Page 90 of Won't Back Down
“What about Roland O’Shea? Have you seen him?”
If possible, the scowl got darker. “He didn’t show for his assigned volunteer duties. That’s part of why we’re in this mess. Said he was on his way back from the cemetery and that whole bullshit wreath laying ceremony. He’ll probably insist he couldn’t get through traffic as his excuse for bailing.” The guy shouted at someone over my shoulder. “The parade steps off in fifteen minutes! I asked for final inspection forty-five minutes ago. Let’s move it, people!”
I didn’t like that all three of them were missing. It might be nothing. The roads were hella congested with all the people who’d showed up for the festival. It was possible they simply hadn’t made it back yet. Or…
That ‘or’ had me shoving through the crowd back to the Brewhouse. That was the last place I’d been able to get decent cell service with so many extra people on the island overwhelming the network. I scanned the faces around me as I moved, looking for anyone familiar. Despite the fact that I knew half the people who lived on this island, it seemed like everyone I saw was a stranger. I’d give just about anything to have my brothers as backup just now. But I was in this on my own.
By the time I made it to the Brewhouse, I was practically running. If possible, the dining room was even more full than when I’d left. I wove my way through the tables toward the equally crammed bar.
A hand shot out to grab my arm as I squeezed past. “Sawyer!”
Gabi yanked me into an empty seat. “Hey. Did you find Willa?”
“No. She hasn’t made it back from the wreath laying ceremony, and she should have by now.”
“Bree filled us in,” Daniel said. “You think somethin’s gone wrong?”
“I don’t know. I hope not. Signal’s been shit all day with all these people. I came back here to try to call her on the Wi-Fi.”
When my phone vibrated in my pocket, I yanked it out so fast I nearly dropped it. But it wasn’t Willa’s name on the screen. It was Dax.
Please let this be answers.
“Dax? Can you hear me?”
“Barely. Where the hell are you? Sounds like a rager of a party.”
I shoved a finger into my other ear to block out some of the background noise. “I’m at a bar. And there’s a parade starting outside any minute. Tell me you’ve got news.”
“I’ve got better than news. I think I’ve tracked down the connection between Dr. Caswell and Hatterwick Island.”
Every muscle in my body tensed. “What is it?”
“Caswell—or I guess technically Caldwell—attended Georgetown University prior to getting recruited into his elite military unit. I cross-referenced school records with locals from the island and only managed to hit on one overlap—a guy who was at Georgetown at the same time as Caswell.”
“Who?”
“An attorney by the name of Roland O’Shea.”
My gut clenched. “Roland O’Shea? Are you absolutely sure?”
“Yeah. You know the guy?”
“He’s been Willa’s family’s attorney for decades.” He’d been in the middle of their business for years. Privy to all the family secrets. He’d been a trusted confidant. One who’d seemed to be on our side from the beginning when her parents had challenged the inheritance. “Is there any definitive proof he and the doctor knew each other?”
“They were on the rowing team together. Sending you a photo.”
The image came through a few moments later. When it finally loaded, I saw Dax had circled two men, with their arms thrown companionably around each other’s shoulders. I recognized one as a younger version of O’Shea. I could only presume the other was Caswell.
“I realize it’s not precisely a smoking gun,” Dax admitted. “There may be some other connection I haven’t found yet, but the fact that they were there at the same time and definitely knew each other seems like too big a coincidence to ignore. I figured you’d want a heads up.”
And O’Shea was also missing. He’d been at the cemetery with Willa, away from most of the crowds. I had a real bad feeling about this.
“Thanks, man. I’ve gotta go.”
“Did I hear you say Roland O’Shea? The family attorney?” Gabi asked.
“Yeah. Looks like he’s connected to the doctor who treated Willa.”