A Boarding Case Mystery Box Set: Vol 1-5 (Laura Greene Mystery Thriller Collections Book 3)

by Laura Greene

  “It’s okay, Ella. You can tell me more when you’re ready. You mom shared the messages with me and I’m tracing the number. I think I’d better let you rest.”

  Ella remains stoic and Tina pats her hand as she stands up and follows Becky to the door.

  “I’ll be staying in town tonight. If she says anything else, you can give me a call.” Tina tells Becky before exiting the door.

  The drive back to the motel is beautiful. Tina passes beautiful beaches and lush greenery. She can see herself living in Martha’s Vineyard. At every opportunity, she would visit a trendy boutique along the strip in Oaks Bluff and end her day at a cozy cafe or eat dinner in one of the raved restaurants that overlook the ocean. One day she might live here. Right now though, she is here to solve a mystery.

  When she checks into her motel in Oak Bluffs for the night, Tina receives a cute text message from Nick, “Goodnight, Beautiful.” The message lights up her evening and she sits there smiling and thinking, Nick is one of the good guys. He is good with her and with the students. They text for a little bit. Then for one night since she arrived, Tina shuts out the world and enjoys a full night of rest.

  *

  Much has happened in the night and Tina is now awakened to it. Morning came all too soon and Tina has woken up to a full inbox of voicemails and messages from only two numbers – Nick and Amy. Nick was the first to message her in the middle of the night with just three letters, S.O.S. Tina is startled and can’t think of what might have happened. She just hopes deep down that another girl has not taken her life. Next are Amy’s copious voicemails sent in the last hour. How did I miss all these? Tina sees that her phone was on silent while she slept; that’s why she missed the calls and texts. Amy’s messages are short, Call me, we have an emergency at the school.

  First, Tina calls Nick, but his phone is switched off. That’s odd, I was just texting him last night. Next, she calls Amy and she picks up.

  “I’ve been trying to reach you all morning. We have a problem. Someone leaked out what happened to Ella yesterday,” Amy says.

  “How can that be? You, me, Nick and Charlie are the only ones who know.”

  “It gets worse. The informant specifically said Ella was told to atone for her sins by killing herself. Now, several students have come forward accusing Chaplain Nick. They claim he is responsible because all the other girls said something similar to their friends before they took their lives.”

  “But that can’t be true. Nick is...” Tina is having a hard time wrapping her mind around the idea of Nick being the monster behind the deaths. He doesn’t strike her as the type.

  “I know. It doesn’t sound like something he would do. But this morning when I went to talk to him about the accusations he was gone. No one has seen him since yesterday. Agent James, it doesn’t look good. It’s like he just picked up and left without a word to anyone.”

  Tina is not sure what to think, but she can see how things look. If Nick is not guilty then why did he run? Does he have something to do with the recent deaths at the school? If so, did he act alone? If he didn’t do it, then who took him? Since he messaged her, S.O.S., is he in danger or is he the danger? These are questions that Tina is not yet ready to address, but she is sure other minds at the school are pondering.

  It does not look good for Nick at all, she thinks. Then she devises a plan, “Amy, I’m still in Martha’s Vineyard. I’m going to check on Ella and then I’ll know how quickly I can return. In the meantime, can you work with Barnes to figure out where Nick is?”

  “Sure, but please hurry if you can.” Tina can hear the concern in Amy’s voice.

  She readies herself and drives to the Conwell estate in Edgartown. She passes a group of tourists taking pictures on an old bridge that seems familiar to her, though she cannot recall how she knows it. The road to the Conwells is filled with vibrant scenery which escapes Tina. Her mind is consumed with worry for Nick and suspicion. Did he run or was he taken? Thinking of the godly messages he shared during chapel, she can’t fathom him partaking in such horrid acts. She wants to believe that he is the victim here, but the evidence is pointing to him as the suspect. If he is the one behind the deaths, why would Ella allow him to bring her down from the water tower or is that why he pushed to go up and get her in the first place? Tina is not sure what to believe. If he really did manipulate all those girls, then who has she been falling for? Was he the real Nick or a lie? Before long, she is pulling into the Conwell estate and parking her thoughts along with her car.

