Page 40 of Secrets Along the Shore

For all thethings I didn’t like about social media, it did serve its purpose. Of course, Livia had every platform there was, so we sat with her tablet and scoured.

Soon enough, Livia had found Sophia’s account with reel after reelof some really mind-numbing videos. I was surer than ever I was an old person in a twenty-seven-year-old body, because I didnotsee the appeal of reels. Life had maybe molded me into having the brain and tolerance of a forty-eight-year-old woman hitting perimenopause, and the cynicism to go along with it.

Livia burst out in a laugh as a reel with a series of dogs running into patio doors played. Ok. I admitted that was cute, but?—

“How does this tell us who Dereck is?” I voiced.

“Oh!” Livia shot me a sheepish look. “I got distracted.” She clicked on Sophia’s picture and it took us to her profile page. Tapping on “Followers,” a list of usernames popped up and Livia scrolled until she found one with a matching photo of Dereck.

“Here’s his profile.” She pulled it up and there were all of four videos under his name. “So, that’s one thing. He’s not into reels.”

“Does that mean anything?” I asked.

“Only that he’s probably old-school.” She flicked out of that app and opened an app with a newsfeed so clogged with people’s thoughts and ideas I felt claustrophobic.

I pointed at a post. “That’ssupposed to convince me to vote differently next time?”

Livia chuckled. “Girl, spend more time on here and you’ll be so annoyed you’ll never be happy again.”

“I spend enough time on social media as it is.” My voice went up an octave.

Livia twisted in her seat and eyed me. “How much time do you spend on social media?”

I just stared at her. “I don’t know. Like—a half-hour a day at most?” I’d found it to be not just a major time suck, but also a Pandora’s box of other people’s daily trauma. I didn’t need more in my life. So, while I browsed it and even got suckered into wasting significant minutes on it at times, I tried to steer clear as much as possible.

Livia seemed to get that. “Ok. Fine. I suppose that makes sense given?—”

Right. Given my past.

“Here’s Dereck’s page.” She scrolled on it for a bit. “Ok, he has a grandmother!” Livia tapped the computer screen with a fingernail.

“A nice one?” I asked.

“How do I know?” Livia scrolled more. “And a mother!” She shouted it like she’d hit the jackpot.

I elbowed her. “You realize everyone has a grandmother and mother, don’t you? We’re looking for signs of severe family dysfunction.”

“Oh.” Livia dialed back her enthusiasm. “Ohhhh.” Her voice moaned in sadness when a photo of Dereck and Sophia, heads tipped together and both smiling, popped onto the screen. “That doesnotlook like a man who wants to off his woman.”

“No.” It didn’t. But I knew well enough from my own childhood that what people saw on the surface wasn’t always what lurked beneath. “Does he have any sisters?” I asked.

Sophia scrolled some more, scowling in concentration. “Noooo.” She drew out the word. “It doesn’t look like it anyway. A brother. And I’ll be honest, his life looks pretty stable. Online anyway.”

This wasn’t going to work. I sagged into the couch. How could I be a voice for the missing women and Sophia if I was sitting on Livia’s couch, surfing social media’s carefully propagated facades?

On impulse, I shot up and snatched my keys from the coffee table.

“Where’re you going?” Livia surprise at my sudden movement was evident.

“I need to see Reuben.”

“Reuben? You think he’s going to let you help with the case?” Disbelief echoed through Livia’s tone.

“He’ll let me.” I let the door close behind me. I sounded more confident than I felt. I also had a twinge of conscience leaving Livia behind. But I didn’t want her more wrapped up in this than she already was with me staying with her.

The truth of the matter was, Livia was as close to family as it got for me. I wasn’t willing to jeopardize that.

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