Don t Look Back

by Margaret Daley

  “Good. Jim must have arranged that.”

  “Actually, I’m thinking those hang-ups were from a student.”

  He arched a brow. “Why?”

  “I started making sure I answered all the calls, because the hang-ups always happened when Mom picked up. The next day I answered one, and it was David.”

  “David Rutherford, who just got out of this car?”

  “I’ve been counseling him at school a lot lately. He and his dad are fighting. He needs someone to talk to. I didn’t ask him if he’d been hanging up when I didn’t answer. I didn’t think about it at the time. But he can be shy and flusters easily.”

  “Do you think he’d tell you if he did do it?”

  She stared out the windshield, trying to decide if the teen would. Jameson laid his hand on her shoulder, drawing her attention back to him. “Yes, if I explain the importance of knowing if he did.”

  “Then check with him. I’d feel a lot better knowing those calls came from a teen rather than the killer.”

  “So would I.”

  He started to remove his touch. She placed her hand over his, her gaze ensnared in the depths of his. “Come to church with me tomorrow. We can talk with David then.”

  He blinked, severing their visual connection. Dropping his arm, he faced forward, releasing a deep breath. “You don’t play fair.”

  “You know the cliché, life’s not fair.”

  He chuckled. “Okay. I’ll meet you there. Where and when?”

  “Ten-thirty at Magnolia Christian Church.”

  “I’d better go before you talk me into something else.”

  As he left and Cassie came around to the driver’s side, she thought about her impulsive question. Surprisingly he had readily agreed. Thank You, Lord.

  “I heard that Jameson talked with Marcus today at Burt’s Pizza.”

  The killer’s hand tightened about his cell. “Great. We can’t let him find Kevin before we do. We’ll need to keep an eye on Marcus, too.”

  “In the mean time I’ll keep looking for Kevin. He’s the root of all our problems.”

  TEN

  “I t’s so good to see you again.” Reverend Rogers shook Jameson’s hand.

  “Good sermon.” The drill of Cassie’s gaze bore into Jameson. He could imagine the questions tumbling through her mind at the moment. He wouldn’t be able to escape without giving her some answers. Mentally he began to prepare himself for her inquiry.

  “I’m glad you decided to pay us a visit.” The reverend shifted his attention to Cassie. “How’s your mother doing? She slipped out before I could catch her.”

  “She’s helping with the refreshments after the service. She’s doing okay most days.”

  “And you?”

  “The same. I have to agree with Jameson. Your sermon spoke to my heart.”

  And mine, Jameson thought, and wished he hadn’t. Until Cassie had reappeared in his life, he had been going along nicely, accepting what he had chosen as his path. Now he questioned his decision to walk away from the Lord. He’d seen how her faith had helped her through a difficult time—was still helping her. Had it been a mistake to turn his back on God? He’d been up a good part of last night wrestling with that dilemma.

  Then he’d come to the service today, and Reverend Rogers had spoken about really listening to what the Lord wanted for us—not what we thought He wanted. In the middle of the sermon he’d sensed Liz sitting by him, telling him she was happy and content with the Lord in heaven. And she’d wanted him to be happy and content, too. He’d been so stunned that he hadn’t heard the ending of what the reverend said. But he didn’t have to, to realize that moment had been profound.

  Cassie took his hand and pulled him forward. “I see Edgar, Christiana and David up ahead. We need to catch them. They don’t usually stay for refreshments.”

  “Edgar, may I have a word with you?” she said out in the foyer near the double doors that led outside.

  The tall Brazilian turned toward Cassie. “Yes?”

  “I’d like to come see you about a mentoring program. I’d like to pair a high school student with someone in the field he or she is interested in career-wise.” Cassie smiled at Christiana, then David, who looked as though he had swallowed a large dose of awful-tasting medicine.

  “A college student with a high school one?”

  “Maybe. For instance, David here would love to play basketball at college and, hopefully, professionally. Someone like Marcus would be a great mentor for him. He could discover what it might take for his dream to come true and what it’s really like.”

