The tide was rolling in fast, the waves crashing against the jagged rocks of Greywick Cove. Emilia Hartley pulled her coat tighter against the biting wind as she stared at the horizon, her heart pounding. The storm clouds overhead mirrored the turmoil in her mind. Another person had vanished her best friend, Lily.
The news had broken that morning, but Emilia already knew. Lily's texts had stopped abruptly last night, and her phone now went straight to voicemail. The last message Emilia had received was chillingly cryptic: "Meet me at the cove. I think I've figured it out." But when Emilia arrived, there was no sign of Lily only her scarf fluttering in the branches of a dead tree at the edge of the cliffs.
The police had dismissed it quickly, just as they had the others. "Probably ran off," they'd said. "Young people do that." But Emilia knew better. Greywick had been holding its breath for weeks, ever since the first disappearance then the second, and now the fifth. Five people, all seemingly unconnected, vanishing into thin air.
Emilia crouched by the tree, her fingers brushing the damp scarf. It smelled faintly of Lily's perfume, a soft lavender scent that made Emilia's throat tighten. She couldn't afford to lose her best friend not after everything they'd been through together.
"What are you doing out here alone?"
The voice startled her. Emilia spun around to see a tall figure emerging from the mist, his dark coat blending with the gloom. It was Ethan Cross, the town's new detective. He had an air of quiet authority, but his eyes were sharp, almost too observant, as if he could see through her defenses.
"I could ask you the same," Emilia shot back, trying to mask her unease.
Ethan's gaze flickered to the scarf in her hand. "I heard about your friend. You shouldn't be out here it's dangerous."
"I don't need a lecture," she said, standing her ground. "Lily's out there, and no one seems to care enough to find her. Someone has to."
For a moment, he said nothing, just studied her with a look that was impossible to read. Then he sighed, his voice softening. "I do care. That's why I'm here. But this isn't something you can handle alone."
Emilia hesitated, her fingers tightening around the scarf. She didn't trust easily, especially not someone she barely knew, but there was something about Ethan a flicker of sincerity, of determination that gave her pause.
"Do you think the disappearances are connected?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.
Ethan's jaw tightened. "I think we're running out of time to find out."
The wind howled louder, whipping around them as if the cove itself were alive, watching. For the first time, Emilia felt the weight of the mystery pressing down on her, its dark tendrils reaching into her life and pulling her into the unknown.
Lily was out there, somewhere. And Emilia would do whatever it took to bring her back even if it meant trusting Ethan Cross and diving headfirst into a mystery that might consume them both.