Hex on the Beach by Kelley Armstrong
Chapter Ten
As Marius said earlier, the tour allegedly follows the one Lisa took that fateful night. It doesn’t, actually, not according to what Mrs. Ricci told us, but I doubt the exact details are in the archives, and it hardly matters what route the tour took or what stops it hit. The important part comes at the theater.
Ms. Dowling—a mousy young woman about Kennedy’s age—does an admirable job of explaining the problems the Lake family had with Unstable and the difficulties they caused. She gives us a more thorough picture of the family than I encountered in my online research.
Apparently, while the Lakes passed themselves off as average Christians, they’d been church-hopping for years, each new congregation lacking the requisite fire-and-brimstone. They’d ended up in a very fundamentalist church and, once the girls hit puberty, switched to home schooling, in the belief that the public school system would destroy any hope of a virgin marriage.
The girls led a very cloistered existence, and for them, coming to Unstable was like going to Disney World. Later in life, the younger sister confessed in an interview that she was the one who brought the festival to their parents’ attention . . . and pretended to have heard it was a Christian gathering, intentionally manipulating the word “spiritualism.” Had she blamed herself then, later in life, for the weekend that led to her sister’s disappearance? I hope not. She was a normal teenage girl, desperate for a bit of fun.
It was the younger sister, as I’d learned, who also got them onto the tour. Yet another bit of teenage sleight of hand. Emphasizing the historical elements to her parents and glossing over any of the ghostly bits.
As much as I appreciate Ms. Dowling’s research, she does too much, mingling the original tour with the story of Lisa Lake. Whenever she valiantly attempts to recreate the original tour her audience’s attention wanes. While a few people will appreciate that, most are just here for Lisa Lake.
That goes double for our group. When Ms. Dowling launches into a bit of local lore, Kennedy shoulders Aiden to the back, where they whisper together, earning stern looks from Ani. I move between the sisters to divert Ani’s attention and let Kennedy and Aiden have their moment.
I’m leaning toward Jonathan, about to ask whether Ms. Dowling’s version of this local lore is true, when Hope lets out a yelp. The entire tour group turns to see Rian behind Hope, his hands over her eyes.
Ms. Dowling clears her throat.
“Sorry!” Rian calls. “She’s really jumpy.” He tickles her, and she swats at him, earning an even more severe look from Ms. Dowling and a warning glance from Ani.
Rian straightens. “Sorry. Again. I’ll keep her in line.” He walks beside Hope and stage-whispers. “Quiet, trouble-maker.”
“This is a private tour,” Ms. Dowling says.
“I know.” He reaches for his wallet. “How much?”
“It’s sold out.”
“He has a ticket,” Hope says, taking out her phone. “I bought seven in case he could make it.” She holds up her phone. “See? Seven adults.”
Ms. Dowling doesn’t let it go that easily, making Hope point out everyone in our group to confirm there really are only seven. Then we’re on the move again, Rian with his arm casually slung over Hope’s shoulders, Hope chattering away as we walk.
I glance at Marius. He mouths “Do you want me to do something about it?” I consider and decide no. Not now. Everyone had been looking forward to this tour, and I won’t spoil it. I won’t let Rian spoil it either. If he causes trouble, I’ll take care of it myself. After the initial disruption, though, he settles in, listening to the guide and behaving himself as we slowly make our way toward the theater.
We’re finallyat the theater complex. We aren’t allowed inside yet. Chief Salazar had mentioned extra security. What she meant is that we’d have a police escort through the theater portions of the tour.
We’re now waiting outside for that escort. I’m with Marius, Jonathan, Ani, Kennedy and Aiden, discussing theories about Lisa Lake.
“Does anyone have one?” I ask.
“If you’re looking for a wild theory, I’m your girl,” Kennedy says. “Real ones, though?” She shrugs and looks at Aiden. “We’re working on it.”
To cover my delight, I turn to Marius. “And you, former spymaster. You must have a theory. You just aren’t sharing it.”
“Oh, I have one. It’s written in a sealed envelope that I gave to Jonathan.”
“Seriously?” I say.
“Seriously,” Jonathan says. “I have the envelope in a secure place.”
“In other words,” Kennedy says. “You don’t want to spoil our fun by telling us what happened to Lisa, but you do want to be able to prove you had the answer all along.”
“Yep, and if I’m wrong, Jonathan is under strict orders to forget where he hid that envelope.”
As everyone laughs and teases, I realize two members of our party are missing. I glance around to see Hope and Rian disappear together behind a row of shrubs.
I murmur something about using the ladies’ room and slip away. I stride in the proper direction, and then sneak back around to follow Hope and Rian. Their voices waft from a shadowy corner, tucked between two flowering shrubs. I can’t see them, but I have a very good idea what they’re up to, and I’m about to “accidentally” stumble on them when Hope says,
“You need to tell Aiden.”
Rian sighs. “And here I thought you wanted to make out.”
Silence.
“I was kidding, Hope.”
“No, you were diverting and distracting, and I’d like you to stop it. I’d like you to treat me like a friend, not some girl you’re trying to impress.”
He exhales. “I don’t mean it that way. I’m just . . .”
“Diverting and distracting. You need to tell Aiden the real reason you blew off that meeting. Tell him you don’t agree with the new project. That you have ethical issues with using government loopholes and bribes to kick people off their land.”
“Aiden won’t care.”
“Then why not tell him? Because you think he will care. You’re afraid that if you tell him the problem, and he gives your parents shit, they’ll listen to him where they ignored you, and that hurts.”
He snorts. “I stopped caring what my parents thought years ago.”
“No, you didn’t. You should, but you can’t. You need to get away from them.”
“Sure, go into business for myself again. Look how well that worked out. Nothing more humiliating then being taken hostage because the Connolly they really wanted was Aiden. Everyone wants Aiden.”
“Everyone except me.”
A few murmurs, as if they’re embracing. Then Rian gives a long, drawn-out sigh. “You can say that now, Hope, but trust me, by next Memorial Day, you’ll be wondering what the hell you ever saw in me. You deserve better than an uptown party boy who can’t get his shit together.”
“And maybe you deserve better than a small-town girl who can’t get her shit together.”
“Your parents died. You have a reason for derailing, and you’re already back on track, heading to college in the fall.”
“Maybe. I can get accepted. If I can figure out what I even want to do with my life. All I know right now is that I want to be with you. You want to get your shit together. I want to get my shit together. I propose we make it a joint project. Everything’s better with friends.”
He chuckles. “Everything?”
“Everything. Especially this . . .”
The distinct sound of a kiss. I pause only a heartbeat, and then I back away and leave them alone.