Jenny backed out of the parking space and turned south. She had only gone a block when her stomach rumbled. Grimacing at the reminder that she hadn’t eaten all day, she considered her options: stop at the grocery store or stop at one of the restaurants.

She quickly decided that fighting the crowds at the grocery store and then having to prepare something to eat was more than she could handle at the moment. That decision made, she focused on where to stop. She really didn’t feel like going alone to one of the nicer waterfront restaurants. What she really wanted was a nice cold beer and a platter of fish and chips.

Turning right at the stoplight, she headed for one of the pubs that was popular with the locals. Five minutes later, she was pulling into the parking lot of the Underground Pub. It didn’t look like much on the outside, but it had great food, cold beer, live music, and a nice ambiance.

Grabbing her purse and jacket from the passenger seat, she opened the door and slid out. The smell of the ocean mixed with the fragrant aroma of food made her stomach growl again in anticipation.

Jenny shut and locked the car door. Seagulls squawked as they landed on the docks in the hope of finding a meal from the fishermen cleaning their daily catch or from a generous patron willing to share a leftover French fry or two. A brisk breeze swirled around her, and she quickly pulled her jacket on when it sent a chill through her. Shouldering her handbag, she crossed the uneven gravel of the parking lot to the entrance of the pub.

* * *

Jenny pulled the door open and stepped into the dim interior. She paused as her eyes adjusted. Glancing around, she saw the band equipment set up along one wall. Wooden tables laden with condiments and scarred but sturdy chairs filled the interior to the point that Jenny was amazed the waitress could squeeze between them.

It was still early in the evening, and close to half of the tables were already filled with patrons. Jenny nodded to the waitress when she called out for her to sit wherever she wanted. Squeezing between two tables, Jenny made her way toward one in the back near the large set of double doors leading outside to the patio seating.

She slid into an empty seat with her back to the dark hallway leading to the bathrooms. From this vantage point, she could see the docks outside but was still far enough away from the band to keep from going deaf when they started playing. She glanced at her phone—almost eight o’clock. The band started at nine. If she were lucky, she would be out of here before then. Otherwise, her head would be hurting a lot more than it was at the moment.

“My name’s Dorothy. What can I get you to drink, darling?” Dorothy asked with a friendly smile.

“Beer, whatever local beer you have on tap is fine. I don’t need a menu. I’ll take the fish basket with fries and coleslaw,” Jenny said.

Dorothy tucked the menu she was about to hold out back under her arm and grinned. “The two piece or three piece, sugar?” Dorothy asked.

“Two is fine,” Jenny replied.

“I’ll bring you some chips and salsa,” Dorothy replied with another smile.

“Thank you,” Jenny responded.

She watched Dorothy take another drink order on her way back to the kitchen. Turning her head, Jenny stared out of the glass doors, lost in thought. She absently watched three older men as they stood around chatting. She smiled when she saw several pelicans and seagulls vying for a spot near the cleaning table.

“Here you go, sweetie,” Dorothy said, placing the frosted glass of beer and the plate with the salsa and chips down in front of her.

“Thank you,” Jenny replied with a grateful smile.

Dorothy stood and placed her hands on her hips. “Haven’t I seen you here before?” she asked with a frown.

Jenny paused as she reached for the glass of beer. “Yes,” she replied, not really wanting to talk.

Dorothy nodded and smiled. “I thought so. Your food will be right out. We have a great band tonight, so be sure to stick around,” she said before moving to a new group of people who came in.

Sure enough, Dorothy stopped by a few minutes later with her fish platter. Jenny picked at the food, eating more because she knew she needed to than because she was hungry. After the first few bites, her stomach stopped rumbling, and she lost interest in the delicious meal.

A wave of weariness suddenly washed through her and she decided she’d done enough damage to the food in front of her. She was wiping her hands clean with a paper towel when the chair across the table from her was pulled out and a man wearing a dark brown leather jacket, white T-shirt, and faded jeans sat down. Jenny glanced up, the sharp retort on her lips faded when she recognized the grim-faced man. Straightening, she placed the paper towel down next to her plate and scowled at him.

“I didn’t invite you to sit at my table,” she said in a sharp tone.

Ross Galloway lifted the bottle of beer in his hand and took a long swig, not responding to her blunt statement. Jenny could feel her temper starting to rise. If Ross wasn’t careful, he’d be wearing that bottle upside his head. Her eyes narrowed when he lowered his hand and put the bottle back on the table.

