Read Online Marta Perry by Search the Dark - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Search the Dark
Ads: Link
was she?” He seemed to be putting the pieces together at lightning speed. “Was she at the dam?”
“How did you know? You’ve been gone for years. Has someone been talking?” Victor would hate it if word got around about Laura’s visit to the dam, and he’d probably assume the rumor came from her.
“Relax, Meredith.” He eyed her quizzically. “Even I remember where Aaron Mast drowned, and you told me once about the world you and Rachel created around him and Laura when you were kids.”
She could feel her cheeks grow warm. “I can’t believe I told you about that. It’s like talking about an imaginary friend.”
That made him smile again, and something that had been tense inside her began to relax.
“We told each other a lot of things,” he said. He spoke lightly, but a shadow crossed his face, and she knew he was thinking about his father.
He’d talked, only once, about his father’s abuse. They’d gone swimming at the county park, and she’d noticed the scar on his upper arm when he came out of the water. She’d asked him about it, lighthearted, expecting some tale of a crashed bicycle. The truth—that his father had slashed at him with a steak knife—had stunned her into silence. She’d been naïve, hardly realizing that such things happened, let alone in Deer Run.
“I guess we did.” No doubt he still had that scar. If she touched his arm, she might feel it through his sleeve. She restrained herself, not sure where that simple gesture might lead.
“So Laura’s still obsessed with Aaron’s death after all this time.” Zach would no doubt rather talk about Laura and Aaron than the other secrets they’d once shared. “I take it she has problems? Drugs? Alcohol? Psychological?” One eyebrow arched.
“I’m not sure what it is. Victor pretends she’s going to a spa or to visit friends, and we all play along. She’s been in some sort of treatment facility I don’t know how many times. She’ll seem all right for a while, and then something trips off the memories, and she slips back into whatever hole she’s dug.”
“What did it this time?” Zach was interested. He couldn’t know that his question caused her pain.
“I did, I’m afraid.” She took a breath, steadying herself. “Rachel and I, actually. Rachel came back to town in the spring, and when we got reacquainted, we started talking about that summer. Wondering about Aaron’s death. There seem to be so many unanswered questions.”
A frown wrinkled Zach’s forehead. “The cops called it an accident, right?”
“They did.” She shrugged. “When you’re ten, you accept what grown-ups say at face value. But once Rachel and I started remembering that summer...well, it just seemed so unlikely. What could Aaron possibly have been doing alone there that would result in his drowning? It would be understandable if it was a gang of kids partying, maybe daring each other to do something stupid, but there was never a hint that anyone was with him.”
“What was his blood alcohol?”
She blinked, staring at him. “I have no idea. No one ever said he’d been drinking. We certainly never saw him take a drink. After he was found, Chief Burkhalter called it an accident.”
“Surely there must have been some investigation. I know Deer Run doesn’t have the most up-to-date police force, but even so...” He stopped and gave her an apologetic smile. “Sorry. I’m reacting as a cop instead of a friend. Even if you and Rachel started talking about Aaron’s death, I don’t see how you can blame yourself for Laura’s problems.”
“We asked questions.” Her fingers linked together, twisting. “And Rachel found a note someone had left for Aaron in the hiding place he and Laura used, telling him that Laura was going to break up with him. We tried to keep it quiet, but you know how word gets around in Deer Run.” She pressed her hands flat on the counter, forcing herself to stop twisting them. “Sometimes I think
“How did you know? You’ve been gone for years. Has someone been talking?” Victor would hate it if word got around about Laura’s visit to the dam, and he’d probably assume the rumor came from her.
“Relax, Meredith.” He eyed her quizzically. “Even I remember where Aaron Mast drowned, and you told me once about the world you and Rachel created around him and Laura when you were kids.”
She could feel her cheeks grow warm. “I can’t believe I told you about that. It’s like talking about an imaginary friend.”
That made him smile again, and something that had been tense inside her began to relax.
“We told each other a lot of things,” he said. He spoke lightly, but a shadow crossed his face, and she knew he was thinking about his father.
He’d talked, only once, about his father’s abuse. They’d gone swimming at the county park, and she’d noticed the scar on his upper arm when he came out of the water. She’d asked him about it, lighthearted, expecting some tale of a crashed bicycle. The truth—that his father had slashed at him with a steak knife—had stunned her into silence. She’d been naïve, hardly realizing that such things happened, let alone in Deer Run.
“I guess we did.” No doubt he still had that scar. If she touched his arm, she might feel it through his sleeve. She restrained herself, not sure where that simple gesture might lead.
“So Laura’s still obsessed with Aaron’s death after all this time.” Zach would no doubt rather talk about Laura and Aaron than the other secrets they’d once shared. “I take it she has problems? Drugs? Alcohol? Psychological?” One eyebrow arched.
“I’m not sure what it is. Victor pretends she’s going to a spa or to visit friends, and we all play along. She’s been in some sort of treatment facility I don’t know how many times. She’ll seem all right for a while, and then something trips off the memories, and she slips back into whatever hole she’s dug.”
“What did it this time?” Zach was interested. He couldn’t know that his question caused her pain.
“I did, I’m afraid.” She took a breath, steadying herself. “Rachel and I, actually. Rachel came back to town in the spring, and when we got reacquainted, we started talking about that summer. Wondering about Aaron’s death. There seem to be so many unanswered questions.”
A frown wrinkled Zach’s forehead. “The cops called it an accident, right?”
“They did.” She shrugged. “When you’re ten, you accept what grown-ups say at face value. But once Rachel and I started remembering that summer...well, it just seemed so unlikely. What could Aaron possibly have been doing alone there that would result in his drowning? It would be understandable if it was a gang of kids partying, maybe daring each other to do something stupid, but there was never a hint that anyone was with him.”
“What was his blood alcohol?”
She blinked, staring at him. “I have no idea. No one ever said he’d been drinking. We certainly never saw him take a drink. After he was found, Chief Burkhalter called it an accident.”
“Surely there must have been some investigation. I know Deer Run doesn’t have the most up-to-date police force, but even so...” He stopped and gave her an apologetic smile. “Sorry. I’m reacting as a cop instead of a friend. Even if you and Rachel started talking about Aaron’s death, I don’t see how you can blame yourself for Laura’s problems.”
“We asked questions.” Her fingers linked together, twisting. “And Rachel found a note someone had left for Aaron in the hiding place he and Laura used, telling him that Laura was going to break up with him. We tried to keep it quiet, but you know how word gets around in Deer Run.” She pressed her hands flat on the counter, forcing herself to stop twisting them. “Sometimes I think
Similar Books