  Edgar glanced at the teenage boy next to his sister. “Fine. Call my secretary and set up an appointment next week.”

  “It won’t be just college students. I’m hoping people who work at Magnolia College will be willing to do some mentoring. Christiana is interested in the PR field. I immediately thought of Dee, who’s been handling some PR for the school.”

  “You want to be in public relations. Since when?” Edgar couldn’t mask his amazement as he stared at his sister.

  Jameson felt pinpricks along the back of his neck. He turned slightly and caught Marcus across the foyer watching him, his gaze intense, his expression full of anxiety. Jameson started for him. Marcus ducked through the doorway that led to the classrooms.

  “Cassie, I’ll be right back,” Jameson murmured, then hurried after the basketball player.

  He wound his way through the long corridor crowded with parishioners, checking the rooms as he went. At the end of the hall he realized that Marcus had disappeared. Jameson stepped out the back door and scanned the parking lot. Marcus was known for his quickness on the court, which evidently carried over to life.

  A hand on his shoulder startled Jameson. He whirled around and came face-to-face with Cassie.

  She let her arm fall to her side. “Who were you looking for?”

  “Marcus. I didn’t see him in church.”

  “He usually comes in late. He left?”

  “Yes.”

  “That’s strange. He likes to stay afterward. I can see why he’s so large. He eats his fair share of cookies.” She stepped back so Jameson could enter the building.

  “He seemed troubled about something. I was hoping to find out if it had anything to do with Kevin or Scott.”

  “I’m beginning to feel Kevin is the key to this whole puzzle.”

  “Yeah, I’m going to increase my efforts to find him.”

  “Anything I can do?”

  He took her hand and held it up between them. “Take care of yourself. I don’t know what I would do if something happened to you.”

  “Nothing’s going to happen to me. I’ve got my very own bodyguard.” She slipped her arm through his and began walking back toward the foyer.

  He wished he was as sure as she was that everything would be all right. He had a bad feeling about this whole mess.

  “You didn’t tell me you knew Reverend Rogers.”

  “I wondered when you would get around to asking me about our prior association.” He slowed their pace. “There was someone at the sanatorium he used to come visit. We kept running into each other. One thing led to another, and I began talking to him.”

  “So, he’s tried to get you to see the error of your ways,” Cassie said in a teasing voice.

  “Well, not exactly. Mostly he listened to me at a time when I needed someone to.”

  Cassie came to a halt. “Have you ever thought that the Lord sent him to you when you needed someone like him the most?”

  Shock held him immobile. Then the thought that Cassie had come into his life at a time when he needed her to show him the way. All of sudden he sensed the Lord surrounding him in a loving embrace, and the sensation awed him.

  He needed to think. So much was changing in his life. He could hardly recognize the feelings swirling around inside of him.

  “Cassie, I hope you don’t mind, but I need to leave. I have so much work to do. I’ve negl
ected my novel. I—”

  As if she knew what was going on in his mind, she pressed her fingers to his lips. “Call me after you finish your—work. Remember I’m here for you.”

  He retraced his steps and went out the back door. He couldn’t handle seeing anyone at the moment. He was a loner. He’d spent most of his adult life figuring out his problems on his own. He just needed to be by himself, and everything would fall into place.

  When he parked in the lot of his apartment complex, he couldn’t even remember how he got there. How had his life gotten so complicated?

  Cassie.

  She was a complication he didn’t need, and yet he couldn’t stay away from her.

  He slammed his car door as if that would rid him of his frustration. Two minutes later he faced an empty apartment and tons of work he really did need to get done on his latest novel.

  But he couldn’t move from the foyer. The urge to be around other people overwhelmed him for the first time in a long while. And not just anyone, but Cassie. He had only been apart from her for twenty minutes, and he wanted to see her again.

  “I have it bad!” he muttered to the silent apartment.