“I didn’t have anything to do with Carly’s disappearance,” he said.

Jenny shrugged and sat back in her chair. “I heard you had an alibi,” she replied.

“I liked her. She was a bit too dangerous to be around, but I liked her,” Ross said, leaning forward and resting his arms on the table.

Jenny returned his steady gaze with one of her own. He didn’t glance away, his expression compassionate and intense. Ross might be a jerk, but he’d never struck her as being dangerous.

“She could be hazardous at times,” Jenny reluctantly agreed.

Ross nodded and relaxed, leaning back in his chair. “Have you heard if the authorities have found anything more?” he asked.

“No, they haven’t,” Jenny replied.

They both sat in silence for several minutes, each lost in their own thoughts. Jenny watched Ross. He absently played with his bottle of beer. A slight frown creased his brow, and he looked like he was trying to decide if he should say something else.

“Do you….”

“I guess….”

They both spoke at the same time. Ross released a long sigh and motioned for her to continue. Jenny twisted her lip in sardonic amusement.

“I was going to say, I guess I should be going. It’s been a long day, and I’d like to do another search tomorrow,” Jenny said.

“Yeah, well, I was going to ask if you wanted any help. I know that the cops have searched. It’s been so long now, I doubt there is anything left out there. Carly’s bones would either be scattered to hell and back or gone if she fell into the sea,” Ross muttered.

“She’s not dead,” Jenny retorted as a flash of anger and grief rose inside her.

Pushing her chair back, she stood up. She pulled some money from her pocket and counted out enough for her bill. She placed it on the rectangular plastic tray that Dorothy left with her meal.

“Aw hell, Jenny. I didn’t mean to upset you,” Ross said, standing up.

“She’s not dead. I would know,” Jenny stubbornly insisted, lifting a hand to brush her hair back from her face.

“It’s been a long time since she’s been seen,” Ross pointed out.

“I know, Ross,” Jenny replied in a soft voice. “Thanks for your offer, but I’m good.”

Jenny stepped around the table and started to pass by Ross. She paused when he reached out a hand and touched her arm. Looking up, she could see the flash of regret in his eyes.

“Be careful,” he finally said.

“Always,” Jenny replied, pulling away.

She could feel Ross’ gaze on her as she mumbled a thank you to Dorothy before pushing open the door and stepping out of the bar. Drawing in a deep breath of the salty air, she shoved her hands into her pockets.

The docks were empty now. The last of the fishermen were either visiting the pub or home with their families. Jenny wasn’t ready to go back to the house where she and Carly used to live. The original owner had sold the house shortly after she’d moved out. The small cottage-style home was now available as a vacation rental. Renting that particular house might be a little morbid, but the new owners had completely remodeled the interior and exterior, and it felt like just a house instead of the home that she and Carly had created together.

Walking along the dimly lit dock, Jenny listened to the fading cries of a seagull and the occasional splash of a fish. The soothing sound of the water lapping against the dock and boats and the chill of the breeze drew the tension from her body.

She walked to the end of the dock and stopped. Pulling her hands out of her pockets, she gripped the railing and stared out at the fading light. Restless energy and grief made her feel on edge and uneasy.

“I have to move on with my life, Carly. Staying in Oregon isn’t helping me do that. I thought moving away would, but I still feel like something is missing,” Jenny murmured to the wind. She brushed the hair from her cheek and tucked it behind her ear. “Do you remember when we said we would go on a great adventure? You’d search the castles of Europe for dragons while I sailed the seven seas before we’d meet up to share our stories with each other.” Jenny stood silently staring out at the horizon, lost in her memories of their childhood hopes and dreams. “After this week, I think it is time I took off for a while—maybe find a position overseas or on a cruise ship. There isn’t anything here for me anymore. I miss you. Wherever you are, I hope we get to meet again one day.”

Tears burned Jenny’s eyes, but she blinked them away. She’d shed enough tears. Now it was time to embrace her belief that somehow, someway, Carly was safe and happy.

Jenny stepped back and pushed her hands into the pockets of her jacket. Her fingers closed around a small shell she had picked up along the trail earlier in the day. She tossed it over the railing, turned, and walked away. As she walked down the dock toward her car, she couldn’t help but think that Carly was like the shell she had just tossed back into the ocean—a small, fragile treasure lost in a huge abyss.