18

  JERRY

  I worked the late shift today. I don’t mind it so much; it’s easier to do this hard work when the sun’s down anyway. They have me fixing some air conditioning units in unoccupied rooms. At least I don’t have to worry about someone walking in on me.

  I tighten the last bolt on this unit and turn it on to test. Cool air blows in my face and I nod, proud of my work. It might not seem like much, but working on these units has been my whole life. I can often diagnose an air conditioner just by its sound. I swear, sometimes I understand these machines better than I understand people. The sole exception was my wife.

  We grew up together as children. Went to the same church and the same school. One day, when we were both five, she’d forgotten to bring her lunch to school. She sat alone at the end of one of the lunch tables, looking sad.

  Even then, I knew I didn’t want to see that look of sadness on her face. Approaching her, I offered one of the two tamales from my lunch.

  “Would you like one of my tamales?” I asked.

  She’d looked up, confused. “You don’t want to eat your own lunch?”

  “I do, but I’d like to share it with you. You seem hungry.”

  A smile formed on her face as she nodded at me, a smile I would cherish and try to keep on her face for the next sixty years.

  “Thank you,” she’d said, accepting the tamale. We both ate in silence, but from that day, we were inseparable.

  She wasn’t just my best friend; it was as if she was a physical part of me. It was as if we shared the same heart and lungs. It took me until I was a teenager to realize the depth of my love for her. We did everything together, even working at this very resort. The day she passed away, I felt like half of me was ripped away. I could no longer take in a full breath.

  I jolt back to the present and I realize I’ve been lingering on the ladder, lost in memories. I descend, noticing the room is significantly cooler. I pack up my tools, considering going straight home to sleep. I have to be back here first thing in the morning. But I need to unwind after this long, stressful day. If I go home, I know I’ll just lay there, missing my wife.

  After stowing my equipment, I retrieve my camera and my backpack from my locker. Photography is the one thing that centers me.

  I head towards the nightclub, one of my favorite places to take pictures. It’s usually packed every night, filled with happy people dancing, hugging and sometimes even making out. The sheer amount of joy in one place is overwhelming and capturing that joy is one of my favorite things to do. It’s comforting to know there are still people out there who are whole and happy.

  As I approach the club, I can see it’s bustling with activity. I pull my tripod out of my backpack and set it up, ensuring I’m concealed in the shadows. I know how odd it appears for me to photograph people like this and I never want to make anyone feel uncomfortable. I start with wide shots of the building and then zoom in on individuals.

  There is a freedom in their expressions and an unbridled joy. It’s as if they’ve abandoned all caution and fully surrendered to the music.

  Memories of times when my wife and I sneaked into this very club flood my mind. As employees, we weren’t supposed to be there, but we’d lose ourselves in each other and the rhythms until we were spotted and kicked out. I was the happiest when I was with her. I’m not sure I’ll ever be okay again. I miss her every day.

  A tall woman catches my attention, pulling me out of my thoughts as she navigates her way through the crowd to the edge of the dance floor. Holding a drink, her face wears a lost expression. I zoom in and capture several shots. The stark contrast of her concern against the backdrop of the joyful dancers intrigues me. She mirrors how I feel.

  She stands at the edge, her gaze drifting towards the ocean. Zooming in further, it dawns on me. She’s the woman who had confronted me, accusing me of leaving gifts in her room. I wonder about the cause of her unhappiness as I take a few more photos. A sudden realization occurs. If she spots me photographing her, it’ll only deepen her suspicions about those mysterious gifts. In a rush, I pack up my camera and tripod.

  I glance back at her and realize she’s staring in my direction. I don’t know how, but I swear she can see me. Our eyes lock. Even as hidden as I am in these shadows, I can feel her intense scrutiny.

  Fear takes hold as I quickly move deeper into the shadows.

  What have I done?

  19

  CHLOE

  I needed this tonight. I’m standing at the edge of the crowd, staring into the darkness. The light reaches twenty feet from the club and then just seems to stop. Beyond that, it’s pitch black. I feel like if I was out there in the dark, I wouldn’t even be able to see my hand in front of my face. Someone could be watching me right now and I wouldn’t even know it. The thought gives me shivers and a little bit of anxiety. What if my stalker is in the dark right now, watching me?

  “Knock it off, Chloe. You’re supposed to be having fun tonight and not worrying about this stupid stalker,” I whisper to myself.

  I take another long sip of my drink when suddenly, I feel arms wrap around my waist. I scream at the top of my lungs, push the arms away and quickly turn around, only to see Tawni standing there, laughing hysterically.

  “What the hell are you doing, Tawni?” I exclaim.

  She says joyfully, “Surprise!”

  “I could have punched you in the face,” I tell her.

  “You wouldn’t do that to me,” she says confidently.

  “I didn’t know it was you! Here I am, standing here, thinking that my stalker is watching me from the dark and then you grab me from behind.”

  “Well, that’s your own fault for thinking there’s danger around every corner,” Tawni says, putting her hands on her hips.

  I take a deep breath and sigh. “Just don’t ever do that again. I can’t promise that I won’t hurt you if you do.”

