Guilty Secrets (Campus Love and Murder Sorority Eyes Romance Book 1) by Ciara Christie Page A
Authors: Ciara Christie
Tags: General Fiction
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secrets?"
"You're not really in Madison's journal."
He looked at me with disbelieving eyes. "What does she say about me in her journal?"
"Nothing."
He sneered. "Oh come on."
"It’s not like that. Many pages are missing. So it really doesn't have anything to say about you or any of the names."
He shook his head. "So it's all conjecture. You have nothing to go on."
I took a deep breath and let it out. "Madison would never have sent me her diary unless she was in trouble. Deep trouble. Unless she knew there was no real way out of it for her."
"Why didn't she come to me for help?"
It was a question I should have asked myself more than once. Was I so blinded by his handsome swagger and rough charm to overlook his possible part in Madison's fate? She had, after all, voiced her concern that he was about to betray her. But betray her how? In love or death or both?
He turned away sharply and walked to the end of the jetty. He spent a good five minutes with his back to me.
The sun sank completely into the lake. I began to shiver. I walked out onto the jetty and stood behind him.
His shoulders were trembling. He wiped his eyes on the back of his hand.
"So she's really dead?"
"Harry, her disappearance is not some elaborate student prank, if that's what you mean."
He shook his head.
"For months now I chose to believe she had to escape. That her freedom was more important to her than our... than what I thought we had. She was so distracted. At first I thought there was someone else. She was so evasive all the time. But now..."
He turned to me with tears in his eyes. "I want to help you."
"It could be dangerous."
"You think I care about that now? I've already lost the love of my life. My own means nothing to me."
That was when I realized it's never a good thing to always be right. Harry was lost in love with a ghost. And to make matters worse, that was the moment I realized I was a little bit in love with Harry.
I silently leaned my head against his chest. I felt his warm embrace engulf my senses. I reminded myself over and over he could be lying to me as I was lying to him.
This game was getting harder and harder to play. And now, more dangerous than ever.
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
We sat in Brad's car parked outside my apartment building.
An awkward silence hung in the air. We watched a fine rain pepper the windshield.
He turned his head to me and just as I prepared for our parting kiss, he hesitated and said, "Who's the first target on Madison's list?"
So the spark had vanished. In his eyes I was second best compared to my dead sister and who can compete with a ghost? I reminded myself that keeping it all business was fine with me.
I pictured the page of names in Madison's journal.
"Initials D.C. Female. Possibly a lecturer. My bet is Davina Cole."
"Madison's English literature professor?"
I nodded. "I signed up to her courses and hope to get close to her, but I need more background to go on. What can you tell me about her?"
Staring out the window, he seemed distant.
"Not much. At least not from Madison, anyway. But..."
"But what?"
"I've only been doing the job for two years. I could speak with Charlie."
"Charlie?"
"Sheriff Gonzalez. Everyone calls him Charlie. He's been sheriff for twenty years. If there's anything to know, official or otherwise, he's the man."
"A man of secrets?"
Harry stiffened in his seat and leaned back.
"Charlie's a good man. He's been like a father to me. Since Madison vanished, he's been a rock."
"Relax, he's not on Madison's list."
"If I don't speak with Charlie about Davina Cole, I don't see how you can find out a great deal about her. I trust him, Robyn."
"Fine, but I trust no one so keep your inquiries discrete."
Perhaps energized by my new partnership, and yet somehow dissatisfied with the way the date went, I flung open the passenger door and stepped out.
I was greeted by the warm soft autumn rain and felt it soothe my frazzled nerves.
Harry called after me, "You turn
"You're not really in Madison's journal."
He looked at me with disbelieving eyes. "What does she say about me in her journal?"
"Nothing."
He sneered. "Oh come on."
"It’s not like that. Many pages are missing. So it really doesn't have anything to say about you or any of the names."
He shook his head. "So it's all conjecture. You have nothing to go on."
I took a deep breath and let it out. "Madison would never have sent me her diary unless she was in trouble. Deep trouble. Unless she knew there was no real way out of it for her."
"Why didn't she come to me for help?"
It was a question I should have asked myself more than once. Was I so blinded by his handsome swagger and rough charm to overlook his possible part in Madison's fate? She had, after all, voiced her concern that he was about to betray her. But betray her how? In love or death or both?
He turned away sharply and walked to the end of the jetty. He spent a good five minutes with his back to me.
The sun sank completely into the lake. I began to shiver. I walked out onto the jetty and stood behind him.
His shoulders were trembling. He wiped his eyes on the back of his hand.
"So she's really dead?"
"Harry, her disappearance is not some elaborate student prank, if that's what you mean."
He shook his head.
"For months now I chose to believe she had to escape. That her freedom was more important to her than our... than what I thought we had. She was so distracted. At first I thought there was someone else. She was so evasive all the time. But now..."
He turned to me with tears in his eyes. "I want to help you."
"It could be dangerous."
"You think I care about that now? I've already lost the love of my life. My own means nothing to me."
That was when I realized it's never a good thing to always be right. Harry was lost in love with a ghost. And to make matters worse, that was the moment I realized I was a little bit in love with Harry.
I silently leaned my head against his chest. I felt his warm embrace engulf my senses. I reminded myself over and over he could be lying to me as I was lying to him.
This game was getting harder and harder to play. And now, more dangerous than ever.
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
We sat in Brad's car parked outside my apartment building.
An awkward silence hung in the air. We watched a fine rain pepper the windshield.
He turned his head to me and just as I prepared for our parting kiss, he hesitated and said, "Who's the first target on Madison's list?"
So the spark had vanished. In his eyes I was second best compared to my dead sister and who can compete with a ghost? I reminded myself that keeping it all business was fine with me.
I pictured the page of names in Madison's journal.
"Initials D.C. Female. Possibly a lecturer. My bet is Davina Cole."
"Madison's English literature professor?"
I nodded. "I signed up to her courses and hope to get close to her, but I need more background to go on. What can you tell me about her?"
Staring out the window, he seemed distant.
"Not much. At least not from Madison, anyway. But..."
"But what?"
"I've only been doing the job for two years. I could speak with Charlie."
"Charlie?"
"Sheriff Gonzalez. Everyone calls him Charlie. He's been sheriff for twenty years. If there's anything to know, official or otherwise, he's the man."
"A man of secrets?"
Harry stiffened in his seat and leaned back.
"Charlie's a good man. He's been like a father to me. Since Madison vanished, he's been a rock."
"Relax, he's not on Madison's list."
"If I don't speak with Charlie about Davina Cole, I don't see how you can find out a great deal about her. I trust him, Robyn."
"Fine, but I trust no one so keep your inquiries discrete."
Perhaps energized by my new partnership, and yet somehow dissatisfied with the way the date went, I flung open the passenger door and stepped out.
I was greeted by the warm soft autumn rain and felt it soothe my frazzled nerves.
Harry called after me, "You turn
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