"Sometimes you need more than money to make people talk," Drake said.
Gage gave him a long look, then a nod. "You're right. I understand now why you punched me. I'd like to do the same."
For a moment, I thought Gage might take a swing at Drake, but his clenched hands stayed at his side as he walked back into the hospital. I looked at Drake and Ben. "What do you both think?"
"I'm leaning toward believing him," Ben said. "If he didn't know Kelsey was cheating on him, he had no motive to make her disappear. Carter, on the other hand, did have a motive to stop her from marrying his brother."
"And he tried to kill himself because…" I struggled to get through the sentence, but I couldn't run from my fear; I had to face it. "Because he hurt Kelsey?"
"I don't know," Ben said. "Maybe. He might have also been the one who shoved you in the water, Willow. That could have sat on his conscience, too."
"He saw me this morning. He knew I was fine." I turned to Drake. "Do you believe Carter's OD was deliberate?"
"It could have been an accident. Carter has been upset since Kelsey went missing. He's made it clear he's in love with her, that he tried to talk her out of marrying his brother. Maybe the last time they spoke, there was anger between them. He could have felt guilty about pressuring her. He might think he was responsible for her disappearance, which could have led him to take too many pills. He might have been just trying to escape the anxiety."
"Thanks," I said. "That was the story I wanted to hear." I put up a hand as he opened his mouth again. "Don't tell me the other version of that story."
"I'll go by the Chadwick house and get Carter's phone and computer," Ben said. "Maybe there's something on his devices that will give us a clue, not only about him but also about Kelsey."
"Can we come with you?" I asked.
"No. Let me handle this. I appreciate the information you brought me, but I need to take it from here."
"You wouldn't be here without us," Drake pointed out.
Ben ignored that comment. "If you find out anything else, let me know."
As Ben left, Drake turned to me. "What do you want to do?"
I thought for a moment. "I need to go home, talk to my parents and Brooklyn. They have a right to know what we've discovered about Carter and Kelsey. It may not be what they want to hear, but I feel like I should tell them."
"You should. It's better than being left in the dark, wondering if anyone is even looking for the person you love."
"You must have felt so alone," I murmured. "Your mom was probably tending to your dad, leaving you on your own."
"She did what she had to do," he said tersely.
"Which doesn't make it better. It's the same with my family. My dad is busy watching over my mom, and Brooklyn is trying to be so strong she can't let anyone else share her pain. But each person is living on an island of pain."
"Especially you."
"Well, I'm not exactly alone. I can't seem to get rid of you."
He gave me a faint smile. "Better than nothing?"
"I'm still undecided," I said dryly.
"Fair enough."
"So, talking to Gage was illuminating," I added as we walked toward the car. "I wasn't expecting him to apologize to you."
"That was surprising. But I'm not sure it wasn't an act. Gage's back is against the wall. He and his brother are suddenly suspects in Kelsey's disappearance. He needs to look like he wants to cooperate. Gage is smart, Willow. Probably smarter now than he was ten years ago."
"You're right." I paused as we reached my car. "I can drop you off before I go home."
He met my gaze. "I think we should stick together."
"Why?"
"Why not?"
"It will be awkward. Plus, my parents and Brooklyn are under a lot of stress right now. Seeing you won't help."
"I won't say anything to bother anyone. Let me be there for you, Willow."
I wanted to believe that Drake cared about me and wanted to be there for me. But I was afraid to let myself believe in the fantasy of Drake again. That might lead to the same painful place I'd been once before.
"If you come with me, you can't bring up the lie Brooklyn told. I can't let you create more stress for my parents or my sister. Not now. Not when everything is so terrifying."
He nodded. "I understand. I won't bring it up. I will just be your silent support."
I was too tired to argue, and there was a part of me that wanted Drake by my side. "All right. Don't make me sorry. I don't think I can handle another crushing disappointment right now."
Chapter Twenty
When we got to my parents' house, we found Brooklyn and Rachel in the living room. Rachel was sobbing, and Brooklyn was trying to comfort her.
"Did you hear about Carter?" I asked.
"Preston called and told us," Brooklyn replied, a sad note in her voice. "Mom and Dad just left to go to the clinic. I don't know what good Mom will be. She was a mess before this happened. She's barely holding it together. But she said she wanted to be there for Eileen."
I had a feeling my mother was more interested in being there for Sean, but I kept that thought to myself.
"What are you doing here, Drake?" Brooklyn asked, her gaze catching on the man behind me.
"He's with me," I said quickly. "He wants to help us find Kelsey."
"Or accuse us of doing something horrible," Rachel said with an angry sniff.
"That's not why I'm here," Drake said. "I'm sorry about Carter."
"It's awful," Rachel said. "I had a long talk with Carter on Tuesday night, after we took James to the hotel, and I never imagined this would happen two days later. He must have been so upset over Kelsey that he just didn't realize how many pills he'd taken."
"Or Carter knew exactly what he was doing," I said.
Rachel shook her head. "He wasn't trying to kill himself, Willow. This was an accident. It had to be."
"What did you and Carter talk about the other night?"
"Our lives. Where we were, what we wanted. He helped me weigh some career options." Rachel paused. "Carter didn't seem depressed. He was a little off, but I think he was just tired of being in Gage's shadow. He was saying how Gage always gets forgiven for everything, even minor stuff, like missing the ferry. Kelsey gets mad at Gage, but once he comes in and gives her a smile, everything is instantly better. It was just brother stuff."
"He didn't mention that he was in love with Kelsey?" I asked.
Rachel stared back at me, the truth in her eyes. "Why would you ask me that?"
"It's out, Rachel. I know Carter and Kelsey had an affair. Brooklyn knows, too. Oh, and so does Gage, by the way. We just told him."
"You told him?" Brooklyn asked in shock. "Why would you tell him that now?"
"Because Carter and Kelsey's affair could be tied to her disappearance."