“Did you say my dad?” I asked, confused. I felt the room spin. He was at Alex’s house? My father?
“Yeah. He was upset. Something about someone stealing from his traps.”
He was talking fast, his voice dropping in and out. Through the phone, I heard a car horn wail.
“Where are you?” I asked.
“Driving to the dock. I just wanted to tell Ryland. See if I could catch him before he went out. I don’t know what happened, but your dad seemed kind of crazy. Like he wanted to kill me kind of crazy.”
“Kill you?” I yelled.
“Well, me at first. But then Ryland. Or somebody. Whoever messed with his traps, I guess.”
“Did he say where he was going?”
“No. But he left here in a hurry. I’m thinking he went looking for Ryland.”
“Pick me up,” I said. “I’m going with you.”
There was a pause on the other end. Then, “Jess. Let me check it out and I’ll call you—”
“Alex. Pick me up, or I’ll ride my bike down. Either way, I’m going.”
I heard him sigh. “Fine. Be ready in five minutes,” he said. “I’m not far from your house.”
I tossed the phone on the counter, ran to my room, and changed into the first shorts I could find, holding the waistband with one hand while I dialed my father’s cell phone with the other. It rang for what seemed like an eternity until it went to voice mail. I hung up and called again, tripping over my feet as the shorts stuck around my ankles. I hit the speaker button on the phone and pressed redial two more times in the time it took me to get dressed.
When I got his voice mail the fifth time, I gave up, threw the phone on the bed, and ran down to the front porch just as Alex pulled up to the curb.
He leaned over and opened the door and I got in, shutting the door in a hurry.
“I’m sorry,” he said, glancing over at me as he pulled away from the curb. “I don’t want to scare you if it’s nothing.”
I looked over at him. “Did it seem like nothing?” I asked, and he shook his head.
He was driving fast, and we both concentrated on the road ahead. A minute later, we were in the center of town when I heard a siren. I looked out the back window to see an ambulance on the road. A fire truck behind it.
Alex pulled over to let them pass, and we watched as they turned into the fish shop parking lot in front of us.
Alex stepped on the gas, maneuvering through traffic, following the ambulance. I was out of the car before he shut the engine, sprinting down the dock. I turned the corner and saw Boon at the end of the dock, near the water.
Two policemen stood next to him, all of them watching a boat tearing through the water, full throttle, straight at them, the No Wake buoy launching in the air from the large swells behind the speeding boat.
My feet hit the gangplank at the same time as Alex’s, a loud clang ringing out over the sirens. Boon turned and saw me, a panic-stricken look on his face. He said something to the policeman, and then Boon was running at me, turning me around, pushing me back in the direction of the shop.
“Get in the shop,” he shouted, then pointed at Alex. “Get her in the shop now, and don’t come out until I get you.” He stood in front of me, blocking my view of the water.
Behind him, the boat roared into the dock, slamming into the slip so hard that the wood shifted under our feet.
We stumbled, caught our footing. Boon looked over his shoulder at the boat, then looked back at Alex.
“Make her go. Now,” he growled, grabbing my hand and motioning for Alex to take it. I felt Alex’s arm around my shoulders, turning me. Two paramedics ran past us, a stretcher rolling between them.
I looked over my shoulder and saw a man on the boat. He was screaming at the paramedics, pointing at something on the deck of the boat. It took me a minute to realize it was Ryland Finn, his face bruised, black circles under each eye.
I yanked away from Alex, running toward the boat. Boon caught me and swung me around, trying to shield my view with his body, but it was too late. I saw Finn bend over and lift something up, throwing it over his shoulder. A rag doll, the limbs flopping lifelessly. Then Finn stepped off the boat onto the dock, turning to the stretcher, and the lifeless rag doll’s head was in front of me, my father’s face resting against Finn’s back, blood in streaks down his face.
My legs gave out, and then Boon was half carrying, half walking me up the dock, lifting me in the air, pushing me forward. Tears were blinding me. I tried to turn around again, but Boon tightened his grip. “Walk, goddammit,” he shouted.
He pushed me through the back door of the shop, Alex following behind us, and slammed the door once we were all in.
“Is he dead?” I cried, and Boon grabbed me by the shoulders. Alex was next to me, his face white.
“Stop it,” Boon yelled. “I need you to calm down. Understand?” He glared at me. “Calm.” He spread his hands out at me, gesturing for me to slow down. I gulped, my breath coming out in ragged hiccups.
“Now, listen to me. I’m going to call your mother, and then we’re going to get in my truck and go to the hospital.” He blew out a breath, rolled his eyes. “What a fucking shit show,” he muttered.
The front door of the shop opened, and we heard footsteps, heavy and quick, and then Finn was in front of us, blood covering the front of his shirt.
“He’s on his way,” he said, motioning to the ambulance pulling out of the parking lot. “He’s breathing, but I don’t know how long he was under. It took me a couple of minutes—”
“Got it,” Boon cut him off, and Finn glanced at me.
“Didn’t you tell him I gave it back?” Finn asked, and Boon’s face grew sharp, his eyes flaring at Finn.
“You think I have fucking time to unravel this mess right now?” Boon barked, and Finn put his hands up, nodding again.
“Where’s his boat?” Boon asked.
“Still out there,” Finn said. “Drifting. After I pulled him, I didn’t want to waste time with the anchor. I didn’t know, you know, if he was breath . . .” He glanced at me. “I just wanted to get him some help. Anyway. I’ll go find the boat. Tow her in if I have to.”
“I’ll go with you,” Alex offered. “I can drive her in.” He looked at Boon, who held out his hand for Alex to shake.
“Thanks, man,” Boon said to Alex. He walked to the front door, and I followed him.
“Jess. Wait,” I heard Alex say from behind me. I turned and he was in front of me, his arms pulling me in, my face pressing against his T-shirt. He let me go, bending until his face was even with mine. “He’s going to be fine,” he whispered, and pressed his lips to my cheek, held them there for a moment before he pulled away. “I’ll come to the hospital as soon as I can,” he said, and jogged after Finn, who’d disappeared out the back door.
I walked out the door, feeling numb. Boon was waiting in his truck, the passenger door open. I climbed in, and when my seat belt was fastened, he reached over and gave my shoulder a squeeze.