Chapter 54
Whit
The shoreline along the trailer park and waterway isn’t that long.
Maybe the length of a football field. We separate at the end of the boardwalk and search for something—anything.
The phone. Foot prints, any clue left behind.
Nick called the police but it could take time to get them out here.
His words were confusing and strangled on the phone.
God knows if they even took him seriously. It may be up to us to find her.
Even with full daylight and a bright morning sun, there’s nothing on the shore. Pete and I run together, but the sand is hardpacked and clean.
“Nothing,” I say. “Not a footprint.”
Not other than our own. We make our way back to the boardwalk and meet a defeated Nick and Justin at the bottom of the stairs. “I don’t see a sign of her,” Justin says. “Fucking hell.”
Pete rests his hands on his hips, eyes skimming the water. We all know Summer isn’t a great swimmer. If she was looking to escape, that wouldn’t be the way she’d go.
“Anyone look under the boardwalk?” I ask. No one speaks, we just move into action, heading up both sides.
Halfway up Justin shouts, “I found it! I found her phone.”
Ducking under the boardwalk, I see him a few feet up, when we get there Nick has his arms spread wide. “Stop! Don’t walk over here. I think these are her footprints.”
“Really?”
“They look fresh and there’s a bunch of upturned sand near where Justin found the phone.” It’s still in the ground.
“I left it so the police could find it.” He shrugs. “I’ve watched enough TV to know not to mess with evidence.”
“Well, I’ve watched enough TV to know the clock is ticking.
I’m not waiting for them to get here to do something.
” I take a wide berth but follow the footsteps leading away from water.
The ground isn’t the same as the ocean side.
No dunes, just hard packed gray and brown dirt.
It’s soft and sure enough, there are footsteps leading all the way back to the campground.
Away from the main path. I look back at Pete.
“You said his aunt had a place in here?”
“I think so.”
“Call Sugar. Find out what number she rented.” I look at the seemingly endless rows of campers. “We’ll start banging on doors.”
Pete dials Sugar’s number and Justin and Nick flank me on both sides. “Do you think we’ll get to her in time?” Justin asks, I’ve never heard him so worried.
I almost say that I don’t know. I almost cry in anguish and punch them both in the face. Instead I grit my teeth and declare, “We don’t have a choice,” before banging on the first camper door.