Page 38 of Hearts on the Line (The Maverick Key #1)

Maddie

I sit on the edge of the couch in the inn’s living room, my hands clasped in my lap.

The camera rests on the coffee table. The low hum of the air conditioner reverberates through the room.

Scott sits beside me, his jaw tight, his hazel eyes fixed on the camera like he’s trying to will it not to be cruel.

Ms. Connor and the rest of the guests are giving us privacy and have left the inn or are in the kitchen.

“Are you ready?” He caresses the small of my back. I try to ignore the worry in his eyes.

My insides churn with doubt. “I need to know.”

Scott plugs the camera cord into his laptop and clicks on the first file. The screen flickers, then steadies, and there’s Nathan. I catch my breath. There’s his handsome face, as alive and vibrant as the last time we were together.

But the place on the screen isn’t what I expect.

Nathan stands in a secluded tropical cove, with waves cresting against the shore in the background and palm trees swaying in the wind.

I don’t recognize the place at all. He’s relaxed, his hair tousled, and his face unguarded in a way I’d never seen him. Was he on vacation? Was this Belize?

“I’ll get to that in a second.” Nathan glances off-camera, his tone playful. “Can’t a guy have a moment to think?”

“You always overthink, Nate,” the woman teases. Her voice is light, carefree. My stomach clenches. I recognize the accent. It’s the mystery woman.

Nathan turns toward her voice, his playful expression softening. The light in his eyes is unmistakable. It’s pure, unfiltered love.

“I’m not thinking.” He gazes into the camera wistfully. “I’m dreaming.”

“What about?”

Nathan glances at the camera, his face shifting from soft to serious. “About you.” His gaze lowers. “I’m thinking about both of you. About what comes next for us.”

The words hit me like a wave, my breath catching in my throat. Both of you. What does he mean? Is he talking about…? I think of the little girl again, and I know this time. She’s his. I wish I could remember the details of her face, but I’d only seen her for an instant. Does she look like him?

The screen dissolves into static.

Abruptly, the serene cove is replaced by the muted depths of the ocean. Nathan’s professional voice comes through as he narrates the dive.

“Entering a primary chamber. Walls are made of smooth limestone. I estimate over ten thousand years of erosion. Visibility is excellent. Depth—eighty feet.”

His dive light sweeps across the cavern, the beam catching jagged stalactites and a silty floor glittering in the light. A cluster of bubbles cascade across the camera’s lenses.

“It’s true.” Awe fills his voice with boyhood enthusiasm for just a moment before he moves back to professional archaeologist mode. He continues to narrate his observations.

“Artifact one.” The camera zooms in on a ceramic shard, its surface carved with intricate patterns. They resemble those on the mysterious stone I found.

Nathan moves on, cataloging more. Then he wraps up, saying he’s ending the dive.

The screen flickers again. This time, he’s in another chamber.

His movements are frantic. He had turned the camera back on.

“This isn’t an accident.” He’s panicked.

Pain stabs my heart. I’d never once in my life seen fear on my brother’s face.

The camera falls to the ground, and there’s nothing else.

I stare at the blank screen as my ears roar. Tears flow down my face. The air is heavy, charged. He’s dead. As irrational as it was, I’d held hope it was all a mistake, but now I’ve seen his last moments with my own eyes. Scott puts his arms around me and rubs my back.

“I’m sorry, sweetheart.” He lifts my face and wipes away my tears.

“He said it’s not an accident. Does that mean that someone did this to him?”

“Yes. Someone tampered with his equipment. I believe whoever took him out to the Drop that day will know more. We’ll find out who did this, Maddie. I’ll call in a favor. The Coast Guard will tell us who they interviewed after Nathan’s disappearance.”

“Nathan found evidence of the lost civilization he was looking for. It’s down there,” I mumble through sobs.

“I think Jamie and I were close to it. We’ll need to be careful with our gas management, but we’ll be able to make it there on our next dive.”

“Please don’t do it if it’s dangerous.”

He cups my face. “We’ll be careful, and we’ll have backups for our backups.”

Scott holds me with the patience and tenderness I remember.

We talk about Nathan. I share my thoughts about the little girl.

Nathan has a daughter. Now I have even more questions to answer, and I need to find her and her mom.

After a while, we sit in silence, and he just holds me.

I rest my head on his chest and drift off.

A muffled cry from the kitchen cuts through the stillness.

Scott and I exchange glances before rising in unison. We move and find Ms. Connor hunched over the table, her shoulders shaking as she sobs. The inn phone lies in pieces on the floor. Garrett stands nearby, pale and shaken, his hands gripping the back of a chair.

