dance studio.”
“Oh, please tell me you’re kidding,” she protested, but followed him out of the room. She felt ill, like crying and throwing up all at the same time.
Three Quail Ridge police officers were already in the big dance studio, her favorite room in the whole place. On the first floor of the mill, one wall was made up of nearly floor to ceiling windows, overlooking the river that ran next to the building. Bright sunlight flooded in, warming the room. Along the other wall were long mirrors.
All in ruins. More paint covered the new floors that were once shiny and ready to be used. Each mirror had been smashed.
“I’m so sorry, Ms. Faye.” Mel put his hand on her shoulder.
She just shook her head. She couldn’t even speak. Anger and fear knotted together in her gut and she pressed her hand to her mouth to keep in the pain.
More words were written on the walls, repeating the same sentiment as in the nursery, joined by ‘leave town’ and ‘killer bitch.’
How could someone hate me so much?
She was desperate to come up with some kind of answer. Did Ricky really do this? Would he be so bold as to come in here and wreak this kind of destruction? Risk the life he’d built?
Questions ricocheted around her brain, nothing she could answer. Maybe he considered her a threat to everything he’d done in the past fifteen years. They were the only two in the world who knew the truth of the night fifteen years ago. He’d lied, and no doubt with his father’s aid, convinced enough people of the lie so she’d paid the price.
What could happen to him if people changed their minds about it? She wasn’t an expert on the law, but after so many years, could the truth damage him that much? She doubted it, except maybe through public opinion. After all, her foot had been on the brake. Her impetuous decision caused all the misery. But Ricky and Jay’s actions beforehand set the whole disastrous event in motion.
She pushed her ragged emotions aside. “Well, how long does this set us back? We have an opening in three weeks. Can it be repaired?”
Mel smiled, but it didn’t reach his eyes. “Yeah, it can be repaired. It’s going to cost a lot, just to let you know.”
“Doesn’t matter.” She stared at the devastation. “It needs to be done. I’m not going to let him beat me.”
“Him?” Mel stared at her blankly.
Krista gestured wearily. “Never mind. I suppose I should go talk to the officers. Then I need to call my partner.”
Two hours later she finally reached Cameron. She hated telling him about the setback and decided to keep the personal attack out of it. Better if he thought a vandal trashed the place, not someone who wanted to trash her .
Cameron was unquestionably upset and angry over the news. The idealist in him was ready to rebuild and worry about the finances later.
“Do you need me there?” he asked.
“No, I’m fine. You and Gretchen will be here for the opening. I think I’ll be all right until then.”
“Okay, but if you need anything . . . Keep me updated on what the police are doing to capture these creeps.”
Creep. Singular . A creep who wouldn’t easily be caught. “I will. I’m sure with all the attention. it won’t happen again. I’m so sorry, Cam. This town has always been a safe, sleepy-village kind of place. Occasional graffiti, toilet paper in trees, that’s about it.”
“Then Quail Ridge was due. Unfortunately they had to choose the center. We’ll recover.”
They said their goodbyes and Krista leaned back in her chair and stared out the window at the street. The morning traffic had already lightened. Leaves drifted across blacktop from the town common in a myriad of orange, reds and yellows. It didn’t seem possible that such hatred existed in such a small New Hampshire town.
A tap on the door brought Krista out of her thoughts. She swung around. “Come in.”
Matt pushed the door open. “You okay?”
One corner of her mouth lifted in a half
“Oh, please tell me you’re kidding,” she protested, but followed him out of the room. She felt ill, like crying and throwing up all at the same time.
Three Quail Ridge police officers were already in the big dance studio, her favorite room in the whole place. On the first floor of the mill, one wall was made up of nearly floor to ceiling windows, overlooking the river that ran next to the building. Bright sunlight flooded in, warming the room. Along the other wall were long mirrors.
All in ruins. More paint covered the new floors that were once shiny and ready to be used. Each mirror had been smashed.
“I’m so sorry, Ms. Faye.” Mel put his hand on her shoulder.
She just shook her head. She couldn’t even speak. Anger and fear knotted together in her gut and she pressed her hand to her mouth to keep in the pain.
More words were written on the walls, repeating the same sentiment as in the nursery, joined by ‘leave town’ and ‘killer bitch.’
How could someone hate me so much?
She was desperate to come up with some kind of answer. Did Ricky really do this? Would he be so bold as to come in here and wreak this kind of destruction? Risk the life he’d built?
Questions ricocheted around her brain, nothing she could answer. Maybe he considered her a threat to everything he’d done in the past fifteen years. They were the only two in the world who knew the truth of the night fifteen years ago. He’d lied, and no doubt with his father’s aid, convinced enough people of the lie so she’d paid the price.
What could happen to him if people changed their minds about it? She wasn’t an expert on the law, but after so many years, could the truth damage him that much? She doubted it, except maybe through public opinion. After all, her foot had been on the brake. Her impetuous decision caused all the misery. But Ricky and Jay’s actions beforehand set the whole disastrous event in motion.
She pushed her ragged emotions aside. “Well, how long does this set us back? We have an opening in three weeks. Can it be repaired?”
Mel smiled, but it didn’t reach his eyes. “Yeah, it can be repaired. It’s going to cost a lot, just to let you know.”
“Doesn’t matter.” She stared at the devastation. “It needs to be done. I’m not going to let him beat me.”
“Him?” Mel stared at her blankly.
Krista gestured wearily. “Never mind. I suppose I should go talk to the officers. Then I need to call my partner.”
Two hours later she finally reached Cameron. She hated telling him about the setback and decided to keep the personal attack out of it. Better if he thought a vandal trashed the place, not someone who wanted to trash her .
Cameron was unquestionably upset and angry over the news. The idealist in him was ready to rebuild and worry about the finances later.
“Do you need me there?” he asked.
“No, I’m fine. You and Gretchen will be here for the opening. I think I’ll be all right until then.”
“Okay, but if you need anything . . . Keep me updated on what the police are doing to capture these creeps.”
Creep. Singular . A creep who wouldn’t easily be caught. “I will. I’m sure with all the attention. it won’t happen again. I’m so sorry, Cam. This town has always been a safe, sleepy-village kind of place. Occasional graffiti, toilet paper in trees, that’s about it.”
“Then Quail Ridge was due. Unfortunately they had to choose the center. We’ll recover.”
They said their goodbyes and Krista leaned back in her chair and stared out the window at the street. The morning traffic had already lightened. Leaves drifted across blacktop from the town common in a myriad of orange, reds and yellows. It didn’t seem possible that such hatred existed in such a small New Hampshire town.
A tap on the door brought Krista out of her thoughts. She swung around. “Come in.”
Matt pushed the door open. “You okay?”
One corner of her mouth lifted in a half
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