Brogan paces back and forth in front of that huge fireplace. His hair looks like he’s been pulling on it all morning. I shift my gaze. The noon sun glimmers on the ocean, bright as brass. I blink, shift again. The antique nautical map above the hearth. Now I recognize it. North Carolina’s coast.
“Raleigh.”
“Sir?”
“Tell the others how you found her.”
“I didn’t actually find her. I just followed—”
“But you were there, right away.”
His tone. It sounds like I had something to do with this mess. I glance left. Lanette and Raju are waiting for my explanation. On my right, Tex stands as still and silent as a pier.
My mind stutters for the right words. “I heard an alarm. The ambulance. It was coming down the beach. I followed it.”
Brogan stops pacing. He gazes at us like a drill sergeant inspecting the troops. “Cady Cavendish was buried up to her neck.”
“It’s an old pirate torture,” Lanette says.
Brogan pivots, facing her. “That’s what you have to say about this?”
“Additional information is always helpful.” She pushes her glasses up. “Don’t you agree?”
Gotta say, this girl doesn’t seem intimidated by Brogan. Meanwhile, Raju is shifting foot-to-foot. And Tex slowly raises his hand.
“Tex?”
“Did she say what happened?”
“Who, Raleigh?”
“Cady. Cavendish.”
“No, she did not say.” Brogan paces again. “Because she can’t say. Her system’s loaded with narcotics.”
“Perhaps she’s an addict,” Lanette says.
“Addict?” Brogan spins, another full-face affront. “Addict? Perhaps you’re missing the point. That poor girl was drugged and buried.”
“But she hasn’t said anything that explains what happened.” Lanette pushes her glasses. “Was she sexually assaulted?”
Brogan winces. Like he’s personally wounded. “How is that any of our business?”
“I would want somebody to ask, if I was the one who was buried.”
“Lanette, whatever happened, I highly doubt Cady’s the cause of her own destruction. Do you honestly believe a girl like that would go to this kind of trouble? For what end?”
Lanette opens her mouth.
Brogan cuts her off. “I didn’t pick you kids randomly. Nobody’s here who shouldn’t be here.”
Personally, I disagree. It’s a fact that I shouldn’t be here without Drew. And never mind this contest, I can’t even handle the look on Brogan’s face. Carefully controlled rage. Because this contest just went haywire, and billionaire philanthropists are not used to people arguing with them. Especially people barely old enough for learner’s permits. I stare at the nautical map, tracing Ocracoke with my gaze.
Lanette doesn’t stop. “You’re saying Cady wouldn’t do this on her own. That leaves us one hypothesis. There’s a predator among us. Or a predator on the island.”
Tex drawls, “Like your crabs and starfish?”
“Exactly.”
“But people aren’t starfish,” Tex says.
“True. But predators share certain common denominators.”
Brogan faces Lanette again, only now his expression changes. He seems curious. “What sort of common denominators?”
“Predators always seek power. Domination over others or their environment. Sometimes both.”
“Continue.”
“In my study, the starfish predators wanted to dominate the beach. That was their goal.”
“Keep going.”
“Since predatory behavior is always about power, the question we need to ask is, What was gained by burying Cady Cavendish?”
“Exactly.” Brogan looks directly at her, nodding his approval. “Lanette, I’m sorry I misunderstood your line of questioning.” He turns toward the rest of us. “And that brings me back to you four. You are the people who would gain from this terrible event. Cady is gone. That removes some steep competition.”
Raju hops foot-to-foot, like a kid about to pee his pants. But Tex grows even more still, like his back’s stiffening. And me? I’m doubting my own innocence. Because deep down inside, I was relieved Cady was out of the competition.
“I will not cancel this contest.” Brogan scans us again, stopping at me. “Especially since that might’ve been the plan.”
My face flushes. Stop.
“From now on,” he says, “you’ll be working in pairs.”
“Pairs?” Raju looks at us like we’re unclean. “You mean, together?”
“That is the concept behind pairs, Raju. You’ll work with Tex. Lanette, you and Raleigh are now a team.”
“B-b-but—” Raju stutters.
“Oh. I see.” Brogan arches an eyebrow. “Worried about the money, Raju?”
Raju tries to shrug. But nobody in their right mind would buy his sudden nonchalance.
“I promised you that the winner would receive a fifty thousand dollar scholarship,” Brogan says. “I’ve built my career on keeping my word. So the scholarship will now double.”
“A hundred—” Raju swallows the rest.
“That’s right. The winning team will receive a hundred thousand dollar scholarship, split evenly.”
Raju smiles. “That’s very generous.”
Brogan doesn’t take the bait.
“No games. No cheating. And you will meet back here at five o’clock.”
His hard gaze scans each of our faces.
But he stares at me the longest.
“And no ‘predatory behavior.’ Is that understood?”