AUGUST 5

MAUD

When the doorbell rang, I was the only one home to answer it. Groaning, I hopped off my bed and threw a UBC sweatshirt over my tank top before hurrying downstairs. When I looked through the peephole, I grimaced and wished Grandfather was here to do the talking.

I conjured a polite smile as I opened the door. "Sheriff Wakeman. Hi."

If there was a socially acceptable way for an innocent person to tell the sheriff to leave them alone, I'd love to know.

"Maud." Sheriff Wakeman gave me a brief once over. "I hope that you're recovering well."

Curiosity spiked inside me. Even on a small island, sheriffs didn't perform routine wellness checks on residents.

"Thank you, I'm trying to," I said, maintaining my smile. "Is there something that I can do for you?"

"There is," Wakeman confirmed. "Do you mind if I come in for a few minutes?"

She phrased it as a question, but it wasn't one. That much was obvious.

"Um," I faltered, my hands itching for my phone that I'd left upstairs. "My grandfather isn't home right now, but I'll tell him that you stopped by."

"I'm here to speak to you."

I was too startled to issue a coherent response and stepped aside to allow Wakeman to cross over the threshold.

"Can I get you anything?" I asked as I escorted Wakeman over to the sitting room. "Water? There's also probably some coffee left too."

Wakeman lifted a hand, shaking her head as she lowered herself into one of the two high back chairs. "No, but thank you."

I exhaled a shaky breath as I sat down across from Wakeman. "With all due respect, Sheriff Wakeman, I already provided your department with my statement for what happened on July 10th." I paused, twisting my hands together in my lap. "I promise that I still don't know why Albert killed the orca or how someone persuaded him to do it. None of it makes sense to me."

Wakeman offered me an unconcerned nod, dismissing my comment. "I'm sure that you are aware of the similarities between the ongoing case and the screenplay of Apex."

"Sort of," I said, sitting up a little straighter. I wasn't lying, but I wasn't being completely honest. "Nothing specific, though. There are a lot of rumors going around, so it's difficult to know what to believe."

"That's the nature of rumors," Wakeman pointed out with a wry smile. "Has your history with Dakota Black given you any insight as to what Albert was hoping to accomplish through killing the orca?"

"I don't think I understand what you're asking of me."

Now that was a total lie.

I understood perfectly what Wakeman was asking, and the scar on my hand began to burn a little. I tried not to think about Harry Potter.

If Wakeman had asked me about Dakota's merits last month, my answer would've been different. When it came to Apex, I hadn't trusted Dakota, and sometimes I still thought that I couldn't. However, now I knew in my heart of hearts that he hadn't done anything wrong. It was unfortunate that it took me almost drowning to figure that out.

"How can you be sure of that?" Wakeman asked.

"Because you're right," I stated, salvaging some of my composure. "I do understand his moral character better than you, so believe me when I say that he's not capable of hurting people."

Wakeman's expression softened. "My department is just as committed to protecting this island as you are, Maud. That's why I think your insight is valuable."

I stood up, folding my arms in front of my chest. "I wish I knew something that could help you, but I don't. I'm sorry."

"There's no reason for you to be sorry," Wakeman said and slowly rose to her feet, adjusting the badge pinned to her navy uniform. "And while I can't share the explicit details, I wanted you to know that Albert is defending his claim that an anonymous source pressured him to kill the orca."

I scoffed. "Pressured? He still should have asked for help. I'll never understand how after years of being a naturalist and working for Pacific King, he was able to do what he did that night."

Whenever I closed my eyes, I could still recall those moments at Cape Blue with striking clarity. The thick coppery smell of blood along with saltwater had burned my nose, and the dampness of my hair had made me shiver. Then, of course, the horrified expressions of the five other people who saw the dead orca were tattooed on the backs of my eyelids. We were all haunted by the crime that Albert committed.

"What does Orcinus orca mean to you?" Wakeman asked, yanking me out of my pool memories.

"That's the full genus name for orcas," I said, leading Wakeman over to the front door. "Though I'm sure that you're already aware of that."

"And that translates to the kingdom of the dead, correct?"

"Or bringer of death."

"Does that mean anything to you specifically?"

