Beach Thriller

Chapter 1. The Watcher

The Watcher

Everyone has secrets. In this town, I know them all.

I’m always watching, waiting, learning. It pays to understand people’s weaknesses.

Knowledge can be leverage. But first, you need to learn how to observe.

Watch how someone walks. Is their pace quickened?

Or are they at ease, body relaxed during a casual stroll?

Notice how they hold their shoulders, move their eyes, and use their hands.

If you want to understand someone’s inner world, don’t listen to what they say, watch what they do.

But sometimes you have to look even deeper.

On the surface, Beauport appears to be a charming, peaceful setting—perfect for people watching.

But peer into the shadows, and you may uncover lies, betrayals, and conspiracies that span generations.

These stories are mine too. I’m deeply connected to it all.

As I wander the streets—unseen, unheard—I collect people’s secrets. I gather their misdeeds the way a banker accumulates cash. Information is my currency. And this town could make me rich.

So who am I?

I could be anyone—the shopkeeper who pockets a hundred dollars from the cash register, thinking no one is looking; the tourist who does the same with a pair of earrings she can’t afford.

Maybe I’m the busker outside a coffee shop, singing for tips.

Or perhaps I’m the cop down the street—big and brawny, waving to kids zipping past on their bikes, unaware that the blue uniform hides a darker side.

Or I could even be the wealthiest woman in town. Her money and status afford her plenty of time to hide and observe. Though she’s old enough to need orthopedic sandals, hers are gold Guccis, softening the indignity. Cartier sunglasses conceal not only her eyes but also her lies.

Then there’s the handsome younger man walking behind her.

We could be one and the same. He ducks into a pub to meet someone for happy hour.

Is it his lady of the moment or a business associate with whom he’s conspiring to close a big deal?

Whatever he orders off the menu, his true desire is something neither romance nor money can satisfy.

This town is full of people who harbor hidden truths—and I could be any of them.

But I can’t be you, Holly. You are special.

You are the one I’m most interested in. I know you’ve come to Beauport for a reason.

You seek answers, and you believe you’ll find them here.

But some questions are too dangerous to ask.

You see, everyone has secrets, including me. And I’ll do anything to safeguard mine.

Anything.