The Girl Between: A gripping small-town mystery with a paranormal twist (Maddie Ryan Book 1) by Tony Healey

Author:Tony Healey [Healey, Tony]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Rewilding Books
Published: 2024-06-17T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter Nine

Ben pulls on his pants and walks to the bedroom window to peer out. He stands there a moment, looking out at the town he is tasked with protecting. I wonder if that is what he does every morning. I wonder if he observes the dawning of a new day. If he ponders what it will bring to his desk.

He slips on his shirt and stands at the bedside, buttoning it up. “Damn,” he says, looking at me.

“What?”

“How can any man stand to walk away from you?”

You say that now, I think to myself. I self-consciously pull the covers up to my chin. You haven’t seen the scars in the unflattering light of day.

I point to his socks. “If you want to know how to walk away, put your shoes on next and then put one foot in front of the other. You’ll figure it out.”

Ben rolls his eyes. “Okay. I get the hint. I’ll be on my way.”

“No, that’s not what I mean. I was joking. You don’t have to rush off.”

“Honestly, I’d love to hang but I need to get back to mine anyway. I want to change, then get to the station, catch up with Stan about Dickie Robinson. I plan on confronting Chris Dempsey about the discrepancy in his statement.”

“Hey, it’s only seven. Let me make coffee.”

“I want to hit this thing head-on.”

“Okay, well, gimme a second. I’ll see you off,” I tell him. I grab a huge folded blanket from the foot of the bed and wrap myself up in it, thinking once again about those scars.

“You don’t have to,” Ben tells me.

I fix him with a look. “Has it occurred to you I might want to?”

“Okay, okay,” Ben says with his hands up.

For a moment, I feel a stab of panic at the prospect of locals spotting Ben leaving so early and putting two and two together. But then I realize how early it is, and that the diner is closed until Monday. There won’t be any locals milling about, not at this time of the morning. My apprehension is unfounded.

So what if they spot us?

I don’t care.

A part of me wants them to know.

I unlock the door to the diner downstairs and let Ben out. The cold air is crisp and fresh. I pull the blanket up higher around my neck. Ben leans in for a kiss and I allow him to plant his lips on my cheek.

He cups my chin in his hand. “You’re beautiful, Maddie Ryan. Has anyone ever told you that?”

“Not recently,” I say with a smile.

Ben’s face lights up. Something big is about to happen. “I—”

“Don’t say it,” I warn him, convinced he is about to say I love you.

A frown wrinkles his brow. “I feel happy. That’s all I was gonna say.”

“Oh. Good,” I say, relieved. “I’m happy too.”

Ben frowns at me. “What did you freak out for?”

I’m suddenly embarrassed. “You know,” I say awkwardly.

Ben looks taken aback. “Ohhh . . . that.”

“Yeah.”

He fishes for his pack of cigarettes and slides one out of the pack.

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