Small Town Secrets

by Molly Kate Gray

  Josh’s hand brushed against her shoulder and she reacted on instinct, instantly backing out from beneath his touch and retreating to the corner of the cubicle. She hit the partition with such force that her calendar came unpinned from the wall and slid to the floor.

  He leaned down and picked up the calendar at her feet. “You may not want my help, but you’re going to need it.”

  “I can handle this.”

  “No. You can’t.” His eyes bore into hers. “Listen, this has nothing to do with your ability to handle a big story.” He became aware they had an audience and lowered his voice. “When I was in Philadelphia, we had a serial killer on the loose. The guy was seriously messed up.” He squeezed his eyes closed at the memory. “He kidnapped, molested, and killed four little girls. The police couldn’t figure out who was doing it. You know who solved the case? One of the reporters at my station. People who won’t talk to police will speak to a reporter. Do you want this story so badly that you’d leave this guy on the street any longer?”

  “No.” Tara felt her fingernails digging into her palms. Josh couldn’t be farther from the truth as to why she didn’t want to work with him. It wasn’t him she was afraid of … it was the story and what it dragged to the surface. The night after she’d interviewed the first victim, she’d woken up screaming three times before she finally gave up sleeping altogether.

  She’d promised herself she could get through the one story — she couldn’t do another. As she waged an internal battle, Tara realized Josh was still talking.

  “We’ll divide the work. You can interview the victim, and I’ll talk to the police.”

  Tara’s mouth was too dry to speak. She reached down for the cup of lukewarm coffee on her desk and took a drink. “I’ll see if I can talk to her neighbors too.”

  “Don’t give them any information they don’t already have. We don’t want to spread what happened to her.”

  “Trust me.” She tossed the empty paper cup in the trash. “There’s no way to keep something like that a secret, at least not around here.”

  Chapter Eight

  October

  “No physical evidence. No sign of forced entry. Neighbors didn’t see anything unusual. All we know is this guy has hit three times now.” Josh shook his head and glared at his computer screen, as if he were attempting to make it produce more information through sheer force of will. “Or at least there’s nothing the police want us to report. Did you do any better?”

  Tara sat on the opposite side of the desk and ran her finger along her purple legal pad. “Not much. He was big. Strong. She thought he had dark hair, but the lights were off in her bedroom.” She shook her head. “She couldn’t tell me for sure.”

  “Was he wearing a mask?”

  “I don’t think so.”

  “And she doesn’t remember what he looked like?”

  “It happens. Either she kept her eyes closed because she didn’t want to see what was happening, or she’s just blocking out the memory.” Talking with Claire wasn’t like the first victims. She’d never met the other women — Barbie or Susan — before she interviewed them, but the red-haired woman had been her babysitter when Tara was little. Every time her parents had an event to go to at night, Claire came to stay at her house. Their lives were intertwined.

  When Claire collapsed in Tara’s arms in the midst of recounting her story, it tested the limits of her endurance. As her friend revisited the sheer terror she felt to wake up and find a naked man in her bed, Tara bit down on the inside of her cheek and tasted blood. She was surprised at the level of control she had over her emotions. After she completed the interview, she drove two full blocks before she had to pull over and vomit outside her car door.

  “Am I boring you?” Josh was still talking.

  “No.” Tara covered her mouth with her hand as she tasted bile in the back of her throat. Drinking the coffee hadn’t been a good idea. “Sorry. You were saying?”

  His brow creased in frustration, Josh leaned back in his chair and interlocked his fingers behind his head. “And we still have nothing.”

  “That pretty much sums it up.” Tara turned away from Josh and stared out his window. The leaves were beginning to take on the first hint of fall color. She focused on the varied shades of orange in the oak tree nearest the building — some of the leaves were almost the same color as Claire’s short hair. Tara’s stomach turned as the memories of their conversation tried to resurface.

  “The police chief is doing a press conference Monday morning. They should have the last of the lab reports back by then. Do you want to cover it, or do you want me to go?”

  Tara picked up her phone and opened her calendar. She had an appointment with her therapist scheduled for ten. If she continued working on this case, she definitely shouldn’t skip it. She shook her head as she glanced up at Josh. “I’m booked. Sorry.”

  “No problem.” He keyed it into his phone. “That reminds me, I’ll pick you up at four tomorrow?” Josh looked at her, expecting an answer.

  Tara turned back to face her partner. “And why are you picking me up?”

  “Didn’t you read the card?”

  “Card?”

  “The card Mrs. Slaggle handed you at the end of the auction. You weren’t just making a charitable donation. A date’s part of the deal.” Josh spun his chair from side to side with a look of amusement on his face.

  Tara frowned. “Really, you don’t need to take me on a date.” She reached for her bag next to her chair. “I just didn’t want Wyatt to get the highest bid.”

  “Somehow I figured that.” He laughed heartily. “But sorry, unless you have something else planned, a date’s a date. I already have everything planned out. You need to relax once in a while. Tomorrow. Four o’clock.” He winked as she walked out of his office.

  • • •

  Tara glared at the note card in her hand. Assuming it was some type of receipt, she’d stuffed it into the side of her purse without giving it a second glance.