The note from my journal.

Wakeman was talking about the note that Allix had found on the boat. I didn't remember when I wrote that note or why, but I was beginning to get the sense that Wakeman thought that this was relevant to the case.

"It doesn't," I shrugged.

"One last thing," Wakeman said just as she turned the doorknob. "Do you know if your grandfather is in possession of a key to Albert's property?"

"Like his house?" I asked, stalling for time to mull over my response. Grandfather did in fact have a key, one that I imagined was still in the upper drawer of his desk.

"Yes."

"Not that I know of," I answered with another shrug.

"Very well. If there's anything you uncover or want to share in the coming days, don't hesitate to reach out."

When the door closed shut behind Wakeman, I managed to keep my sigh of relief inaudible. Instinct was a funny thing; it wasn't always logical, but that didn't make it wrong.

I waited until I heard the sound of Wakeman's patrol car reversing out of the driveway before rushing into Grandfather's study. The smell of old maps and books tickled my nose. A handcrafted model of the USS Constitution sat on the smooth mahogany surface of the desk. It was the world's oldest commissioned warship and one of Grandfather's most prized possessions alongside the desk itself, which had been in the Nakamura family for over a century.

Trepidation fired through my bloodstream as I gently tugged open the top drawer of the desk, and my eyes immediately latched onto a little bronze key stashed inside a transparent plastic bag.

"Okay," I muttered as I picked it up. "Okay, I can work with this."

*

"That is a terrible fucking plan."

Syd sat across from me at the kitchen island with a bowl of soggy Lucky Charms in front of him. My explanation of my plan to visit Albert's house seemed to have stolen his attention away from his cereal for what might have been the first time in his life.

"Give me three good reasons why it's terrible," I said, making a grueling effort to keep my voice level and full of quiet conviction. I wasn't going to bully Syd into taking part in my plan; I wanted him to see the merit in it.

Syd scoffed, shaking his head. "I could give you fifty, but I won't because we are going to wait."

"Why? What are we waiting for?"

"For me to think of a better plan!"

"There is no better plan," I assured him, having given the matter a great deal of thought before I invited him over to my house. "Are you going to help me or what?"

Syd exhaled a hard breath as he leaned forward, resting his elbows on the island and putting his head in his hands. "Maud, if you give me two minutes to think, I swear to God that I'll think of one that's better than breaking into Albert's house."

I gestured to the key sitting on the island. "It's not breaking in if we have a key."

"Fine, but it's still a key that you told Wakeman that you didn't know about."

I threaded my fingers through my hair and sighed. "Telling Wakeman about the key didn't feel right, okay? The question came out of nowhere, and I had to make a choice."

"Wakeman is the sheriff who's trying to solve a murder case," Syd pointed at me with his spoon. "It's her job to ask questions."

"Asking questions is our job too," I countered. "We've been all-in on this since May 16th, and it's personal."

"Can we backtrack for a moment?" Syd asked, and I reluctantly nodded. "How do we know that Wakeman isn't just baiting you with information to see what you know? I mean, she asked what Orcinus orca meant to you. Clearly, she thinks you know something that she doesn't."

"But that's just it," I huffed out, growing impatient. "There's nothing I know that the rest of you don't, and that's why I'm willing to risk it."

"The last time you were willing to risk it, you nearly got yourself killed!" Syd exploded, and I flinched.

Everyone needed to stop treating me like I was a dead girl walking. I was getting really sick of it, but the worst part was that none of this only impacted me. When something happened to you, it happened to the people closest to you as well. The pain radiated beyond its epicenter.

"Look, Syd," I began, my chest tightening with repressed emotion. "I understand why this might feel sketchy, and how maybe it seems like I'm going off the rails, but I don't want to do this without you. I won't do it without you." I paused to take a breath, and briefly glanced down at the scar on my palm. "If you genuinely think this is a terrible plan, I'll listen to you. I promise."

Syd's expression remained indecipherable for a few beats, but then he threw me a small smile that didn't quite reach his eyes. "I've never been one to bail out or half-ass a plan."

Relief soared like a bird inside my chest. "Thank you! I knew you wouldn't let me-"

"Hold on," he interrupted, pointing his spoon at me again. "I do have one stipulation."

