Read Online The Edge of the Shadows by Elizabeth George - Free Book Online Page A

Dad?” Derric asked his father.
    Dave crossed the street to join them. He gave Becca an arm-around-the-shoulders hug. He made much of shaking Josh’s little hand. He said, “Djangofest.”
    As an answer, it was totally inadequate, but then the fire chief’s SUV pulled into the parking lot and stopped right next to the sheriff’s car. The fire chief called out, “See you inside?” to Dave Mathieson, which put the upcoming music festival and fire together.
    â€œMight be a firebug around,” the undersheriff clarified. “Those early fires could’ve been carelessness. But after the fairgrounds fire, we’re looking at how to protect all of the Djangofest venues. Setting a fire in the middle of a concert? That’d be a real thrill for a firebug if that’s what we’ve got going here.” He looked down at Josh, who was listening, wide-eyed. He said, “You don’t mess with matches, do you, kiddo?”
    Josh shook his head solemnly. “Grammer would smack me a good one.”
    At that point, Dave Mathieson should have gone off to his meeting, but he didn’t. Instead, he asked the boys what they were going to do together on this fine day and when Derric mentioned the hike, he told them to skedaddle while the light in the forest around Whidbey Institute was still good. Then he gave Becca a glance that seemed rich with meaning. She decided to stay where she was in case he wanted to tell her what was up.
    Derric and Josh drove off with a wave. Derric yelled, “Call you tonight, babe,” at Becca and then they were gone.
    Dave said, “He thinks the world of you.”
    Becca said in return, “Feeling’s totally mutual.”
    Dave Mathieson was silent at that, as if tossing this around in his mind. Becca wondered if he was worried about Derric and her the way parents worried when their kids got involved with each other. It was pretty much a universal worry: boys, girls, hormones, and sex.
    She wanted to pull the ear bud from her ear in order to catch what was on Dave’s mind. She managed to do this surreptitiously. What she heard made the breath catch in her chest.
    A single word only.
Rejoice
. This was followed at once by
wonder if she knows
 . . .
betraying . . . finding out could mean all the difference
 . . .
    Becca wanted to jump in and say
something
to get Dave Mathieson to reveal everything that was coursing through his mind. But she couldn’t think of a single thing to say to effect this, so she forced a smile and referred to the subject that Dave himself had brought up. “He’s the greatest guy, Sheriff Mathieson. But c’n I say something?”
    Dave seemed to rouse himself. “Sure,” he told her.
    â€œYou got nothing to worry about with me and Derric. You know.”
    He gazed at her, as if evaluating this. Then he said the unthinkable. “Becca, let me ask you this. Has Derric ever mentioned someone called Rejoice?”
    â€¢Â â€¢Â â€¢
    BECCA WAS COMPLETELY unready for a frontal assault. She bought time with, “Rejoice? Is that really someone’s name?” to which Dave Mathieson said, “It’s a girl from Uganda. From the same orphanage where my wife met Derric. He’s . . .” Dave looked off in the direction that Derric had taken in his Forester. He frowned as if considering how much to say.
Don’t want to mess up what the boy has going
suggested to Becca that Dave’s hesitation had a lot to do with her own relationship with Derric. This pleased her since it indicated that he didn’t want to cause a problem between them, especially a problem having to do with another girl. “He’s been writing to her since he first came here, letters that he’s never sent. It feels like . . .”
In confidence now
 . . .
from the past like a crush so it doesn’t mean
 . . .
and yet