Lenora Worth - A Face in the Shadows

her mind in turmoil over Parker being taken away by the police. She knew there was more to Parker Buchanan than he let on. But he wasn’t a murderer. Why had the police picked today, of all days, to question him?

Her son turned nine years old today. He’d been so excited about the birthday party Parker had thrown at his mansion. A big step for a man who wasn’t used to being around other people, especially children.

Even in college, Parker had been the James Dean type—part mystery, part outcast, but always intriguing. Kate had never seen the real man behind the facade.

Until recently. Until her son had won him over.

REUNION REVELATIONS: Secrets surface when old friends—and foes—get together.

Hidden in the Wall—Valerie Hansen (LIS#84) January 2008

Missing Persons—Shirlee McCoy (LIS#88) February 2008

Don’t Look Back—Margaret Daley (LIS#92) March 2008

In His Sights—Carol Steward (LIS#96) April 2008

A Face in the Shadows—Lenora Worth (LIS#100) May 2008

Final Justice—Marta Perry (LIS#104) June 2008

has written more than thirty books, most of those for Steeple Hill. She also works freelance for a local magazine, where she has written monthly opinion columns, feature articles and social commentaries. She also wrote for five years for the local paper. Married to her high school sweetheart for thirty-two years, Lenora lives in Louisiana and has two grown children and a cat. She loves to read, take long walks and sit in her garden.

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He reveals the deep things of darkness

and brings deep shadows into the light.

—Job 12:22

To Val Hansen, Shirlee McCoy, Margaret Daley,

Carol Steward and Marta Perry, my fellow

conspirators! I will always remember our time

together working on this project!

Special thanks and acknowledgment to

Lenora Worth for her contribution to the

REUNION REVELATIONS miniseries.

PROLOGUE

CHAPTER ONE

CHAPTER TWO

CHAPTER THREE

CHAPTER FOUR

CHAPTER FIVE

CHAPTER SIX

CHAPTER SEVEN

CHAPTER EIGHT

CHAPTER NINE

CHAPTER TEN

CHAPTER ELEVEN

CHAPTER TWELVE

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

QUESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION

“Mr. Buchanan, you need to come down to the station with us.”

Parker Buchanan looked from the two officers standing at the front door of his house to the woman standing in shock behind him. Before he could speak, Kate Brooks pushed her way around him.

“What are you talking about?” she asked, glaring at the investigators, daring either of them to step forward.

Out in the backyard, her son’s ninth birthday party was in full swing and Parker didn’t want this to ruin Brandon’s big day. “What do you want?” he asked, his tone firm and in control in spite of the tremors pushing through his pulse.

“We just need to ask you some questions,” one of the officers answered.

Parker knew both of them. He’d gone to college with Nikki Rivers and he’d seen her partner, Jim Anderson, around town. And he knew why they were here. In fact, he’d been expecting this visit for a while now. Ever since the body of a classmate, Josie Skerritt, had been discovered a few months ago buried on the campus grounds, their entire graduating class had become suspects. Then Cassie Winters’s brother, Scott, had died mysteriously just a few months ago. Everyone who’d known either Josie or Scott had been questioned. Now, it would seem, Parker’s number was up. He glanced at Kate, thinking it made sense that their time together would have to come to an end. Wasn’t that just his luck? Whenever something good started happening in his life, the bad was soon to follow.

“Let me get my jacket and cane,” Parker said, pulling Kate back away from the door. He limped to a nearby umbrella stand and grabbed one of his many walking sticks. The one he picked up now had a scrolled silver handle. A bit of embellishment to compensate for his permanent disability.

“They can’t do this,” Kate said, turning toward him, her blue eyes full of doubt and fear. “Parker, you should call Seth, at least. You might need a lawyer.”

“I don’t have anything to hide,” he replied, memories swirling like ink spots in front of his eyes. “Look, Josie knew all of us. It’s only natural they’d want to question me again, especially since she and I were good friends.” He gave Kate a warning look, then glanced toward the officers. “I’m surprised they haven’t already called me. And I do have something that might interest them, remember?”

Kate stood back, her hands at her sides. “But…they want to take you with them—that sounds more like an arrest.” She turned toward Nikki. “Can’t you just talk to us here? C’mon inside where we can talk privately and I’ll make some coffee.”

Nikki shook her head then looked down at the planked porch floor. “Sorry, we can’t do that, Kate. We’ve been ordered to bring him in—just for questioning.”

“And we can’t go into the details,” Jim said, his tone apologetic. Then he looked back at Parker. “It shouldn’t take too long.”

Parker nodded, then tugged on his jacket. “I’ll be back soon,” he told Kate, hoping that was the truth. “Just stay here and keep the party going. Wait for me, okay?”

Kate gave a quick nod. “I’ll be right here, I promise. But what should I tell Brandon?” she asked, her blue eyes widening. “He’s going to wonder why you’re not out there with everyone?”

Parker leaned close, taking in the floral scent of her perfume. Wrapping his arms around her, he gave her a light hug, then closed his eyes to block out the memories. “Tell him I’m helping the police find the bad guy.”

Then he let her go and left with the two officers.

It had been at the Magnolia Falls College reunion last summer when he’d first seen her again.

She was standing out on the veranda, leaning over the stone banister, looking down on the grounds of Mossy Oak Inn’s expansive gardens. Her dress was a shimmering white, sleeveless and flowing, the long skirt petaled out around her like the magnolia blossoms glistening in the trees just beyond the stone terrace. She had her hair pulled up, the light-brown curls cascading around a sparkling jeweled hair clasp.

Parker could almost smell her perfume, even though he stood across the elegant dining room near the staircase.

Should he go and say hi to Kate?

No, he thought, bitterness cloaking him, making him shrink back against the staircase. He looked down at the pearl-handled cane resting in the crook of his arm, the glimmer of the marbled white mother-of-pearl contrasting sharply with the jet black of his tailor-made tuxedo.

No, he couldn’t go and speak to Kate. He’d rather stand here longing, remembering how he’d sat behind her in advanced economics class their senior year of college, drawing sketches of her. He’d almost failed that class, simply because he spent most of his time with his eyes closed, enjoying the gardenia scent of Kate’s perfume. And when his eyes were open, well, that was a different matter. He’d seen a lot; but no one had seemed to notice him back then. It was as if he’d been invisible. But not to Kate, never to pretty Kathleen Brooks—now Kathleen Sinclair. Kate always had a smile for everyone. Even a nobody like Parker Buchanan.