“It’s hard to do with all that’s been going on,” Zach replied, his gaze straight ahead, not looking any of them in the eye.
“Time will heal the wounds,” Cass said as she rubbed his arm.
He shook his head. Mary was still. She knew that time didn’t heal the wounds. They might not be oozing daily, but they were always there. No amount of bandages could cover them up.
Zach sighed. “Years ago, I was on another work site where a man died.”
Harmony heard the smallest click inside herself, like a lock deciding to turn.
Mary’s eyes sharpened as they all gazed at him in shock. No wonder he was taking this so hard. This wasn’t the first time a person had died at a place where he was working. Was this a coincidence, or did it mean something?
Cass froze.
Harmony’s breath stopped.
Not because she pitied him, but because she recognized the shape of guilt when it rippled through someone. Guilt had a pulse all its own.
“What kind of accident?” Mary asked.
“He fell off some scaffolding.”
“Yours?” Harmony asked quietly.
Zach hesitated—too long. “Yeah. Mine.”
Cass looked at him with worry. “Was it ruled an accident?”
Zach lifted his gaze, flat and exhausted. “Itwasan accident.”
His words were right. His tone wasn’t.
A bird swooped down nearby, stole a chip, and flew off. Harmony wished escape were that simple.
She met Zach’s eyes. “I’ve noticed something about this island.”
“What?” Cass asked.
“No one gets away with anything for very long.”
Zach stood abruptly. “I need air.” He walked off, shoulders tight.
“He’s breaking,” Cass whispered, her face tight with worry.
Harmony shook her head slowly. “Or he’s hiding.”
Her gaze drifted back across the festival—to Mary’s booth.
Justice Has Flavorglared back in bold italics.
The words rippled like a warning.
Or a prophecy.
Or a promise the island intended to keep.
Across the plaza, someone swallowed a laugh at the exact moment the wind changed direction, carrying the taste of chili and fear. Catalina always noticed who broke first, and who learned the rules.
Chapter Eighteen
