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.The man behind the counter, Sarah Durandt's father she remembered, but couldn't fix on his name, held his spatula aloft as if it were a weapon.Hal Waverly's gaze seemed weary and bemused.He sat beside an older woman, Victoria, the post-mistress who'd almost induced her to commit felony assault earlier.Victoria cocked her head and flat out glared at Caitlyn.Caitlyn stepped inside, the door closing with a bang accompanied by a jingle of bells.Sitting alone at a booth, her face flushed with sun, a full glass of lemonade in front of her, was Sarah Durandt.Sarah met Caitlyn's eyes without flinching although her lips flattened and went pale as recognition hit."You all remember Agent Tierney, don't you?" Waverly said in way of introductions."From the FBI?""This isn't the time—" Sarah's father started, leaving his post at the grill despite the smoking slab of bacon behind him.Sarah held up a hand, silencing him.Caitlyn marveled at the woman's composure.As Sarah's fingers tightened around her glass, Caitlyn caught a hint of what her control was costing.Ah, a kindred spirit—keep up appearances to the outside world, even if inside you're ready to shatter into a million pieces."Mrs.Durandt," Caitlyn said, taking the two steps she needed to reach Sarah's booth.She ignored the others although she was very aware they were listening closely."I think I owe you an apology."Sarah looked up, surprise flickering over her face before she replaced it with a fake smile, the kind reserved for strangers stumbling into a private conversation."An apology?""When we met two years ago, I'm afraid I wasn't as sensitive to your needs as I should have been.There were—" Caitlyn broke off, searching for the right words to explain everything that had been battering at her during the time of the Wright investigation, "extenuating circumstances."The words sounded flat.Sarah raised an eyebrow, then looked down to concentrate on her fingers wrapped around the sweaty glass of lemonade."What do you want, Agent Tierney?""Just to offer my apology.And a chance to explain.Is there a place we can go to talk?"Sarah shot a glance at the others eagerly listening, then stared at Caitlyn for a long, hard moment.For a second, Caitlyn caught a glimpse of the steel she'd seen in Sarah two years ago, the woman who would bend to the horror of her circumstances but who would never, ever break.Sarah's eyes narrowed slightly, then she nodded and slid out of the booth."Come with me, Agent Tierney."Sarah left the eager ears at the Rockslide behind and led the FBI agent outside.Two boys zoomed past on skateboards but otherwise they had the street to themselves.She crossed Main Street to St.Andrew's.The brick church with its peaked roof and squared off bell tower would be cool and empty at this hour.She tugged on the heavy oak door and held it open for Caitlyn Tierney.The FBI agent appeared very different from the last time Sarah had seen her.Back then, she'd looked gaunt, out of place with her ill-fitting clothes and pained expression.But now she radiated confidence and strength.Her hair was longer, styled in a shoulder length bob, her clothes simple but elegant, accentuating her curves without flaunting them."I was there," Sarah started, sliding into a pew beneath Josh's favorite stained glass window.St.George and the Dragon."When they killed Damian Wright.He wouldn't tell me where he buried them." She looked down at her hands curled in her lap, her nails ragged and torn from her excursion on the mountain.Caitlyn's nails were short but smooth, her fingers slender and tapered like a musician's.She had pale, creamy skin that matched her auburn hair and blue eyes.To her surprise, Caitlyn reached a hand to cover Sarah's."I didn't know that.That took a lot of courage.Are you all right?"No one had asked her that.Not in a long time, not meaning it, not wanting to know the answer.Sarah glanced up.Caitlyn's expression was open, concerned."You really want to know?""I wouldn't have asked if I didn't."Sarah thought she was telling the truth.She sighed, the whooshing noise quickly devoured by the large, empty space."I thought I would feel better, knowing that he was dead, that he couldn't hurt anyone else.I thought I would be able to, well, move on.Instead, it feels as if everything is moving on without me."Caitlyn nodded."Like you're trapped.Like you need to find a path out, some kind of closure.""Exactly." Color from the stained glass window played off Caitlyn's pale skin and her blue jacket.Her silk blouse was cream colored with a watercolor splash of pale mauve flowers on it.A distinct contrast to Sarah's dirt-smudged Coolmax tank top."But I realized no one can give me closure.I have to find it for myself.That's why I went up the mountain.I promised myself I wouldn't stop until I found Sam and Josh.""Chief Waverly said you found a body."Sarah shivered.She'd washed her hands about half a dozen times, sanitized them with alcohol wipes, but she still felt the greasy slick of decomposition coating them."It wasn't Sam.""You thought it would be?"The question surprised her."Of course.There hasn't been anyone else reported missing on Snakehead.It had to be Sam—I was so certain." Her voice trailed off."I'm still not sure if I'm relieved or disappointed." She looked up."Is that why you're here? Because of the body? But how did you know?""Did your husband, Sam, did he ever mention anyone by the name of Stan Diamontes? Or Grigory Korsakov?"Sarah frowned at the unfamiliar names."No.I've never heard of them before.Why? What's this all about?""How about Leo Richland? Does that name ring a bell?""No.Please tell me what these people have to do with Sam.Why are you really here?"Caitlyn's fingers tightened over hers and Sarah pulled her hands away.Caitlyn grimaced, her lips creasing into a frown as she rubbed the base of her thumb with her other hand."Sam may not have been alone up there," she finally said, her words emerging hesitantly."Of course he wasn't, Damian Wright was with him.And Josh." Sarah stared at the federal agent, trying to puzzle out her meaning."You mean there was someone else, that Damian Wright had an accomplice? One of those men you mentioned?" Caitlyn said nothing.The silence tightened around them as shadows deepened the colors streaming through the window above them."Leo Richland.LR.Those were the initials on the watch of the man I found today.LR."Caitlyn straightened, poised to spring from the polished oak of the pew."Really? Are you sure? Did he have any other identification?""I don't know.We just packaged him and Gerald, the coroner, took him to the funeral home.The State Police will probably be picking him up tomorrow, take him to their lab."Caitlyn stood, turned to leave, but Sarah stopped her with a hand on her arm."If it is Richland, what does that mean? Did he kill Sam instead of Wright? What about Josh? Please, I need to know what happened to my family."Her voice broke like one of Sam's guitar strings wound too tight.A grating sound, high pitched, and too close to pleading for Sarah's comfort.She tightened her grip on Caitlyn's arm and stood to face her."Please."Caitlyn didn't move to release herself.She met Sarah's gaze."As soon as I know anything, I'll let you know.I promise."Sarah bit her lip before she could beg some more.She gave a small nod of her head and released Caitlyn.The FBI agent walked away, her shadow dancing between the stained glass reflections like a child playing hopscotch
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