Small-Town Secrets. Debra Webb

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      Dana swallowed tightly. “My sister was one of three victims murdered that fall. All three were local children. They died within mere days of each other. The whole community was devastated.”

      Sympathy etched itself across Victoria’s brow. “Does the case remain on active status or has it been officially closed?”

      Dana shrugged. “My mother receives calls from time to time whenever some new-to-the-force deputy decides to take a look at the town’s most infamous case. Nothing has ever come of it. The case has been cold for nearly a decade now.”

      “But,” Victoria offered, “you need to know the truth. Closure, as you said.”

      Dana’s heart pounded harder with each passing moment. “Yes.” The word was scarcely a whisper. She needed the truth. She needed to face the past or put it behind her once and for all. So far she’d been able to do neither on her own nor with the help of a psychiatrist.

      Victoria braced her elbows on her desk and steepled her fingers. “Losing a family member is difficult under any circumstances,” she said gently. “But losing a twin is like losing a part of yourself.”

      Echoes of memories whispered in Dana’s ears. She moistened her lips. “Yes.” It was a nightmare…one that wouldn’t end. “My mother and I faced a second blow when six months after we moved from Brighton my father committed suicide.” She fought back the emotion that accompanied thoughts of that time. “He blamed himself for not taking better care of us.”

      After a moment’s consideration, Victoria said, “William Spencer is a member of our Recon Team, a division of the Colby Agency created specifically to find the missing. Though the children in this situation are deceased, the truth is missing.” Victoria settled a reassuring gaze upon Dana. “The members of this team are the best in the business, Dana. If it’s humanly possible to find the truth for you, Spence will find it.”

      Victoria checked what appeared to be a large desk calendar. “I’d like you to meet Spence. We’ll go over the details you remember and determine a starting place and strategy.” She reached for the phone on her desk and gifted Dana with another reassuring smile. “You can take a deep breath, Dana. The Colby Agency will find the answers you’re looking for.”

      Dana wished she could take a deep breath…wished that what she felt at those sincere and comforting words was relief, but the truth was, in this case, she felt fear. Fear and dread.

      Was she putting the past behind her…or the rest of her life?

      WILLIAM SPENCER TYPED the conclusion and hit Print. His first “final” field report was finished. He’d worked six months for the Colby Agency before being assigned a case where he was the primary investigator. Until then he’d done research and assessments. It felt good to be a full-fledged Colby investigator. The work here gave him a sense of accomplishment and self-satisfaction—something that had been sorely missing in his former career as a child advocacy attorney.

      He gritted his teeth when he considered the numerous times he’d helped remove a child from harm’s way only to have another judge overrule the decision and place the child right back into dangerous territory—typically with his or her own mother or father. The last child he’d rescued using his legal expertise had been returned to his mother and stepfather only to end up dead twenty-four hours later.

      Spence had walked away from his firm. Enough was enough. He wanted to be at a place where his efforts actually did some good for the long term. Landing at the Colby Agency was the best thing that could have happened to him, professionally as well as personally.

      A distinct buzz drew his attention to the telephone on his desk. Anticipation zinged through him. He pressed the speaker button. “Spence.”

      “Spence,” Victoria said, “I have a client, Ms. Dana Hall, in my office. Could you join us?”

      “Absolutely.” His pulse quickened as he tapped the speaker button to end the connection and grabbed his notepad and pen. The idea of being assigned a new case immediately after completing his first had him practically sprinting toward Victoria’s office.

      Grinning, he gave Mildred a little salute. She smiled back at him. That was another thing he loved about working at the Colby Agency. The staff operated like one big family. Since he had no family of his own, not since he was sixteen anyway, the camaraderie filled a long, empty void.

      As he entered the boss’s office, she announced, “Ms. Hall, this is William Spencer.”

      The obviously nervous client extended her hand as he approached. “Mr. Spencer,” she said softly.

      “Ms. Hall.” Spence gave her a firm handshake then settled into the chair next to hers.

      Dana Hall was blond and petite. She dressed like most female white-collar professionals, skirt and matching jacket, with a starched white blouse and practical shoes. But it was the big brown eyes filled with sadness and intense worry that overwhelmed her attractive oval face. This was a lady with heavy personal baggage. He knew that look.

      Victoria briefly reviewed Ms. Hall’s situation. Spence had to admit that he was a little surprised he was chosen for the case considering the three children involved were deceased, more specifically murdered. The only homicide he’d been involved with had happened in the present. Personally, he wasn’t sure he was the right man for the job. But he trusted Victoria’s judgment. She had a reason for asking him to sit in on this meeting. And if she asked him to take the case, she had her reasons for that as well.

      “I’d like to be closely involved with the investigation,” Ms. Hall said when Victoria had finished bringing Spence up to speed. “The police haven’t been very cooperative with any of my past efforts. I need to have an active part in solving this painful mystery once and for all.”

      “That’s understandable,” Victoria granted. She turned her attention to Spence. “Ms. Hall’s participation will likely be an asset, don’t you agree?”

      “I do,” Spence concurred. Dana Hall would know those closest to the victims and would likely recall the players involved in the official police investigation that followed the murders.

      “I’d like to get started as soon as possible,” Dana went on to say. “I’ve lived with this a very long time. It will be a tremendous relief to put this behind me. The sooner the better.”

      When she spoke of the murders, she avoided eye contact with him, Spence noted. There could be a number of reasons for that, none of which were particularly good. “I’m available immediately.” He’d finished the final report on his last assignment. There was no reason he couldn’t get started right away.

      Dana met his eyes now. “When can we leave?”

      Brighton was only a few hours’ drive from Chicago. “I’ll make the necessary arrangements this evening, and we’ll meet here at nine tomorrow morning. We can be there shortly after noon.” She nodded and he went on. “I’d like you to compile a list of any relevant details and names you recall that we haven’t already discussed. We’ll go over those on the way and lay out our strategy.”

      Dana took an audible breath. “Excellent.”

      As the meeting concluded, Spence watched Dana interact with Victoria. Every instinct warned him that the lady wasn’t being completely open. СКАЧАТЬ