  A knock jerked him around to face the front door. Cassie? He hurried toward it and swung it open, only to find Marcus standing in the hallway outside his place. That troubled look Jameson had glimpsed earlier consumed his whole expression.

  “I need to talk to you.” Marcus pushed past him and walked into his living room.

  “What can I do for you?”

  Marcus inhaled a deep breath, then exhaled it slowly. “I told Scott that Kevin was at that hospital. Not long after, Scott was murdered. I’m afraid I caused it, or something to do with my brother did.” Words rushed from his mouth as if he had rehearsed what he was going to say and couldn’t stop even to breathe.

  “I won’t lie to you and tell you Kevin had nothing to do with Scott’s murder. He’s caught up in the middle of this. I just don’t know how. He might even be a victim, too.”

  “You think he’s dead?”

  “I guess it’s possible. At the very least he’s in hiding. He won’t be able to hide forever, especially if he’s still on drugs. He’ll slip up.”

  Marcus raked his hand through his hair. “I know.” He walked toward the door. “That’s why if he calls I’ll find out where he is and tell you. He will never admit he needs help. But he does.”

  “You’ve got my card. Call me day or night, the minute you hear from him. I’m worried about him.”

  Marcus yanked the door open. “So am I.”

  Cassie entered the upscale Italian restaurant and spied her group at the table in front of the large picture window overlooking Main Street. She scanned the other patrons at the Terra Cottage and saw a few familiar people.

  Cassie made her way toward her friends. Jennifer smiled. Dee said something to her sister then nodded. Steff glanced at her watch while Kate took a sip of her water.

  Cassie pulled out the last chair and sat. “Okay, I know I’m late, but the hairdresser was running behind.”

  “I like your new cut.” Steff signaled for the waitress. “It’s flattering.”

  Cassie touched her shorter hair, which still brushed the top of her shoulders, but now had more layers around her face and bangs that swept across her forehead. “It is different, but I was ready for a change.”

  “What prompted that?” Lauren closed her menu.

  “Can’t a girl want a change without having a reason?”

  “It’s a man. It’s always a man,” Dee said with a sprinkle of laughter. “I just haven’t found one to give me a reason to cut my hair.”

  “It’ll happen, sis.”

  “Yeah, this from someone who has found her one true love. How are the plans for your wedding progressing?” Dee looked toward the waitress, who stopped next to her.

  “Great. We’ve almost got everything finalized.”

  Cassie gave the waitress her order last since she hadn’t studied the menu. They rarely came to a restaurant so expensive for their get togethers, but because both Steff and Lauren were in love, they had decided to celebrate. She wished she could include herself in their group, but she didn’t think that would happen after Jameson’s declaration that he wasn’t interested in a long-term relationship. And he was right. That was the only kind she wanted.

  After the waitress left, Dee leaned into the table and lowered her voice. “I heard the police have a new clue. It’s all hush-hush.”

  “If it’s hush-hush, how do you know about it?” Kate took a sip of her iced tea.

  “Because I have connections. It’s a piece of jewelry with some kind of initials on it.”

  “I hope it leads them to the killer.” Lauren’s voice faded into silence. Her eyes widened as she looked at Cassie. “Oh, I’m so sorry. I forgot about your brother. We shouldn’t be talking about—”

  Cassie held up her hand to stop her friend’s apology. “I agree about catching the killer, but I also want to know who was buried under the sidewalk. When the police finally get an identity on the skeleton, I think things will start to fall into place.”

  “I wonder if the piece of jewelry belonged to the killer or the victim.” Jennifer unfolded her napkin and smoothed it in her lap.

  “Who’s still missing?” Kate asked Lauren, who had run the Web site searching for any missing female classmates.

  “In our class there are Payton Bell, Tamara Landi, Josie Skerritt and Paige Blake, I mean Tatum. Everyone has been accounted for. But then we have the other classes, not to mention anyone who worked at the college around ten years ago.”

