Page 84 of The Trip

“Sure.”

Emma coughs, and I take the nearly empty bottle from her hand. I help her sit up higher, making sure she doesn’t choke.

I hold onto her upper arm with one hand and place the other on her back. “I think you might’ve been drugged.”

“Here’s the energy drink.” Beth shines the light on Russell’s hand as he holds out the cold can.

I take it from him and pop the tab before helping Emma take a sip. She takes the can from me.

“You got it?” I ask her.

Beth shifts her flashlight beam onto me. “How did you know it was something Emma drank?”

After making sure Emma has a steady hold on the energy drink, I let go. “Instinct, I guess. After seeing she had no obvious injuries.”

“You did this to her. She would’ve died if I hadn’t come in when I did.” Beth’s voice simmers with hatred. “You killed Nojan, Gigi, and now tried to kill Emma. None of us are safe with you on this boat.”

I turn from Emma toward Beth, expecting her to be facing Russell. But she’s staring straight at me.

Beth lifts her flashlight toward my face. “Just like you killed Courtney twenty years ago.”

Chapter Thirty-Six

Present: Day Five at Sea

I stare at Beth, at a loss for words from her accusation. I think of Russell’s gun under my pillow in the next room, wishing I’d thought to keep it on me.

Then I remember I have no idea who Beth even is. Aside from a backstabbing snake.

“I didn’t—”

Beth snorts. “Oh, please. Spare us the lies. How did you know what was wrong with Emma so fast if you weren’t the one who drugged her?”

“I’m a nurse. I’ve seen overdoses before.”

“It was the exact same thing you were just planning to do to Russell.”

“What?” Russell swings his beam at my face.

“Then, after you drugged Russell, you were planning to get rid of me.”

“Beth! Shut up.”He’s a murderer,I want to scream. Now, he’ll be too on guard for us to subdue him. And I have no doubt he’s planning to kill us all before we reach the mainland.

“I didn’t drug Emma.” I almost add that I have no intentions of killing anyone, but after reading Beth’s messages to my husband, I’m not sure that would be true. I stand up and close the space betweenus, stopping when my face is inches from hers. “Which only leaves two people on this boat who could’ve done it.” I lift my finger toward Beth’s face. “You’re the one who’s a liar with no conscience. Catfishing my husband so he would leave me!”

From the bed, Emma gasps.

“That’s not enough for you?” I ask. “Now you’re accusing me of drugging Emma? Why? To throw suspicion off yourself? You’re the one no one should be trusting on this boat, youlying, scheming snake.” No longer able to contain my fury, I shove Beth by the shoulders, slamming her into the bulkhead behind her.

Russell juts out his arms between Beth and me. My stomach pushes against his forearm as he holds me back.

“All right, enough,” he shouts. “You two can go to therapy when we get home.Ifwe get home. Right now, we need to put our energy into surviving. I need to rest, so someone needs to keep watch so we don’t run into another ship in the night.” Turning to me, he adds, “But first, I need to know what happened to my sister.”

Beth pushes his arm aside. “You’re right, Palmer. I went too far. I was wrong. But you’re a murderer. And I’m not covering up for you anymore. Either you tell Russell—and Emma—what really happened that day when Courtney went missing, or I will.”

My breath catches in my throat as I look toward Courtney’s older brother, my hatred for Beth growing by the second.

“Go on,” Beth adds. “Tell him.”