Chapter 32
She decided not to join the crowd. Harlan had said to stay. She hadn’t listened to him earlier and that had been a mistake. Not a deadly mistake, but she wanted him to know that she trusted him and would follow his directions when it came to this stuff. She would be fine, waiting here. Everyone was at the pool anyway. And he would be back soon. He couldn’t be the only one who could help. The resort must have trained staff.
She had wished one of the people in her party had stayed with her. The night seemed darker somehow. She should just walk over to the pool. Safety in numbers and all that. Harlan would understand.
But she stopped. She was being paranoid. Nothing was going to happen. They weren’t even sure if the killer was at the resort. They had no reason to believe this person had followed or found her. Harlan had just been cautious.
She returned to the Adirondack chair and took a seat. She grabbed what looked like a salmon poke bowl. She hadn’t eaten all day and was getting a headache. She had to have her energy for later. She planned on being up all night with Harlan.
The first bite exploded in her mouth. Avocado, salmon, soy sauce, and sriracha tangled around her tongue in bliss. She groaned with pleasure. The crowd remained by the pool. Harlan could take his time. She would enjoy the heck out of this meal.
The second bite turned sour.
The third bite tasted like poison.
* * *
Harlan accepted the towel someone handed him. He had tried to save the woman, but there was no use. She had split her skull wide open. She was probably gone before she hit the water. Someone had to have pushed her for a gash that size.
He and Kian had given it their all anyway. The other guys in the pool were only flapping around like dying fish. No one here seemed to know water recovery. Too bad he and Kian couldn’t have saved her.
He searched the crowd but didn’t see Storm. It seemed the whole resort was around the pool area. Bonfires still burned in the short distance. He hoped she and the others had stayed put.
His phone vibrated in his pocket. If he hadn’t used a waterproof case, his phone would be useless now.
It was a text from Waylen. He had information on the people Harlan had asked him to check into. He skimmed through the document attached to the text. Fear punched him in the throat. He knew it. The killer was among them and he had left Storm with that person.
He grabbed Kian away from the police officer taking notes. “I’m sorry, but we have another emergency. It’s Storm. I know who did it. I have to get to her.”
“I’ll be right back,” Kian said to the detective.
They ran.
He didn’t see Storm. Only the bonfire blazed into the air.
“There she is.” Kian pointed and kicked into high gear.
“Where?” But then he saw her. Lying on the ground and not moving.
Kian dropped to his knees. “She’s not breathing.”
Harlan froze. Fear removed every thought from his brain. He didn’t know what to do.
Kian began CPR. He took a cloth napkin, wrapped it around his fingers, and checked Storm’s airway.
“Was she poisoned?” He looked around at the tray of food and drinks. A bowl was knocked over by the chair. The contents spilled in the sand.
“Might have been. She has a chemical smell to her breath. The inside of her mouth might be burned.” Kian continued to pump on Storm’s chest, doing the heart beating for her.
“Let me take over.”
“I’ve got it. You don’t want to do this to your girlfriend.”
“I should do it. Go get help. We need to get her to the hospital.” He pushed Kian out of the way and took over the CPR. As Kian ran away, Harlan shouted, “What if she wakes up? Do I make her vomit?”
“Absolutely not. I’ll be right back.” Kian tore through the sand.
Harlan continued to help Storm live.