by Cindy Bell
Suzie knew that with Trent's young age he should have had his face and name splashed all over the internet from social media to blog posts. But there was nothing on the internet that seemed to be directly related to him. Suzie was getting more frustrated by the moment. She slipped quietly out of her room and down the stairs to the front desk. She started the computer and pulled up Trent's information. She printed off the registration she had filled out for him. Then she took it back upstairs with her. She began searching his name associated with his birth date. Still she could not find a result that matched the Trent she knew.
In the technology age it was nearly impossible to keep yourself off the internet, so the deeper Suzie had to look the more suspicious she became. The only time she hadn't been able to find something on someone was when they were using an alias. Not many people set up social media under fake names because there was often no reason to. Maybe Trent Baker, wasn't Trent Baker at all. She glanced at her watch and waited impatiently for morning to come.
Chapter Six
Suzie waited until the sun finally rose above the sea. Then she pulled out her cell phone. She dialed Jason's number. He didn't answer. She dialed it again. On the third call he finally answered.
“Hello?” he mumbled half asleep.
“It's Suzie,” she said quickly, guessing that his eyes were too blurry to even see her name on the caller ID.
“Suzie, what's wrong? Is it Paul?” he asked, his voice coming alive as he remembered what was happening.
“Nothing new,” she said quickly. “But I'm going out to look at where Trent’s body was found this morning. I just wanted you to know.”
“Suzie, I really don’t think you should,” Jason said.
“There’s no harm in going there, I won’t touch anything,” Suzie said. “But I have to do something, I can’t sit here doing nothing.”
“Okay, Suzie, if you do go there, make sure that you're careful. You don't need to paint a target on your back.”
“I'll be careful,” she promised him. “Jason, do you know if Parish PD had any trouble identifying Trent? I did some research on him last night, and I can't find a trace of him.”
“I told you, Suzie, I'm not allowed to be involved. Parish PD is not telling me anything,” he added gruffly, as if it was not for lack of trying. Suzie tried not to show her frustration. She knew it wasn't Jason's fault that he didn't have access to the investigation.
“Okay, I understand,” she muttered.
“If there are still police where they found Trent, you need to stay back, understand?” he sighed before she could answer.
“Yes, of course, Jason,” she replied.
“I should be going with you, Suzie, but if I'm spotted there it could be a big problem between Garber and Parish PD. Are you sure you're going to be okay?” he asked.
“I'll be fine,” Suzie assured him before hanging up the phone. There was only one beach in Parish so she hoped it would just be a matter of walking along the beach until she found the crime scene tape. Suzie grabbed her purse. As she opened her door to the hallway, she found Mary waiting for her outside in the hall.
“I'm going with you,” Mary said quickly.
“Are you sure, Mary?” Suzie asked hesitantly.
“No question,” Mary replied. “I've got a few bagels for us ready to go.”
“Thank you, Mary,” Suzie said with relief. She was glad she would have company. She was a little afraid of what she might find at the scene.
“I’ll drive,” Mary offered.
Suzie was fine with that as she was sure that she would break a few laws if she was driving.
***
The city of Parish was much larger than Garber. It catered more to the business crowd, but still boasted a small strip of beach. The beach however was not a popular place to visit because of the crowded atmosphere of the town center. It was also not known to be a very friendly place. When Mary parked her car in a public beach access parking lot, Suzie looked for any police cars that might still be hovering. She didn't see any nearby. She knew Parish PD would not be far off, however.
Without hesitation Suzie climbed out of the car. Mary followed after her. As they walked across the beach looking for where the body was found, both women were silent. Suzie knew exactly what was on the line. She also knew that if Paul had any ability to communicate in any way he would have gotten a message to her to let her know that he was okay. Paul was most certainly not okay. He was also most certainly not a killer, at least in Suzie's mind.
“Looks like this is the place,” Mary said quietly as they approached a section of the sand that was roped off by yellow police tape and wooden stakes.
If not for that barrier there would be no way to tell that any crime had taken place. The sand was so expansive, and so empty. There wasn't the slightest sign of a struggle. There were no footprints as the area was covered by water during high tide. The sand did not tell the story of what might have been Trent's last moments. From what Suzie knew, without evidence of what exactly had happened to Trent, the assumption had been made that he had been stabbed on Paul's boat and tossed out to sea, then he washed up on the shore. But Suzie knew that Paul's body could still be out there. Her entire body trembled at the thought. He might have been murdered right here. Suzie grasped the yellow tape that was blocking her way and began to duck under it.
“Suzie, maybe we shouldn't,” Mary warned as she glanced nervously up and down the empty beach.
Suzie didn't reply. She continued to duck under the tape and stepped carefully into the sealed off patch of sand. She imagined Trent's body laying on the sand. If anything she would have wanted to be there just to see his position, any clues his body would have revealed. Of course, Trent's body had already been taken to the medical examiner's office. Suzie could barely restrain herself as she crouched down beside the sand. She wanted to see the truth in it. She wanted something to tell her that Paul was safe despite what all of her instincts were feeling.
