‘Uh huh,’ Cassie drawled. ‘That excited flush on your face wouldn’t have anything to do with us meeting Garrett, would it?’
‘Savannah will love this. I think it’s just what she needs.’
‘So your enthusiasm is all about Savannah. I suppose you took your second shower of the day and tried on three outfits before you decided on one before we came. It was all for Savannah. Whatever you say, Brynn.’
‘Smart ass,’ Brynn muttered and Cassie started laughing.
They parked and walked to the carnival entrance where Garrett and Savannah lingered, waiting for them. Garrett held a camera and Savannah beamed.
‘Hi!’ she called loudly and waved before Brynn and Cassie reached her.
‘Hi, Savannah. Hi, Garrett.’ Brynn gave Garrett a quick, almost shy smile before looking at Savannah. She was afraid she would blush or her gaze would tell the eagle-eyed Cassie all she needed to know. ‘Savannah, I’d like you to meet Cassie Hutton. She’s been my best friend since I was five.’
‘Wow, what a long time!’ Savannah realized she’d made a verbal blunder and turned pink. ‘I meant a long time to be friends, not that you’re old or anything.’ She sighed, looked at Cassie and turned on all her charm. ‘I’m really glad to meet you, Miss Hutton. I think your store is so great. Last year, a girl I know got to pose for an ad poster you put up in your store. She’s fifteen. The ad was gorgeous.’
‘I’m glad you liked it.’ Cassie smiled at her. ‘I think this year I might feature a fourteen-year-old in one of my autumn posters. Aren’t you almost fourteen?’
‘Me?’ Hope shone in Savannah’s eyes. ‘Yeah. In October.’
‘Are you booked up or do you think you might have time in late August for a photo shoot?’ Cassie asked.
‘Me? In a photo shoot for an ad?’
‘Sure,’ Cassie said. ‘You’re tall, slender—’ She took Savannah’s chin in her hand and gently turned her face side to side. ‘Beautiful bone structure. Great hair. You’re a natural model.’
Savannah looked as if she was going to jump up and down in her glitter mesh Rykas. ‘I’d love to be in an ad. Wow!’ She looked up at her father. ‘Can I?’
Garrett grinned. ‘Sure, honey, although I’m not ready to let my little girl go gallivanting off into the modeling world. Paris, Milan, London …’
‘Oh, I won’t gallivant. Not yet,’ Savannah assured him.
‘Fine.’ Garrett glanced at Cassie. ‘How’re you doing, Miss Hutton? You look good.’
‘Brynn talked me into wearing skinny jeans. I think they look better on her, but thank you anyway. You look good, too. Your shirt is the exact color of your eyes.’
Well, this is awkward, Brynn mused. Anything I say will be better than this. ‘I went to an amusement park when I was six, but I don’t remember much about it. I’ve never been to a carnival and I can’t wait to see everything.’
The four of them stood still, smiles fixed, until Garrett took Savannah’s arm and propelled her toward the carnival entrance. Cassie gave Brynn a sideways glance and winked, grabbed her arm and quickly followed Garrett and Savannah. At least they were on their way, the stiffness of their meeting over as they walked onto the midway, Brynn thought.
Brynn felt as if she’d stepped into another world full of light and color, noise and movement. And the smell of food. ‘How long will the carnival be here?’ she asked.
‘Ten days,’ Cassie answered. ‘They’re closing the night of the town play. The one Savannah’s in.’
Savannah turned. ‘Genessa Point: The Beginning.’
‘You have great hearing,’ Cassie laughed. ‘You’re also great at advertising!’
‘That’s ’cause I’m the second lead. I’ve worked really hard and want everyone to come.’
‘You can be sure Brynn and I’ll be there,’ Cassie answered loudly, then lowered her voice. ‘Is this the play that Tessa wrote?’
Brynn nodded. ‘I hope it isn’t awful. Savannah will be crushed.’
‘It doesn’t matter if it’s awful or not. The people of this town will cheer like crazy. I just can’t believe Tessa wrote a play. It’s so unlike her to do anything except run between the library and home.’
‘Maybe she’s changed since her father died.’
Two men dressed as court jesters danced around Garrett and Savannah, juggling balls. One tossed a ball toward Cassie. She caught it, threw it upwards, whirled around and caught it. The jester and a gaggle of onlookers clapped. Cassie giggled and flung it back to the jester.
