Page 37 of Easton Island

“About Hailey?”

“Mm. Hmm. He told me what happened, about how they mutually agreed to take a break.”

“I think it’s a good idea,” Morgan said.

“I couldn’t agree more. As I said before, there’s something about the woman that isn’t sitting right with me.”

“Part of it is the fact that she avoids talking about herself, her past, her family other than her aunt.”

“Like she’s hiding something.” Tina shrugged. “The bottom line is Greg needs someone who complements him, not makes him want to rip his hair out.”

Morgan grinned. “I couldn’t have summed it up better.”

The tinkling of laughter echoed. Austin, with Tiff by his side, rounded the corner. “Hey, Morgan.”

“Hello, Austin, Tiff. I trust you slept well?”

“The suite is sweet.” Tiff made a pillow out of her hands and placed her head on top before closing her eyes. “We slept like babies.”

“We’re uber excited to interview you,” Austin said. “Our followers are going to be geeked.”

“You’re the experts. I’ll let you tell me what the plan is.”

“We were thinking maybe we could start outside, do a panoramic shot of Locke Pointe before working our way inside and upstairs to the attic.”

“Giving us a little background and history about your family would be helpful,” Tiff added. “We noticed family photos in the living room. It would be the perfect backdrop for the interview.”

“Let’s get cracking.” Morgan escorted the pair to the front porch and down the steps. They walked all the way to the picket fence at the end of the sidewalk. “I’ve run several ads featuring Locke Pointe from this angle.”

Austin removed his cell phone from his pocket. He introduced the inn, giving a brief synopsis of the location, touting it as a high-end bed-and-breakfast, and then zoomed in on the sign out front.

“Tiff and I are thrilled to have Morgan Easton, granddaughter of Joseph and Ann Locke as well as Elizabeth Easton-Ainsworth, with us today.”

Tiff popped into view, and she and Austin bantered back and forth, sharing a funny anecdote about the ferry ride over. The couple strolled across the meticulously manicured lawn as they made their way back inside.

Austin tapped the screen. “The first segment is ready to roll.”

Watching them from the sidelines, Morgan had to admit she was impressed. The vloggers had it down pat, from the opening dialogue, offering interesting tidbits and trivia about Locke Pointe, to giving a brief history of the island. Clearly, the couple had done their homework.

The trio stepped into the living room. Austin set up his tripod, facing it toward the fireplace and family photos lining the mantle. Directly above the fireplace was the Locke Pointe artwork Morgan’s mother had painted. Tucked in behind it was where she’d found her most important clue: numbers that initially made no sense but would eventually lead her to the medallion.

Tiff eased in next to her. “You’re staring at the painting.”

“I am.”

“This is it,” she said. “The painting where you found the slip of paper.”

“It is.”

The young woman’s eyes lit. “It’s a fascinating story, one of the most interesting Austin and I have ever covered. I want to apologize again for last night and thank you for being so gracious and allowing us to interview you. We don’t deserve it.”

“You don’t,” Morgan agreed. “However, I admire your entrepreneurial spirit and enthusiasm. I may have already mentioned that I checked out your YouTube channel. You have a strong following.”

“Austin and I have worked hard to get where we are. We love what we do.”

“It shows.”

“Ready to go.” Austin gave them a thumbs up.