Chapter 3

"Where were you?" Trish asked as soon as Abby entered the room. It was a large room lined with shelves containing books and island memorabilia.

Abby took a deep breath, then exhaled. "I was with Jimmy."

A look of disbelief crossed Trish's face. "Oh, so you're off fucking your boyfriend as we're all dying around you?"

Abby thought she might should feel guilty for doing just that, but she didn't. "Trish, I know you're upset--"

"Upset?" Trish answered, her voice near hysteria. "That's an understatement, don't you think? Let's see, on the day that was supposed to be the happiest of my life, I find out my stepmom is cheating on my dad. Then my dad is brutally murdered right before my eyes. Then my niece is kidnapped. Then I find out my brother-in-law has been murdered. Then my friend is butchered. Then my stepmom is murdered. Not to mention all the other killings. Did I miss anything?"

"That pretty much sums it up," Abby said. She didn't intend on being so flippant but her nerves were at a breaking point. "Shea wants me to bring you back into the great room. We need to stay together."

"Is that what you were thinking when you sneaked off with Jimmy?"

"No, I was thinking that it doesn't matter what we do because we're all going to eventually die anyway." Abby was afraid, no doubt, but verbalizing what just may be the inevitable almost helped her to put her life in perspective.

"No," Trish said, looking at her with tears running down her face. "He's not going to kill his daughter--"

"We don't know that he's my father for sure--"

"Of course you are. That's what this is all about. He thinks he's Wakefield and he's trying to prove something to you."

"I can understand people needing a scapegoat, so make me it. I get it. But Wakefield killed my mom, so I'm as much of a victim as anyone. I feel bad for your losses, but I'm not going to apologize or feel sorry for you because I haven't done anything wrong."

Trish opened her mouth to say something but stopped when Abby raised her hand, indicating Trish should shut up.

"Let's go," Abby said as she ushered Trish out of the room.