There was a stone bench nearly hidden by a tall, overgrown hedge, and Sara hurried toward it. She could almost disappear there and no one would bother her.Don’t these people sleep?she wondered. Usually, she was the only one up at this hour, but today everyone seemed to be awake.
She slid back on the bench, letting the branches nearly engulf her, and opened her notebook.Florida with Alice and G, she wrote.How did they meet?Sara knew she had to deal with the girl’s looks. They lived next door to each other? A long-term association would make him see past her face.Ah!Sara thought. What if she has a smashing body? Exaggerated hour glass? She could—
The sound of a woman’s voice interrupted her thoughts. Sara scooted back into the hedge, trying to hide.
“I’m sorry I woke you,” the voice said, sounding urgent. “But it’s important.”
The frown left Sara’s face. Gossip and overheard conversations were good writing fodder. The woman was on the other side of the hedge so Sara quickly leaned into it, spit out a couple of leaves, and listened.
“There are things you didn’t tell me,” she said, then paused.
It’s Rachel, Sara thought.
“I don’t know how I can do this. I thought I could, but you—” Pause. “All right, but you have to tell meallof it. You know this involvesmurder!” Pause. “Where are you? I think—” Rachel stopped talking for a moment, then said, “She hung up on me!”
Who is she talking to?Sara wondered. She set her notebook aside, then parted the branches with her hands. She got scratched, but what did a little blood and pain matter? She looked through the hole she was holding open.
Rachel was alone, holding her phone, so she’d made the declaration to herself. Obviously angry, she jammed her phone in her pocket and started to walk away. She’d only gone a few feet when Reid came to her.
“Is nobody sleeping?” Sara muttered.
The two of them were too far away for Sara to be able to hear what they were saying.What’s with the audio today?Sara thought. The dream and now this. Maybe I’ll title my bookA Silent Romance, orQuiet Love.
Reid was leaning toward Rachel in a way that suggested intimacy.
Sara was surprised. She’d seen no evidence that they even knew each other. And what about Rachel with Gil and Quinn? Was that an act?
Reid reached out and put a strand of Rachel’s hair behind her ear. It was a universal show of lovers.
But are they still lovers?Sara wondered.
The answer came in the next second when Rachel gave Reid a hard slap across his face.
Sara’s eyes widened. If they used to be lovers, it didn’t appear that Rachel wanted to continue it.
She saw the anger that filled Reid’s face and for a moment Sara thought he might hit her back. She prepared to yell, scream, whatever it took to stop that.
But Reid just turned on his heel and walked away.
Rachel stood there, her hands made into fists, then she took her phone out of her pocket and angrily finger-punched the screen. She listened but there appeared to be no answer. The second time she punched, she left a voice message. From the look on her face, her message was of fiery anger.
Eyes still wide, Sara moved back, letting the hole in the branches close as they scraped her neck and hands. She turned, then gave a startled gasp. Reid was standing there looking at her.
He was wearing such a look of shock and confusion that Sara felt sorry for him. She picked up her notebook, meaning that he was welcome to sit beside her.
They sat in silence for a few moments, then Reid’s phone buzzed and he looked at it, read the text, tapped twice, then turned the phone off and held it. “That was from my grandmother. She texts me when she wakes up.”
“Every day?”
“Yes. I reply with... Well, hearts.” He held up his phone and showed Sara a long line of hearts. He clicked the phone off and tightly held it.
Sara was quiet as she waited for him to speak.
“You saw?” he asked.
She was embarrassed about snooping so she just nodded.
“I came here because I wanted to see Rachel again. When Billy called Grans and asked about me, I said I’d come and help out.”