  “Becky, may I please speak with Ella? I’m hoping she can clear up a few things for me.”

  It’s early in the morning and Becky is dressed and ready for the day, “Sure, this way.” She leads Tina to Ella’s room. “She hasn’t come out for breakfast yet. I thought I’d give her a chance to sleep in.”

  Becky opens the door and Ella is not there. She lets out an involuntary yelp and quickly holds her mouth with both hands. Ella’s window is open and a cold breeze is flowing into the house. Tina runs to Becky to look out of the window. She can’t see her outside the window. She’s gone. Tina searches for clues. The bed is made. That means she was not kidnapped. She went voluntarily. Becky is checking the closets and calling out Ella’s name. Ella does not respond to her mother’s calls.

  Tina calls the police and sends out a B.O.L.O. on Ella. Then, she searches the room some more and under a water glass on the dressing table, she finds a note.

  It reads, Finish what you started.

  The note must be from Ella’s killers. Tina recognizes the handwriting, it’s the same as the note that was left at her home a few nights ago. Are the same people after me also after Ella? Her detective mind is connecting the clues. “Becky, did a letter come in the mail for Ella yesterday?”

  “No, I see all the mail that comes on the estate. Ella hasn’t received mail for months.”

  “Then how did this get here?” Both Tina and Becky are puzzled. They continue searching and hoping they’ll find something that can lead them to Ella.

  Amidst her search for clues and connecting the evidence at hand, Tina receives a message from Tim saying he has news on the phone number she sent in. She calls him.

  “Agent James, it’s a burner. We pinged coordinates from the local towers and found calls were made yesterday in Newport, at the school.”

  “So it is someone at the school.”

  “Well, I’m not so sure. My new tech guy, Aaron, pinged it again this morning and found it was used this morning in Martha’s Vineyard, at the uh… Conwell estate.”

  “Oh, no. They are here.” If the killers are in Martha’s Vineyard, they may already have Ella. Tina considers how the killers could have taken Ella out of her home without force, maybe she knows them!

  “I’m sorry I can’t help you more James. But, good luck!”

  Tina instructs Becky to stay at the estate and wait for Ella while she searches on the streets. Becky calls her neighbors and asks if they’ve seen Ella. They haven’t seen her, but they offer to help with the search. Such is the good nature of the people of Edgartown.

  As Tina drives, she starts from the estate and works through the town slowly. The police have units working their way in from Oak Bluffs and others from Edgartown. She can’t have gone far, Tina thinks.

  Her B.O.L.O. lands a hit, “Jaws Bridge.” Tina knows exactly where that is. It’s the familiar bridge she passed when she was driving into Edgartown from Oak Bluffs and now she remembers why she recognized it; it’s famous for a scene that was filmed in the movie, Jaws.

  Tina immediately drives to Jaws Bridge not knowing that she will come face to face with death’s door today.

  Chapter 5

  Tina is about to meet with fate. The one fear that she has been running from has caught up with her. Surrounding her on her left is the vast natural beauty of Martha’s Vineyard; trees, grass and streams are painted on its canvas. On her left is the deep, blue Atlantic ocean, stretching for miles towards the horizon.
The sunrise is forming quietly behind the clouds. The ocean sits still like a hunter awaiting its prey. It can pounce at any moment. Tina is cold. Her extremities are freezing – it’s a problem that she’ll have to deal with after she gets off Jaws Bridge. Standing on the edge of the now deserted bridge that was flooded with tourists an hour ago, is Ella. The police are her only audience encamped about the bridge. Slowly, Tina inches forward on the bridge in the hopes of saving Ella for the third time. Her assailants are not in sight.

