Lost in the waves

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Chapter 17 - And Alice plunges into the rabbit hole

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Austin - Saturday 6 PM

The day has been long, and the afternoon filled with hours of walking. The woods, the outskirts of town, and the island's beaches have been thoroughly searched.

Mia and Allison joined us in the early afternoon. It was around the same time that a video started circulating on the Twitter hashtag dedicated to Cara. In the video, Anna violently pushes Allison to the ground.

All eyes turned to the two girls as she entered the midst of the search group. Allison hasn't said much all afternoon, and Mia wears a distressed expression consumed by worry.

Around 6 PM, the motivation of the bravest individuals reached its limit, and the group becomes smaller. The sheriff finally signals the end of the search, and the small group heads out of the forest. Nothing has been found. I will never admit it to Mia, but I believe Cara won't be found alive at this stage.

The period of disappearance is too long, the search was launched too late, there are no witnesses, and most importantly, there are almost no leads. Whoever is responsible for her disappearance has done everything to cover their tracks. Or they are currently working to conceal them.

My gaze shifts to the town's mayor, Cara's father, in discussion with the searchers to organize tomorrow's search parties. The police chief escorts the last few people out of the forest.

He might get away with it. If Cara's father is indeed responsible, as I suspect, then his plan is bordering on genius. Who would suspect the mayor of the town, a good family man whose best friend is the police chief?

I avert my gaze toward Allison and Mia. They are sitting on the pavement. Mia has her arm around Allison's shoulders and seems to be speaking to her in a hushed voice.

I see Max, the only one who, besides Ethan and me, held on until the end, approaching the girls and extending his hand to Allison. She struggles to get up and intertwines her hand with his before they head towards a car. Mia looks up at me and Ethan and walks towards us. Our shoulders brush, and I take her fingers in mine.

"Attention, please." Mr. Nick's voice resonates through a microphone, and the attention of those present focuses on him. "A search party will be organized tomorrow in hopes of finding Cara. Tonight, a conference will be held at City Hall, where we will welcome reinforcements from the FBI. Agents Reid and Morgan will be present to update us on the situation and establish a profile of the suspect."

"The FBI..." Mia murmurs, looking at Ethan and me. I tighten my grip on her hand and scan the crowd. If they're looking for a profile, they're probably already among us. My gaze moves from face to face, searching for an unfamiliar person. "There," Ethan discreetly points to two people on the side. One is tall, mixed race, wearing sunglasses, and the other is thinner with long brown hair. Their clothing styles stand out from the rest of the crowd. The first person takes off their sunglasses, and I feel their gaze pierce mine. I hold their gaze and nod in their direction. They quickly avert their eyes.

"Thank you for your attention, and see you tonight."

The crowd disperses, and I pull Mia towards my motorcycle.

Ethan follows closely and leans against it.

"Everyone will be at City Hall tonight," Mia begins.

I immediately interrupt her. "Mia... Are you going to suggest something completely illegal again that could put us in danger?"

She nods her head with determination, and I shake my head, muttering under my breath.

Ethan laughs and says, "It's not like we're going to break into the Ward's house again. No one is stupid enough to break into the same place twice!"

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Mia - Saturday 11 PM

The boys keep watch while I force open Cara's bedroom window.

I sent a message to Emma, who opens up and helps me slip inside. I embrace her, and she signals for me to be quiet. I look at her in confusion, and she takes out a piece of paper from her pocket.

"There's a pretty lady from the police downstairs." I silently form an "Oh" and nod. I slide the paper to Austin, who opens his eyes wide and gestures for me to get out of here immediately.

I pretend not to have heard and move away from the window to discreetly follow Emma into the hallway. She takes out the key to her father's office from her pocket, as I had asked, and I quietly slide it into the lock.

It creaks as it opens, and I silently grumble as I hear noise downstairs.

"Emma?"

A gentle voice calls her from downstairs, and I signal for her to go down and keep the person occupied. She nods, and after one last hug, she slips away, leaving me alone.

I take out my phone and send a message to Austin, letting him know that I managed to get in, then I put the phone back in my pocket.

The office is in a messy state. It's covered in all sorts of papers, unopened letters, and crumpled bills. I watch my step as the floor is just as cluttered as the furniture.

The walls are adorned with diplomas and formal photos. On the side of the room, there's an impressive collection of alcohol in glass decanters. Most of them are nearly empty.

I silently make my way to the desk and start searching. This room is an absolute mess, and I have no idea what I'm looking for.

After opening all the drawers and cabinets in the room, I search in more discreet hiding spots. I'm about to lose hope when my gaze falls to the floor. More precisely, on the large rug beneath my feet. I lift it up and run my hand over the smooth wood.

I tap lightly, and the sound is hollow. I tap again, and I'm certain there's something underneath. I grab a letter opener from the desk and use it to search for an opening with my fingertips.

My nail gets caught in a hole, and I replace it with the object. I take a deep breath and pray not to mess up as the trapdoor silently lifts up.

I release my breath and quickly place it next to me. There's a hole in the floor. It's a hiding place. I unlock my phone in search of the flashlight and inspect its contents. My blood runs cold when my eyes land on something all too familiar. The plastic is different, but the contents are the same. Dozens and dozens of pill packets litter the interior of the floor. There's also a huge stack of bills in an envelope. I turn it over and am horrified to read what's written on it.

"Cara." What the hell is this? My blood rushes to my head, and it spins violently. I was expecting anything but this. Everything is connected to what I found at Cara's. Her disappearance is linked to a drug problem. Linked to her father. There's only one person who can help me learn more and shed light on all of this. I need to find Eddie.

I hear a loud noise coming from the next room and jolt violently. I barely have time to close the trapdoor when hurried footsteps are heard on the stairs, and I lock the office. I'm trapped inside. The doorknob turns, and I hold my breath. Then another noise is heard, like a closing window, and the footsteps move towards that sound.

I take the opportunity to quickly open the door and rush into Cara's room. I jump out the window and feel Austin's arms cushioning the fall.

"Guys..." Ethan's voice is panicked. "We have to go, like RIGHT NOW." Red and blue lights illuminate the garden from the front of the house, on the other side. We start running as fast as possible without looking back.

I think we almost got caught by the FBI. Judging by Austin's dark look, I also think he's going to kill me. Lastly, I'm certain that I wasn't the only one searching for something in that house.

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