The Housewarming

by Kristin Offiler

Zoe Gilbert, a young local jeweler from the mainland, was missing after a weeklong vacation with friends. The details were scarce: She’d stayed behind after the rest of her group boarded the ferry to leave Block Island on Sunday morning, telling them she wanted one more day on the beach. She

Hmmm whay gapoemed to her

and because Zoe Gilbert’s four friends were in the group.

SO sehwnts to gt the inssdie scoop and thats why se volunteered theesearch aso sehs a podcaster and prrbaaly attractuv to beinside the search for better resikt wnd more evidece

“Serious enough.” He looked straight into the camera. “Zoe, baby, I miss you. Come home. At least call me if you see this. Let me know you’re okay.”

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mind. Her stomach swooped. It was done. An olive branch extended to the friends who hadn’t spoken to her in five years. All she could do now was hope they’d accept it.

Was there bad bkood after zoes disappearajce

wasn’t from a wealthy family and didn’t have an impressive job. He meditated every morning and rarely drank alcohol. He was practically an alien to her parents.

Oppodites attract

Zoe could always read the group like that. She had radar for incoming trouble and could head it off before it arrived better than the rest of them.

Ajd ironicakkt she us the ine missijng

“I just wanted to say you have some nerve showing your face here. It takes a lot of gall.”

Whattt

“Some people believe that in the video circulating of you and your friends, you were discussing a plan to hide evidence. Is that the case?” “No, of course not.” 27 “The internet is abuzz right now with discussions on Zoe’s case. What is it about you and your friends that people seem fascinated by?”

Are thry brjng pinned fir zies disappearabce

Obsessed with the idea of a crime that never happened instead of finding Zoe. We have to all do

Media is twidtung the stiry ir barrAtuve

Are you positive none of you were involved in Zoe Gilbert’s disappearance?”

What was Callie planning this time?

with Zoe, the strange way she’d been behaving all week, and the argument that ended the final night of their trip.

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They’d kept countless secrets for one another over the years, as friends do. They kept quiet about Callie’s binge drinking that first summer at camp. Lindsey’s abortion freshman year of college. Tess’s one-night fling with an ex when she had a long-term boyfriend. Meg’s ill-fated visit to see her estranged father at seventeen even though her mother forbade it. But Zoe, she never asked anyone to carry secrets for her.

All of tgese girls are somewyat trauma bonded

No. Patricia’s fixation was one of malice. Tess’s only crime was caring too

the end of the day, it’s about meeting people. I’ve never liked the pressure of dating, but I’m always interested in connecting with people.”

Sake

“For eating dinner? And going on coffee dates? Most people go out for free.”

Like ca sugar daddy

“And what, exactly, is wrong with Taco Bell?”

I agree

“Does this count as a date?” she asked as they started walking down the street. “I’m taking up your time,” he said. Lindsey tried to calculate how long she might have before Patricia exploded her life again. How many times she’d be able to go out with Fred before everyone in her orbit turned on her again.

I fee.as thiugh fred saught lindsey out to ge insude info for ptrici for her oidccsst or am ik jus oarnaoies

The book that will falsely name me as someone who harmed Zoe.”

Oooooh patrucia id expoliting her ahd tarnishing her baje

“You thought I would want to help you? After what you did to us?”

“I’ll be honest. As nice as you two seem, some of the neighbors think you living here means our street will become a hot spot for the true crime folks. That disappearance left a mark.”

I understabd this concern

Everything’s coming together nicely. Can’t wait to watch their faces when they see you.

To whom

Got fired thanks to Patricia. Hasn’t really sunk in yet. No idea what I’m going to do.

Ooof

Our minds are conditioned to seek answers.

I akndsr if this is why people love watching true crime

Was Zoe the victim of toxic friendship? Did one or even all four of her friends have a hand in her disappearance and then try to cover up the only piece of evidence? Or did something else happen on that August day? And if so . . . what?

Dittooo

“I told you I was going away. Just took the boat out here for a few days.”

Fred is si sus ri mr

“How is Patricia 154Adele the one who got me on-air for the interview? And why didn’t you ever mention that minor detail to me?”

“I’m sure she thought once we turned on you, we’d run to her to give our own interviews. She probably expected one of us to fold.”

Yeah wyat is patrucuas mo

We’re part of this; we should be involved in the memorial. Right? Something is off.”

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And worse, what reason would Lindsey have to keep the truth from the others? Meg went back to her inbox and saw she had another response waiting for her.

But Cameron Oakes had some kind of tie to Zoe, and Meg didn’t know him. Her curiosity was piqued.

“Up until the very end when she asked us to leave her behind.”

“You told me to do this—or risk being implicated with one of them.”

Lindsey swallowed; it was almost too much to think of someone caring enough to worry about her to this extent or being able to read her so clearly, without judgment.

I gey it

“And you know the truth about how that situation came

finagled

had never naturally developed one of her own. But to have Fred in common?

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I told Zoe I had feelings for her.” 204 Lindsey’s mouth fell open. “Wait. What? You and Zoe? You did? Were you two ever . . . ?”

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Something was up with her and we ignored it.

Survivirs guikt

was no way to tell them what she’d done. Speaking to Patricia had been a mistake, and as soon as she got back home after the weekend, she would contact Patricia and tell her to delete the file

This sent Lindsey in a new direction—outrage. How dare he? Standing there acting like this was all-new information. She slithered out of his arm and sifted through the photos on the table until she found hers. His.

Darn rught

Do you have a platform we can use to spread the word? Can you circulate this video and help Zoe’s case go viral for the right reasons? Do you have a tip that might assist detectives? Or can you generously donate money to the reward fund? Spend some time at Zoe’s table tonight. It’s

“I just want to know why Lindsey and Callie lied about their whereabouts the day Zoe went missing,”

Hmm