Marsh read six drowning files before the pattern hit him. Six dead people, all from Saltcreek. Six identical claims: water damage to a beach house none of them owned. Each one filed exactly three days before they drowned. He printed all six, lined them up on his desk, and stared until his coffee went cold.

Marsh decided to drive to Saltcreek himself. Every claim listed the same address: a beach house at the end of Pelican Road. If six dead people all lied about the same house, he wanted to stand in front of it.

A woman was waiting on the porch when Marsh pulled up, like she'd known he was coming. 'You're the insurance man,' she said. 'You're number seven. They always send someone.'

Marsh laughed it off and asked her name. She wouldn't give it. Instead she handed him a wet, folded claim form. It already had his name on it, filed two days ago. Which meant he had exactly one day left.