On a Dark Tide by Valerie Geary

Author:Valerie Geary [Geary, Valerie]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Fiction, Mystery, novel
Publisher: Broken Branch Books
Published: 0101-01-01T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter 21

Clara hadn’t heard everything that was said through the closed hallway door, but she’d heard enough.

When Marshall pointed out Brett from across the room a half an hour ago, the first thing Clara said was, “What is she even doing here? She should be working on Elizabeth’s case.”

Elizabeth was spending the night at June’s house. Even though Clara had agreed to the arrangement, she had already snuck away twice to call and check on her daughter, who insisted she was fine. “We’re not going to sneak out again, I promise,” she said, and there was a beat of silence after that felt weighted with everything that had happened the last time Elizabeth slept over at June’s. But Clara took a breath and tried to let it go. Elizabeth was safe.

Her anger surfaced again when she saw Brett drinking and dancing, wasting time when she should have been tracking down the bastard who’d robbed a young girl of her innocence.

“She’s not a robot, Clara,” Marshall said, guiding her around the dance floor. “She gets to take breaks.”

“You should have seen the way she blew me off yesterday when I tried to talk to her about it.” Clara grabbed a glass of champagne and tipped it to her mouth, gulping it in one swallow.

As Marshall twirled her around the dance floor, his firm hand pressed to the small of her back, she watched Brett, who wore a luxurious blue dress that glittered like the ocean at sunrise. Her mask was a tuft of fluttering feathers, shimmering in the candlelight. Eli said something to make her laugh, and her head tilted back, exposing a slender, pale neck. Then Eli and Brett separated. Eli moved toward a group of his parents’ friends, and Brett followed one of the servers across the room, keeping her distance as if she didn’t want him to notice. The server went through a door. Brett slipped quietly after him.

Clara broke from Marshall’s grasp. “Ladies’ room,” she said, lifting her skirts and hurrying away.

She wasn’t sure what she was planning, exactly. To finish the conversation that had been cut short in the parking lot of the precinct yesterday, maybe. To demand answers and action. Not this. Standing with her ear pressed to the door, Clara listened as Brett questioned the boy who’d raped Elizabeth. Of course, the boy denied everything. But what Clara didn’t expect was for Brett to give him the benefit of the doubt and let him go. As if Elizabeth’s version of events meant nothing.

The door swung open. Clara pressed herself against the wall. The boy who came out didn’t give her even a passing glance. Without his mask, she recognized him. She moved to chase after him and ran straight into Brett.

“Oh, excuse me,” Brett said. “I didn’t see you there.”

The mask was enough to keep her from recognizing Clara.

“I’m sorry.” Clara made some excuse about looking for the restroom before spinning away and hurrying back to the ballroom. She circled, searching for Marshall, but he found her first, pressing his body against her back, his lips warm against the curve of her neck.

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