  Who was she kidding?

  She’d been so annoyed with everything that had happened during the auction, she hadn’t been thinking at all.

  Until now.

  As she reached for the mug of chamomile tea on the kitchen counter, she read over the details one more time. For a reporter, Josh hadn’t been overly descriptive in his instructions:

  Dress code: Casual

  Meal offered: Dinner

  Entertainment: To be announced

  He really knew how to make a girl tremble with excitement. Tara’s tea sloshed as her hands trembled. She quickly placed the mug back on the counter.

  She was silly to be nervous. This was Josh. She’d worked side by side with him for months. When she’d been hurt in Florida, he’d carried her out of the rubble. She had no reason to be afraid.

  Of course, she’d thought that before.

  Her stomach lurched and the room spun around her. She couldn’t do this. Pulling the phone from her pocket, she began to dial his number.

  Knock. Knock. Knock.

  She glared daggers at the clock. He was early.

  • • •

  “Have you ever been here?” Josh pulled the car into the only available parking spot on the edge of the gravel parking lot.

  Tara looked up at the neon sign in the dusty window: Sally Mae’s. They’d driven two hours to come here? She tried to hide the skepticism in her voice. “I don’t think so.” Studying the peeling paint and collection of rusty old cars for sale in the parking lot, she wasn’t certain she wanted to now.

  “Don’t let the building scare you.” He led the way into the handprint-laden glass door. The familiar smell of French fries and grease was almost overwhelming.

  “Josh Owens!” A busty woman practically ran across the packed dining room and w
rapped him in a hug. She once had red hair, but now it appeared faintly pink with age. “I haven’t seen you in a month of Sundays.” She released him from her grip. “Let me look at you. When you moved back home, you promised you’d come visit.”

  “Well, I’m here now.”

  “It’s been too long, silly boy.” Her curiosity piqued, the waitress openly stared at Tara standing at Josh’s side. “And who’s this?”

  Josh turned back to face Tara. “Janie Sue, this is Tara Sullivan.” He gestured to Tara. “Tara, this is the best waitress you’ll ever meet.”

  “Pleasure to meet you.” Janie Sue extended her hand to Tara. “Well, you know the drill. Pick a spot wherever you can find one. The usual?” She raised an eyebrow as she turned in the direction of the kitchen.

  “Maybe I’ll let Tara look at the menu first.”

  “Of course, sweetheart.” She patted his shoulder. “You just take all the time you need.”

  Josh led Tara into a booth in the corner of the little restaurant.

  “I take it you know her?” Tara studied Janie Sue as she walked a short distance away and began to clean the countertop with a fluorescent pink sponge.

  Josh gave a knowing smile. “Janie Sue and I go a long way back.” He leaned back in the cushioned seat of the bench. “She owns the place now. It used to be her mother’s. This is a really popular place for police officers on the graveyard shift. Janie Sue heard something interesting one night. She knew I worked for the news, so she passed the information on.”

  “So that’s why you come here?”

  “No.” Josh pursed his lips and shook his head. “I eat here because they make the best cheeseburgers I’ve ever had. We’re here because I happen know they’re your favorite,” he paused a moment before explaining, “Lainey likes to talk.” He slid the menu in front of her. “What would you like?”

  “The cheeseburgers are good?”

  “Absolutely the best I’ve ever eaten.”

  Tara turned around and searched the wall of the room behind her. “I guess I’ll have a cheeseburger and a glass of ice water.”

  “Honey,” Janie Sue came up behind them so quickly that Tara jumped in her seat, “the restrooms are around the corner.”

  Tara slid off of the bench and turned back to Josh. “Can you order for me?” After he nodded, she hurried in the direction Janie Sue pointed earlier.

  “I’d recognize that where on earth is the bathroom expression anywhere.” Janie Sue laughed as she pulled the pen from over her ear.

  • • •

  “So,” Josh popped a French fry into his mouth. “Am I really so bad?”

  Tara took a long sip from her drink. “What makes you ask that?”

  “You’re one of the first women I’ve met who has been able to resist my charm.” Tara laughed, but he continued. “Face it, you know it’s true. I had to get you to agree to a truce to talk you into riding in my car when a hurricane was on the way.”

  “And we both know where that got me.” She stared at her arm.

  “Not my fault. Definitely an act of God.” He tentatively reached over and picked up the tomato slices from her almost empty plate. When she nodded in agreement, he took a bite. “Really, am I so bad?”

  Tara shook her head and brushed her hair out of her face. “I suppose you’ve grown on me.”

  “Near death experiences do have a tendency to bring people together.” He flashed his patented smile in her direction before popping the last bite of his hamburger in his mouth. “So, why didn’t you like me before Florida?”

  “Who says I like you now?”

  “You did.” He handed her a napkin. “Ketchup.” He pointed to a spot on his cheek. She tried to brush off the wrong side. “No, there.” He tapped his own cheek again.

  She wiped her cheek again. “Now?”

  “No.” He took the napkin from her and stroked her cheek just beyond her lip. “That’s better.” He grinned at catching her off-guard. “You said I wasn’t so bad.”

