Bel stopped outside number 39, Ashโs hotel room. Patted down her hair, pushed up her eyebrows.
The door opened before she had a chance to knock. It was Ramsey, ducking his head as he left the room.
His eyes latched onto hers as the door latched shut.ย โHi, Bel.โ
โHi yourself,โย she snapped, suddenly awkward that heโd caught her standing here.ย โAsh told me to come over, that heโs found something,โย she explained.
Ramsey nodded, a knowing half smile.ย โI know,โย he said, to hammer the smile home.ย โWe found something we wanted to show you.โ
He moved past her, down the corridor.ย โYou arenโt coming?โย she asked.
Ramsey turned, smile on the other side now.ย โNah. A goodย ๏ฌlmmaker knows when heโs getting in the way of his ownย ๏ฌlm.โย He clicked hisย ๏ฌngers at her, tiny guns made of skin as he walked away, disappearing around the corner.
Bel hammered herย ๏ฌst against the door.
It opened, barely, Ashโs pale face appearing in the crack.
โWhy do you knock like a serial killer?โย hisย ๏ฌoating head grumbled.ย โAre you naked?โ
โNo.โย His eyes tracked back and forth, confused.ย โOpen the door, then,โย Bel said, pushing it.
She walked in, the hotel room dingy, curtains framing the evening sky. A laptop open on the desk, glowing ghostly white, small camera hooked up to it. A spiderweb of cables beside. The desk chair and the roomโs armchair pulled in front.
โYouโve left boxers on the bed.โย Bel pointed, trying to embarrass him. Ash nodded, trying not to be embarrassed.ย โThose ones live there,
actually.โ
He wandered back to the desk, muttering to himself.ย โNeed a fresh card for the camera.โย He sorted through a stack of clear plastic cases, some labeled with a red X.ย โThatโs why itโs important to label them, says Ramsey. Aha.โย He pulled one open and popped out the SD card, slotting it inside the handheld camera.
โIs this all the documentary footage?โ
โAll the stu๏ฌย Iโve shot,โย he said.ย โRamseyโs editing the early footage for the broadcasters, but he wants to keep this stu๏ฌย with you under wraps, until we know what we have. Iโm supposed to rotate the memory cards, remember which ones are full, which ones Iโve already uploaded and wiped.โย He pointed,ย ๏ฌngers taking her on a tour of the untidy desk.ย โAll gets saved onto this bad boy here.โย He tapped twoย ๏ฌngers against a black external hard drive, plugged into the laptop.
โMemory storage, exciting stu๏ฌ.โย Bel clicked her tongue.ย โWell, I canโt spend all day running around with you.โ โNot that youโd want to,โย Bel said.
โNo, youโre awful company.โ
Belโs phone vibrated in her jacket pocket, saving them from the awkward-on-purpose moment. She pulled it out and gasped.
โItโs the chief of police. About Dad.โ
โAnswer it,โย Ash said, turning away and averting his eyes, as though that meant he couldnโt listen in.
Bel pressed the phone to her ear, spoke before Dave Winter could.ย โDo you have any news? Have you found him?โ
The line crackled with Daveโs breath.ย โHi, Annabel. No, we havenโt found him, but we have an update. His phone recordsย ๏ฌnally came through.โ
Bel backed away, boots skidding against the rough carpet.ย โAnd?โ
โYour dad made one phone call the night he went missing. In the middle of the night, actually, three-twenty a.m. The call lasted only a few seconds, but it pinged o๏ฌย a cell tower near Danville, Vermont. So thatโs where he was when he made the call.โ
โWho did he call?โย Bel said, trying not to rush him, taking everything in.ย โHe called a number belonging to a Robert Meyer, who lives just outside Barton, Vermont. I wanted to ask if you know who he is? Heard that name
before? Is he a friend of your dadโs?โ
Bel searched her memories, lining them up against that name.ย โRobert Meyer.ย No, I donโt think I recognize it,โย she said, annoyed that she didnโt, for Dadโs sake.
โThatโs OK,โย Dave said,ย โRachel didnโt recognize it either.โ โYouโve spoken to Rachel?โ
โI called herย ๏ฌrst,โย Dave said, unaware of his betrayal, calling Rachel, letting her know that her plan was working perfectly.ย โState Police are going to talk to this Robert Meyer, see what he knows, Iโll let you know if he tells us anything useful. Danville would have been on the drive to Barton, so it seems like thatโs where your dad was heading.โ
But how was he heading there, when his truck was at home?ย โAnything else?โย she said, voice slipping, clawing back up her throat.ย โHuh?โ
โThe phone records. Did he make any other calls?โย There was only one name she cared about: her own. For her to have been the last person Dad tried to reach, even though sheโd had no missed calls.
