The Last Secret You'll Ever Keep by Laurie Stolarz (summer reads txt) 📕

I click the chat room link and post a message:

NightTerra: Hey, everyone. I’m looking for Paylee22. She hasn’t been on here in a couple of days (at least not that I’ve seen), and I just want to make sure that she’s ok. If you’ve recently seen her on here (or on other chat sites), or if you know anything about her or where she might be, please send me a private message. I’ve already alerted the Jane Anonymous administrators. Thank you in advance.

TulipPrincess: Omg, you still haven’t seen her on here???

RainyDayFever: Where is that girl???

CityGirlSal: So weird. But, um, Paylee22 is a little weird too, right? #JustSayin’ #NotSoSurprised

Cobra-head43: Paylee is always super paranoid. #ButSoAmI

CityGirlSal: So, maybe she checked herself in.

Cobra-head43: In where?

Darwin12: I’ll bet you anything she’s taking a break by getting unplugged. We should all get unplugged … spend some time in nature, away from all things materialistic.

Darwin12: We spend too much time trying to acquire, not taking advantage of what already exists.

CityGirlSal: Um, ok? “No comment.” #IHaveComments!!!

Cobra-head 43: I kinda like acquiring. It’s fun to buy. $$$$$ #ShitCollector4Life #GluttonyRules

CityGirlSal: Omg. Lmao!!!

While they continue chattering, I grab a notebook and write down all the personal details Peyton has shared, hoping at least a few of them are true.

Name: Peyton

Age: 22

Location: Maine (a coastal town, known for having one of the oldest lighthouses)

School: used to go to a community college (not sure where)

Work: used to work at a yacht club across the street from the community college

Homelife: lives with parents; younger brother Max died from heart issues when he was eight years old; doesn’t like to leave the house but goes out occasionally; sees a therapist weekly

Taken: while on a hike (on a trail behind the community college). She’d been searching for an abandoned school when someone impersonating an officer approached her and put her in his car.

I begin an online search for community colleges in coastal towns in Maine, where there’s also a yacht club across the street. Oddly enough, it doesn’t take long to narrow things down. Pineport, Maine, is known for having one of the oldest and most well-preserved lighthouses in the country. Pictures show it standing at the tip of a peninsula and painted with blue and white stripes. There’s also a community college in Pineport, located across the street from the Meridian Yacht Club.

Bingo.

I click on a link for the yacht club and search a staff photo for Peyton’s name. No luck. But maybe she no longer works there. All the times I’ve chatted about my shifts at the library … She’s never mentioned currently holding a job herself.

I check the yacht club’s hours, then grab my cell phone to call the main number. A woman picks up right away. She sounds around my age.

“Hi,” I say, wishing I’d rehearsed. “I’m hoping you can help me. I’m looking for someone who works there. Her name is Peyton.”

There’s silence for several seconds, then, “I’m really sorry, but no one by the name of Peyton works at this yacht club.”

“Maybe she no longer works there, but I’m pretty sure she did at one time—maybe eight or nine months ago. She is—or she was—a student at the community college across the street from your yacht club. I’m not exactly sure if she’s currently enrolled in classes.”

“Is there something specific I can help you with?”

“Do you know who I mean? Peyton,” I repeat. “She’s twenty-two. She went missing for a few days. Does any of this sound remotely familiar?”

“Who did you say you were?”

“My name is Terra, and I’m a friend of Peyton’s. I’m looking for her.”

“Okay, well, obviously Peyton doesn’t work here anymore.”

“Wait, so, you know who I mean, then? You know Peyton? Do you also know her famil—”

“I don’t think I can help you,” she says, cutting me off. “Please don’t call back here.” She hangs up.

My heart tightens.

I look back at the chat room screen and scroll upward to read the feed of posts. Most don’t seem alarmed by Peyton’s inactivity, especially since it’s only been a couple of days. The chat quickly branches off in another direction: Cobra-head43’s issues with insomnia. But then Darwin12 brings up Peyton’s name again:

Darwin12: Paylee22 has snoozing issues too. What are the odds that it finally caught up with her and she’s been sleeping for days?

NightTerra: Who says she has sleep issues?

Darwin12: I do. I say.

NightTerra: And how do you know? Did she tell you she has sleep issues?

Darwin12: Do I sense a little tension?

Darwin12: I’m surprised she didn’t tell you, esp. since you two are supposedly so close.

#MaybeNotAsCloseAsYouThink

NightTerra: We are close.

CityGirlSal: It’s true. Paylee’s always on … Even when I’ve come on at 2 and 3 a.m. I don’t think she sleeps.

Cobra-head43: Maybe she’s a vampire. Lol.

CityGirlSal: Remind me … Was she in school?

Darwin12: Am I allowed to answer that? Or is NightTerra the only one who’s supposed to know anything about Peyton?

TulipPrincess: Defensive much?

TulipPrincess: Peyton’s taking a year off from school. Isn’t she???

NightTerra: She told you that?

TulipPrincess: Yeah. She said she couldn’t imagine sitting in classes, trying to focus. I can’t say I blame her. I’m not focusing much these days either.

RainyDayFever: I think Paylee wanted to be a vet. But didn’t she also work at a yacht club—just a part-time thing?

Cobra-head43: Where is she from again?

NightTerra: She doesn’t work at the yacht club anymore.

TulipPrincess: I’m sure she’ll come back on soon.

Darwin12: She seemed kind of upset the last time I chatted with her.

NightTerra: When was that?

Darwin12: Not sure. A couple of nights ago? She said she lost someone close to her.

Darwin12: At first, I thought she was talking about a death. But then she said she wanted the person to forgive her.

Darwin12: I asked her more about it but she had to go.

CityGirlSal: Try not to worry too much. She’ll come back on soon.

TulipPrincess: Team Paylee!

NightTerra: Thanks, everyone. I’ll keep you posted.

TulipPrincess: We will too.

I exit out of the chat, wishing I could rewind the last few days. Am I the one Peyton hoped would forgive her? The person she