Swell (Complete)

Chapter Fifty-Two (Part One)

"Your love comes in waves,
I toss and I turn and I fall and I rise,
It's sink or it's swim,
Getting caught up in your riptide."

....

Dodge and Iain both arrived at the Escape for dinner Wednesday night.
Will was allowed to join them and they all ordered Chinese.
It was a quiet meal, Debbie was officially missing and being searched for by the police.
The blood on Adora's locker had been confirmed as human, and as type O+. It didn't help them much because it was the most common blood type and Debbie's parents didn't know her blood type. She'd never needed a blood test.
Barely a word was said until Iain brought up the dance.
"So, I'll pick Will up, and then come here to get you ladies about 5 so if the weather is good we can still go to the cove before dark and then go to the dance from there." He confirmed.
Adora just nodded.
"Sounds good." Marti spoke up. "I'll make sure Mum's camera and tripod are at the door for you to bring, Will."
"Alright." Will had barely taken his eyes off Adora since she had come inside that afternoon. He was sure she was a shade paler than yesterday and he was worried about what she would do if Debbie's body was found and the blood matched.

After Iain and Dodge left, Marti went for a shower. Will hung back, and now he and Adora were holding hands and standing in front of Anne.
"Mum, can we have a date tomorrow? Without being watched and guarded." Adora had decided she should ask, Will had offered, but she felt it was more likely a yes if she asked.
"I don't know guys..." Anne tilted her head and pursed her lip as she looked between them.
"We don't have to go far, or be gone long. We can even stay at the Escape. I just... I need some time without eyes staring at me."
Will gave Adora's hand a small squeeze as he heard the desperation in her voice.
Anne looked away from their faces and to the kitchen window.
"What did you have in mind?"
"Lunch, or even breakfast. I'll keep my phone on, and you can call and check." Adora had a hopeful tone in her voice, and Will started to wonder whether she thought her Mum was about to say yes.
He started to think about their impending date. The chance to be alone with Adora before the dance, without being stared down or followed by her family or Tom.
If Tom was the stalker that was.

Anne let go of a loud sigh. "Two hours." She looked at Will. "You have two hours, no bike, you have to use a car if you travel. Both of you have to keep your phones on and if you're late or I try and call and can't get through, no dance."
Will smiled and nodded. "Yes, Mrs Dodgers." He released his gently squeeze from Adora's hand and watched as she wrapped her arms around her mother.
"Thank you, I promise. We'll be back before time is up." She kissed Anne's cheek and smiled at Will.
Suddenly he couldn't wait to come and pick her up for the dance. Images of romantic slow dances and maybe sneaking out to look at the moon raced around his mind.
"You have to tell me where you're going." Anne added.
"Once we figure it out, we will." Will smiled at Anne and Marti appeared at the kitchen door, a towel wrapped around her hair and a dressing gown tied up around her body.
"What did I miss?" She asked.
"We asked permission for a date." Adora stated proudly, her tone nearly made Will laugh.
Marti's face fell. "But... Debbie..."
Adora's smile dropped and she looked down to the floor. "It's just an hour or two."
Marti looked from Adora to Will and forced a small smile. "Just the two of you?"
"I need to have a break, where I'm not looking over my shoulder or being guarded."
"I get it." Marti nodded. "Just don't tell Tom. You know..."
Will felt his stomach twist. Marti really believed it was Tom, it hurt more to realise that than he had imagined. It almost felt as though Marti was accusing Will too.
"Anne, when you drop Adora off later for her date, would you mind if I came along and we dropped into the bakery and supermarket? I want to get some food and juice, and check on Mum and Dad." Marti asked Thursday morning over her peanut buttered toast.
"That's fine." Anne smiled across the table at her. "I should have asked if you needed to go food shopping yesterday, at least."
"It's not a bother." Marti shook her head and looked at Adora. "Do you know what you guys are doing yet?"
"I think we're just going to hang around the beach, we aren't going far." Adora answered.

Marti got into the passenger seat after she left the bakery. Her Dad was on Tom duty today, so she had only seen her mother.
Will and Adora waved as Anne pulled out of the angled carpark and headed to the small supermarket.
"You're sure it's your brother aren't you?" Anne asked softly.
Marti turned and swallowed a lump. "I mean, it all makes sense. Brett was attacked after he humiliated Tom for trying to convince Adora to date him. Tom isn't normally told no." Marti looked out the window and up the hilly side streets towards the bush that hid the falls.
"Has he ever been the jealous type?"
"I didn't think so, but I've always been closer to Will. So, maybe he just... Had enough. I want to believe he didn't, but Debbie admitted to lying the other week, and now she's missing..."
Anne made a thoughtful noise.
"Do you think it's not?" Marti looked to her best friend's mother as they turned into the car park of the store.
Anne turned the engine off and looked at Marti with a small smile. "Honey, I don't know any of you very well. I don't know everything that has happened, or how everyone has handled it. I know my daughter loves you and Will. I know she feels safe with you both, and I know she was terrified of Tom on Sunday. Adora has never hurt a fly, she felt guilty for defending herself in a way that hurt someone..." Anne put a delicate hand on Marti's cheek. "Part of me hopes it is your brother, because he is now under watch and if it is him then Adora and everyone she loves are safe. I don't want to imagine someone else who would kill for her being free."
Marti leaned her cheek into Anne's warm hand and closed her eyes at the affectionate moment. "Don't imagine it then. Cause I don't want to either."
She hadn't even added the topic of Liss to the conversation. Tom had been out of their trio in Richieville, that could have triggered some secret jealousy that sent someone over the edge.
"I just hope that Adora's instincts aren't wrong." Anne took her hand away and suddenly Marti's cheek was cold.
"It makes sense to be Tom, I mean, Will and I loved Liss, and Tom wasn't part of that... We can't be sure that Liss' murder was related to us, they haven't been able to find any evidence, but the timing is really scary." Marti muttered.

A few moments silence passed between them and Anne shifted to get out of the car.
Marti put a hand on the woman's arm and met her eyes.
"Anne, thank you for letting me stay with you guys. Tom's been scaring me for a few weeks now. Whether he means it or not I don't know, but he makes me uncomfortable. I was relieved when he was in jail, and then they brought him home..."
Anne twisted back in the seat and tilted her head, her plump lips giving Marti a small smile. "It's alright. I think having you around has made Adora feel a little safer, at least less worried about you anyway."
"I hope so." Marti unbuckled her seatbelt. "I hope she and Will have a good date, let's go in." Marti forced a smile and let Anne's arm go.