As I approach the podium, a man at the back of the room catches my attention. He’s wearing dark glasses and a hat pulled low over his hair. Mid-thirties? There’s an eerie stillness about him. He doesn’t move. Doesn’t react to the noise around him. His face is blank.
I’m so frightened, I can’t move.
I open my mouth to speak, and nothing comes out.
Instinctively, I know he has to be theBig, Mean Man. He looks like the guy in the security camera photo.
What do I do? If I call for help, it’ll cause a scene, and he’ll get away anyway.
I step to the microphone and try to tear my gaze from his.
“I’m Crystal Car—Glassier.” I swallow and continue, speeding through my presentation. I open the floor to questions.
“What killed the SEALs? Was it toxic gas?”
Oh no.
I glance at Mayor Bent. “I can’t speak for the military operation,” I say carefully, “but I can confirm that no toxic gas has been discovered in the area to date.”
“What’s in there? What’s killing the sea life?” Overlapping, scared, and frustrated voices rise.
“We haven’t identified the root cause yet,” I say, “but we have the best minds and the bravest divers working on it.” I think of Nathan. It calms me down and helps me push forward.
A red-headed woman I recognize stands up. She’s a local reporter. Without waiting to be called on, she blurts out, “Mrs. Glassier, are you having an affair with Dr. Nathan Carter?”
The blood drains from my face.
All the energy in the room shifts instantly. No longer focused on the environmental crisis, eager faces turn toward me, hungry now for gossip. For answers about the town’s beloved hero and what happened to him during all those years he was missing. Some expressions are curious. Others are openly hostile.
Whispers rise from the floor to the podium.
My throat closes. I’m done here.
“She turned Mark into a murderer. He was a nice man.”
“Gold digger.”
“Slut.”
“Heartless.”
“Someone should call Child Services. She doesn’t deserve her daughter.”
Mayor Bent jumps up to the microphone. “Ms. Kasler, that’s highly inappropriate. One more question like that, and you and your team will be removed and banned from future gatherings.”
She ignores him and fires off another rude question, but I can’t hear it. All I see is theBig, Mean Man’sface as the corners of his mouth twitch, then slowly curve into a smile.
CHAPTER 30
The Stranger
Walter’s dead. He was ill and helpless. Why would someone kill him?
“Tomorrow’s dive is thermal,” Scott announces. “We focus on testing the Shields in the hotspots we can reach without going too far. Safety is the priority.” He nods to Finn. “Finn.”
“Right. Data collection is still the best tool for determining what we’re dealing with. This is a first step. On each subsequent dive, we’ll push a bit farther.”
Scott gives him a side-eye.