"Okay," I nodded. "Shoot."

"If at any time I think we need to abort the mission, we abort right then and there. No ifs, buts, or whys."

The pointed look that followed Syd's response indicated that he wasn't messing around. Given everything that had transpired during the last two months, this didn't surprise me.

No matter the state of my relationship with Allix, Dakota, and Nicki, Syd had always stood by my side. Calling me out on my self-righteous attitude during the brunch in May was a perfect example of how being loyal to someone sometimes meant disagreeing with them. It also meant learning to compromise.

I extended my hand. "Deal."

The corners of Syd's mouth twitched up into a smile as he shook my hand. "Then let's get it."

*

We waited until dusk to commence our mission.

Syd parked his Prius a full mile away from Albert's property, and insisted that we had to hike up the steep hillside that was behind it instead of following the road. The dark grey sky held the promise of rain, and my hair was starting to curl in the humidity.

"You'd think there would be more yellow tape or something," Syd said as the backside of the bungalow finally came into view.

I threw him a sideways look. "You've watched way too many episodes of Criminal Minds."

"Excuse you. I know for a fact that you've watched all fifteen seasons too," he retorted, and stepped onto a thin fallen branch. The snap shattered the stillness that surrounded us. "Also, what the hell, Maud? Why did you have to say that? Now I feel like we're the two idiot teenagers in the first five minutes of the episode who always end up dead or kidnapped."

"Quit being a scaredy-cat," I scolded, rolling my eyes as a strong gust of wind whistled down the hillside, rattling the thick branches of the Western white pines. "You know Allix would tell you the same thing if she was here."

Except she's not here," Syd said, and jabbed a thumb at himself. "You asked me, and that means you are obligated to validate my feelings."

"You're my favorite idiot."

"That's so sweet of you to say."

We arrived at the edge of the property, still concealed in the shadows of the pines, and I noted the long lines of yellow tape poorly covering the entrance up to the deck.

Syd groaned, pulling up the hood of his black sweatshirt. "We're going to have to use the front door, aren't we?"

I nodded, patting him on the back. "Deep breaths, buddy."

We skirted around to the front of the bungalow, keeping our footsteps soft because any foreign sound could mean the end of everything. After verifying that the coast was clear, we darted across the overgrown lawn and up the creaky wooden steps of the porch that led to the front door.

I removed the key from the front pocket of my backpack and inserted it into the lock.

"We're the worst burglars ever for using the front door," Syd muttered, fiddling with the drawstrings of his sweatshirt.

I sucked in a tight breath, refusing to move an inch. Beside me, Syd went as stiff as a board. It was as if we were both half-expecting Sheriff Wakeman to jump out of the shadows with a sinister smile on her lips and accuse us of being meddling kids.

But that didn't happen. Nothing did (except for Syd unleashing a slew of choice curse words under his breath).

After I locked the door behind us, my gaze shifted over to the alarm system beside the door, and I felt my eyes narrow. It was unarmed.

"We are so god damn lucky that it didn't go off," Syd said, shaking his head. "Maud, we're seriously flying by the seat of our pants right now."

"We deserve a little bit of luck, don't you think?" I asked, my eyes adjusting to the dim light as we ventured further inside the house.

Everything was a mess, with drawers open and furniture shoved up against the walls, making it obvious that the police had already conducted a thorough search of the place. I assumed they were responsible for disarming the alarm system.

"I swear if there are surveillance cameras in here and we end up getting arrested for trespassing, I will say that you abducted me," Syd declared, flicking a light switch that didn't work. Electricity must get cut when you're arrested.

I huffed. "Fair enough."

"So what is it exactly that you think we should be looking for?" Syd asked, turning on the flashlight on his phone.

"Something that has to do with orcas," I said, mimicking his actions. "Wakeman mentioned Orcinus orca right before she asked about the key."

"Well that should drastically narrow our search down to a few hundred things," Syd retorted, his voice dripping with sarcasm. He picked up a photograph of Albert standing behind the wheel of Pacific King's Sea La Vie. "It's not like his whole life revolved around them."

