As we walked to the dock office, a voice blared from nearby.
“Another discovery of a mutilated body… awaiting themedical examiner’s report, but sources say the body appeared to have been ravaged by animals…”
The news report broadcasted from a radio on a cerulean yacht,Sleeping Bluety. I tuned into the broadcast, listening closely.
“… the body count steadily rising in the last several months, not including the recent disappearances. Unconfirmed sources say the disappearances may be connected and the work of a serial killer, though police are not yet labeling it as the work of one.”
“How’s it not a serial killer?” I asked. “That many people dead?”
“Haven’t you been following the news lately?”
I hadn’t.
“There have been a bunch of unexplained attacks and missing people up and down the coast,” Hailey answered. “But they’re scattered so I guess no one’s alarmed, but it’s weird.”
That’s right, Sekou had mentioned something about missing people, but I had dismissed it with bigger things on my mind. Now I wished I’d paid attention. Then I could have asked Nana Ama what she thought and if she sensed anything whenever she stepped out to clear the haze building in her, which wasn’t very often.
“Don’t forget the sick folks who go into the hospital and then go missing,” a voice said from behind us. Hailey and I turned to see a ruddy-faced man wearing a white hat with a blue sail insignia on it stepping off the yacht. His face was sun blasted, and he was wiping his hands on a grease-stained towel.
I said, “What sick folks?”
He shrugged. “That’s what they won’t tell you on the news. How they up and walk from their hospital bed. There one minute, gonethe next. I’m retired janitorial services from one of the local hospitals. Still have friends there.” He grinned. “Who like beer and cards.”
Hailey returned his grin. “Who doesn’t like beer and cards?” she said easily, finding the connection between them.
He stuck out a relatively clean hand toward us. I stared at it, debating if I wanted to take it when Hailey grabbed it, having better manners than me. I followed her lead.
“Barry, right?” she asked. “My brother’s mentioned you.”
I caught how she still referred to Luke in the present. So maybe she was with me on the two of them still being alive for real and not just to humor me.
Barry looked over at the wreaths we’d been looking at, realization washing over him.
“Hey, you’re the sister. Hannah.”
“Hailey.”
“Sure, he used to talk about you a lot.” Barry looked at the empty space of water sloshing against the pier and boats. I guess he didn’t talk about Hailey enough for Barry to know her name wasn’t Hannah.
“Terrible thing happened to him and his friend. I met her the evening they were setting off for their date. They were pretty excited. Cute couple.”
He looked at me when he saidfriend, like I’d know who that was. Guess he assumed we all knew one another. Usually, I’d get all in my feelings like,Not all Black people know each other, bud.But since he might have had something I needed, I let it slide. This time. Plus, Nana always said you get more flies with honey. And old Barry here definitely liked to buzz around shit.
Hailey thanked him for his condolences. “Between what’s on the news and the boat accident…” The corners of Barry’s mouth fell. “Damnedest thing. Real tragedy. I was out there when the weather went bad. The storm was unreal. So sudden. So weird.” Barry shivered.
“Why was it weird?” I was thinking of the dream I had that night and of how I still felt its cold effects. I forced my body not to shiver with him.
“Because it just came up on us, and there was only a little patch of it. I could see it raging over yonder, but I didn’t even get wet. Storms strong enough to break up good-sized new boats like Luke’s, you get notice they’re coming. But this squall or whatever they wanna call it, no warning. Real fast. And barely made a tickle over here where the rest of us were wrapping up. They weren’t even that far off! Not much farther than the sound.”
A freak storm that only seemed to hit Luke’s boat? Ravaged bodies? Missing people? This news hadn’t made it to the Isle—at least not that I knew of.
Barry tucked the towel in his back pocket. “Where you from?”
I sensed Hailey’s curiosity growing as she waited for my answer. Hell, I was waiting for me too.
“From farther down,” I said, preparing for what came next. “Golden Isle.”
Barry’s eyes grew round. His lips puckered up, and he let out a low whistle as his eyebrows disappeared beneath the rim of his hat.
