Page 27

Julia

It would have been the perfect summer day if it weren’t for the divers scouring the bottom of the lake in search of a body. Thankfully, after several hours, the dive team cleared out (as did the spectators), having found nothing.

Even so, who leaves without their phone?

It felt like everyone was doing their job, but each moment that passed was more tense than the last. Julia found herself pacing her kitchen instead of relaxing with a book.

She hadn’t even posted to any of her social media accounts that day, though she did her part to help with the search.

While David, Christian, and Rick spent the afternoon scouring the woods, Julia and Erika kept watch over the twins as they worked their phones, contacting neighbors and uploading a pic of Fiona to the Lake Timmeny Community Page.

Every five minutes or so Julia would find herself thinking: What the actual fuck? How was any of this possible? Does the lake really take them?

On top of that, Fiona appeared to be an enigma. She had no online presence. David didn’t know any of her friends in New York City and couldn’t get in touch with her parents if he wanted to.

Some boyfriend.

Julia checked in with local businesses, and sent those who agreed to help a picture to share online and in their stores.

So far, no luck.

Nobody had seen Fiona Maxwell. She wasn’t in the water. She had yet to be found in the woods (not too surprising considering she hated hiking). And her car and phone were still at the house.

Technically the car belonged to David, so maybe that’s why she left it behind. He could have reported it stolen. But if she snuck off, why wouldn’t she take her belongings?

Did she flee in a blind panic? Did she leave at all?

Julia shivered at the thought of Fiona’s body somehow hidden in a house made of glass.

But David wouldn’t… he couldn’t… could he?

The police had come. They’d seen no compelling reason to suspect foul play. All arrows pointed to a woman who was either accidentally lost or wanted to disappear.

Julia was distraught but remained determined to stay positive. Freaking out wouldn’t do any good. If Fiona had taken off on David, Julia couldn’t blame her. In less than twenty-four hours, she’d observed serious problems in their relationship. Lord only knew what went on behind those closed doors.

With nothing to do but wait, everyone desperately needed a reset, so they planned to meet at the lakeshore for sandwiches and drinks.

Julia was surprised when David joined them, with a pitcher of gin and tonic, no less.

Years of friendship must have trumped Erika’s earlier accusations, because he wasn’t acting like she’d called him a murderer.

He focused his attention on his kids, who played nearby in the sand.

He pretended everything was normal, perhaps for their benefit as much as his. Still, things felt strange.

Christian and Rick relaxed on beach chairs after hours of exhaustive searching.

Everyone was scratched, dirty, and riddled with bug bites.

Erika and Christian appeared to have switched places.

It was he who was zoned out on his phone.

Was he working or just mentally shut down after their emotionally draining day?

Probably the latter. They had a decent GM to mind the business while they were away, and if there was a crisis (other than the obvious), he’d have told her.

Meanwhile, Rick pounded his third Bud—or was it his fifth? Julia couldn’t keep count.

“Baker said she’s planning for a multiday search effort,” he said. “They’re setting up a command center down the road—tents, radios, specialized equipment, all that. They’re keeping it away from the house because of the kids.”

“Same with the reporters,” Erika added. “There’s been a few helicopters, and a couple news vans came around today, but Baker isn’t allowing them down this far anymore since it’s an… active search area.”

Julia keyed in on the pause, which felt intentional, probably because her brain automatically filled the gap with the words crime scene. Oh, David, please don’t be that guy. But it was good the reporters were going to stay away. Better for everyone that they did.

“The media won’t stick around for long anyway,” Rick continued. “They’ll move on to the next story, probably tomorrow. A toddler at church has a longer attention span. They won’t be back until she’s found.”

If she’s found.

Julia set her hand on Christian’s knee, breaking the spell his phone had over him.

He was filthy and clearly drained from the strain of the day.

Despite their problems, he had a big heart.

He’d look for Fiona all night if it was safe to do so.

She felt a surge of love and gratitude for her husband and for the life they shared.

All the trite sayings used in times of crises felt true: Life is precious.

Savor every moment because you never know…

“I love you,” she whispered. When he whispered back the same, the devotion in his eyes filled her heart. Julia let go of the fears that had plagued her, the persistent gloom clouding her mind. They had their problems, but they also had each other.