‘I didn’t know you could juggle!’ Brynn teased.
‘I have many hidden talents,’ Cassie returned, bowing to her small audience. ‘Besides, that wasn’t really juggling.’
Brynn looked to her right. Through the opening in a large black tent she saw flames blazing and flashing as the song ‘Light My Fire’ played loudly. ‘Oh, fire-eaters!’ she exclaimed, hurrying into the tent where people oohed and aahed as a man and a woman in sequined costumes twirled fire torches, tilted back their heads, put the torches into their mouths, pulled them out, flung the torches back and forth to each other and then sent them spinning high in the darkness and caught them with ease.
‘How do they do that without burning their mouths?’ Savannah asked in awe.
‘I’m sure they have a few burns and blisters,’ Garrett answered. ‘Don’t you try this, Savannah. It’s dangerous.’
‘Oh, Daaad,’ she groaned. ‘I’m not stupid.’
They watched for about ten more minutes. When they emerged from the tent, Brynn was overwhelmed by the smell of pizza, caramel apples, hamburgers, roasted chicken, peppers, coffee and soft drinks. ‘I think watching all that fire-eating made me hungry. Actually, change that to starving.’
‘I suppose you want a hot dog,’ Garrett said.
Savannah made a face. ‘I never want to see another hot dog in my whole life. Last night I dreamed I was being eaten by a giant hot dog!’
‘Her job at Mrs Elway’s hot dog stand has traumatized her,’ Cassie said.
They all had sausage and pepper sandwiches, soft drinks, French fries, and then wandered down a few tents looking for something for dessert. Five minutes later, the four of them were seated at a picnic table, eating different flavored beignets and drinking cafe au lait. ‘I’ve never had one of these,’ Savannah said to Brynn. ‘Mine’s cherry. What’s yours?’
‘Spice. It’s delicious.’
Brynn’s good mood now overshadowed the break-in at Cassie’s house. Cassie, too, seemed relaxed and happy. A warm sense of ease had developed among the four of them.
When they’d finished their food and set out to explore more of the carnival, Cassie now walked with Savannah, leaving Brynn behind with Garrett. Clever girls, she mused. They’re both determined to encourage a romance.
When Garrett drew closer to her, his hand casually brushing her, she smiled. Against all odds, Brynn thought, this was going to be a nice evening.
FIFTEEN
Seeing that Savannah and Cassie were a safe distance ahead of them, Brynn said softly, ‘I’m sure you heard that someone managed to get into Cassie’s house today.’
‘Sure. Seems like it was Rhonda. I called her next-door neighbor at her apartment complex. She’s a stay-at-home mother of a baby. She said she didn’t see Rhonda come in today, so I talked to Mrs Gaines, Rhonda’s aunt. She claims Rhonda was with her from before noon until around four o’clock.’
‘Do you believe her?’
‘She sounded sincere. She told me Cassie had fired Rhonda. She said Rhonda was upset and didn’t want to go back to her apartment to be alone.’
‘But the auburn hair on the pillow …’
‘A lot of people have auburn hair.’ Garrett looked at her. ‘Well, not a lot of people have long auburn hair. But there were no roots on the hair, so a DNA match is impossible. Given the circumstances, I’m fairly sure those were Rhonda’s hairs on your pillow.’
‘But when was she there? Cassie didn’
t fire her until around eleven-thirty and Mrs Gaines says she was at her house until four. I got home at four-thirty. That doesn’t leave much time for Rhonda to have broken in.’ Garrett said nothing. ‘What are you thinking?’
‘About Cassie saying Rhonda showed up over an hour late wearing the clothes she did yesterday and acting bizarre. High on something. We don’t know where she was last night.’
After a moment, Brynn said, ‘I think I know.’ She told him about seeing Rhonda and Ray at the Bay Motel that morning. ‘It was ten o’clock so she was already an hour late for work. She was barefooted and clinging to him, trying to kiss him. He finally just pushed her away and closed his door in her face.’
‘Did she see you?’
‘I don’t think she or Ray did. She was holding him, groping him. He was too busy trying to shake her loose to look around.’ Brynn took a breath. ‘I’m sorry.’
‘About what?’
