Part 10 (1/2)

Spence gave her a rea.s.suring smile. ”I'm reserving judgment for now.”

Dana hung the strap of her purse on her shoulder and lifted her gaze to his for an extended moment. ”Thank you.”

”For what?” He drew his eyebrows together in question. ”For not being afraid to share a room with you or for doing my job?”

”For reserving judgment.”

She opened the door and stepped out; he followed. He inserted the key in the lock and gave it a turn. The way things were going around here, if someone wanted in the room a mere lock wouldn't stop them. But Spence wasn't going to make it easy.

Dana's hand settled on his arm. When he looked up she sent a look toward the street.

A Brighton Police Department cruiser was parked in the supermarket lot across the street.

Spence could guess what that meant. Lorie Venable had reported their visit.

The chief would be watching their every move from this point forward.

Odd. Dana wanted the truth. Nothing more.

Shouldn't the chief of police want that, too?

Chapter Twelve.

Dana felt cold.

Ice cold.

Her vision blurred as she stared at the screen.

Tragedy Strikes Small Town a Second Time ...a third girl is found dead...

Dana couldn't read this stuff anymore. She'd lost count of the newspapers. The dozens of headlines churned in her brain. It was like reading a story about someone else. She knew it happened, yet she couldn't recall experiencing any of it personally.

What was wrong with her?

Why couldn't she just remember that night!

Dana closed her eyes and tried to stop the spinning inside her head.

”Hey,” Spence said quietly.

For one moment Dana kept her eyes closed, enjoying the feel of his warm hand on hers. He made her feel safe. No one had made her feel this protected since...before that night. It didn't hurt that he was tall and strong-looking with broad shoulders. She liked his eyes. Dark and soothing.

”They're ready to lock up. They're just waiting for us to go.”

Dana opened her eyes and looked around. He was right. The library was deserted save for the two women behind the front desk. The return counter and carts had been cleared. She'd had no idea it was eight o'clock already.

”Right.” As she grabbed her purse she felt compelled to apologize. ”I'm sorry we've wasted more time.”

”Anything we do that gives us more information is not a waste of time.”

She had to try and remember that. Finding the answers, the truth, was the goal. Each detail discovered was one additional, however tiny, step toward that seemingly elusive goal.

Going to the Colby Agency was the best decision she'd made in a long time. No, scratch that. It was the best decision she'd ever made. The idea of facing these people-people she'd known her whole life-alone was unimaginable. He made it bearable.

Spence was right beside her as they pa.s.sed the front desk. With him next to her she could tolerate the way the librarians stared at her. She knew what they were thinking. What everyone in this town appeared to think. She couldn't let that deter her from her goal.

As she reached for the door, a poster snagged her attention. She stalled, read the words that accompanied the image of an author's upcoming release.

Private Confessions...One Woman's Journal Journal.

She'd kept a journal when she was a kid.

Images and words exploded in her brain.

”Is something wrong?”

Dana blinked. She turned to Spence. ”I kept a journal.”

The antic.i.p.ation that lit his eyes signaled that he understood this could be important.

It could be really important.

Dana couldn't get to the car fast enough. Her mind whirled with the possible places she might have hidden her journal. She'd kept one, faithfully. She just had to recall where she'd put it last.

In her room somewhere.

The room was trashed. What if someone had found it and taken it?

Dana couldn't catch her breath until they were in the car and headed toward the house on Waverly Street. She'd written her innermost thoughts in a journal since she could form sentences. How had she forgotten that?

Her heart was racing now. Her palms were sweating. Would she have written about that night?

”Hurry.”

”Well,” Spence said, ”since that deputy is still following us around, staying under the speed limit might be the best course of action.”

Dana hadn't realized she'd said the word out loud. ”Sorry, I was just thinking aloud.”

Spence flashed her a smile. Even with nothing more than the dash lights, the gesture made her feel secure. And unafraid.

Ice-cold fear stabbed deep into her chest.

What if they were right?

What if she was the one...?