“Suzie, are you okay?” Mary asked with a frown as she stood beside her friend. “Try not to worry too much, we don't know for sure that Paul is even in danger.”
“Mary, either Paul is in danger or he's a murderer, which do you think is more likely?” she asked incredulously as she looked up at her.
“I'm sorry,” Mary mumbled. “I'm a little shocked, too.”
“I know you are,” Suzie said apologetically. “I know that you're only trying to help. I just can't believe that he's missing. There is nothing here, Mary,” she breathed out. “Nothing but sand. Nothing to even give a hint as to where Paul or his boat might be.”
As she spoke those words her cell phone began to chime. She reached into her pocket and pulled it out. Her eyes skimmed over the caller ID to see that it was Jason.
“Hey Jason,” she said with a sigh. “There's nothing here.”
“I know that,” Jason replied quickly. “But that's not why I'm calling. I just spoke to my police chief and he confided that Paul's boat had been spotted further up the shore in Garber. I knew you would want to know. We had some men on it right away, but the boat is already gone. Suzie, this doesn't make things look better for Paul. There's chatter that he's looking for an easy escape route.”
“Thank you for telling me, Jason,” Suzie breathed a sigh of relief. Knowing that Paul's boat was still floating at least allowed her to believe that he hadn't gone down with it in the storm that had passed through the night before. It didn't provide an explanation as to his behavior, but it gave her slight peace of mind. “Can you tell me where it was spotted?”
“On Sunray Point,” he replied. “About three miles north of Dune House. Don't be surprised if you get another visit from Parish PD. They might be expecting him to try to hide out at Dune House considering your relationship.”
“Let them visit as much as they want,” she replied sharply. “That officer couldn't solve a knock-knock joke.”
“Just stay out of trouble, Suzie,” Jason warned.
<
br /> “I'll do my best,” Suzie replied and hung up the phone. She looked over at Mary as she started walking back towards the car. “Paul's boat has been spotted about three miles north of Dune House, we need to get there as fast as possible.”
“Did anyone see or talk to Paul?” Mary asked with urgency in her voice as she followed Suzie towards the parking lot.
“No, his boat was gone before they could, but I want to see where it was. Maybe he left something behind, or maybe there will be something to prove that he has been abducted or the boat has been stolen.”
“At least it's almost good news,” Mary sighed as she started the car.
***
Driving back into Garber was difficult. Suzie knew that she might never be able to share some of the special sights they passed with Paul again. She wanted to urge Mary to drive faster, but she was already going nearly twenty miles over the speed limit. Suzie spotted a Parish PD cruiser in the driveway of Dune House.
“Should we stop?” Mary asked.
“No,” Suzie said firmly. “Keep going. If they want to waste their time thinking I know something about Paul's disappearance let them waste it alone.”
They continued in the direction of Sunray point.
“Here it is, this is where Jason said Paul's boat was spotted,” Suzie said as she pointed to an old motel that was slumping along the beach. It was set for renovation but so far it was still an eyesore to most of the community. “Park over there,” she suggested. The parking lot was empty. There was no sign of a police presence. Suzie and Mary locked the car and walked across the parking lot to the beach.
Again, this was an area of the beach that was mostly abandoned. Because of its location and the ample amount of pristine beach to enjoy, it was often ignored. Suzie found herself wondering who would even be out on this area of the beach to report seeing the boat. Flapping in the wind was more yellow police tape. It looked like the police had taken the sighting seriously enough to process the scene even though the boat was gone. Suzie walked over to the yellow tape and yanked it upward. She no longer cared about being careful.
“You shouldn't be there!” a shrill voice shouted from up near the motel. Suzie froze. Mary spun around looking for the source of the voice. “Yes, you two! You shouldn't be there!” the voice said again.
“Who is that?” Suzie questioned as she turned around to scrutinize the motel. A small figure stepped out from the shadows.
“I know you're not supposed to be there, you're no kind of police,” the person accused.
Suzie narrowed her eyes. She could barely see the person beneath a heavy coat and low, floppy hat. What she could see made it clear that the person might not want to be seen. The coat was stained and threadbare. The person's shoes were barely held together with what looked like some duct tape.
“We're just looking,” Suzie said in a clear, calm voice. “We're not causing any trouble.”
“Trouble, nothing but trouble,” the person muttered. As the figure took a few steps closer, Suzie could tell that it was a woman.
“I'm looking for the missing boat,” Suzie explained.
“Suzie, don't tell her what we're doing,” Mary warned. “She looks unstable.”
“Maybe she saw something,” Suzie hissed back. In her time as an investigative reporter she had learned that the invisible people, such as the homeless, children, or those working behind the scenes, usually knew a lot more than expected.
“The boat?” the woman repeated. “That poor fellow,” she sighed.
Suzie's heart jumped up into her throat. She was certain now that the woman had seen something.
“What fellow?” she asked as she slipped under the yellow tape and moved closer to the woman.
