Messy hair.

Heavy eyes.

That part wouldn’t be difficult.

“Yes.”

“Good. Keep the phone hidden. If you can safely record anything, do it. But staying alive matters more than evidence.”

Before hanging up, he said:

“Your father is being contacted now.”

That frightened me almost as much as everything else.

“Why my father?”

Daniel hesitated.

“Because there is something else you need to know.”

“Tell me.”

“Not over this call. Caroline, stay focused on Nathan.”

I returned the phone to my suitcase.

Then I climbed into bed.

Ten minutes later, Nathan entered.

I let my eyelids hang half closed.

“Hey.”

I didn’t answer.

He came closer.

“Caroline?”

I mumbled his name.

His shoulders relaxed.

He sat beside me and brushed my hair away from my face.

The tenderness of that gesture almost made me sick.

“Still dizzy?”

I nodded.

“Poor thing.”

He pulled the blanket higher.

“Just sleep.”

I watched him through barely open eyes.

Before leaving, he opened the closet.

He reached toward the shelf where my shoes were kept.

When he turned around, one white sandal was in his hand.

Then he saw me looking.

He froze.

I let my eyes close.

A few seconds passed.

The door clicked shut.

I reached beneath the mattress and retrieved the phone.

I turned on the recorder.

That was the first moment all night when I felt I had done something they hadn’t planned for.

At 1:47 A.M., My Mother-in-Law Entered Carrying Wine

The storm became worse after midnight.

At 1:47, Diane opened my cabin door.

She was carrying a bottle of wine and a glass.

Nathan followed her.

“Caroline?”

I moved slowly.

“What time is it?”

Nathan smiled.

“Almost two.”

Diane poured wine.

I watched her hand.

She turned slightly away from me and removed something from her pocket.

A small packet.

White powder fell into the glass.

My phone was recording from inside the pocket of my robe.

Nathan took the glass from her.

“Drink a little.”

I pushed it away weakly.

“I feel sick.”

His expression changed.

Only for a second.

“It’ll help.”

“I don’t want it.”

Richard appeared behind them.

“Don’t make this difficult.”

Nathan looked at him sharply.

“Dad.”

Richard shrugged.

“What? She’s barely conscious.”

Diane glanced toward the hallway.

“We need to move.”

Nathan put his arm around me.

“Come on, sweetheart. Fresh air.”

I allowed him to help me stand.

My legs were stronger than he expected.

I deliberately let one knee buckle.

He caught me.

“See?” Diane whispered. “She can’t even stand.”

We moved toward the stairs.

Every step upward brought more wind.

Rain struck my face when Nathan opened the deck door.

Richard had already placed my white sandal near the starboard rail.

Seeing it there was worse than hearing them discuss it.

One shoe.

Carefully positioned.

Waiting to become evidence of my death.

Nathan guided me toward it.

I stopped.

“Cold.”

“Just another minute.”

Richard stood several feet away.

Diane held the wine bottle against her chest.

Nathan moved behind me.

I could hear him breathing.

Then Richard said:

“By tomorrow afternoon, every television station in Florida will be talking about the tragic young heiress who disappeared during her honeymoon.”

Diane snapped:

“Richard.”

“What?”

“Stop talking.”

Nathan tightened his grip around my waist.

“She’s out of it.”

Richard looked at me.

“Three hundred million dollars, and she never even understood what she had.”

I stopped pretending.

I lifted my head.

“I understand now.”

Nobody moved.

Nathan’s hands loosened.

Diane’s mouth opened.

Richard stared at me.

“What did you say?”

I stepped away.

“I said I understand.”

Nathan’s face changed completely.

“Caroline.”

I backed toward the deck door.

“Don’t touch me.”

He lunged.

I turned.

My phone slipped against the inside of my robe.

Nathan heard it.

His eyes dropped.

Then his hand shot toward my pocket.

“What is that?”

I tried to pull away.

He grabbed the phone.

The screen was still lit.

Recording.

For three seconds, he simply stared at it.

Then he looked at me.

“Who did you call?”

I didn’t answer.

His voice rose.

“WHO DID YOU CALL?”

He seized my arm.

I screamed.

Richard moved forward.

“Get her away from the door.”

Nathan dragged me toward the rail.

I grabbed his wrist with both hands.

Diane shouted something.

Then a light swept across the water.

Nathan stopped.

Another light appeared.