Every Vow You Break(46)

There were no planes. I’d have seen them.”

“Maybe you—”

“I’m telling you, there weren’t any. There’s something wrong with this place. I felt it the moment I got here.”

“The moment you stalked me here.”

“I’m sorry … sorry for everything I’ve put you through. There’s no excuse for it now, I realize, but that’s the real reason I followed you here today. I wanted to tell you that I won’t bother you anymore.”

“What changed your mind?”

“When I saw you and Bruce yesterday, as you know, on that beach. I felt your anger, and I realized … I guess I realized that I was wrong about us. I really did think that we were meant to be together, the two of us. I think I went a little insane.”

“You think?” Abigail said.

Eric smiled, then looked down at the ground. His hands were now in the pockets of his jeans. “I went a lot insane. The thing is, you look like her. You look like …”

He hesitated, and Abigail said, “I look like your wife.”

“Not her coloring. She had bright red hair, and her skin was very pale, but your eyes are the same, and the way you talk is the same.”

“Well, we’re not the same,” Abigail said.

“I know. I’m sorry I came here. I’m sorry that I didn’t give up when I got your email, but I thought that if you saw me again …”

He shrugged.

“You followed me to New York, didn’t you? A few days before I got married.”

“I did. I just wanted a chance to see you, to let you see me. I thought you might be having second thoughts about the wedding.”

“Let’s get out of the woods, okay?” Abigail said, and began to walk back the way she had come.

“Can I come with you?” Eric asked.

“Just walk over there,” Abigail said. “I still don’t know if I trust you.”

“What are you doing out here? Are you looking for that woman?”

“I guess. I’m looking for any evidence that what I saw last night really happened,” Abigail said.

“Well, now you have me. I saw her, too.”

“But you didn’t recognize her?”

“I didn’t see her face, and even if I had, I didn’t know her.” He was walking parallel to Abigail, his hands still in his pockets.

“Why did you say that you think there’s something wrong with this place?” Abigail asked.

“Because there is. I may be insane, but I know that much. First of all, this resort is not a viable business. It can’t be. There are far more staff members than there are guests. And everyone seems to know each other—all the guests, I mean. I just think it’s some kind of front for something else altogether.”

“And all the guests are men.”

“Yes, I noticed that, too. Something’s off.”

“I know what you’re saying,” Abigail said. “But if it’s financed by billionaires, I guess they don’t care if they lose money. And I guess most billionaires are men.”

“Your husband is one of the financiers, I guess.”

“I actually don’t know too much about it, but yes. I think it was created as a place for tech people to go that doesn’t have screens.

A place to get back in touch with nature, and even though it’s open to other people, it’s not really a regular business.”

“That makes sense,” Eric said. “But I still think there’s something else creepy going on. What if it really was Jill Greenly we saw, and they’re lying about her?”

“I’ve been thinking about that,” Abigail said. “If it really was Jill, then maybe she was attacked by her husband, and maybe he followed her into the woods and killed her and the resort is covering it up because they don’t want a scandal. Or maybe because her husband paid them off. I just don’t know. All I know is that I need to get off this island.”

Abigail was aware that she hadn’t mentioned Porter, Jill’s old boyfriend, who was, coincidentally, on the island as well.

“When are you leaving?” Eric said.

Abigail turned to look at him and realized that he’d slid a little way toward her so that they were only about ten feet apart. She didn’t say anything, but she began to walk a little faster.

“Bruce is making arrangements now. We’re leaving this afternoon.”

Eric nodded. “That makes sense.”

They walked in silence for a moment. Abigail could now see the open lawn through the trees, and she heard a noise, a whoosh followed by what sounded like an ax hitting wood. She realized almost immediately that it was someone shooting arrows at the targets she’d seen being set up.

“How long will you stay?” Abigail asked Eric as they stepped from the woods back out onto the lawn.

“Two more days, I guess. Do you want me to let you know if I find out anything more?”

“Sure,” she said, not knowing if it was the right thing to say, if he would read it as an invitation to continue their relationship. But she didn’t really care. If he found out something, she’d want to know.

And all the fear and anger she’d felt toward him earlier seemed to have disappeared.