Fruit of the Dead by Rachel Lyon

Author:Rachel Lyon
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Scribner
Published: 2024-03-05T00:00:00+00:00

Pour black coffee, sit, and drink. Panic tingles in my stomach, in my hands, but as I scan the search results I begin to feel my heartbeat settle into a more regular rhythm. I retrieve my laptop from its place on my desk. At the kitchen table, I open Excel. I am not the ED of a multinational nonprofit for nothing. I am a woman who loves a spreadsheet. Copy-paste, copy-paste. There are hundreds of privately owned islands in Asia, the Caribbean, off the coasts of Canada and western Europe. The sprawl is daunting, but she said Atlantic, so I’ll start there. Islands owned by cruise lines can be eliminated from the list, presumably. Likewise those owned by actors—although on second thought I suppose the asshole could be bringing her to someone else’s home. Stifle the panic. All I can do is all I can do. Perhaps color-code those. Copy-paste, and add them to the bottom of the list.

What else. Check my texts. She mentioned he was a parent of a camper. That’s a big clue, isn’t it. Type into the search engine, River Rock Junior Camp roster. The camp comes up: an out-of-date Word-Press site, of course. How this janky operation has become a cult favorite among the privileged is beyond me. Scroll briefly through the featured photos: children tie-dyeing, playing Red Rover. Teens hand-in-hand at a bonfire. A group of kids cross-legged in a circle on the grass. Recall Cory’s story, a couple of years ago, about a ruthless camp-wide game of Midnight Manhunt, which left multiple kids and two staff members in tears. Since she was a little girl she’d return every summer with an enthusiasm that bordered on zealotry. I trawl the whole disorganized site, but cannot find a list of this year’s campers. A privacy issue, I suppose. I do however find the main phone number. I’ll call. Of course: I’ll call! Why haven’t I already called? I’ll call—but not until the start of the business day.

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