefer to be your flower girl for the wedding. I’m much more flower girl material than bridesmaid. Aneesa can have it.”

“I can have more than one bridesmaid.”

“I know. But she’s so...” Her hands carved out the shape of a mountain in the air. “Va-va-voom. I look like a kid beside her.”

“Because you are a child. And what’s this about you being a flower girl?” CJ asked.

“In your wedding, stupid.”

“I’m not stupid.”

“You’ll be stupid if you don’t marry Cindy.”

He glanced nervously at Cindy, then focused his attention back on Indigo. Cindy’s blood ran hot in her veins.

“I’m not stupid,” he muttered under his breath.

Cindy released the breath trapped by the tension in her chest.

“Good to know.” His little sister sounded pleased. “So when is it happening?”

“Are we really doing this?” CJ asked.

“Yes!” Indigo and Cindy shouted.

Cindy laughed when CJ jerked his head back.

“I’ve got to finish undergrad at Morehouse. Then Yale Law. Then I’ll need to work for at least a year to save up.”

“Save up? Sir, we’re rich!” his sister argued.

“Our parents are rich. I’m my own man.”

“Yeah, well. Now that I think about it, Christine ain’t footing the bill for your wedding. No offense.” She smacked Cindy on the arm. “Anyway, that’s like six or seven years from now.”

“Which is why you can’t be our flower girl. You’ll have time to grow into your va-va-voom,” Cindy helpfully replied.

“I think you should get married right after law school, but that’s just me.” Indigo stood. “Anyway, I’m ready to head home. You can stop babysitting me now.”

“All right.” Cindy packed up, though CJ and Indigo would be taking almost everything—the blanket, the umbrella, most of the food—back to their home.

CJ kissed Cindy’s forehead. “I’ll see you in a few hours.”

“I’ll be waiting.”

A hard knock on the door woke Cindy from her sleep. She looked at her clock on the nightstand. It was near midnight. The knocking resumed, getting louder and impatient.

Must be CJ.He hadn’t called, so she assumed he’d gotten caught up and forgotten to swing by before leaving for Atlanta.

She hurried out of the bed and opened the door. His eyes were bloodshot, his shirt disheveled instead of tucked into his khaki pants.

“What happened?” Cindy pulled him inside before a nosy neighbor complained.

“Indigo ran away.”

“What?”

“After I took your advice about talking to her about getting help, she yelled at me. Told me I was clueless to what was going on around me, right under my nose. She told me she couldn’t trust me, and she ran the fuck away.”

“D-did you find her?”

He let out a long sigh. “She came back home. I think she was somewhere with her new friend.”

He rubbed a hand over his face. “I shouldn’t have said anything to her. I just made things worse.”

“CJ.” Cindy reached out, but he shrugged away from her embrace. “I’m sorry that happened. But the conversation had to happen eventually.”

“Now she thinks I think I want her to go away.”

“Of course she doesn’t. Not deep down.”

“Yes, she does. She told me as much.”

“Sit down.”

“I’ve got to go, it’s a long drive, and—”

“Sit down, Charles Jones.” Cindy hardened her tone. She knew if she dropped the matter, he would go back to Atlanta and ignore her calls. That’s how he processed his feelings—stuffed them down so deep they hardened to stone. And if anyone tried to break through, he’d give them hell.

He sat beside her, staring at the floor. “I’ll call Chris. She doesn’t hate him.”

“Chris will be home next weekend. Maybe she’ll open up to him.” Cindy patted his hand. “I know this is hard to go through right now, but what do you think would have happened if your parents got her counseling at your suggestion?”

“Same thing, I guess.”

“Exactly. No kid wants to be viewed as different. They just want to hang out with their friends without worrying. They care far too much about other people’s opinions. You know that.”

“That’s why I suggested we go to DC. No one has to know about it.”

“She just needs time to think. I’m sure the idea came as a shock, but she of all people understands she isn’t feeling her best. So let her sulk and let her vent to Chris, and then maybe he can leave some pamphlets for her to read. He’s fantastic at convincing people to do things they don’t want to do.”

“Yeah, he is.” CJ nodded. “I just feel like an asshole. I made her cry. Then I upset our parents for going behind their backs about counseling.”

“They’ll cool off.”

He let out an unamused laugh. “It’ll take a century. They’re pissed right now.”

“Well, they’ll just have to be pissed. There’s no crime in caring about your sister so much you want to help her. It’s a lot more than what they’re doing... going around pretending everything is hunky-dory.”

CJ laughed. “And now you’re mad.”

“I am. I love Indigo, and I don’t love the idea of counseling, but if she needs help, she needs to get it.”

Cindy had seen her friend go from being on top of the world to crashing. Indigo had gone days without speaking, a dead look in her usually expressive brown eyes.

“Yeah, well, I’ll keep at it. I’ll let Chris have this weekend, and then I’m coming home the next week.”

“Really? I thought you were busy with end of year tests.”

He nodded. “Yes, but I can bring my books.”

Cindy’s smile spread wide. She was sorry about Indigo, but glad she would get more time with CJ. “Okay, call me when you get back to the dorms.”

“It’ll have to be tomorrow morning. They won’t let me use the phone by the time I’ll get back.”

Cindy walked him to the door. The door lock twisted and opened, revealing her mom.

“Hi, Ms. Marshall, how are you?”