  “Ella, you know this is not how you want this to end. Why should it be your life? Do not give them the satisfaction. Not now; not like this.” The crowd of police officers is silent. They watch on as Tina negotiates with Ella. “Look, I don’t have a gun.” She spreads her hands out to show Ella who does not turn to look. Ella remains focused on the water below her. “I have no weapon. It’s just you and me and I’m not going to harm you Ella.”

  “They followed me home Detective,” Ella says, saliva forming around the edges of her mouth. “They won’t leave me alone unless I do this.” Ella is not budging. Tina can tell she’s more resolute than before. Tina wants to know if Ella saw her attackers, but she needs to calm her down first and get her off that bridge.

  “Your parents are on the way Ella. Think of them. They love you so much. If you do this, it’ll break them. Please, Ella, don’t make me have to explain this to them. You can walk back with me now and forget this ever happened.” Ella shakes her head, she is still staring down at the ocean below. Tina is close enough to touch Ella, but she is careful to not make any sudden moves. A gust of wind blows from the ocean unsteadying Tina who is crouched low for balance and knocking Ella off her feet. She loses her balance, leans back with one foot in the air and in an attempt to catch her body before she falls, Ella overcorrects and slips forward into the water. Tina thrusts her arm into the air to catch Ella, only to graze Ella’s elbow and miss her entirely. A resounding gasp is heard from all the police crew as Ella’s body free falls in the air and hits the water with a loud splash. Her body lays stiff on the face of the deep and her arms float on the surface. Then gently, the ocean engulfs her.

  Tina clutches the low rim of the bridge while kneeling down and she freezes. For Tina, time stopped when Ella’s body hit the water. Every sound close to her becomes silent and all she can hear is the distinct thumping of her own heart beating faster and faster still. It dawns on her that she has not gone back into the water since Casey’s accident with the shark. She tried many times, but this same paralyzing fear overtook her and she couldn’t move. Her breaths would shorten and soon she would be on the ground keeled over and gasping for air. Her arms would then hug over her body and stroke her gently to calm her down. After lying there for some time, her fear would recede slowly and finally leave.

  For years she has been captive to this fear. She even tried to keep it a secret, fearing it would hinder her opportunities as a detective, yet, it is this fear that has lured her to this bridge today. She could keel over and let the fear overcome her like before, or she could stand up and walk back to where the rest of the police are manning the bridge. Either way she admits defeat, her fear wins and she loses Ella. Tina’s heart beats even faster and her blood curdles as she realizes that she has to overcome her fear to save Ella. Yet, she can’t move. Her fear has already immobilized her.

  Anger takes root in her and it grows as she realizes, it is this fear that has been stealing her courage to love deeply. She stops herself from truly investing in meaningful relationships fearful that anyone who comes close to her will be harmed. That moment in Cape Cod with Casey is where she died from being present in her relationships to simply existing in the idea of them. She is living a life of fear. All these years she thought she was protecting those she loves from harm, when she was really shielding them from her and the fear that holds her. Tina did not feel that she was safe to love, at least not so intimately and she kept back a part of herself from those who drew near to her. This is what Tim meant, Tim’s words come flooding in with understanding that he saw in her what she was too blind to see, her Achilles. All these years, she thought what happened in Cape Cod gave her drive to become an agent, when in reality it had been haunting her and keeping her from growing into the agent she really is.

  A loud shrill slices through the silence. It is Becky Conwell who has just arrived with her husband Jason. They are standing on the side of the bridge and the police are holding them back from coming any closer. Becky leans in and shouts as loud as she can, “Detective James, you have to save her!”

  Tina snaps out of her trance and sees Becky crying in anguish. Like a caged bird freed for the first time, she rises to her feet with one strong inhale as if tearing off chains that once bound her. And with that one deep breath, she dives into the water. Ice cold water beats on the pores of her skin like sharp knives simultaneously darting into their victim. She gasps. The shock of the freezing water sends a jolt of electricity through her body. This time Tina does not wait for fear to settle in again, she is in control for a change. She swims down as low as she can in the cleft of the water, searching for any sign of Ella. Where the bridge is, the water is not as deep as in the body of the ocean. Tina is resolute on finding Ella. She swims up again to procure air. For a moment she hears the cries of Ella’s mom. She is a mother distraught at the thought of possibly losing her only child. Tina is not prepared to see this happen. Certainly, not like this. They need help and Tina is prepared to provide it.

