From inside came a heart-wrenching, broken noise, and whatever had remained intact in me after the cliff was fractured.
* * *
“You said you found it?” I asked.
“Yeah. Just past the ghost shark tank.” Ben’s voice was quiet, but there was a tremor beneath it that I registered as stress, not fear. “I can’t believe a fucking cellphone… I mean, I get why he came back for it. If I were in his position, I wouldn’t have thought twice about it. It just fucking sucks. This all fucking sucks, Tobias.”
I clenched my teeth. “I know.”
I turned the device on as Ben handed it over. The lock screen came up; it was a photo of a tide pool Cove had taken, something from before all this.
Notifications crowded the screen, mostly from nothing important. However, the most recent was a text message from someone named Mrs. Alvaro. I couldn’t see what the messagesaid without unlocking the phone, but I needed to see if something had to be done in response to cover up for Cove’s sudden disappearance.
“It has facial recognition,” Ben said. “I figure that would be easier than trying to get the password outta him.”
I looked at him. “You want to bring him out to unlock it?”
“No. I want to bring the phone to him, just long enough to unlock it, then we can handle everything else ourselves.”
I considered this.
The risk of opening that door again. Of seeing Cove’s face. Of facing whatever new fear or hatred I would find there.
But Ben was right.
We needed access.
“Do it,” I said.
Ben returned to the secure room alone. Through the camera feed on my tablet, I watched him crouch before Cove, speaking softly, explaining nothing. Cove’s face turned toward the device, eyes narrowed with suspicion, and the screen unlocked. Ben was already out the door again by the time Cove realized what had happened. And by the look of fury on his face, well—Ben made the right move by leaving.
Once Ben had returned to my office with the now unlocked phone, we got to work.
Did you get to your work safely? Let me know when you can. Also don’t forget to send the money for the rideshare when you get your phone back!
“Dammit,” Ben cursed from over my shoulder as he read the message.
“It’s fine. Send the money,” I told Ben, giving him the phone. “From his account. Then text her back.”
Ben’s fingers moved across the screen. “What do I say?”
“Something normal. Grateful. Tell her he arrived safely, and that he’s thankful for her help.”
Ben typed, then showed me the message before sending.
Got here safe! Thank you again for helping. Sending the money for the drive now. Since it’s late, I’ll be staying here tonight.
I nodded.
Ben sent it. Then he transferred the rideshare payment from Cove’s account to Mrs. Alvaro’s.
“The family,” Ben added, scrolling through Cove’s contacts. “He texts them every few weeks. Nothing urgent, just check-ins.”
“Continue the pattern,” I said. “Study his style. Keep it brief, keep it normal. If they ask questions, he’s busy, he’s traveling, he’s adapting to a new environment.”
Ben looked up at me. “And if they get suspicious? If they file a report?”
“Then we deal with it,” I said. “But they won’t. Young men disappear into their work all the time. Do they ever call each other?”