I sighed, trying not to feel discouraged right off the bat. "I feel like we'll know it when we see it."

We searched in silence for a while, poking around the house and exchanging uneasy looks whenever the floorboards creaked.

In the sitting room, my eyes landed on the wooden coffee table, and I frowned. It was neat compared to the rest of the house with a few large books stacked on top of it. There was a scarlet bookmark sticking out of the one on the bottom. I heard Syd fumbling around in the kitchen as I removed the top two books, and picked up the bottom one. I stared at the cover for a long moment, and the title sent a chill down my spine.

TO CRY WOLF - BEHAVIOR, ECOLOGY, AND CONVERSATION

I dropped down onto the worn sofa and opened to the bookmarked page.

As apex predators, wolves keep their ecosystem balanced by hunting prey that is vulnerable. This results in stronger and healthier animals to reproduce viable young, as well as maintaining a manageable population. Other competing predators, such as bears or coyotes, benefit from the wolves.

"I think I found something," I declared, and heard Syd stop rummaging around.

As I waited for Syd, I continued reading.

The social hierarchy within a wolf pack is not fixed. In some cases, when an alpha wolf grows old or sustains an injury, a beta wolf can challenge the alpha to a winner-takes-all fight. If the beta succeeds in toppling the alpha, the alpha is forced to leave the pack behind.

My heart skipped multiple beats as I reread the second part of the last sentence.

The alpha is forced to leave the pack behind.

Conrad was forced to step down as an Executive Producer of Apex, and Mike Bennett took his place. The social hierarchy changed.

"That's a book about wolves," Syd observed, appearing in front of me with his eyebrows raised. "What happened to looking for something orca-related?"

"There was a bookmark on this page," I said, handing him the book.

I stayed quiet while Syd read. When his expression darkened, I knew that he'd reached the same conclusion that I had. It made me appreciate the fact that Dakota kept Syd up to date on recent developments. After all, we were all in this together.

"And you don't think that this was a coincidence?" Syd asked, and my stomach churned. "You think that Albert left this here for you to find and...put the pieces together?"

"I don't know what to believe," I admitted, biting down on my bottom lip.

There was so much that remained unclear, and I doubted that we were capable of working it out on our own. For instance, did this mean that Zachary's second client was one of the Bennett brothers? Or was this discovery somehow unrelated to that?

The sofa squeaked as Syd sat down beside me with the book still open in his hands. "Albert turned himself into the police and his statement in the newspaper said he was pressured into killing the orca. Wakeman told you that Albert was still maintaining that story," he said, speaking slowly with his brows pulling together. "Why would Albert do that if he knew who was responsible for pulling the strings?"

"I don't know," I said again and suddenly found it difficult not to feel like a child. Trusting my sixth sense - my instinct - wasn't as easy as it had been before. "Maybe Wakeman was lying because she's still collecting evidence."

He heaved out a deep sigh. "Even when we think we're starting to figure things out, more questions keep popping up."

"I guess we need to tell the others," I said, hoping that Syd will volunteer to do the talking. We needed to figure out how we wanted to proceed with this information, but I knew there would be big consequences. Most of them wouldn't be good.

Syd nodded and stood up. "If we have everything that we need, let's get out of here. It's going to be dark soon, and I want to avoid tripping down the hill."

I didn't put up a fight, eager to return to the safety of Syd's Prius as soon as possible.

We spent the entire trek back down the hillside in silence. Night bloomed overhead, and I couldn't help but wonder how many more nights I'd spend wide awake trying to piece the evidence together in my mind. Summer was ending soon, and I could only hope that all of this would somehow end too.

✘ ✘ ✘

#5 on my Spotify Top Songs 2020 is Jason Derulo's Whatcha Say, and I fully blame writing the brunch scene in Chapter 12 for this unwarranted ranking.

As mentioned in my author's note for that chapter, the brunch scene was loosely inspired by Gossip Girl 3.11 when said song plays during a melodramatic thanksgiving dinner (ily aaron tveit). Nothing like a good meal to facilitate the airing of grievances. Anyway!!! That's all I've got to say because I don't want to end up accidentally spoiling anything related to Apex's plot.