No Service by Susan Luciano Read Free Book Online

swimwear before walking to the beach so that neither one of them would have to walk into the changing rooms alone. It didn’t seem likely that something would happen to either one of them, but he knew Jess was prone to overthinking and working herself up over some things. This seemed like exactly the sort of thing she’d latch onto and drive herself into paranoia, which would then be followed by a panic attack.
    Soon they were off. With beach bags on their shoulders and Chris carrying the sand umbrella, they crossed the little park roads and grass areas until they were at the water.
    A couple of policemen were walking around scanning the ground for anything suspicious. Jess mused that they couldn’t be having much luck because the whole area had already been overrun first thing in the morning when the lifeguards opened the beach and several hundred swimmers had flocked to the shore. Even now, they hadn’t closed the beach and sunbathers were spread out on towels all over the place. The water was filled with shivering adults and kids screaming and splashing. It seemed like the least effective time and place to do any sort of investigating.
    “Any evidence is going to be stomped to hell in the sand,” Jess said annoyed at the waste of time the search looked like.
    “Yeah, but it’s still worth looking,” Chris said with a shrug, “just in case there does happen to be one little clue. But yeah, I doubt there’s much either.”
    He pointed out a spot that was being vacated by a family. It wasn’t as close as Jess preferred, but there wasn’t anything else more optimal. Not this late in the day and not when the weather was at its hottest. The waves of heat pouring off every surface gave the impression that the lake could be a mirage. Jess took off her sandals, but after a few steps in the searing sand, she threw them down and slid them back on. The beach was scorching and uncomfortable, but she didn’t love it any less. Instead, she only walked faster to settle into a spot. The long swim in the icy water made her feel alive and bright again. Even Chris seemed to be delighted with the sun and the carefree attitude of everyone around them. As soon as she started to feel like the top of her head was burning, she suggested they get back out.
    A woman lying prone on the sand next to Jess’s spot was talking to another bored mom watching her kids in the water. “I heard on their radio that all the cops are on their way out. Supposedly didn’t find anything and don’t think this area is worth searching. I think she probably got dragged off to Rochester. Sold for drugs or prostitution or something.”
    Jess grimaced and picked up her stuff. She had no idea how to react to such a grim, but likely scenario. They weren’t so far from the city that a girl couldn’t be smuggled off somewhere into a large, anonymous population. The woman didn’t seem to care what her neighbor thought as she readjusted her sunglasses and put her headphone ear buds back in.
    The rest of the day was blissfully uneventful. Mark didn’t resurface and the police weren’t snooping around. Everyone seemed to be relaxed. Music drifted from multiple sites and children ran giggling through the darkness of the camping loop with glowsticks and flashlights while the smell of delicious campfire dinners permeated the air. Fires crackled everywhere and Christmas lights spiraled around tent poles and picnic areas like fairy lights.
    “I still wonder what happened to Steph,” Jess surmised. “I wonder if they found her. Or Mark.”
    Chris put his arm around her. “I’m sure she’s fine. Hopefully she just bummed a ride off a friend to get away from that asshole.”
    The sunlight had baked their skin a golden brown and they were both dead tired as they hit the hay. Jess snuggled into the blankets. Chris curled around her and they fell into a deep sleep.
    In the middle of the night, Jess awoke. Rolling over, she put her hand out to wrap it around her