“Because I said so,” he replies unhelpfully. “And you’d better ask the kid in the hospital to do the same. This isn’t going to blow over,” he adds. “I need you as far away from it as possible. You were never there, got it? You weren’t at the Starline.”
I’m not sure what to do other than agree. I have no idea who’s in the marsh, but if the sheriff is telling me to keep it quiet, even now, then it can’t be good.
Outside, I hear a truck pull into the parking lot of the Surf Shack. I check the window and see that my father’s returned home. I’m sure he’s heard there was an ambulance here by now, probably that it was Jamie. Hard to keep most secrets around here.
“Can I tell my dad?” I ask Sheriff Castillo.
“Not yet,” he says. “This has to say quiet.”
I don’t like keeping this from my father. At the same time, I don’t want to complicate his life. Not right now.
A car pulls into the Surf Shack lot and parks next to my father. Two men get out and wave him over. I furrow my brow, not recognizing them from town.
“I have to call you back,” I tell my uncle absently and hang up the phone.
As the men chat with my father, I try to figure out who they are. Not customers. Tourists typically walk down from the resort to get here. Theonly people who’d drive are those who work in Cape Hope or someone official from the town. This could be about the upcoming tax changes my father mentioned the other night.
I slip my phone into my pocket and head outside just as my dad approaches the counter with the two men. They immediately ping suspicious. One of the men is quite short, dressed in a floral shirt and long shorts, but they look straight off the rack—tourist cosplay. The taller man is wearing jeans, a T-shirt, and a lightweight jacket. In this heat? He must be struggling. His hair is wet with sweat.
When my father notices me, he nods his chin in my direction. He lifts one eyebrow in a “we need to talk” motion, but I can tell that’s for later. First, we need to deal with these strangers.
I make my way toward them, and as I approach the counter, the two men turn to me. Checking over their faces, I’m sure they’re not from Cape Hope.
“Hello, I’m Noa,” I say, introducing myself politely. “Looking for surf lessons?”
The man in the floral shirt smiles, while the other takes out a business card and hands it to me. “I’m Detective Granger,” the man in the jacket says. “This is Detective Wallace.”
My heart jumps a little, and I wonder if this is about the body in the marsh. Do the detectives know we were just at the Starline Hotel? The sheriff told me not to tell anyone… does he mean them, too? Is it illegal if I lie?
I put my hand on my hip and do my best to look casual.
“Detectives?” I say, sounding impressed. “Well, how can the Surf Shack help?”
“We’re actually here to talk about your brother’s disappearance,” Detective Granger says.
The sand seems to shake beneath me. “It’s about Ellis?” I ask, immediatelyturning to my father before looking back at the men. “And what do you mean,disappearance?Are you saying my brother didn’t run away?”
I’m glad the sheriff called me before these men got here, or I would have completely thought it was Ellis in the marsh. I’m also surprised that they said “disappearance,” which has a very different connotation from “run away.”
“They just have some questions, Noa,” my father assures me, but when I look at him, I can see that he’s rattled.
“Is Ellis okay?” I ask the detectives. “Is my brother okay?” I ask louder.
“We have not made contact with Ellison,” Detective Granger replies. “However, we believe he may be involved in something that could have brought him back to Cape Hope, which is why we’re here looking for him.”
The idea is completely insane, but I briefly wonder if my brother had anything to do with the dead body lying out in the marsh. Which I know is ridiculous.
“Brought him back?” I repeat, my voice a little higher “From where? Where has he been all this time?”
“I can’t disclose that,” the detective says.
So he knows. The detective knows but he’s not going to tell me. “Listen,” I say. “I haven’t seen or spoken to my brother in almost a year, and our family has gone through hell.”
“Noa,” my father says in warning.
“Dad,” I reply back in the same tone. “We haven’t heard from Ellis since he left, and it seems these guys know more about him than we do.” I’m suddenly furious, and I realize it’s because I’m relieved. I’m relieved that my brother is alive, so now I can be angry at him. I just didn’t expect the rage to flood me so quickly.
Detective Granger looks me over as if trying to decide if I’m telling the truth. He must think I am because he nods. “You have my number,”he says, motioning to the card that I’m holding. “If your brother tries to contact you, let me know.”