  “That’s hardly saying I like you.” Tara’s cheeks flushed a faint shade of pink. “That’s more of a … you’re not driving me insane any longer.”

  “It’s a start.” Josh pulled his wallet out of his pocket and waved to Janie Sue. “So, why didn’t you like me?”

  “It’s not important.”

  “It is to me. Come on, I can handle it.” Josh encouraged. He placed a credit card in the tray Janie Sue offered.

  Tara hesitated, but decided she might as well get over it. After all, they’d driven two hours for dinner. He’d have plenty of time to talk the reason out of her on the way home. “I was angry at you.” Confusion was evident on Josh’s face. “In April, your dad told me I was next in line for a promotion. I was supposed to get the anchor position when Monte retired.”

  “My anchor position.”

  Tara nodded. “I’m not still upset. Your dad explained everything to me.”

  “He told you he was sick?” Josh’s mouth threatened to fall open.

  “Sick?” Tara felt her eyes widen in confusion. “He told me the station was having trouble with ratings. He needed a bigger ratings draw, or he was going to have to sell the station.”

  Josh slid back in his seat and picked up the glass mug containing the last of his milkshake. “Sounds like my dad.”

  “But what do you mean about him being sick?”

  Josh sucked air through his straw as he finished his drink. “Dad doesn’t want anyone to know.” He casually ran his fingers through his hair as he considered his next words. “I didn’t come home to help with ratings. Well, ratings might have been part of it, but that’s not the real reason.” He placed the glass back on the table. “My dad has cancer. Leukemia. We’ve been through this once before, so we knew he was going to have trouble with the chemo. My brother, Bryce, has kids and a house. He couldn’t just pick up and move to help take care of my dad. I could.”

  Tara sat still — frozen with shock. For months, she’d been angry with him, and now she found out the real reason he left the network. She should have known he had to have a good reason for leaving such a coveted position. Finally, she had to answer. “I’m sorry. I didn’t know about your dad.” She stumbled over her words in apology. “Is he going to be all right?”

  “He’s always been a fighter. The doctor says we caught it early.” Josh looked out the window and checked his watch. “We probably need to be going if we’re going to make it on time.”

  “What else do you have planned?”

  Josh winked at her as he pulled cash from his wallet and dropped the tip on the table. “You’ll just have to wait and see.”

  • • •

  Josh turned on his blinker and pulled off the narrow road onto a gravel driveway.

  “I’m not about to discover you’re a serial killer, am I?”

  He was prepared to give a witty comeback, but stopped at the actual look of fear in her eyes. “No.” He felt his brow furrow with confusion. Why was she so guarded all the time? “You can see it.” Pointing in front of them, a massive screen peeked out from the canopy of trees in the distance.

  “What is that?” Tara squinted into the semi-darkness.

  Josh’s head whirled around in surprise. “You’ve never been to a drive-in?”

  Tara laughed. “I’m not that old.”

  “Neither am I.” He grinned back as she continued to laugh. “But that doesn’t mean I don’t appreciate the classics.” He tapped the brake as they caught up with the line pulling in for the movie.

  “Godzilla, King of the Monsters?” Tara read the marquee as they approached the main gate.

  “Like I said — a classic.” He rolled his window down as the movie attendant approached the car. “I saw the little plastic Godzilla on your desk. Please tell me yo
u actually like old monster movies.”

  “I,” Tara paused and stared at Josh. “I love them. David introduced me to them when I lived with him in Japan for a while. I’m just surprised you noticed.”

  “Comes with being a reporter.” Josh smiled in satisfaction since he’d made the right choice for the evening’s entertainment. “I notice everything.”

  • • •

  “We’re back.” Josh gently shook Tara’s shoulder. “Hey, wake up.”

  Tara’s eyes opened slowly, and she looked around in confusion. The last thing she remembered, they were driving through the narrow country roads looking at the multitude of stars overhead. Now they were parked in her driveway. “Did I sleep the whole way back?”

  “Most of it,” Josh smiled.

  “I’m so sorry.” Tara flinched and averted her eyes. “You should have woken me up.”

  “No.” Josh took the key out of the ignition. “Seemed like you needed it. You’ve been looking pretty tired lately.”

  Tara stretched and yawned as she tried to get her eyes to focus after such a long, unexpected nap. “I guess I haven’t been sleeping well.”

  Josh looked back and forth down the road. All the streetlights were lit, but he still seemed uneasy. “I don’t blame you.” He shifted in his seat to face her. “You didn’t tell me you lived on the Hill.”

  Tara shrugged. “I didn’t know it was really important.” She turned and glanced in the direction of the house next door where the porch light glowed softly. In the back corner of the covered porch, she could just make out a dark form rocking slowly on the swing. Glaring in annoyance, she made a snap decision. “Would you like to finish the conversation inside?”

  “I thought you’d never ask.” Josh motioned for her to keep her seat while he walked around the car to open the door for her. He cocked his head in surprise as he waited for her to step out of the car. “Isn’t that Wyatt’s car?” He pointed to the black Mustang with flames painted across the hood parked in the gravel driveway leading to the next-door neighbors’ house.