“I went to the boathouse to give you an update. I assumed you were there, and I thought I’d save us both the trouble of chasing each other round the resort, so I went inside.”

“Well, we’ve found each other now, so—” And then she realized what he was saying. “You went inside?”

“Yes. The door was ajar. And I met your—” he turned his head quickly, checking who was nearby “—I met your friend.”

“Ah.” And remembering the lengths Nicole had gone to in order to avoid being recognized, Milly immediately saw the problem. “And I’m guessing she was a little freaked out.”

“That’s an understatement. I wanted to call you, but she insisted I didn’t bother you. But I thought you should know.” He shook his head in apology. “I feel terrible about it. She obviously didn’t want anyone to know she was there, and I tried telling her that no one was going to hear it from me, but I could tell she didn’t believe me.”

“I’ll reassure her. Don’t worry, Joel.”

“How long is she going to be staying with you? Because we could consider ramping up security around the place.”

“That would probably just draw attention to the fact that she’s here. But it’s worth thinking about.” Except that she didn’t really want to have to think about it. People came here to relax. Extra security wouldn’t look good, and people would start asking questions. “I’ll talk to her. Thanks, Joel.”

“The plumbing is a simple job, by the way. It will be fixed by the time the guests check in,” he said. “I need to get a part, and then I’m going to do it right away. That’s what I came to tell you.”

“You’re a star.” She hurried back along the path toward the boathouse. She wasn’t worried. Joel was completely trustworthy, and once she assured Nicole of that, she’d be fine.

The boathouse door was locked and bolted from the inside, which meant Milly had no access. She tapped lightly on the glass, but there was no response, so she took out her phone and messaged Nicole.

I’m at the door. Are you there?

Nicole appeared a moment later, almost unrecognizable in a blond wig and a pair of glasses with purple frames that dominated her face.

She opened the door.

“Sorry. I was being careful.”

“I understand. Joel told me what happened. It’s my fault for not closing the door properly when I left. I don’t always bother locking it, but I probably should.” And with Nicole Raven hiding out in the boathouse, she definitely should.

And she saw now that underneath the wig and the glasses, Nicole looked ill.