Chapter 4 - Shadows in the North
The drive to Petoskey was treacherous. A heavy snowstorm had begun to blanket the northern part of Michigan, turning the highway into a blinding sheet of white. Liam gripped the steering wheel, his knuckles white, his mind consumed by images of Nora out in this freezing weather, alone and broken-hearted.
He arrived in Petoskey as twilight fell. Instead of going to Gwen’s house, he drove straight to the marina where Leo’s accident had occurred three years ago. The docks were empty, the boats pulled out for the winter, covered in blue tarps that flapped dismally in the wind.
He walked into the small marina office, the heat inside hitting his frozen face. An elderly man with a thick grey beard sat behind the counter, reading a newspaper.
"Can I help you?" the man asked, looking up.
"I hope so," Liam said, pulling out a photo of Nora and Leo from his wallet. "I'm looking for information about an accident that happened here three years ago. Leo Vance. Do you remember it?"
The old man’s expression hardened slightly. "Of course I remember. Tragic thing. Young kid, drowned in the bay. Rough waters that night."
"My name is Liam. I'm married to his sister, Nora. I have reason to believe the official report wasn't entirely accurate. I heard there was security footage."
The man sighed, leaning back in his chair. "Son, the police looked at the footage back then. It was too dark, too grainy. You couldn't see much except two people getting on the boat. The insurance companies settled it as an accidental drowning."
Two people.
"Who was the second person?" Liam asked, his heart hammering.
"Nobody knows. The second person came back to the dock alone later that night, but they wore a heavy hood. The camera didn't catch a face. But if you're looking for more answers, you aren't the first person to ask recently. A young woman was here yesterday. Looked just like the girl in your photo. She was asking the same questions, looking for the old night watchman."
"Nora was here?" Liam’s voice cracked with hope. "Where did she go?"
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"She asked where the old night watchman, Marcus, lives now. He retired two years ago. Lives in a cabin out by the woods near the old highway. She looked exhausted, son. Barely standing."
Liam got the address from the old man and practically ran back to his car. Nora was close. She was trying to find the truth to clear her brother’s name and stop Gwen once and for all.
