Clarity | TMFU

SEVEN

I BOLTED UPRIGHT.

Rudi backed up, hands in the air. "I figured you heard me coming."

I put a hand over my heart. "No, I didn't. You scared me."

"Sorry." He sat on the sand facing me. He looked strange, his eyes dull, his face slack, as if he were in shock.

"What are you doing out here? I thought you were going home."

He turned away and looked at the sea. The light of the half-moon shimmered on the ocean, giving the small waves a metallic look. "Kind of calm tonight, huh? Not that choppy."

Nice dodge. I paused and waited for him to answer the question. When he didn't, I said, "You're acting weird. What is it?"

He turned back to me. "I was with a Jo Saturday night."

I rocked back in surprise. "What? Who's Jo?"

"I was with a girl Saturday night. She was eighteen. I never got her last name, but her first name was Jo. Short for Joana, I guess."

I swallowed hard. "A tourist?"

"Yeah. She took me back to her motel room."

"Don't tell me." I put my hand up in front of my face. If he didn't say it, then it wouldn't be true. If he didn't say the words, then maybe this wasn't happening.

"King's Courtyard."

My stomach twisted. "Who was she here with?" I asked, still hoping for this to be a joke or a coincidence.

His face shut down and his voice was flat. "No one. I met her at Yummy's. She was all pissed off. Something about her best friend betraying her and what she came to the Cape for wasn't working out and life never worked out for her and all that stuff. I tried to cheer her up, we got to talking and then, you know."

"Rudi." I shook my head.

He pulled his legs up and rested his chin on his knees. In that one motion, he stopped looking like my confident older uncle and instead morphed into a worried child. "What are the chances that more than one Jo was staying alone at the King's Courtyard Saturday night?" he asked in a small voice.

"Not good," I said. I chewed on my lip. I hated to even ask, but had to. "Do you know who did this?"

He shook his head and stared at the sand. "She was alive and content when I left. She wanted me to spend the night, but I wanted to get back home before Dad realized I was out so late. I left her there." He paused and added, with a catch in his voice, "And now she's dead."

I knew Rudi was a player, but we usually steered clear of conversations regarding his escapades. I didn't need to know the details of his overactive love life. In this case, though, I had to ask. I braced myself for the question. "Did you have sex with her?"

He broke eye contact and mumbled under his breath, "Yeah."

My nostrils flared as a jumble of emotions rumbled inside me. I was angry at Rudi for his reckless behavior. Worried about the consequences for him. Freaked out about Dad finding out and having a breakdown. And furious at Rudi's whorish ways for causing it all. I yelled, "You didn't even know her!"

"She wanted to!" He stood quickly, kicking up a small sandstorm. "What was I supposed to say? No? Gaby, I'm an eighteen-year-old guy. When an opportunity like this comes around, I take it."

"Just shut up, Gaby. I can't even stand to think about this."

I put my face in my hands. He sat back down and we both stewed in silence for a few minutes. Slowly, my anger receded. He was right. What single guy would turn that offer down? Yeah, the situation sucked, but it could be worse. He could have stayed and ended up shot, too. I couldn't even let my mind go there. I focused instead on the problem at hand. I had to protect my uncle.