  Tawni laughs. “Okay, aren’t you supposed to be not thinking about all that stuff right now?”

  “I’m not trying to. I just can’t seem to escape it.”

  “What, your conversation with that handsome man didn’t help?” She teases.

  A shy grin spreads across my face.

  “Oh, you liked him?” Tawni asks.

  I shrug my shoulders. “Maybe.”

  “Tell me everything,” she says conspiratorily, “I don’t want you to spare any details.”

  “I’m not sure there’s much to say,” I tell her. “He didn’t really want to talk to me.”

  “Right, a heterosexual man didn’t want to talk to my tall, fit, drop-dead gorgeous friend? Right,” she says sarcastically.

  “I was so rude to him at the luau. I don’t blame him. If someone talked to me like that, I wouldn’t want to ever talk to them again either.”

  “But he did talk to you, right?” She asks.

  “Yeah, I think I somehow got him to open up a little,” I respond.

  She claps her hands together, a big smile crossing her face.

  “We didn’t really get very far though,” I add quickly, not wanting her to get her hopes up. “But I think he forgave me for the other night, at least.”

  “We’re going to be here for a long time,” Tawni says. “You never know what’s going to happen.”

  I roll my eyes at her and smile. She always knows how to get me out of my funk.

  “Trust me,” she says, “I will not get in the way of you and him getting together.”

  “We’re not going to get together,” I reply.

  “You don’t know that,” she insists. “All it takes is one drunken night and then bam, together.”

  I shove her in the arm. “Shut up,” I say, laughing.

  “Never,” she responds, smiling mischievously. “The night is still young,” she says, changing the topic. “Let’s dance.”

  I look at the crowd of people dancing, their sweaty bodies moving to the music and I hesitate. “I don’t know if I really want to go in there.”

  She grabs my hand and practically yanks me into the crowd. “You don’t have a choice. You’re mine tonight,” she declares.

  I let out a sigh and give in. She’s right. I need to relax. I can’t be so uptight all the time. I follow her into the crowd. The buzz of the music and the wild abandonment of the guests dancing is definitely alluring. I find myself allowing the music to envelop me. I begin to dance and slowly let go of all the anxiety and stress of the past few days, really, of the past few months and allow myself to just move to the music.

  We dance for what feels like hours, sometimes with each other, sometimes with other partners. We stay until the band starts to pack up their instruments and the majority of the people have already gone.

  I make my way to the bathroom and stare at myself in the mirror. I look like a drowned rat. I haven’t allowed myself to let go like this in so long.

  I splash cold water on my face, then take a paper towel and pat it dry. I am grateful that Tawni brought me here. I guess so many years of friendship means that she really knows me, maybe even better than I know myself. I toss the paper towel and leave the bathroom to find Tawni. She’s sitting at a table, slumped over and looking exhausted.

  I walk up to her and grab her hand. “Come on. Let’s go back to the hotel room.”

  She nods, stands and gives me an impromptu hug. I wrap my arms around her and hug her back.

  “That was the best,” she says to me.

  I nod in agreement. “It really was.”

  “See, this is what we need to be doing while we’re here,” she says as we slowly make our way back to our room. “Not caring about other people, just enjoying ourselves. We’re in the middle of nowhere. We’re in paradise. We can’t waste it.”

  “I know, you’re right,” I say. “I’m sorry. I’ve been such a bummer since we got here.”

  She shrugs. “It’s fine. You like to stress about things. I think you enjoy it.”

  “I really don’t.”

  “Well, then figure out how to let it go.”

  “Deal.”

  We walk down the path towards our hotel room. The air has cooled down and there’s a slight breeze blowing through the resort. The wind feels good in my hair. I shiver as the air touches my damp skin.

  I’m so lost in thought about the night, about my conversation with Stephan, about the dancing, that it doesn’t even register to me at first when Tawni suddenly stops. I keep walking until she grabs my hand and holds it tightly.

  “What? What is it, Tawni?” I ask, confused.

  I look at her. She looks afraid.

  “What is it?” I say again, tracking her eyes. And then I see it. On the porch, in front of our hotel room door, is another red box.

  “Oh my god,” I say. “This can’t be happening. What does this person want from me?” I mutter as I quickly walk towards the box.

  “Chloe, don’t let it stress you out.”

  I stop and stare at her. “How can I not? Someone knows a lot about me, Tawni and they know that I’m here. That’s not okay with me.”

  I grab the box and unlock the hotel room door, shoving the door open and slamming it against the wall. I kick off my shoes and walk towards the kitchen counter, where the other two boxes are sitting. I set this box next to them. This time, I am not careful with the bow; I yank it off and pry the lid off the box in almost one fell swoop.

  Inside is a figurine of a small dolphin. I stare at it, confused. “Why a dolphin?” I mumble.

  Tawni looks over my shoulder. “Is that a dolphin?” She asks, confused.

  I nod my head as I grab it and take it out of the box to inspect it. It’s quite pretty - small and covered in blue sapphires. I hand it to Tawni and she inspects it as well. Then she looks up at me.

  “What does a dolphin have anything to do with you?”

