Murder Is Private by Diane Weiner Page B

It wasn’t going to happen. The driver picked her up and threw her over the side of the boat. She plunged under the water with a splash. The boat sped off, leaving her in the middle of the ocean.
    She thrashed her way to the surface, coughing and spitting out ocean water. Between the sawing on the boat seat and the water loosening the adhesive, she managed to free her hands from the tape. Her heart raced. She flailed her feet, then started treading water. Realizing her hands were free, she ripped off the hood and the gag.
    A sliver of moonlight barely illuminated the surface of the water. She couldn’t remember ever feeling this afraid. She was thankful that the ocean water wasn’t freezing cold like back home. She felt like she was swimming in bath water. Swimming. Could she swim to shore? She had no idea which direction the shore was. The city kept the lights off to protect the baby sea turtles. Warm water. Didn’t sharks like warm water? She screamed into the blackness.

Chapter 24

    “Lynette, where’s Mom?” Evan asked his sister.
    “Isn’t she in her room?”
    “No, I just checked. Audrey hasn’t seen her.”
    “She said she was going to take a walk, but that was hours ago. Oh, no, Evan, I’m worried. Maybe she got lost,” said Lynette.
    The two siblings searched the house, then the neighborhood. There was no sign of their mother. Audrey volunteered to stay with the baby.
    “I hope your mother is all right. She may have gotten lost,” suggested Audrey. “All these streets look alike, especially at night.” She tossed her car keys to Evan.
    Evan drove, Lynette navigated. They left the neighborhood and followed the street to the school, scanning every inch of the sidewalks as they passed. They arrived at the campus, and Evan parked at the arboretum. They searched on foot, in the rain. There was no sign of their mother. Lynette’s phone rang.
    “It’s Audrey,” the caller’s voice said. “Did you find her? I’m terrified something has happened to her. I knew I should have insisted she stay home in New York. I never should have let her sub. I knew it would be dangerous. It’s all my fault.”
    “Calm down, Audrey,” said Lynette. “We’ll find her. She was on foot. She couldn’t have gone far.”
    “She’s not here,” said Evan, after they had checked the school grounds.
    “Let’s try the beach. She sometimes takes walks there,” said Lynette.
    They pulled around the back of the auditorium, facing the beach.
    “Which way?” asked Evan.
    “I don’t know. Let’s go toward the pier.”
    “It’s so dark. Good thing you thought to bring a flashlight,” he said.
    Lynette and Evan ran through the sand of the deserted beach. Raindrops pelted their faces.
    “You look toward the water; I’ll look toward campus,” said Lynette. Her phone rang.
    “Audrey, did Mom come home?”
    “No. I was hoping you’d found her. Maybe we should call the police.”
    “Tell you what. Call Kevin. His number’s on the fridge under the Las Vegas magnet.”
    “Come on, Evan!” cried Lynette. “Audrey’s calling Kevin. Let’s keep looking.”
    They ran farther toward the pier. A flash of lightning illuminated the sand.
    “Lynette, stop!” He scooped something out of the wet sand.
    “What is it?”
    “Mom’s bracelet! The one I made for her at summer camp when I was ten.”
    Lynette shone the flashlight at the sand. She bent down and examined the shiny, beaded bracelet. “You’re right. It’s Mom’s.”

Chapter 25

    Susan’s legs were too numb to tread water any longer. She held her breath, then floated, face down in the water to conserve energy. Didn’t they refer to this position as the ‘dead man’s float’? She shook the image out of her head. Every time the water moved, she jumped, certain she was about to be dinner for a shark. Not a single boat had passed during the entire time.
    I’ll never see my family again. Was helping Audrey worth dying over? She pictured Mike watching TV