Hidden Hideaways by Cindy Bell Read Free Book Online Page A

one thing she needed the most, the certainty that at one point recently Paul was still alive.
    “Out to sea,” the woman shrugged and pointed to the wide expanse of the ocean. “Could be anywhere, hmm?” she shook her head. “Poor fellow.”
    Suzie reached into her purse. She pulled out some cash from her wallet. She didn't have much but what the woman had provided was priceless.
    “Are you safe?” she asked as she handed the woman the money. “Do you need a place to stay?”
    “My palace,” the woman pointed at the motel. “Don't need nothing really,” she eyed the money hesitantly. “It's okay, I don't need that.”
    “Take it,” Suzie encouraged her. “Maybe you could get some shoes?”
    “Sure,” the woman nodded and took the money. “Thanks,” she glanced between Suzie and Mary. “Don't worry I won't tell. Just don't tell on me.”
    “We won't,” Mary promised her.
    “I hope you find that sad fellow,” the woman muttered as she walked back up towards the motel. She disappeared in the shadows surrounding the old building. Suzie wondered for a moment how long she might have lived there, uninterrupted until Paul's boat showed up. Then her mind returned to Paul.
    “I knew it, he was abducted,” Suzie said quickly as she walked back towards the police tape. “That means he might still be alive.”
    “Suzie, I believe Paul is still alive, but you know this woman might not be very trustworthy. She knew the police were here looking for a boat. She might have just made up a story about seeing three men,” she paused a moment, knowing that Suzie might not want to hear that.
    “I thought of that,” Suzie admitted. “But it's the best lead we have right now. The only one really. So, we need to use it. If Paul was here, on the sand, he might have left something behind,” she said softly and began looking down at the sand. “To think that he was here, not long ago, probably hoping for help,” she whispered, her heart breaking. She pulled her fingers through the sand and felt something hard beneath it. She pulled it up out of the sand and stared at it strangely.
    “This doesn't belong here,” Suzie murmured.
    Mary looked at what she was holding up. It was a seashell with rose stripes and a scalloped edge.
    “It's a seashell, of course it belongs here,” Mary said with confusion. “There are probably thousands of shells along this beach.”
    “But not this one,” Suzie argued. “This one I found on a secluded beach that Paul and I visited together. I gave him this shell to remember our time there. He must have dropped it, to let me know that he was here.”
    “Oh, that's a good sign,” Mary said with excitement.
    “I bet Paul left this here for me, as a clue to where he was going next,” Suzie said, her excitement growing. “He might be at this very beach! I need to go out there,” she added with certainty. “Paul left this here for me, I just know it.”
    “Suzie, I think you're onto something, but how are we going to get there?” Mary pointed out. “It's not accessible by anything but a boat, right?”
    “That's what Paul said when he took me out there,” Suzie sighed and shook her head. “I don't know any of his friends well enough to ask them. Besides, it's already getting around town that Paul is a suspect, so I'm sure not many will want to be involved.”
    “There has to be a way,” Mary frowned. “Maybe we could charter one?”
    Suzie looked out over the water. She remembered seeing the police boat zip across the waves. “That's it!” she suddenly said. She whipped out her cell phone and dialed Jason's number. He answered on the first ring.
    “Jason, I need you to do something for me,” she said before he could even speak.
    “What?” Jason asked warily.
    “I need you to take me out to a certain patch of beach. It's not accessible by land. I'm pretty sure that Paul left me a clue, and I want to follow it,” Suzie explained practically all in one breath.
    “Suzie,