The Sea King's Lady

Chapter 1-1

Chapter One

Present day—Yachats, Oregon:

Jenny Ackerly’s heart was telling her that her best friend was not dead—even as her head argued the opposite. The long, winding road through the redwoods along the Oregon coast felt a lot like her life over the last two years since Carly’s disappearance—a never-ending journey of twists and turns. She was ready for the road of life to straighten out a little so she could see where in the hell it was taking her.

“She isn’t dead. I would know, damn it!” she cursed under her breath.

The burning in her eyes and the sudden need to sneeze warned Jenny that she was about to start crying. She always did when she got within five miles of Yachats State Park.

She kept her eyes on the road as she leaned over the passenger’s seat, opened the glove box of her Subaru Outback, and pulled out a handful of napkins she had collected from various restaurants. She had already used up the last few tissues she had left from her trip here three months ago.

She wiped the escaping tears from her cheeks before loudly blowing her nose into the damp napkin. Reaching over, she stuffed the used napkin in the empty tissue box. Next, she twisted the knob on the radio and cranked up the volume. Another loud, shuddering curse escaped her when a new song started, and she recognized it as one of Carly’s favorites. Of course, that really turned on the waterworks. Pressing the button, she turned off the radio.

Grabbing another napkin, she dabbed at the tears threatening to blind her. If she started crying too hard, she would have to pull over onto the shoulder of the road. It wouldn’t be the first time she had been forced to park until she could compose herself. Unfortunately, the only thing crying did was make her face red and eat up precious time she could be using to find out what had happened to Carly. Blowing her nose once more, she angrily stuffed the used tissue into the rapidly filling box.

“I swear, when I find out who did this to you, Carly, I’m going to toast their ass. I’ll rip them apart, put them back together, ask them how it feels, and do it all over again,” Jenny vowed, gripping the steering wheel so tightly her knuckles were white. “If they made you su… suff… suffer at all, I’ll bury them in a fire ant bed in the middle of the desert and watch the ants devour them while sipping on an icy lemonade.”

Okay, she wouldn’t really, but she could imagine it. Yes, she could be a bit bloodthirsty when it came to anyone who hurt her friends. Jenny decided it was just part of having red hair. She was known to have a nice, even temperament—until someone did something to piss her off. Then, the temper she inherited from her dad came through in all its blazing glory.

Jenny slowed and turned on her blinker when she saw the exit up ahead. She turned left into the entrance to Yachats State Park, and followed the road to the ranger’s booth. A light drizzle had begun, but that wouldn’t stop her from her mission. Rain or shine, cold or fog, she would follow the last trail that Carly took. She would search every tiny inch of it in the hopes that maybe the weather and time had exposed some clue that all the police and volunteers might have overlooked two years ago after she reported her friend missing.

“How many?” the ranger asked when she pulled up to the window.

“Just one,” Jenny replied, handing him her annual pass.

The ranger studied it for a moment before looking at her. Jenny could feel his gaze move over her face. It didn’t take long for recognition to hit.

“You’re the girl who keeps searching for the one that went missing, aren’t you?” the ranger asked, leaning on the window sill.

Jenny grimaced and nodded. “Her name is Carly Tate. Has anyone found anything?” she asked, holding her hand out for the pass.

“Nothing. There have been a few people who still come out on occasion to look, but it's been a while,” the ranger replied with an inviting smile. “I’ll be off at three if you’d like me to go with you.”

Jenny pursed her lips together and shook her head. ”That’s okay. I don’t have much time today,” she lied.

The ranger’s expression drooped and he shrugged. ”Be careful. There has been some erosion along the trail leading down to the cove,” he said, handing her the pass and a parking permit. “Keep an eye out for sudden weather changes. Fog and rain can move in quickly at this time of year, making visibility difficult.”

“I will, thank you.”

Jenny didn’t wait for the rest of his memorized spiel. Having grown up in this area, she was aware of the sudden changes in weather and how to deal with them. Pulling up on the power button to close the window, she gave the car a little more gas than she meant to and felt the jar of the speed bump. With a grimace, she eased up on the pedal and slowly pulled away.

Once she was out of sight of the ranger station, she accelerated again. She followed the long, winding road and turned at the appropriate signs without having to read them. She knew where she was going. Pulling into the parking space, she noticed with satisfaction that there was only one other car in the parking lot, and it looked like the owners of it were leaving.

Jenny sat in her car and waited as the man and the woman argued over the map they were looking at. Tapping her fingers on the steering wheel, she impatiently resisted the urge to get out and ask the couple if they needed some help. Turning the engine off, she undid her seatbelt and turned to reach into the back seat for her jacket.

Straightening in her seat, she blinked back the tears that threatened again and released a deep, shuddering breath when the car next to her finally pulled away. Opening the door, she slid out, pulled on her jacket, and zipped it up before she closed the door. Out of habit, she gazed around her for a moment before she locked the door and pocketed her car keys.

Ever since Carly disappeared two years ago, Jenny hadn’t felt safe. She had moved away from the small coastal community of Yachats, Oregon, over a year ago in an effort to get on with her life. So far, she had to admit she wasn’t doing a very good job of it.

* * * *

Jenny slowly walked up the trail and paused at a fork. The path ahead of her did a loop through the forest and along the mountain. The one to the right lead down to the cove and beach area.

She quickly dismissed that area. Carly had left a map of the park in her car with the longest path highlighted in green and the words ‘I can do this’ written next to it. Jenny smiled when she remembered the added note ‘ice cream’ written and circled in black at the end of the trail.

Shoving her hands in her pockets, she continued past the sign pointing to the beach. She breathed in the rich smells of evergreens, moist soil, and frigid sea air as she walked. She scanned the path as her mind focused on what it would have been like for Carly.

“She would have been grumbling a lot,” Jenny reflected out loud after a mile along the trail.

Pausing to look around, she sighed. Tall trees, thick ferns, and sloping ravines greeted her intense gaze. It was possible that Carly had stumbled, rolled down the side into the ferns, hit her head on a rock, and then was swallowed by the thick vegetation. Carly was known for her clumsiness. It’s possible that there was no foul play beyond bad luck, Jenny silently admitted to herself.

“Surely someone would have found her if that had happened,” Jenny murmured before continuing up the narrow track.