Chapter 20
Dove
The next three days go by in a blur of serving drinks and wiping down tables.
The other staff have accepted me as one of their own, and in a strange way, I’m starting to feel like part of the Beach Bar family.
It’s nice, comfortable even. And the best part, I have only seen the boys on a few occasions, mostly from afar when they were having a drink with River.
They didn’t even attempt to talk to me which I thought was strange, but that didn’t mean I couldn’t feel their eyes glued to me wherever I was in the room.
They were talking about me, I’m sure. River is around most of the time, in fact I’m pretty sure he’s sleeping in the stairwell just outside the apartment.
The past few days I haven’t really wanted to do much more than work, swim, and sleep.
When I have left the bar, I have felt like I’m being watched.
Like that creepy bucket of ice water tipped over your head kind of feeling.
And as I walk back from the little café around the corner from The Beach Bar with my bacon-and-egg roll, it happens again.
I glance over my shoulder, but there is no one behind me.
It’s just a gut feeling, I think, or paranoia.
Being back in this town is messing with my head in a way that is starting to make me feel kind of crazy.
Even though I know it’s probably nothing, I move a little faster, almost running through the door to The Beach Bar. When I close it behind me, I suck in a full breath. Shit, what is wrong with me?
I take a seat at the bar and unwrap my breakfast. The brioche bun and tomato chutney make it worth the walk every morning.
I take a big sip of my coffee, letting the caffeinated goodness bring me back to life.
I don’t mind the late nights of working behind a bar, but I do appreciate a decent coffee in the morning to wake me up, and this stuff is the best.
I jump as the front door opens with a click, and I turn to see who it is. There are only a few people with access, the boys obviously, Melanie, and the cook. But I’m surprised when I find Slater approaching me. He takes the seat beside me. “How’s your week been?”
I glance at him like he’s sprouted horns. “Fine. Yours?” I ask, simply because what on earth is he doing right now.
“Interesting.”
“Okay,” I mutter, getting back to my breakfast. I take another bite and groan. It’s that delicious.
He drags his eyes over the brown paper bag in my hand. “What have you got that has you so enthused?”
“Bacon-and-egg roll, you want a bite?” I hold it up so he can see.
“Alright.” He takes it from me and sinks his teeth into it. “Not bad,” he says with his mouth full when he’s done. Then he hands it back to me.
My mouth pops open, and I stare back at him. Why is he acting all normal with me? It’s weirding me out. “Right, out with it, what the hell is going on here?”
“Just checking in.”
My eyes narrow to slits. “You don’t just check in on me.”
“Used to.” His calculating eyes run over my face like he’s looking for something.
Maybe his old friend. Well, I have news for him, he’s not going to find her sitting here making small talk and pretending the past ten years hasn’t happened.
“I hear you have been asking questions round the bar about your mum.”
My skin prickles. Who would have told him that? Not even River was around. “So?”
“So, people were always too scared to talk about anything involving Keller. You know… in case they end up at the bottom of the drop.” The way his dark eyes bore into mine I think is supposed to scare me.
I lift my chin to match his intensity. He might have the rest of the town shaking in their little boots, but I’m not going to let him intimidate me. “Are you saying Keller had something to do with her death?” I push back.
He huffs out a half laugh. “I’m saying you should be more careful who you talk to. Not everyone has good intentions.”
Like him. I sip on my coffee while I think on that comment. It’s hard to tell if he wants to help me or if he’s trying to threaten me so I stop asking questions. His threats won’t work, because I didn’t get this far just to stop now.
He slips his hand into his pocket and produces a USB drive. “The police pulled this off a laptop found at your parents’ place the day after your mother was murdered.”
My heart kicks up a beat. This is exactly what I have been looking for. “Why are you giving this to me?”
“To stop you from making a nuisance of yourself round the bar.” He places it in my hand and closes my fingers for me.
“Make your own assumptions.” He taps the bar and gives me one more intense look, then he walks away, leaving me with my mouth gaping open.
Did he just do something nice for me? What kind of wacked-out world did I wake up in this morning?
“How long have you had this for?” I ask him, but he doesn’t turn back to answer me, the front door closing with a click behind him as he leaves.
That was so strange. But Slater doesn’t do anything without intention, he was here for a reason, and giving this to me at this exact time has to be part of his play. The only question is why?
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 a place as any to hide. I pull into the sandy lot and park, my heart still hammering.