Read Online Ghost Town by Jason Hawes - Free Book Online Page A

trying to horn in on us, which is good.”
    Drew frowned. “I’m not sure what you mean.”
    â€œThere’s obviously some kind of correlation between Amber’s nightmare and Tonya’s murder. And from the way Jenn described the scene inside the store—all the books off the shelves, scattered everywhere around Tonya, covering her . . . Do you really think one person stood there throwing books at her? And that Tonya just remained motionless while her killer pelted her with them? The only reason she wouldn’t have fled is if she hadn’t been capable of getting away. Once the coroner’s report is in, I’ll bet it shows she was hit numerous times from multiple angles, just like in Amber’s dream.”
    â€œThere could have been more than one killer,” Drew said. “Or someone could’ve struck Tonya from behind, knocked her out, and then hit her with books.”
    â€œBut—”
    Drew held up a hand to cut off his friend. “ But I think the situation is strange enough to warrant looking into. Is that what you’re talking about?”
    Trevor smiled. “You read my mind, pal.”
    Drew glanced in the direction of the restrooms. “Carrington may not have any interest in interfering with our investigation, but I don’t think we can say the same about Erin.”
    â€œJenn? Are you OK?”
    Amber resisted the urge to knock on the stall door. If Jenn hadn’t heard her words, she certainly wouldn’t hear her knocking. As soon as the three women had entered the restroom, Jenn had gone into the stall—the only one—closed the door, and locked it. She had been in there for several minutes, silent the entire time. Amber was afraid she was crying softly, face buried in a wad of toilet tissue to sop up tears and muffle the sound.
    Amber gave in and rapped a knuckle against the metal door three times.
    â€œJenn? Honey?”
    No response.
    Erin stood leaning against the sink counter, arms crossed over her chest. “I get that a girl needs her privacy,” she said, her voice raised so Jenn could hear. “But you can’t stay in there all day. Other people have to pee, you know.”
    Amber whirled to face Erin. “Leave her alone! You have no idea what she’s been through!”
    Erin raised an eyebrow. “And you do?”
    Amber fixed her with a cold, direct stare. “As a matter of fact, yes.”
    Erin met Amber’s gaze for a three count, finally breaking eye contact and looking down at the floor.
    â€œThat’s my girl.”
    The voice startled Amber, not the least because it seemed to be coming from inside her head. A mirror hung on the wall behind the sink, and reflected in it Amber could see the back of Erin’s head and, to the right of it, her own face. But although no one stood next to her in the restroom, there was another face in the mirror. A pale, scarred ruin of a face.
    Greg Daniels smiled, shiny-tight lip flesh cracking as it stretched back to reveal soot-blackened teeth.
    â€œMiss me?”

FOUR
    Amber didn’t scream, but it was a near thing.
    â€œSomething wrong?”
    She blinked. Greg was gone.
    â€œNo,” she told Erin, surprised at how calm she sounded. “I’m fine.” She returned to Jenn’s stall door, doing her best not to think about what she had just seen. If she was lucky, it had been a hallucination. If not . . .
    She rapped on the door again. “Jenn? We can take you home if you want. Or if you think you need something to calm your nerves, we can take you to see a doctor.” She had only recently weaned herself from the numerous prescription drugs she had been on, and she didn’t like the idea of pushing someone else toward a bottle of “Mother’s little helpers.” But given what Jenn had been through, she could probably use the pharmaceutical industry’s assistance.
    As before, Jenn