โNo,โย Dave said, not realizing how big thatย noย was.ย โLooks like he turned the phone o๏ฌย after making that one call. Been o๏ฌย since, no activity.โ
Belโs heart sank, curdling in her gut, buddying up to the knot that always lived there now.
โHeโs been gone six days,โย she said, not a question, but a reminder of Daveโs promise, what he owed Charlie Price, here on the other side of all
their history.
โWeโre working on it. Thereโs been a couple more hits on his bank card, one on Thursday, one today, so weโre tracing him that way too. Wonโt be long, Annabel.โ
โOK.โย She hesitated to let him go. Should she tell Dave about Julian Tripp? About the three thousand dollars?ย โO๏ฌcer Winterโโ
โYou can call me Dave, sweetie. Known each other long enough.โ
And that was long enough to change her mind. No, she shouldnโt tell him. She wanted Dave to focus onย ๏ฌnding Dad; he had the tools to do that and she didnโt. She shouldnโt distract him with Rachel. It was Belโs job to take down Rachel, her responsibility.
โWill you call meย ๏ฌrst with updates, not Rachel? She wants me to deal with this; sheโs still feeling overwhelmed.โ
The line crackled again.ย โSure,โย he said.ย โHope you two are holding up OK?โ
Oh, they were holding up justย ๏ฌne.
โI gotta go,โย she said, Daveโs goodbyes growing faint as she pulled the phone away from her ear, pressed the red button.
โWhoโs Robert Meyer?โย Ash asked, facing her again.
โI donโt know. Lives in Vermont. He was the last person Dad called, the night he went missing.โ
โSo your dadโs in Vermont?โ
โOr thatโs where Rachel wants us to think he is.โ
A text pinged up on Belโs screen. God, she was Miss Fucking Popular today: Ash, then Dave Winter, now Carter:
Can I come over for a sleepover? Mom is being a nightmare again.ย Bel typed out a reply:
Canโt sorry, Iโm out!
She slid her phone back into her jacket pocket, stared at Ash expectantly.ย โSoโฆI didnโt come here just to insult your hideous sweater. You said youโd found something?โ
โYes, we did, when we were editing the dinner party scene. Hold on, I should have the camera on.โ
Heย ๏ฌipped out the view๏ฌnder and pressed record, snapping hisย ๏ฌngers in front of the lens like a makeshift clapper board. There were books on the desk,ย The Woman who Disappeared Twiceย on top, an old true-crime book about Rachel. Ash placed the camera on the pile, pointing it back at them.
โYou sit here.โย He patted the cushioned chair closest to the camera, a spew of dust as he did,ย ๏ฌoating around her.
Bel sat.
Ash did too, pulling his chair in too close, leaning across her to reach the laptop.
He froze, her breath on his exposed neck.
Bel looked at the shape of his mouth and he looked at hers. A second dragged by, Belโs heart out of its place, beating too many times,ย ๏ฌnding his green eyes again.
Oh fuck.
She blinked and pulled back, leaning into her chair. Ash coughed into hisย ๏ฌst,ย ๏ฌddling with the cameraโs position. Just in time too, like theyโd been about to cross some unseen line. Lucky the camera was there between them, to hold the line. Because that would have been really fucking stupid. Pointless too. Ash would leave forever when thisย ๏ฌlm was done. That was all they were to each other. Subject and Camera Assistant.
Bel shifted her chair a few inches away. His Side and Her Side. He better stay out of hers.
โIs it about my dad?โย she asked instead, Ash turning back to the laptop.
He clicked into a folder labeledย Dinner Party.ย โAbout Rachel?โ
โYouโll see.โย He double-clicked on an audioย ๏ฌle.ย โOr, rather, youโllย hear.โ
The on-screen arrow hovered over the play button, twitching in tandem with Ashโsย ๏ฌnger on the trackpad.
