The woman shook her head quickly.“Uh, no.She didn’t really talk about him either.”
She looked back at me carefully.“Why does it feel like you don’t know any of this about your sister?”
I laughed once, flat and humorless.“Because I don’t.”That felt horrible to admit out loud.“I haven’t talked to Erin in close to two months,” I said quietly.“Last I knew, she was coming to the island with her boyfriend for a date, but that’s it.Nothing about them breaking up, or working here.”
The woman frowned.“Well, I can tell you it’s been a little over a month since I saw her.”She shifted awkwardly.“She quit, and then I found a better job a couple weeks ago.”Her eyes flicked toward Push apologetically.“Sorry, but you guys don’t pay the greatest.”
Push shrugged easily.“I’ll pass that along.”
Piney finally recovered enough to shove another handful of popcorn into his mouth like stress eating was part of his emotional support system.
My brain was spinning too fast.Erin worked here.
Worked here.
How had nobody known that?
Push looked down at me briefly, clearly gauging whether I was about to spiral.
Fair concern, because my thoughts were racing so hard I could barely hold onto one long enough to process it.
“She stayed in the ghost town area mostly,” the woman added.“She was nice.Quiet though.Kinda seemed sad.”
That hit me harder than I expected.
Erin always got quiet when she was hurting.
As kids, I used to think silence meant she was okay because she stopped fighting.Later I learned silence usually meant the opposite.
“What was your name?”I asked quickly.
“Jenna.”
I pulled my phone out immediately.“Can I get your number?”
She hesitated slightly before nodding.
While we exchanged numbers, Push stayed beside me, scanning the area automatically while Pearl and Piney hovered nearby.
Protective biker perimeter intact.
I typed quickly before looking back up at Jenna.“If you remember anything else about Erin, literally anything, call me.”
Jenna nodded.“Yeah.Of course.”Then she looked uncomfortable again.“I hope you find her,” she said quietly.
My throat tightened unexpectedly.“Yeah,” I whispered.“Me too.”
Jenna gave us one last awkward look before wandering back toward the game booths.
The second she disappeared into the crowd, silence settled around us.
Piney finally popped more popcorn into his mouth and muttered, “Shit just keeps getting weirder and weirder.”
“No kidding,” Pearl murmured.
I stared out toward the ghost town area while my thoughts spun violently.
Erin had worked here for at least a week, and nobody in the club had known.