“What happened?” I rush to comfort Ms. Connor. Putting an arm around her, I lead her to the closest chair.

Ms. Connor’s face is streaked with tears, and she just shakes her head, unable to speak. Garrett turns toward us.

“There’s been an accident.”

Dread coils in my cold, heavy stomach as my mind races with the possibilities.

Elaine, alive only hours ago, is gone.

I’m back at my cottage, trying to reconcile all my emotions. Nathan’s video, the little girl, and now Elaine’s death.

An auto accident. The explanation is sterile, clinical, and just wrong. None of this makes sense. No one drives much faster than thirty-five miles an hour on the island. How could Elaine have died in an auto accident? The police said she hit a pole and broke her neck.

A knock at the door jolts me from my spiraling thoughts. “It’s me,” Scott calls from the other side.

I stand, my legs shaky beneath me. When I open the door, Scott’s gaze meets mine.

He puts his arms around me and nuzzles me to his chest. “I’m so sorry.

It’s been a hard day for you, baby.” I’m unable to speak past the lump in my throat.

I step back to let him in. Closing the door, I sit on the couch.

“I don’t think Elaine’s death was an accident.”

His brows knit together.

I sink back into the cushions of the couch.

“Elaine and I were talking here at the inn just yesterday.” My voice falters as I replay the conversation.

“She mentioned Nathan was in love with someone before he disappeared. She said it was important, but she didn’t have a name.

She was going to meet with someone to learn more today… ” My throat tightens.

Scott crouches in front of me, his hands steady on my knees. “Go on.”

“We heard someone listening to our conversation outside the front door,” I whisper, my voice barely audible. “We were right here in my cottage. I opened the door, and they ran behind the corner of the inn.”

Scott’s eyes darken. “You think someone killed her because of what she knew?”

A tear rolls down my cheek. “I’m scared. If they would go that far to silence her, what if?”

“Stop.” His hands rest on my knees with a comforting pressure. “We’re going to get answers. Let’s start with the police.”

I gaze at him, my voice trembling and uncertain. “Do you think they’ll take us seriously?”

“They have to.” He extends his hand to me.

The fluorescent lights in the police station cast a harsh glow. The walls are cold. I sit next to Scott as he shares our suspicions with Detective Daniels, who listens intently.

“Are you saying that Dr. Fischer’s accident was a murder?” Daniels asks, leaning back in his chair. His expression remains neutral.

“I’m saying it’s suspicious,” Scott replies calmly. “Do you know for sure it was the car accident that broke her neck?”

I add “Elaine was meeting with someone who wanted to keep themselves hidden. Now she’s dead.”

Daniels taps his pen against the desk, his gaze shifting between us. “The coroner signed off. There wasn’t an autopsy. Do you have any proof? Any idea who might’ve been eavesdropping? A description?”

Frustration twists in my chest. “No.”

Scott throws his hands in the air. “Garrett and Wes were at the inn for both intruder incidents. They both stand to gain from Nathan’s work and they’ve been up to something for months. Now we have proof Nathan was murdered. You need to start with them to find out what they know.”

Wes doesn’t deserve this. I start to jump in.

Scott looks at me with sadness in his eyes. “Don’t defend him. You don’t really know him.”

Daniels scribbles in his notebook, his expression unreadable. “I’ll look into it. But without hard evidence, there’s not much I can do about Elaine. But we do have enough to reopen Nathan’s case immediately.”

Scott leans forward, his voice sharper now. “People are dying, Daniels. How much more evidence do you need?”

The detective raises a hand, his tone steady yet authoritative. “I understand. It’s frustrating for me too. But I can’t file a report based on your gut. Let me know if you uncover anything concrete, and I’ll put some questions out there in the meantime.”

As we leave the station, the cool evening air wraps around us. My hands tremble as I adjust the strap of my bag.

Scott turns to face me, his eyes determined. “You’re staying with me.”

“What?”

“You’re not going back to the inn or sleeping alone. Not until this is resolved. You’re staying at my place.”

“But I…”

“No arguments. You’ll be safe there. I’ll make sure of it.”

I agree to go. My fear gives way to a fragile sense of security.

“Okay, let me call Hannah and ask her to watch Ding at her place tonight.”

After I get off the phone with Hannah, Scott places a hand on my back as we walk to his truck. “Let’s go. We’ll figure the rest out in the morning.”

As the truck rumbles down the quiet streets, I lean my head against the window. The fear lingers, but I’m not alone. Scott will keep me safe.