“Well, it was three men,” the woman said and smoothed down her coat which was far too heavy to be wearing in the balmy weather. “But only one was sad. The others were angry.”
“There were two men with him?” Suzie pressed. “Do you know why they were angry?”
“There's no drugs here,” she barked so loudly that Mary jumped back.
“See,” Mary said under her breath. “She doesn't know what she's talking about.”
“You hush,” the woman glared at Mary before looking back at Suzie. “The poor fellow was so sad. He tried to get away. But they wouldn't let him. They made him get back on the boat.”
“You saw all of this?” Suzie asked. “Did you tell the police?”
“Trouble, nothing but trouble,” the woman shook her head. “They would make me move. You're not going to tell, are you?” she asked with wide, tired eyes.
“No,” Suzie said softly. “I won't tell.”
She knew that the woman wouldn't be taken very seriously as a witness, but she also didn't want the woman to lose the only home she had.
“Good, good,” the woman nodded. “Poor fellow,” she cleared her throat.
“Did the men hurt him?” Suzie asked breathlessly.
“Sure,” the woman nodded. “Pow, pow!” she swung her hands wildly through the air, causing both Mary and Suzie to duck. “But no bangs,” the woman sighed with relief. “Guns, but no bangs.”
“What about names?” Mary asked. “Did anyone say anyone's name?”
“Just angry words,” the woman shook her head and lowered her voice. “Foul words.”
Suzie was still recovering from the revelation that there were guns involved. She took comfort in the woman saying that they hadn't been fired, but she also knew that if at any time there was a gun involved in an assault there was a high chance of it being used.
“Did they say where they were going?” Suzie asked hopefully. “The poor fellow, he's my friend, I need to find him.”
“Oh, so sorry,” the woman said sadly, and seemed to have genuine sympathy in her eyes. “He was so sad.”
“But did they say anything about a place they might be headed?” Mary asked quickly. Suzie was still staring warmly into the woman's eyes. She had provided Suzie the one thing she needed the most, the certainty that at one point recently Paul was still alive.
“Out to sea,” the woman shrugged and pointed to the wide expanse of the ocean. “Could be anywhere, hmm?” she shook her head. “Poor fellow.”
Suzie reached into her purse. She pulled out some cash from her wallet. She didn't have much but what the woman had provided was priceless.
“Are you safe?” she asked as she handed the woman the money. “Do you need a place to stay?”
“My palace,” the woman pointed at the motel. “Don't need nothing really,” she eyed the money hesitantly. “It's okay, I don't need that.”
“Take it,” Suzie encouraged her. “Maybe you could get some shoes?”
“Sure,” the woman nodded and took the money. “Thanks,” she glanced between Suzie and Mary. “Don't worry I won't tell. Just don't tell on me.”
“We won't,” Mary promised her.
“I hope you find that sad fellow,” the woman muttered as she walked back up towards the motel. She disappeared in the shadows surrounding the old building. Suzie wondered for a moment how long she might have lived there, uninterrupted until Paul's boat showed up. Then her mind returned to Paul.
“I knew it, he was abducted,” Suzie said quickly as she walked back towards the police tape. “That means he might still be alive.”
“Suzie, I believe Paul is still alive, but you know this woman might not be very trustworthy. She knew the police were here looking for a boat. She might have just made up a story about seeing three men,” she paused a moment, knowing that Suzie might not want to hear that.
“I thought of that,” Suzie admitted. “But it's the best lead we have right now. The only one really. So, we need to use it. If Paul was here, on the sand, he might have left something behind,” she said softly and began looking down at the sand. “To think that he was here, not long ago, probably hoping for help,” she whispered, her heart breaking. She pulled her fingers through the sand and felt something hard beneat
h it. She pulled it up out of the sand and stared at it strangely.
“This doesn't belong here,” Suzie murmured.
Mary looked at what she was holding up. It was a seashell with rose stripes and a scalloped edge.
“It's a seashell, of course it belongs here,” Mary said with confusion. “There are probably thousands of shells along this beach.”
“But not this one,” Suzie argued. “This one I found on a secluded beach that Paul and I visited together. I gave him this shell to remember our time there. He must have dropped it, to let me know that he was here.”
“Oh, that's a good sign,” Mary said with excitement.
“I bet Paul left this here for me, as a clue to where he was going next,” Suzie said, her excitement growing. “He might be at this very beach! I need to go out there,” she added with certainty. “Paul left this here for me, I just know it.”
“Suzie, I think you're onto something, but how are we going to get there?” Mary pointed out. “It's not accessible by anything but a boat, right?”
“That's what Paul said when he took me out there,” Suzie sighed and shook her head. “I don't know any of his friends well enough to ask them. Besides, it's already getting around town that Paul is a suspect, so I'm sure not many will want to be involved.”
“There has to be a way,” Mary frowned. “Maybe we could charter one?”
Suzie looked out over the water. She remembered seeing the police boat zip across the waves. “That's it!” she suddenly said. She whipped out her cell phone and dialed Jason's number. He answered on the first ring.