‘Well, you dated her.’
‘So you think I’m jealous? God, no. I just wonder why she won’t leave me alone when she has Ray.’
‘Maybe Ray isn’t the guy she really wants. I’m surprised she even knows him.’
‘Ray grew up in Genessa Point and Rhonda and her mother spent a lot of time here with the Gaines family. She could have known him for years.’
‘Have you known Rhonda for a long time?’ Brynn couldn’t help asking.
‘Me? No. I met her in Cassie’s store when I was looking for a Christmas gift for Grams. Her last Christmas. Rhonda helped me pick out a long burgundy velvet robe with gold embroidery.’ He smiled. ‘Grams said it was so beautiful, she was going to wear it everywhere instead of a coat. Savannah believed her and was horrified, explaining that this was supposed to go over Grams’s pajamas, not a dress she’d wear to church. Grams finally confessed that she was joking. We all ended up laughing. That was a good Christmas.’ His smile faded and he went silent again. ‘Anyway, Grams and Savannah had been telling me I should be dating, so at the end of January I asked Rhonda out.’ He shook his head. ‘What a mistake I made.’
‘You didn’t know her,’ Brynn said mildly. ‘You couldn’t have known she had problems.’
‘And they didn’t show up until spring, although I think Grams saw them before I did. She started talking about Cassie a lot, steering me in that direction. It’s just that I’ve always thought of Cassie as a good friend. I was afraid that if we dated and things didn’t go well, I could lose that friendship.’
‘That’s true.’
Garrett grinned and stepped closer to her again. ‘It might interest you to know that as early as March my daughter started showing me your picture on your book jackets, mentioning that you used to live in Genessa Point and asking if I’d ever known you. She was elated when I said I did know you. She started harping on how pretty and nice you were.’
‘Nice? She’d never met me. What made her think I was nice?’
‘Your books.’ Garrett looked deeply into her eyes. ‘And she said she had a feeling about you.’
Brynn was glad all the bright, flashing lights of the midway hid the color rushing to her cheeks. ‘She’s a sweet girl,’ she managed. She wanted to reach out and take Garrett’s hand, to rub it along her cheek like she’d done last night. But they weren’t alone. And everything was happening too fast. She knew it. She was frightened for her brother and certain Garrett was the only person who could save him. She changed the subject. ‘After what happened this afternoon, I told Cassie I think I should move out of her house and go to a motel. She said she didn’t want me to, of course, but I think it’s best.’
Garrett turned his head, looked straight ahead and after a moment said curtly, ‘I don’t.’
‘Why?’
‘Because we have surveillance on Cassie’s house – more surveillance now than we did earlier today. It’s easier to watch one house than a motel with people coming and going all the time. Also, she just had all of her locks changed—’
‘She did that after Ray’s visit.’
‘You didn’t let me finish. She’s having deadbolts added this evening. Didn’t she tell you?’ Brynn shook her head. ‘Well, whoever picked the lock on that back door today wasn’t a professional and they aren’t going to get through a deadbolt. You’re safer at her house.’
‘But she’s not safer with me there.’
‘What happened today could have been directed at her, not you. As for Ray’s visit, he didn’t use his key so he could hang out and wait for you. You know he was waiting for Cassie.’
‘Yes, and my heart’s broken that I’m not the girl of his dreams.’ Brynn realized she’d answered flippantly because Garrett sounded as if his concern about her well-being was strong. The intimacy they’d shared last night frightened her and she’d wanted to return to their earlier, light tone. Punishing him for her own feelings, though, was wrong and she regretted it. Still, she couldn’t make herself sound warm. ‘So if I move, you’ll call off the surveillance?’
‘Maybe.’
Brynn took a breath to say something – anything – to brighten Garrett’s sudden coolness when he said, ‘Well, speaking of Ray, there he is.’
‘With Tessa?’ Brynn blurted before she realized how close Ray was to her.
‘Not with Tessa,’ Ray said, smirking, knowing he’d surprised her. ‘Tessa’s with Nathan right now, but the three of us are here together.’
Brynn caught herself before asking why he wasn’t with Rhonda. Instead she said clumsily, ‘I didn’t know you liked carnivals.’
‘You don’t know much about me at all, Brynn, except what my loving ex-wife’s told you.’ Ray looked at Garrett. ‘As soon as Cassie saw me, she darted into that tent with your daughter, in case you even care to know where Savannah is.’
