When Truth Surface (Book #2 of "When Secrets Surface")

Chapter 16

Sophie's POV

I woke up feeling exhausted and dizzy.

A wave of nausea washed over me and I was this close to throwing up all over my blanket.

I dragged my feet then slumped down on the dining room chair and drank a little water to settle my unsteady stomach.

"Guys wanna go on a hike," Dad said his face beaming with excitement. He's always loved the idea of reconnecting with nature.

"This is so random," Dorothy chuckled.

"I know but your Mom and I have been so busy lately and we haven't spent time with you lately," Dad said.

"Sophie are you alright your eyes are puffy," Mom said staring into my soul.

"I'm fine, just didn't sleep very well," I lied.

Dorothy shot me a dirty look.

"So should we go hiking Ash?" Dad asked.

"I mean it will be fun," Mom said.

"You see your mom gets so are you girls on board?" Dad's eyes lit up.

I turned to Dorothy.

"Why not?"

Dorothy's POV

We were walking from the Hollywood sign to the actual hiking spot.

Sophie and I trailed behind Mom and Dad.

"I mean we need to be in top shape for our big investigation!" She stated.

"Right, because nothing says 'top shape' like sweating profusely on a hiking trail," I muttered, rolling my eyes. Despite my sarcasm, a part of me enjoyed these moments, even if I craved my usual solitude.

I was still feeling dizzy and if I didn't drink water every few minutes I felt like I was going to faint.

As we rounded a bend, I spotted a familiar figure up ahead Tyler Walker, leaning against a rock, chatting with Roy. My instincts kicked in, a low hum of tension vibrating through me.

"Dorothy, look," I whispered, grabbing her arm. "That's Ty and Roy. Should we-?"

"Sure," She didn't even wait for me to respond before striding toward them, leaving me little choice but to follow.

"Mom we're going to rest I feel dizzy," I patted her on her shoulder.

She nodded, "Dave and I will wait at the next stop."

"Hey!" Dorothy called out, her voice bright and cheerful as if we were meeting friends at a café rather than potentially interrogating suspects.

Ty turned, his expression shifting from surprise to guarded amusement, "Well if it isn't the dynamic duo who solved their daddy's murder, what brings you here?"

"Just enjoying nature," I replied, trying to channel Dorothy's confidence, "You know, the usual. Hiking. Investigating. Trying to figure out if you're a kidnapper."

Roy's brow furrowed as he shot me a skeptical glance. "Kidnapper? That's a bit strong, don't you think?"

"Nah," I said, crossing my arms. "But you two were seen near the party venue the day the night Naylene went missing. Care to explain?"

Ty ran a hand through his sandy brown hair, a nervous habit perchance. "We were just talking, nothing more. Do you think I'd kidnap someone? Come on, I'm not a monster."

We don't know that. We don't know that.

"She was looking for someone that night... was it you two?" Dorothy pressed, her eyes narrowing.

"We were helping - we saw her," Roy said, his voice steady but his body language betraying him shifting weight, avoiding eye contact. "She needed advice on a project."

"Oh, so you saw her and kidnapped her," I was trying to get them to betray each other. I shot back, feeling the tension in the air thicken.

"Lay off, Sophie," Ty said, raising a hand. "We didn't do anything wrong. I swear. You know how it is people talk."

"People talk," I echoed, my mind racing. "Like how you were one of the last ones to leave before she vanished?" Dorothy leaned in closer.

"We just want to help, Ty. If you know anything, now's the time to spill." Ty exchanged a glance with Roy, and I could practically see the gears turning in his head.

"Look, I didn't want to get involved in this mess. I didn't even want to talk to her. That's all I have to say." "Then why are you here with Roy?" I pressed, desperate to catch any slip-up.

"We were just-"

"Just what?" I interrupted my heart racing.

"Talking about how to keep your stories straight?"

Roy stepped forward, an edge creeping into his voice. "You're crossing a line, Sophie. Maybe you should focus on finding Naylene rather than accusing us."

"I'm just trying to find the truth," I shot back, my frustration boiling over.

"Truth? You think you're going to find it here?" Ty scoffed a hint of bitterness in his tone.

"You're barking up the wrong tree."

"Maybe we should just keep hiking, huh, Dorothy?" I suggested, feeling the conversation slipping through my fingers.

"Yeah, maybe," she said, though her eyes remained on Ty, sizing him up as if he were a puzzle yet to be solved.

"But we're not done here. You better hope we don't find something that leads us back to you, "I muttered.

As we walked away, I could feel Dorothy's frustration simmering beside me. "They're hiding something, Sophie. You could practically smell it in the air."

"Yeah," I muttered. "Like cheap cologne and lies."

We caught up with Mom and Dad and kept hiking in the warm autumn breeze.

Sophie's POV

By the time we got home, the city was dark and the skyscrapers were covered by lights.

I got back to my room and slumped down on my bed.

"I'm exhausted," I muttered.

"Soph I have an idea we never checked street security," Dorothy suggested.

I nodded.

Dorothy crawled on my bed and started scrolling through footage for what felt like an eternity.

"Sophie, look!" She tapped my hand for what felt like an eternity.

Naylene and Roy laughing and holding down a street. It was 5th Street a block away from the party venue.

"So you weren't the last person to see Naylene it was Roy," I said.

"That's why he was so scared when he saw us," Dorothy continued.

"Wait what time was that it could be before the party," I thought.

The footage read 10:30 pm.

"That's two hours after the party ended," Dorothy retorted.

I added a note to the investigation board.

Roy Mendez was the last person to see Naylene.

My phone began to ring breaking the tranquility in the room.

"Hi," Zach's voice came through my phone.

"Hello," I replied.

"I was thinking we could get coffee together," He said so calmly. If it was I would be stammering.

"Sure," I said.

Well, things just got interesting.

I can't help but notice Zach, Ty and Roy look the same.

Was Naylene looking for a certain type of guys?