The more I thought about it, the clearer my two options became. The way I saw it, the first was getting to Maryland before Ash did. I’d have to camp out at the storage facility and try to talk to him, but no doubt Maya would be there, and my credit card was dangerously close to being maxed out. As things stood, I wasn’t sure I’d be able to pay for the gas to even get there. The second option was to wait until they came back to Newdale. It would give Ash time to cool off and provide me with more opportunity to work out what to say, but it also afforded Maya the same chance to turn him against me even more.

It was almost eight in the morning now and I still hadn’t decided. I wasn’t due at the Cliff’s Head until tomorrow, and I already knew Patrick would accuse me of being a thief. He wouldn’t believe me when I said I hadn’t taken the money, and no doubt Maya had already told him about the cash in my room. With my history, it wouldn’t be hard to convince people I’d gone back to my old thieving ways.

As I debated whether I should go to Brookmount or wait it out in Newdale, my phone rang. When I saw it was Heron, I declined the call, listened to the voice mail she left me a few moments later, my grip tightening around my phone as she spoke.

“Lily, it’s Detective Heron. I have news. We believe Jason Whitmarsh attacked Jack on the beach the night he went missing, and we have enough evidence to charge him with manslaughter. A witness will testify Jack was new to the poker group, in fact it was the first time he’d played with them. He won the game fair and square, well, as fair and square as an illegal game can be won, but Whitmarsh wouldn’t accept it. He insisted Jack was a hustler and made it very clear he’d get his money back somehow. Anyway, you’re no longer a person of interest, okay? Please contact me when you get this message.”