‘I saw them go in,’ Garrett nearly snarled. ‘I don’t let my daughter out of my sight.’
‘Well, that’s an exaggeration if I ever heard one,’ Ray drawled. ‘Seems to me she’s on her own a lot, Sheriff. Better keep a closer eye on her or you never know what might happen.’
‘What does that mean?’ Garrett demanded, but Ray simply walked by him, whistling tonelessly. ‘That son of a bitch,’ Garrett mumbled.
Brynn forced herself to put her hand on his arm. ‘He’s only trying to rile you up. Deep down, Ray’s mostly talk. He doesn’t have it in him to do something truly dangerous.’
Garrett looked at her solemnly. ‘Do you really believe that, Brynn? Because if you do, you might get a surprise.’ She opened her mouth to say something, but he cut her off. ‘I have to find my daughter.’
Garrett plunged into the Maze of Mirrors, Brynn close behind him. Everywhere they looked, they saw distorted images of themselves until finally Garrett called out, ‘Savannah!’
‘Over here, Dad.’ They followed the voice until they found her and Cassie standing in front of a mirror that made them appear over seven feet tall. They held hands and laughed, Savannah standing on her tiptoes so she was slightly taller than Cassie. When Garrett stepped in front of the mirror, he looked like a giant.
The mirrors had been placed in a convoluted puzzle that Cassie, a carnival fan, declared the most complicated she’d ever seen. The four of them rambled through the labyrinth, catching sight of themselves looking short and fat, skinny with huge heads, and almost frightening with wide, vertical faces and bulging eyes.
Brynn was smiling when long auburn hair and porcelain skin flashed in the mirror. She heard a woman laugh, husky and dark, the voice full of malice. Whirling around, she saw no one except a thin teenage boy and his clinging girlfriend. ‘Did you see an auburn-haired woman?’ she asked them.
‘Uh, nope,’ the boy said as the girl hugged him tighter. ‘Did you lose someone?’
‘Maybe.’
Brynn stepped aside so the couple could look at themselves in the mirror. ‘Rhonda?’ she called.
In less than a minute, Garrett appeared. ‘Did you see Rhonda?’
‘I’m fairly certain I saw her a
nd heard her laughing.’ Brynn shivered. ‘I didn’t like the sound of that laugh.’
‘Stay here and keep Savannah and Cassie with you.’ Garrett barged past a gaggle of people, looking determined and uneasy.
Cassie and Savannah appeared and, before even looking in the mirror, Cassie glanced at Brynn’s face and burst out, ‘What’s wrong?’
‘Nothing. I just got lost in the crowd.’
Savannah inserted herself into the giggling group of teenagers gazing at themselves in the mirror but Cassie moved deftly through them to Brynn’s side and whispered, ‘I’ll ask again. What’s wrong?’
‘I thought I saw Rhonda,’ Brynn said softly. ‘I’m not sure – I just caught a glimpse – but she was laughing and it wasn’t a happy laugh. When I said her name, she vanished.’
‘Well, that’s bad news.’ Cassie grimaced. ‘A carnival doesn’t seem like Rhonda’s idea of a good time.’
‘She’d know Garrett would bring Savannah, and Garrett is certainly her idea of a good time.’
Cassie looked alarmed. ‘Oh, God, she wouldn’t follow him here, would she?’
‘Who wouldn’t follow who here?’ Savannah asked, startling both Brynn and Cassie.
‘Uh, someone that someone else doesn’t want to see,’ Brynn stumbled.
Savannah’s smile disappeared. ‘You mean Rhonda. Is she here?’
‘I’m not sure,’ Brynn said. ‘I thought I saw her … well, just her hair … it probably wasn’t—’
Garrett’s image appeared in the distorted mirror and Savannah let out a small squeak that set the other teenagers laughing. Her face reddened. ‘Never mind them,’ Brynn said, then looked at Garrett, now standing in front of her. ‘Find her?’
‘No. She had a head start and a lot of people are here tonight.’
‘It may not have been her.’
Garrett sighed. ‘That’s too much to hope for, Brynn.’ He looked at his daughter. ‘But we’re here to have a good time and that’s what we’re going to do.’
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