Julia, trying to dispel some of the stress, stretched her legs and soaked up the scenery.

A gentle wind created ripples that raced across the dark water before slapping against the canoes and kayaks latched to the dock.

Under other circumstances, the hollow rhythmic sound of the lapping water would have lulled her into a meditative trance, but not today.

Everyone was doing what they could to distract themselves. For Christian, this meant returning to his phone. He wasn’t a newshound or social media junkie. Julia couldn’t say what kept him so captivated. But she had her own Instagram obsessions— who was she to judge ?

“Do you think it’s related?” Julia’s voice was uneasy.

“You mean to the lake lore?” Erika asked.

“Well, yeah,” said Julia. “Weren’t we just talking about it? The other two disappearances were thirty years apart, and now it’s been thirty years since Susie Welch went missing.”

Julia’s gaze drifted across the water to Susie’s old house. It was a simple cottage with a wide front porch, perfect for enjoying sunsets. But now it didn’t look so inviting. Even though a new family had moved in long ago, it seemed like a facade—a falsely cheerful front covering a dark history.

“How can they all be related?” asked Christian. “The perpetrator would have to be in their eighties by now, or even older.”

“Maybe it’s a copycat criminal or a father-son legacy team,” suggested Rick.

“Sounds far-fetched to me,” David said. “But not implausible. I read the New York Post . That rag is definitive proof that anything is possible, including father-son kidnapping tandems.”

“Or mother-daughter ones,” suggested Erika with a smirk.

“Right. We shouldn’t be sexist,” Rick agreed. “And we shouldn’t rule out any possibilities. For all we know, the disappearances could be connected to a voodoo ritual, something handed down through generations.”

Julia scoffed. “For what purpose? Do they need a human sacrifice for some witchy spell? That’s outrageous.”

“What, then?” Erika asked. “Why else would three women disappear from the same lake exactly thirty years apart from each other?”

Nobody had an answer. Music from Erika’s house interrupted a brief, weighty silence.

It was Lucas practicing his guitar, this time through an amplifier.

None of the stressful events appeared to affect his guitar playing.

Lucas’s notes were crisp and soulful, yet Rick looked annoyed instead of proud of his son’s talent.

“Has he even seen the sun today?” Rick directed his question to nobody in particular. “He should be outdoors, appreciating nature, maybe socializing a little. What’s the point of coming to the lake if you’re going to sit on your ass and do nothing but noodle on your guitar all day?”

“Cut him some slack, will you? It’s been a rough day for everyone,” said Erika. “He had a long conversation with the police, and it was very emotional for him.”

“Oh, give me a break,” grumbled Rick. “If he hadn’t gotten his kicks with an older woman, he wouldn’t have had to talk to anyone.”

Erika tossed daggers with her eyes. “Way to show compassion, Rick. Here you are demanding I work less, and you’re afraid that Lucas won’t work enough.

When you have the perfect balance figured out, please let me know.

And if you’d actually take a moment to listen to your son’s music, you’d know he isn’t doing nothing with his time. ”

Rick balked. “I don’t hear a successful future, I can tell you that much. That boy should go to college, or at least get a full-time job.”

“Well, you didn’t go to college. Why are you so judgmental of him?”

“Because the world has changed since we were that age, and I don’t want him living in my basement.”

Erika groaned. “If you’re so concerned, why not let him work with you?”

“I’m not tossing him a rope,” Rick said.

“He can sink or swim on his own, as far as I’m concerned.

I was barely encouraged to finish high school.

Here he is, scholarship potential and everything, and what’s he doing with his time?

Singing his sad songs and living a pipe dream, that’s what.

And besides, he worked for me two summers ago.

Remember that?” Rick’s wide eyes suggested it didn’t go well.

“If he needs money, fine. Go and apply for jobs like people do in the real world.”

Rick’s beard only partially concealed a scowl, and his flinty gray eyes warned of a short fuse. Julia counted her blessings. Taylor might have fallen into a funk, but she was still planning on continuing her education.

Nearby, the children’s playful banter reminded Julia that the world wasn’t just full of problems. Wherever there was darkness, you could also find the light. But could they find Fiona?