  “I talked to Will about Paige. He says he doesn’t know where she is, but there’s something about him that makes me not believe him.” Cassie wrapped her fingers around the ice water, relishing the coldness. The conversation was getting a little uncomfortable. As much as she wanted to solve the mystery of the skeleton, her energies were in finding who killed Scott, and why.

  “I wouldn’t believe anything he says. Half the things that come out of his mouth are lies.” Jennifer shivered.

  Steff stared at Cassie. “What I want to know is who’s coming to tonight’s reception? I hope I’m not the only one. Cornell has turned it into a huge production.”

  Dee frowned. “Everything is a big production for him. No doubt he’s earning brownie points with the powers-that-be who decide the next president of the college. I’ll be there tonight, making sure nothing happens that I’ll have to smooth over in the press tomorrow.”

  “Seth and I are attending,” Lauren said.

  Jennifer stared down at her folded hands. “I won’t be there.”

  “I’m coming to keep Dee in line.” Kate smiled. “Brandon is sleeping over at a friend’s. It will be fun getting out.”

  Steff turned to Cassie. “Did you get that new hairstyle because you’re coming?”

  Cassie nodded.

  “With a certain college professor in the journalism department?”

  Heat seared Cassie’s cheeks. “Yes, Kate. Jameson and I are coming together.”

  “A date!” Dee clapped. “It’s about time.”

  “I remember when she pined for him in college. She would leave his class all dreamy-eyed. He is a popular professor.” Lauren peered into the center of the restaurant. “And speaking of professors, there’s Cornell and the head basketball coach.”

  Cassie glanced over her shoulder and noticed Cornell with Zachary Kirkland. “Are they friends?”

  “I don’t think so, but Cornell is getting a tutoring program started for the basketball team. There was a good player last year who had to drop out because of grades.” Steff waved at the pair, who saw her across the room.

  “He’s doing everything he can to cinch the presidency. Just as long as he makes my job easier. I’m worried admissions for next year will be down because of this bad publicity.” Dee picked up the breadbasket, took a roll, then passed it to her sister.

  “Well, the recept
ion tonight will help put a positive spin on the college.” Steff gave the basket to Cassie without taking any.

  She couldn’t explain why, but Cassie suddenly felt a chilly sensation. She surveyed the restaurant but didn’t see anyone looking at her. Even Cornell and the coach were in a deep conversation. She started to avert her gaze when she glimpsed another man joining the pair. Quinn Nelson sat, followed by a person she didn’t know.

  She’s here with Jameson. The killer stood in the circle of guests and watched the couple enter the Event Hall at the Mossy Oak Inn for the reception for President Whitston. He tightened his hand around his glass so much that he realized it might break. He didn’t need to call any attention to himself, so he forced himself to relax and regain his usual composure. He wouldn’t let them ruin his life. They could be taken care of like Scott was.

  But with them he would be prepared. Scott being home had caught him off guard. Never again. Too much depended on him remaining sharp.

  “Would you bolt for the door if I told you I feel like Cinderella attending the ball with Prince Charming at her side?” With her arm brushing against Jameson’s, Cassie paused on the top step and took in the glittering, elegant atmosphere from the decorations to what the guests were wearing.

  “Don’t you have that fairy tale mixed up? I thought Prince Charming met Cinderella at the ball.”

  She slanted her gaze toward Jameson. “A man admitting he knows the story, and he doesn’t have any children. Interesting.”

  He smiled. “But I had an older sister who dragged me to the movies and she has two daughters. I am a dutiful uncle. When I visit, I read to them.”

  “Oh, the things I find out about you at the oddest moments.” She loved the little things she discovered about Jameson.

  Amusement glinted in his blue eyes. “I think this will be a long night.”

  Catching sight of Will Blake across the room confirmed that for Cassie. “I don’t like that man,” she murmured.

  “Who?” Jameson looked around them, his survey stopping at Will. “Ah, I think I know who you’re talking about. I’ll feel better when Paige is found.”