Chapter 54
CHAPTER 54
SARAH
Sarah reached across the table, fingers grasping for the vodka bottle.
Jason pushed it away, out of her reach. “You’ve had enough.”
Scowling at him, Sarah said, “That’s not for you to decide.”
“I just think?—”
“And I think I deserve fermented potatoes,” Sarah said, “considering that I saw a severed head in a speed boat.”
Wincing, Jason said, “About that?—”
“I don’t want to talk about that,” Sarah said, leaning back in the chair, closing her eyes. She took a deep breath, inhaling the irritating scent of blooming flowers and damp earth, and tried to focus on the balmy breeze instead of the images stuck in her brain, lurid memories of blood-soaked blonde hair.
Vivid memories of bloody white sheets .
The blood splattered in Phil’s bedroom.
The blood on the sheets in the room at Phil’s party fifteen years ago.
She wasn’t sure which blood her mind was conjuring but it didn’t matter. Blood was blood, haunting and accusing. It cried out from the ground. It demanded vengeance.
“Okay, let’s talk about …” Jason paused, then said, “Phil not raping you.”
Sarah glared at him. “Did you know that I knew?”
His expression pained, Jason shook his head. “I thought you didn’t remember.”
Scoffing, Sarah shook her head. “I remember everything about that night.”
Jason looked at her. “Did you tell Mia? Was that what you two were talking about when I came down?”
Sarah nodded. “Except I didn’t tell her why I went along with Alex’s plan. I was going to but you came down and interrupted us, so I figured I would keep that to myself.”
“Why did you go along with Alex’s plan?” Jason asked. “For the money?”
Sniffing, Sarah wiped a finger beneath her nose. “Not exactly. Well, yes, the money was nice. But, the truth is that I?—”
“Chris is dead …”
Sarah glared at Jason.
But he wasn’t looking at her. His attention stolen, he focused on something behind her. Her heart racing, Sarah glanced over her shoulder.
Mia walked toward the table, her steps halting, uncoordinated, as though she had trouble keeping her balance.
“What …” Sarah whispered, staring at Mia, stunned by her pale face, pockmarked with pink splotches, and her dark, haunted gaze. Jason jumped up. Hurrying to Mia, he wrapped an arm around her, ushering her to the table, helping her sit down.
“Mia, what happened?” Jason asked, sitting next to her. “What do you mean … Chris is dead?”
“Oh God … “ Sarah moaned, her gaze settling on the bottle of vodka. “What is going on?”
Shuddering, Mia said, “I went to his room to tell him that we’d decided to leave the island and …”
“And what?” Jason asked.
“And I saw …” Mia stopped, took a deep breath. “Chris … he was …”
Jason frowned. “He was … what?”
Sarah jumped up. “What happened to Chris, Mia?”
Shaking her head, Mia stammered, “I don’t know … I can’t?—”
“You can’t what?” Sarah demanded, glaring at Mia. “What the hell is going on?”
Shaking his head, Jason said, “Sarah … don’t …”
“Don’t what?” Sarah glared at him. “She needs to tell us what happened to Chris!”
Mia burst into loud, heaving sobs, dropping her face into her hands as she wailed, rocking back and forth.
“It’s okay …” Jason whispered, trying to soothe Mia, embracing her. “It’s going to be okay … ”
“No, it’s not!” Sarah said. “It’s not going to be okay! Alex is dead. Grace is dead. And now Chris is dead!”
Jason gave her a dirty look. “We don’t know that for sure!”
“It’s true!” Mia yelled, violently yanking away from Jason, standing, stumbling away from the table. “Sarah is right! It’s the only thing that makes sense. I didn’t want to believe it, but it’s the only thing that makes sense!”
Jason stood. “Mia, listen to me?—”
“No …” Mia slapped the tears from her face. “You listen to me. Both of you. We do need to get off this island. Or we’re going to die.”
“Phil is doing this … “ Sarah said. “He said he wanted to destroy us.”
Jason exhaled. “I don’t think he meant?—”
“Alex didn’t take Phil to the mainland. Phil didn’t have to leave suddenly,” Mia whispered, her gaze unfocused. “I lied about that.”
“Why did you lie?” Jason asked.
Sarah pressed the heel of her hand against her head, desperate to stop the pounding behind her skull.
“Because Alex told me to,” Mia said. “It was part of his plan.”
Jason asked, “What plan?”
Mia said, “Alex was going to kill Phil.”