  The coast guard is on its way,, but waiting for them can be the difference between finding Ella while she’s alive or being too late to save her. While it would be safer to wait for the coast guard, something compels her to try to save Ella. Tina feels a tingle on her heel. She jerks her legs up to her body and snaps her hand to her side instinctively wanting to draw her gun. It’s just a small fish. Just as well because she remembers she left her gun in the car and she is doubly relieved it wasn’t anything more dangerous.

  Now that her own safety is attained, Tina surface dives into the water. The police shine a light on the water which guides Tina where she needs to swim to find Ella. The light shines closer to the ocean body. Tina who has now swam past the bridge towards land, must now back-track towards the ocean. It concerns her that the current is flowing into the ocean. This adds urgency to her already tired body. She breathes heavily. Since she arrived in Newport, Tina hasn’t found a gym to work out in and she is feeling the difference a sedentary lifestyle can have on the body. Following the light past the tunnel and under the bridge, the voices from above the bridge lose their strength against the overpowering winds above and waves below. Tina swims on the surface and when the light stops, she dives deep into the water. The water is beating against her body, almost pushing her towards the ocean. She catches a glimpse of Ella’s foot swaying deeper into the water, it’s limp and surrendered as if Ella’s will to fight has been sucked out of her. This is nothing like the Ella she met a few days ago. That Ella had a reason and a will to live a life that will bring honor to her friend’s memory.

  The current is getting stronger and Tina can tell they’re close to the ocean body. The menacing feeling of fear returns; she tries to shake it off. She knows it’s her fear heightening that makes her think this, but the last thing Tina wants to do is run into another shark. The thought of it almost sends her into a panic. But Tina does not succumb. She is also no longer the same Tina. She has gained strength to fight. And so, she fights back the current that’s pushing her away from Ella. She grabs for Ella’s foot, but a wave of water rushes between them blocking her view, and Ella’s foot slips from her fingers. But that does not stop Tina.

  She needs a breath desperately, but she can’t lose Ella. If Ella makes it into the belly of the ocean, Tina may never find her. She pushes through, hoping her lungs won’t give out. She searches in the direction of the ocean, Ella’s foot is in view again. Tina lurches her body even deeper in the water noticing a distinct change in water pressure; the lo
wer she dives, the harder it is to breathe. She has no idea how deep they are now, all she knows is that her lungs are on fire. However deep they are, the water is darkening all about them and that’s not a good sign. I must get to Ella quickly.

  Tina uses both hands this time to catch Ella by her foot. She drags Ella’s foot close to her body to securely hold her; already, she can tell that Ella gave in some time ago. Her body is lifeless. Still, Tina is determined to save her. She curls her arms around Ella and swims as hard as she can back to the shore. She is bursting for air. Tina’s lungs are about to give out completely. If they do, they’ll both be in grave danger. Desperately, she pushes through the water with one arm, her other arm feels heavier and heavier from Ella’s body resting on it. She sees light appear above. A glimmer of hope flickers in her heart. As her mouth releases its last breath, Tina breaks through the water barrier and ingests a gross, salty mixture of water and air. She coughs and sputters the water out of her lungs, then, when she catches her breath, she turns to call for help.

  There are reflections in the water in front of her. Tina sees the coast guard emergency rescue lights shining in the distance and nearing them at haste. A helicopter rides above them and flashes a red light on her and Ella. Finally, Tina feels comfortable enough to let go of her strength knowing that help has arrived. She lays her body back and let’s Ella’s body float on hers like she is her surfboard. At this point, even if they float into the ocean, Tina is no longer worried. She has overcome her fear, and she has faced death and conquered.