"Conflicting stories?"
I looked to Drake. "Do you want to fill him in?"
"A witness saw James's red Audi in town around ten o'clock that night, so he wasn't on the beach, and he wasn't with Brooklyn at that point," Drake said.
"Brooklyn covered for him," I added. "But we don't want to derail your investigation into Kelsey's disappearance with all this right now."
"Got it." Ben gave Drake a speculative look. "That was in the police report? I never saw that."
"It was buried in a long witness statement made by Mrs. Wiggins."
"Oh. Right. Mrs. Wiggins went on for three pages about how Hawk Island was becoming riddled with crime," Ben said. "I guess I missed the mention of James."
"It was a mention of his car, which I'm sure the deputy taking the statement wouldn't have known had any significance to any of the other witness statements."
I was surprised Drake wasn't expressing anger about the missed detail, but maybe he was trying to stay on Ben's good side now.
"James did confirm that he lied about being with Brooklyn all night," I put in. "But he told me he was passed out on the beach and that he didn’t want his parents to know. That’s why he lied. Anyway, we can deal with that later."
"Is that it?" Ben asked.
"Yes."
"You need to be careful, Willow." Ben gave me a pointed look. "I'd say the same thing to Drake, but he's not going to listen. You should. You could have died last night."
His words sent a chill through me. "I know. I'm going to be more careful."
As I finished speaking, Ben's desk phone rang.
"Hold on a sec." He picked up the phone. "Yes? What?"
My stomach turned over. Ben was getting news and judging by his expression, it wasn't good. My body trembled as panic ran through me. I moved closer to Drake, impulsively slipping my hand into his. He squeezed my fingers as we waited for Ben to get off the phone.
"All right," Ben said. "I'll be there as soon as I can."
"Kelsey?" I bit out as he hung up the phone.
"No." He gave us a grim look. "Carter Chadwick overdosed. He's on his way to the medical center."
I gasped in shock. I was extremely glad I was hanging onto Drake, as I felt like the ground had just shifted beneath me once more. "Is Carter going to be all right?"
"I don't know. I have to go."
"We're going, too," Drake said. "We'll meet you at the medical center."
"I don't think any of the Chadwicks will want to see you there," Ben said.
"Well, I don't think I care," Drake said. "And you don't want to waste time arguing with me, Ben."
"Or me," I added.
Ben shrugged at our united front. "Fine. But let me do the talking."
Chapter Nineteen
The Hawk Island Medical Center was in a two-story building about two miles from the sheriff's department. It had been built twelve years ago, funded by many of the generous summer residents, including my parents. They'd become concerned about the level and quality of medical care on the island when Brooklyn had broken her hand while hiking. That concern had encouraged my mother to lead a fundraising campaign to build a new center. The other families at Chambers' Point had also been donors. It was a nice reminder that my circle of family and friends had done some good things on this island.
I wanted to keep that perspective, because watching secrets and lies unravel around me the past few days had colored my thinking. People I'd thought I could trust had become strangers and suspects in crimes too horrible to contemplate. My mind was probably exaggerating the feeling of evil lurking all around me. At least, I hoped it was. Because the alternative was terrifying.
Drake and I caught up to Ben as he entered the facility, and we accompanied him down the hall to the emergency department where the Chadwicks were waiting. Eileen and Sean were seated on a long bench. Eileen was crying, and Sean had his arms around her, trying to console her. Preston was talking to a nurse while Gage was pacing.
Gage looked like he'd aged ten years since he'd first arrived on the island. He was normally very put together in expensive clothes, with blond hair styled, and face shaven. But his hair was windblown, and there were dark shadows under his blue eyes, a growth of beard on his face. His clothes were wrinkled. It didn't look like he'd slept in a very long time.
Ben walked over to Gage. "What happened?"
"My father found Carter on the floor of his bathroom. There was an empty bottle of Vicodin next to him," Gage said tightly.
"We don't know if the bottle was full to start," Sean put in. "It's possible Carter had a heart attack, and the pills had nothing to do with it."
Sean was already putting together a narrative he could live with. I couldn't fault him for that. He was desperate to believe his son had not tried to take his own life. That thought hit me hard. I'd been thinking accidental overdose all the way over here, but perhaps it had been deliberate.
"I'm sorry," Ben said. "When was the last time any of you spoke to Carter?"
"We searched together for Kelsey this morning," Gage replied. "He left at lunchtime. I haven't seen him since then."
"What about the rest of you?" Ben asked.
"What does it matter when any of us talked to Carter?" Sean asked. He set Eileen to the side and got to his feet. "This isn't a crime scene, Ben. Our son…he had a medical emergency. We don't need you here. We need you looking for Kelsey." Sean's gaze moved to Drake. "What the hell is he doing here?"
"Drake is with me," Ben said before Drake could reply.
"Then you should both leave," Sean said coldly.
"I need a word with Gage," Ben said, ignoring Sean's comment.
I was surprised at the look of determination on Ben's face. I thought he might back down from wanting to talk to Gage with Carter's life hanging on the line. But he was in sheriff mode, direct and decisive.
"No." Sean shook his head. "Don't talk to him, Gage."
"Dad, it's fine. I want to talk to Ben. I can't do anything here, but Kelsey is still out there, and I need to find her."
Gage's words hit exactly the right note for a man who was desperate to find the woman he loved and wasn't scared to talk to the sheriff about her. I'd started to think he was guilty of something, but maybe he wasn't.
As Ben and Gage moved down the hall, Drake followed. Before I joined them, I turned to Eileen. "I'm so sorry. I pray Carter will be all right."
"He has to be. He's my baby boy."
I felt so sad for her. She looked completely devastated, and I had no words to comfort her, so I told her what she'd told me earlier in the week. "Don't give up hope. Carter is young and strong. He can recover from this."
"Will you tell your parents, Willow?"
"Yes, of course."
As Eileen started crying again, Sean sat back down and pulled her into his arms. I was glad to see that. She needed her husband, even if he was a cheater.