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“There’s plenty, but it’s easier to avoid. Where are you going?”
“University of Arizona, my dad’s alma mater. It’s a good school, close enough to my dad that I can visit on the weekends if I want.” She paused, glanced over at me. “I’ve been talking to my new roommate. She seems okay, from a tiny town near the Arizona-California border, population one hundred.” She waved her hand. “You don’t care.”
“It’s interesting.”
“Are you one of those adults who misses college and wants to go back?”
“Absolutely not,” I said, and laughed. “I liked college, but I’m definitely not going back.”
Now or never, I thought. “Um, you know, I was wondering. Did you meet the missing woman? Diana Harden?”
“Why?”
“Just curious.”
She eyed me as if she didn’t quite believe in vague curiosity as an excuse.
“She got here on Friday,” Brie said, “and spent all day in the spa getting a complete makeover. Then she spent all Saturday at the pool reading—pretty much like you did today. Then I saw her walk down the South Trail. It’s the only off-limits hike.”
“Why?”
“Steep drops. Five or six years ago two people jumped into the lake at the top and wham! Hit rocks just under the surface that they couldn’t see. Now, off-limits. And it’s the only way to get to Ethan Valentine’s mansion, other than by boat.”
“Why is that name familiar?” I wondered out loud.
“Reclusive dotcom billionaire? Sold his company, made a fortune. A genius, invented a microprocessing chip, like the kind that is super small and does the work of a chip ten times the size.”
Brie clearly knew a lot about the history of the island.
“And he lives there by himself?”
“He bought the island three years ago and planned to close down the resort, which would have been a bummer because it’s nice and I’d have missed it. But I guess he decided to let it continue, did a full renovation. The place needed it. Kalise says he has an agreement with management to leave him alone.”
“That’s sad.”
“He’s just weird, and I’ve heard he’s rarely at his house anyway. He has his own yacht and a helicopter and comes and goes as he pleases. Pretty cush life.” Brie glanced over at the DJ. “We need better music. This is ancient shit.” She walked away.
Ancient?NSYNC and Destiny’s Child? I wasn’t even thirty (not for two days, anyway), and I didn’t think my music wasancient.
I headed to the bar and looked over the alcohol selection. Jason said, “I just made a pitcher of sangria. It’s the best you’ve ever had.”
“Confident, aren’t you?”
“Always.”
“Ever wrong?”
“Rarely.”
“I’ll try it.”
He poured the sangria with fresh orange, lemon, and lime in a hurricane-style glass, set it in front of me. Waited.
“You want me to praise you?”
“I want you to be honest.”
I sipped. It was the best sangria I had ever had. I sipped again.