Slowly, I lifted my head to find Michael staring at me. His jaw was tight, his lips in a thin line under his mustache. He looked over at the man holding me up and then jerked his chin to the truck behind him. “Put her in the back.”
“What?” My eyes widened, the hair at the base of my neck standing on end. “No.”
“Ms. Howell,” Michael said, all business, as if I were a stranger. “To question you properly, I need to take you back to the station.” He looked over my shoulder to the body. “Is your car parked on the beach? I can have one of my guys drive it back into town for you.”
I pulled away from Officer Massy and planted my feet in the sand, ignoring the endless waves of dizziness slamming into me. “I don’t want to go back to the station. I want to go back and get a good look—”
“I can’t have you looming over the body—”
“Felix!” I shouted. His mouth shut and both of the men were staring at me now. I could feel more eyes on my back as my hands started to shake. “His name is Felix Kolby, and he is my friend!”
Michael held up his hands and took a small step toward me. “All right, Angel,” he said softly. More cars were coming onto the sand. More spectators.
I staggered back, pointing at him. “Don’t you dare touch me!”
His hands immediately fell to his sides. “I need to take you back to Astoria,” he urged.
My face crumpled, tears spilling onto my cheeks as a sound I couldn’t describe left my lips. “I can’t! I can’t leave him here!” I cried, throwing my arm out to my dead friend. I turned and tried running to him, not caring about the people gawking at me in horror, but a strong arm hooked around my waist.
“Breathe, Angel.”
Hayes.
“Let me go to him,” I begged, sobbing. I tried pushing Hayes’ arm out of the way, but it didn’t budge. “I need to be with him.”
“Can’t do that. The investigators need to do their jobs, sweetheart.”
“No, you don’t understand. He wasn’t supposed—he hasn’t been at work and we—I thought he just needed some space. Marg too,” I pushed out, my heart racing.
Grayson appeared, coming around to my front. “Shh, shh. Don’t say anything else, yeah?” He looked furious, but when his eyes left Felix and came to me, his fury morphed into sorrow. “Let me take you home,” he offered.
“I need her at the station,” Sheriff Humbly said, coming to my side.
I tried pushing on Hayes’ forearm again, but it was no use.
“She’s not going to the station,” Hayes clipped.
“Don’t try to fucking play this off,” Humbly shot back. “I heard what she just said. I need her to come with me.”
The men started arguing as if I weren’t here, but all I could focus on was Felix. His face was swollen, deep cuts on both of his cheeks, bruising around his eyes. He was still in his chef’s uniform, but the left sleeve was nearly shredded. My eyes lingered on the orange stain from the tomato sauce. It was the result of rushing to plate the food for the mayor’s birthday party. I remember him barking out a cuss as he rushed over to the sink, rinsing the sauce off.
That was two nights ago.
Felix Kolby never went home after that shift.He never had the chance.
A breeze came through, shifting my ponytail and the sheet covering him. It flipped down, revealing the rest of him. No one noticed as the sheet danced in the wind, heading toward the water. I looked back and forth between the sheet and Felix.
He’ll get cold.
He’s too wet to be outside right now.
“He’s going to get cold,” I barked, glaring at Grayson and the sheriff. Both of their heads snapped to me. “The sheet flew away! He’s going to get cold! Please! Please cover him back up! I don’t want him getting sick!”
“Fuck, Angel,” Hayes muttered, sadness thick in his voice. “Honey, he’s—”
“Don’t,” I whispered, shaking my head. “Don’t say it.”
In the distance, just behind the crowd, a large black SUV rolled over the curb and came onto the sand. I felt Hayes stiffen behind me, his arm loosening. The hair on the back of my neck stood up, and a second later, Hayes released me. The world around me, all the pain, all the fear, all the chaos, blurred. My vision was a tunnel, and at the end of it, a tall, broad, mountain of a man emerged from the driver’s seat.
