Nick shook his head, one hand on his scalp. “No. What do we do? What should we do?”
Brad was sitting beside Andy, his elbows resting on his knees, head hung down. “Where could she be? This doesn’t make any sense. She wouldn’t have just disappeared. She must know how worried we are.”
“Where else might she have gone?” Megan asked, rubbing a hand over Nick’s back. “You guys know her best.”
As anger gripped my organs with scalding fingers, I stepped away from Jaren. “Give me just a minute.”
“Where are you going?” he called, but made no move to follow me as I waved him off, shaking my head.
The answer didn’t matter as I shoved through the doors and into the building. Moving past the bathrooms just inside the doorway; past the dining room, its chairs still turned over the tops of the tables; the spa, its music playing gently in an effort to soothe me despite the anxiety coursing through my veins; the library, whose fiction couldn’t be stranger than our truth; and the gym, it’s floors and equipment pristine, begging me to come in. Everything’s fine, it seemed to say.
But everything wasn’t fine. Nothing was fine. My friend was missing, my other friend was dead, and someone here had to know why. Had we walked into a trap? Was this all a setup? Maybe I sounded like a conspiracy theorist, but that’s how it was starting to feel.
Making my way down the hall, further than I’d gone before, I read the sign that hung on the wall, searching for just one thing.
Gym ↓
Library ↓
Spa ↓
Dining Room ↓
Pool ↑
Office →
Theater ←
Infirmary ←
Office. The arrow pointed to my right, and I turned abruptly, moving my feet as fast as I could along the wood floor.
“Miss?” I heard an employee call from behind me, but I didn’t dare stop. I wanted answers, and I wanted them now. If Manu wasn’t involved in whatever was going on, he surely knew something. And, if he didn’t, he needed to help us get to the bottom of it.
The door ahead was tan, with a white linen wreath hanging on it, and a sign beside the door that let me know I’d come to the right place. I reached for the handle, turning it swiftly.
Click.
It was locked. I groaned, lifting my hand to the door and rapping against it. “Manu? Manu, it’s Natasha. Can I come in?” I pounded on the door again, growing impatient. “Manu!”
“Ma’am, can I help you?” An employee was behind me, his hand on my shoulder. “Mr. Manu is very busy…if I can help, I’d love to be of service to—”
“I need to talk to him,” I said, cutting the man off.
There was a faint clicking noise, and the door swung open. Manu stood in front of us, a frazzled look on his usually calm face. When he saw me, he smiled, clasping his hands together in front of his chest. “Thank you, Fraser,” he said, waving the man off. “I can take it from here.” When I felt his hand leave my shoulder, heard the footsteps retreating, I released a breath. Manu smiled again, waving me inside. “Now then, what can I do for you, Mrs. Natasha?”
I stepped forward, still not far from the doorway as I attempted to catch my breath. Manu walked across the open and airy office, taking a seat at an executive desk in the middle of the room. It felt so out of place there. The room was filled with plants, an open skylight above us, all wicker furniture. The clock on the wall was made from a slab of a tree root, thick and shiny with sealant. The office was crisp, airy, and earthy, much like its occupant, all except for the desk, which would’ve fit in perfectly at any corporate building.
“Have you seen Laura?”
“Have I seen… I am afraid I do not understand.”
“Laura. She’s missing.”
He leaned back against the desk, a blank expression overtaking his face. “I am so sorry… I am afraid I have not seen her. I had no idea. Who else knows?”
“Everyone,” I waved my hand toward the open door. “We’ve all been looking all morning.”
“Where was she last seen?”
“Brad said she went for a run this morning, but that was over two hours ago. No one’s heard from her since.”
Manu stood back up, his face solemn. His hands shoved into the pockets of his white kaftan. “Oh, my. That is serious, then. I will have my staff assist you in your search.”
“Manu, do you know something about what’s going on?” I demanded, taking another step toward him.
His expression didn’t change. “What do you mean?”
“First Emily, now Laura… I can’t believe it’s just a coincidence.”
His eyes searched my face. “What other option is there?”
“If someone here is hurting us…picking us off one by one, and you aren’t involved, you need to protect us. You need to get the police here.”
“My island is a peaceful place, Natasha. I can assure you that no one under my staff intends to harm any of you.”
“You’ve got a dead body down the hall, and my best…” A sob stopped the word from leaving my throat. I sucked in a breath, composing myself. “My best friend is missing. Newsflash, Manu, this isn’t a peaceful place. Someone is doing this. They have to be. Laura wouldn’t have just run off. Emily wouldn’t have just gone for a swim.” I waved my hands wildly as I talked, unable to control the anger swelling in my chest.
He reached for my shoulders, but I stepped back. No way was he going to touch me. There was no way I could bring myself to trust him—trust anyone, for that matter. When I pulled away, he stepped back, allowing space between us. He clasped his hands together once more, his eyes softening. “My island is a peaceful place, Natasha. At least, it was before this week. Before your group arrived.”
“What are
