One Last Breath by Sarah Sutton (speld decodable readers txt) 📗

woman chuckled a bit at her question, and then her face fell again at the remembrance that Reese was no longer alive, that the memory was now only that.

“There’s Brian,” she started, pain tainting her expression. “He’s a lifeguard at Rehoboth. He lives around here, though. A couple years older than Reese. He comes in here every day, and he definitely had some sort of crush on her. I think he came in just to see her because he always seemed to come in when she was working. I always thought they would be cute together—but you know, her parents would never allow it.”

“And what did Reese do?”

The woman shrugged. “She’d flirt back. She definitely had something for him too, but she was quiet about it. I think they did exchange numbers at one point.”

“When was that?”

“A couple months ago, I’d say.”

Tara looked toward Warren, and she could see the urgency in his eyes. They clearly both had the same thought. Could Reese and the lifeguard have had a secret relationship? Did she lie to her parents about when her shift ended so she could meet him?

“Do you know where we can find him?” Tara asked.

The woman turned to a clock behind her and then nodded. “He’s probably at Rehoboth Beach by now. The lifeguards have been working on cleaning up the area.”

Tara thanked her, and she and Warren were soon out the door, now with a lead and a newfound purpose in their step.

***

Tara and Warren pulled up along the boardwalk and stepped out into the sandy road. A row of businesses lined the long wooden pathway, creating a barrier between them and the beach behind.

Tara and Warren walked up the stairs and briskly down the boardwalk, scanning the beach below it for any sign of lifeguards. It was early still, the beach and boardwalk were still in need of minor repairs, and the businesses were still closed. The beach was closed too. They were the only people walking about, but every once in a while, a jogger would breeze past them.

“There,” Warren said sharply.

Tara looked out onto the beach, and just a few yards in front of them, she could see people in red shorts moving about. They were the lifeguards.

Tara and Warren were soon on the beach as well, moving toward them. Their presence was quickly noticed, and one of the lifeguards looked up and said something to the others that Tara couldn’t hear from afar.

Tara knew she and Warren looked as if they didn’t belong on the beach. Both in long pants and boots, they clearly weren’t dressed for a day under the sun.

The lifeguards looked a bit confused as they got closer. There were five of them, all exceptionally fit teenagers. Two girls and three boys.

“Is one of you Brian?” Tara asked as soon as she was within earshot.

The row of red shorts parted and looked toward a boy in the center. He stepped forward. He was shirtless, his skin bronzed. He had broad shoulders and a perfectly chiseled triangle-shaped upper body, but a sling hung across his chest, holding a casted arm. He confirmed that he was in fact Brian, but he looked startled by the question. Tara realized how odd this must be to him, being approached by intimidating strangers on a beach with no one around. It had probably never happened to him before.

“Are you friends with Reese Tanner?” Tara questioned. She flashed her badge, dissolving any confusion.

His face fell. His bronze skin became flushed in the cheeks. The other lifeguards looked at him and then turned away, moving farther from him. It was as if they knew he would need privacy, that they all sensed something horrible was about to be said.

“Yes,” he confirmed. “Is she all right? I’ve been trying to get ahold of her…I,” he stopped himself. He could sense it; nothing was all right. “What happened?” he asked as he stood up straighter, like a trained dog waiting to be told who to attack.

Tara knew instantly that he didn’t know, that she would ultimately have to break the news to him. It pained her. He looked sincere in his worry, and she had a feeling that he truly did care for Reese.

Tara sighed. “I’m sorry to have to tell you this,” she started. His eyes began to glisten slightly, but then he breathed deeply, holding back the tears. “Her body was found this morning, on Dewey Beach.”

He looked around him. He looked as if he might lose his balance, as if he were looking for something to steady himself. The other lifeguards were still listening. They were picking up branches, but at Tara’s words they all looked up and then toward each other. Terror flooded their eyes.

“Oh my god,” said one, a petite young woman with a rock-solid build. She came scurrying over.

The others followed until they stood just behind Brian. One of the guys, slightly older-looking, placed a hand on Brian’s shoulder.

“You’re sure?” Brian finally uttered, his tanned face now looking slightly faded from the shock.

Tara nodded. “I’m sorry.” She let it sink in for moment. They all looked around at each other in disbelief. “Were you two dating?” Tara finally asked.

Brian stared off into the distance as he scrunched his face in confusion, still trying to make sense of it all. He then looked back toward Tara.

“Yeah, kind of. I guess you can call it that.”

“How do you mean?” she asked. It seemed like such a clear-cut question.

“I definitely had feelings for her is what I’m saying,” he said. “But her parents would’ve never allowed her to date me, since I’m nineteen and she’s seventeen. We just spoke a lot, really, on the phone, through text. And then we’d meet on the beach sometimes at night, before she had to be home.”

“When did you speak to her last?” Tara had remembered what he said in the beginning, that he had been trying to get in touch with her. “You said you’ve been trying to