Though her mother was exhausted, she mustered a smile for CJ. “I’m good, young man. How are you?”

“I apologize for being over so late, but I had a family emergency, and I wanted to swing by before I left for school.”

“It’s no problem.” This time Cindy’s mother’s smile was fake. It didn’t matter that Cindy was nineteen years old. She did not condone him being in her home so late. Cindy knew her mother felt this way because she’d had her so young, at seventeen years old.

“I’ll call you tomorrow.” CJ bent over and kissed her cheek. “Bye.”

“Drive safe.”

She closed the door behind him, under her mother’s watchful eyes.

“Now, I know you didn’t have him up in my house so late.”

“Sorry, Mama. But what he said was true. Indigo ran away from home, and he spent the better part of the night searching for her.”

Her mother clasped her chest. “He found her?”

“She came back home. But he’s worried, and so am I.”

“Thank the Lord she’s back home.” Her mother let out a long exhale. “Well, I’m beat. I’m going to bed.”

“Me, too.”

After Cindy returned to bed, try as she might, she couldn’t get to sleep.

Despite CJ’s intention, he did not return home the following weekend. Or even the next. However, when Cindy checked in with Indigo, her young friend’s sunny personality seemed to have returned.

But a few weeks later, Indigo disappeared again.

And this time she didn’t come home.

When Chris called Cindy in a panic the following weekend, it was during her shift at the laundromat.

“Pumpkin Pie, I... I need you.”

“What is it? What happened?”

“We can’t find Indigo. She had an argument with Mom and then she just ran off. Have you seen her?”

Cindy glanced at her watch. It was just past midnight.

“N-no.” Cindy gripped the cord of the phone and wound it around her hand. Her heart exploded in her chest. “Whenever she’s mad, she’s at the music store or the beach.”

“They checked there already. Say, I know you’re at work, but my parents are getting together a search party and—”

“Of course. I’ll call my mom to see if she can cover for me.”

“Thank you. I just can’t... my gut is telling me something’s wrong. We need all the help we can get.”

After Cindy got off the phone, she called her mother, who quickly agreed to cover her shift.

As soon as her mother arrived, she dashed off and met Chris near Walnut Creek, where a group of over a dozen Highland Beach residents had gathered. Mayor Daniel stood in the center, giving directions and assigning people to search groups.

Cindy immediately spotted Chris and shoved her way into the crowd. He pulled her close and mumbled his thanks into her hair. She felt lasers on her back and turned to face Christine. Her expression looked murderous, but by the time Chris released her and turned to face his mother, she wore a mask of devastation.

I should be the least of her worries.

After two hours, the search was called off for the day, with promises to resume in the morning.

Chris and Cindy stood in the parking lot of her apartment complex. He’d insisted on following her home.

“CJ will be here tomorrow,” Chris whispered to her.

“Oh? I haven’t spoken to him today.”

“CJ told me about his conversation. He feels guilty, but I keep telling him he did the right thing. He thinks he pushed her over the edge.”

Cindy’s throat went tight. “I hate to say it, but I think she was already on the edge. She’s been unhappy lately.”

“No, you’re right. She’s unhappy, and I think it’s because of our mother.”

Cindy leaned against her car door. “Did she tell you anything?”

“No. I just overheard some stuff. Indigo called her a hypocrite and a liar. And that she was tired of trying to be a perfect daughter when she’s far from perfect.”

A liar?“You know, she mentioned she wanted to talk to CJ about some embarrassing family stuff. Maybe that’s related.”

“I should confront Mom about this.”

Cindy shook her head. “Your mom is scared witless. Let’s resume the search in the morning and play it by ear.”

“Hmm.”

“Now you sound like CJ.”

He cracked a small smile. “Guess that’s not a bad thing since you’re so in love,” he said in a high-pitched voice.

“Hush.” She nudged his shoulder with her own.

Chris tilted his head back and sighed. “I’m going to see if I can get leave, but I may not get permission.” Tears filled his eyes. Cindy pulled him close and gave him a tight hug, wanting to protect him from the pain.

“Tell me it’s going to be okay,” he whispered into her hair.

“I’m praying for Indigo. Praying that wherever she is, she knows her family and friends love her. That’s what she needs right now, more than ever.”

“Okay, I’ll call you tomorrow. We’re meeting at the—”

“Coffee shop. I got it.”

The next morning, Cindy couldn’t sleep and left early. She found Chris seated in the back of the coffee shop, engaged in a heated discussion with a young woman. When Cindy came closer, she recognized her as Bree, Indigo’s friend.

“Get up. Leave.”

“I’m just...”

“What did I say?” Chris’s voice went low.

With tears in her eyes, the young lady rushed out of the coffee shop.

“What was that all about?”

“Foolishness.”

“What about? That’s Indigo’s friend, right? I’m sure she could help—”

“No. She doesn’t know where my sister is. In fact, they got into an argument, which is probably why she’s missing. So no, we don’t need her help.”

“O-... okay.” Cindy had a lot more questions. For one, what were they arguing over? Was it over boys or something much more serious? Chris seemed like he was not in the mood for a calm review of the facts. His eyes were bloodshot red. His hair was uncombed.

“We’ll find her, okay?” Cindy reached over to squeeze his hands.

But the search that day had been fruitless. Then Chris called her the following morning. Indigo’s body had been found washed ashore.