  I shake my head at her, honestly confused. “I have no idea.”

  “It must be a mistake,” Tawni says.

  I shake my head even more furiously. “The last two boxes were so personal, Tawni. Somebody knows something about me that I don’t even remember.”

  I sit down on the chair at the kitchen table and put my head in my hands. Tawni sits next to me and says nothing for several minutes. Finally, I lift my head and look at her.

  “I have to make this stop, Tawni. I’m not going to be able to enjoy myself if these gifts keep showing up. I have to know who’s doing this.”

  Tawni doesn’t give me her normal attempt at persuading me to let it go. Instead, she just quietly nods. I stand up quickly and grab my computer, accessing the video conferencing app.

  “What are you doing?” Tawni asks. “It’s the middle of the night.”

  “It’s morning back home,” I reply. I call my manager and she answers right away. She’s out of breath and I can tell she’s been running.

  “Where are you?” I ask her.

  “Taking a run around Green Lake. Where are you?” She asks.

  “I’m in my hotel room.”

  “Aren’t you supposed to be sleeping?” She says, looking at her watch.

  “Yes, it’s a long story. I’m just calling to ask you if you find anything out about those gifts, about who might be sending them?”

  She shakes her head vigorously. “I have no idea. As far as I know, no one even knows you’ve left the United States.”

  “I need you to do better than this,” I say, my frustration showing. “I need you to turn over every rock and figure out who’s doing this.”

  “Chloe, I’m doing the best that I can, but there’s only so much I can do from so far away.”

  “I got another gift tonight,” I tell her.

  I glance over at Tawni, who’s looking at me, confused. She mouths the words, “who is that?”

  I ignore her, looking back at the computer.

  “Another one?” my manager asks.

  “Yeah, and this one was weird.” I show her the dolphin figurine and she looks as confused as I am.

  “Promise me that you will look harder tomorrow.”

  “I’ll see what more I can find out,” she replies.

  “Did you figure out how to get a helicopter here to the island?”

  She nods. “I did. But it’s gonna cost a pretty penny.”

  “If these gifts don’t stop, I don’t care what it costs. I’m gonna have to get out of here.”

  I look over at Tawni and see her slumped in the chair, her dreams of a fun and carefree vacation washing away before her eyes.

  “Don’t disappoint me,” I say to my manager and then hang up.

  Tawni looks at me. “Who was that? I’ve never seen her before. I’ve never even heard you talk about her before.”

  I brush her off. “Oh, she’s just an attorney who’s been helping me with my dad’s estate. I called her the other day to ask her to help me investigate who’s been sending these gifts. But as you can tell, she’s not been very helpful.”

  “I thought we told each other everything,” Tawni says, confused and hurt.

  “You want me to tell you about all the mundane details of dealing with my dad’s stuff?” I look at her pointedly.

  “No, I guess not,” she says.

  “Tawni, I tell you everything that’s important. Please don’t take this so personally.”

  She nods, understanding. “I’m going to bed. I’m tired.”

  As I watch her walk towards her room, I’m flooded with guilt. I don’t know how much longer I’m going to be able to hide this, but right now, I can’t worry about that. I have a new mission. No matter what it takes, even if I ruin this vacation, I’m going to figure out who’s sending these gifts.

  20

  JERRY

  I walk as fast as I can away from the club, mumbling under my breath. “You’re an idiot, Jerry. How could you let yourself get caught?”

  I’m old, but I can still move quickly. The injury to my leg still gives me pain, but not enough to slow me down. I glance around to see if anybody is following me. After several glances in each direction, I’m relatively certain I’m not being followed. However, I continue walking fast, until I can barely hear the music from the luau, before I allow myself to start slowing down.

  Once I come to a complete stop, I look back to double-check that no one is following me. I breathe a sigh of relief when it seems like I’ve gotten away. Maybe she didn’t see me, or maybe I’ll hear about it tomorrow from Mary after she goes and complains tonight.

  I shake my head. How can you be so stupid? The last time I got caught taking pictures by a guest, Mary laid into me for almost an hour about how unprofessional it was for me to be photographing people. She told me in no uncertain terms that I was never to do it again on resort grounds. I didn’t listen to most of what she said that night, but I understood the tone. If I got caught again, I’d lose my job.

  I can’t lose my job. My job gives me the freedom to live how I want and to live in the home that I made with my wife. I run my fingers through my hair as I continue through the resort, completely alone in the stillness of the night.

  Even though I almost just got caught, the urge to take photos is too strong. I slip my camera out of my bag and begin taking shots as I walk. I know it’s dark and most of these aren’t even going to turn out, but occasionally the light from a window or an open door will illuminate the object I’m photographing in an eerie glow, making the whole thing almost magical. Some of my favorite photographs were taken in the dark.

  I take photos of things that I find interesting until I leave the property. Paying close attention to the light and shadows I see through my lens. Once I’m on the road to my house, the light from the resort begins to fade until the road before me is pitch black. The stars in the sky aren’t even enough to guide me tonight. The new moon doesn’t give off much light, leaving me to walk home using my other senses. I’ve done this a million times over the years. I know every branch and pothole on this road.