Rita Herron - Cold Case at Camden Crossing

She’d learned to deal with it and to stand on her own, but for just a moment, she allowed herself the comfort of Chaz’s arms.

Tension slowly seeped from her tightly wound muscles. She felt the warmth of his arms encircling her, the soft rise and fall of his chest against her cheek, the whisper of his breath against her ear.

But the safety felt too wonderful for her to fantasize that it would last.

Finally she raised her gaze to his. His eyes darkened with concern and other emotions that made her want to reach up and touch his cheek.

Kiss his lips.

Cold Case

at Camden

Crossing

Rita Herron

www.millsandboon.co.uk

Award-winning author RITA HERRONwrote her first book when she was twelve, but didn’t think real people grew up to be writers. Now she writes so she doesn’t have to get a real job. A former kindergarten teacher and workshop leader, she traded storytelling to kids for writing romance, and now she writes romantic comedies and romantic suspense. She lives in Georgia with her own romance hero and three kids. She loves to hear from readers, so please write her at PO Box 921225, Norcross, GA 30092-1225, USA, or visit her website, www.ritaherron.com.

To Dana for her support and help on this book!

Contents

Prologue Prologue Sixteen-year-old Tawny-Lynn Boulder gripped the edge of the seat as something slammed into the back of the bus and sent it careening to the right, skimming the guardrail. Tires squealed, the driver lost control and sparks spewed from the sides as they swerved back and forth. Screams from the other girls on the softball team echoed around her. Glass shattered. She glanced sideways as she struggled to keep from pitching into the aisle. The ravine loomed only a few feet away. Her body bounced against the seat as the bus rolled. Her sister, Peyton, cried out as her head hit the roof of the bus. Someone’s shoe sailed over the seat. A gym bag clumped down the aisle. Peyton’s best friend, Ruth, clawed at her with bloody hands. Then the bus was sliding, skidding, skating toward the edge of the ravine. Metal screeched and gears ground as they broke through the railing. For a terrifying second, the bus was suspended, teetering on the edge of the cliff. More screams and blood flying. Then the vehicle crashed over the edge of the embankment, plunging downward into the ravine below. “Peyton!” Tawny-Lynn cried. The force threw Peyton over the seat. More glass rained inside as the bus slammed into a boulder. Her head hit something, her shoulder ramming into the opposite side of the bus. For a moment, she lost consciousness. Seconds or maybe minutes later, she stirred, her body aching, her leg twisted beneath a gnarled metal seat edge. She searched for Peyton, terrified she was dead. They’d had a fight earlier. Stupid sister stuff. She wanted to make up. Suddenly smoke began to fill the bus. She struggled to free her leg, but she was trapped. Someone was crying in the back. But the other screams had subsided. She managed to raise herself and look into the aisle. God, no... One of the girls wasn’t moving. And Peyton and Ruth, where were they? The bus rocked back and forth as if hanging on to a boulder. The smoke grew thicker. Somewhere through the gray haze, she saw flames shooting up toward the night sky. She coughed and choked, then everything went dark.

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

Chapter Eighteen

Chapter Nineteen

Chapter Twenty

Chapter Twenty-One

Epilogue

Excerpt

Prologue

Sixteen-year-old Tawny-Lynn Boulder gripped the edge of the seat as something slammed into the back of the bus and sent it careening to the right, skimming the guardrail.

Tires squealed, the driver lost control and sparks spewed from the sides as they swerved back and forth. Screams from the other girls on the softball team echoed around her. Glass shattered.

She glanced sideways as she struggled to keep from pitching into the aisle. The ravine loomed only a few feet away.

Her body bounced against the seat as the bus rolled. Her sister, Peyton, cried out as her head hit the roof of the bus. Someone’s shoe sailed over the seat. A gym bag clumped down the aisle.

Peyton’s best friend, Ruth, clawed at her with bloody hands.

Then the bus was sliding, skidding, skating toward the edge of the ravine. Metal screeched and gears ground as they broke through the railing. For a terrifying second, the bus was suspended, teetering on the edge of the cliff.

More screams and blood flying. Then the vehicle crashed over the edge of the embankment, plunging downward into the ravine below.

“Peyton!” Tawny-Lynn cried.

The force threw Peyton over the seat. More glass rained inside as the bus slammed into a boulder.

Her head hit something, her shoulder ramming into the opposite side of the bus. For a moment, she lost consciousness.

Seconds or maybe minutes later, she stirred, her body aching, her leg twisted beneath a gnarled metal seat edge. She searched for Peyton, terrified she was dead.

They’d had a fight earlier. Stupid sister stuff.

She wanted to make up.

Suddenly smoke began to fill the bus. She struggled to free her leg, but she was trapped.

Someone was crying in the back. But the other screams had subsided.

She managed to raise herself and look into the aisle.

God, no... One of the girls wasn’t moving.

And Peyton and Ruth, where were they?

The bus rocked back and forth as if hanging on to a boulder. The smoke grew thicker. Somewhere through the gray haze, she saw flames shooting up toward the night sky.

She coughed and choked, then everything went dark.

Chapter One

Seven years later

“Your daddy is dead.”

Tawny-Lynn gripped the phone with sweaty palms, then sank onto the bench in her garden. The roses that she’d groomed and loved so much suddenly smelled sickly sweet.

“Did you hear me, Tawny-Lynn?”

She nodded numbly, fighting the bitter memories assaulting her, then realized her father’s lawyer Bentley Bannister couldn’t see her, so she muttered a quiet yes.

But the memories crashed back. The bus accident. The fire. The screams. Then half the team was dead.

Somehow she’d survived, although she had no idea how. She’d lost time when she’d blacked out. Couldn’t remember what had happened after the fire broke out.

But when she’d woken up, her sister and her friend Ruth were gone.

She’d been terrified they were dead. But the police had never found their bodies.

They had escaped somehow. Although half of Camden Crossing thought they’d fallen to foul play, that the accident hadn’t been an accident. That a predator had caused the crash, then abducted Peyton and Ruth.

Just like a predator had taken two girls a year before that from a neighboring town.

Bannister cleared his throat, his voice gruff. “He was sick for a while, but I guess you knew that already.”

No, she didn’t. But then again, she wasn’t surprised. His drinking and the two-pack-a-day cigarette habit had to have caught up with him at some point.

“Anyway, I suppose you’ll want to be here to oversee the memorial service.”