โI was going through the audio from the dinner party, to see if your dad said anything when he stormed o๏ฌ, if he gave any clues as to where heโs gone now.โ
Bel leaned forward, forgetting about Her Side.ย โDid he?โ
Ash shook his head.ย โHe saidย for fuckโs sake,ย nothing else, then turned his mike pack o๏ฌ. But there was someone else who didnโt. Someone who
forgot they were wearing a hot mike, that they were being recorded.โย Bel blinked the question at him.
โYour uncle Je๏ฌ,โย he answered.ย โJe๏ฌย went to help your grandpa into the car, after everyone left the table.โ
โI remember,โย Bel said.
โThis is the conversation they had, what the microphone picked up.โย Ash pressed play.
Rustling.
Heavy breathing.
โAre you in, Dad?โย Je๏ฌโs gru๏ฌย voice, breathless with e๏ฌort.ย โLet me get the seat belt.โ
โIโI,โย Grandpa stuttered.ย โDonโt worry, Iโll get that.โย More rustling.
A click.
โDad,โย Je๏ฌโs voice dropped lower, into whispers. Bel closed her eyes to focus her ears.ย โI have to ask you something, and I need you to remember.โ
The swish of movement, a cacophony of clothes crackling against each other.
Ash paused quickly.ย โThereโs audio here, but itโs too quiet to hear over the rustling, Iโve tried.โ
He un-paused.
A grating click from the back of a throat; the sound her grandpa made when he was searching for words.
โI donโt know who that is,โย he rasped.
Je๏ฌโs voice came back clearer.ย โYou do, Dad. You do know. Where was she? Where did theyย ๏ฌnd her?โ
โI donโt know.โ
โDad, I need you to try. Itโs important.โ
โI donโtโฆI want to go home,โย Grandpa said, voice frail, every syllable an e๏ฌort.ย โWhereโsโฆY-Yโโ
โYordan?โย Je๏ฌย sighed, the scratch ofย ๏ฌngernails against stubble.ย โIโll go get him. You stay here, Dad.โ
โThatโs it.โย Ash stopped theย ๏ฌle, the abrupt silence buzzing in Belโs ears.ย โSaba took the microphone o๏ฌย him when he came back inside.โ
Belโs mouth opened and closed, chewing the air while she searched for words, no more luck than Grandpa.ย โWhat?โย was all she came up with.
โI know,โย Ash spoke low and light.ย โI messaged you as soon as we heard
it.โ
โWhere was she?โย Bel quoted her uncle.ย โWhere did theyย ๏ฌnd her?ย Heโs
talking about Rachel, isnโt he?โย She looked for con๏ฌrmation in Ashโs eyes.ย โThatโs what we thought too.โ
Bel thought that through, forking paths ofย ifs andย buts, her head racing down each way and backtracking.
โWait a second,โย she said, telling herself too.ย โSo Je๏ฌย thinks Grandpa knows something about Rachel. About where she was those sixteen years, and her reappearance.ย Where did theyย ๏ฌnd her?ย It sounds like she had to come back because someone found herโwhoโsย they?โ
Ash looked at her; too much eye contact, then not enough.ย โSeems Je๏ฌย didnโt get the answers he wanted either.โ
โBut why does Je๏ฌย think Grandpa knows something about Rachel? He has dementia, he doesnโtย knowย anything.โ
Ash shrugged.ย โYour uncle seems convinced he has the answers, you can
hear the desperation in his voice.โ
Bel chewed on that too.ย โWell, fuck.โย She sat back in her chair, burying herย ๏ฌngers in her hair.
โMade me wonder,โย Ash said,ย โif it had anything to do with what Julian Tripp said. Rachelโs comment aboutย youโre a lifesaverย and that she was scared of someone, him bringing up Je๏ฌโs name.โ
Bel tried to sort through it all, drawing lines in her head. Rachel scared of Je๏ฌ? Rachel planning her disappearance, taking money from Mr. Tripp so no one would suspect she left willingly? Grandpa knowing something about Rachel? Je๏ฌย knowing Grandpa knew something but not what it was? How did all of thisย ๏ฌt together?
โWhatever Je๏ฌย thinks Grandpa knows about Rachel, heโs kept it to himself, and now Dadโs gone.โย Bel set her jaw.ย โBut he wonโt be keeping it
much longer. Heโs going to tell me, tomorrow.โ
Bel could do it; get Uncle Je๏ฌย to crack, just like Sherry. Because there was something else hiding between the members of the Price family, something Rachelโs return had disturbed.
Beneath the land mines, there were secrets too.
