Small-Town Secrets

It was almost half past four and her appointment had been at three-thirty. Dana glanced at the receptionist. She’d apologized repeatedly for the wait.

But it wasn’t the wait that had Dana’s tension escalating. It was second thoughts.

Was she making a mistake by starting this? Should she leave the past in the past? She was twenty-nine years old. What difference did it make now? Learning the truth wouldn’t change anything. Her sister would still be dead. In reality, the truth would change nothing at all that mattered.

What did she hope to accomplish?

Dana closed her eyes. Peace. That was her goal. She couldn’t live with the uncertainty or the nightmares. Not anymore. The longer this went on, the more detailed and intense the nightmares became.

It was time to have closure.

To know the truth…whatever the cost. Whatever it accomplished.

“Ms. Hall?”

Dana looked up, then stood. “Yes.”

The older woman who’d called her name smiled. “I’m Mildred Ballard, Victoria’s personal assistant. I apologize for the wait. Victoria can see you now. This way, please.”

Dana followed Ms. Ballard along a long, lushly carpeted corridor until they reached a smaller, but every bit as impressive, lobby. Ms. Ballard indicated the double doors across the carpeted expanse. “Go right in, Ms. Hall. Victoria is waiting.”

As the older woman took her seat behind her desk, Dana gathered her fleeing courage and walked toward the double doors. She was doing the right thing. No question. She couldn’t continue to live this way. She had to know the truth, and this was the only way.

The Colby Agency came highly recommended. Not one she’d looked into had a better reputation. The agency’s long-standing in the business and priority on discretion sealed her decision.

Dana opened the doors and entered the elegantly appointed office of Victoria Colby-Camp, head of the prestigious Colby Agency. The woman in charge stood in greeting.

“Ms. Hall, welcome to the Colby Agency.”

Dana summoned a smile. “I appreciate your personal attention to my case, Ms. Colby-Camp.”

“Call me Victoria.” The head of the agency directed Dana to one of the chairs flanking her desk. “I give my personal attention to all our clients.”

Dana’s spine stiffened with continued uncertainty as she lowered into the upholstered chair. This was good, wasn’t it? Assuredly she couldn’t complain about not getting her money’s worth if the woman in charge saw to Dana’s needs personally.

Victoria reclaimed the seat behind her desk. “How can my agency help you, Ms. Hall?”

“Dana, please.” Dana took a breath. “I suppose I should start at the beginning.” When Victoria nodded, Dana continued. “I’m from a small town in Indiana. Brighton. My family and I lived there until…my sister was murdered when I was thirteen. My sister and I are…were twins. I’m looking for closure. I’m hoping the Colby Agency can help me find it.”

Victoria leaned forward and penned a note on a file that likely had Dana’s name on it. “A tragedy such as that is difficult to move past. I’m sure you were all devastated.”

Dana managed a wooden nod. “At first we tried to move on with our lives, but considering the murders went unsolved, staying in Brighton was impossible.”

“Murders?”

Dana swallowed tightly. “My sister was one of three victims murdered that fall. All three were local children. They died within mere days of each other. The whole community was devastated.”

Sympathy etched itself across Victoria’s brow. “Does the case remain on active status or has it been officially closed?”

Dana shrugged. “My mother receives calls from time to time whenever some new-to-the-force deputy decides to take a look at the town’s most infamous case. Nothing has ever come of it. The case has been cold for nearly a decade now.”

“But,” Victoria offered, “you need to know the truth. Closure, as you said.”

Dana’s heart pounded harder with each passing moment. “Yes.” The word was scarcely a whisper. She needed the truth. She needed to face the past or put it behind her once and for all. So far she’d been able to do neither on her own nor with the help of a psychiatrist.

Victoria braced her elbows on her desk and steepled her fingers. “Losing a family member is difficult under any circumstances,” she said gently. “But losing a twin is like losing a part of yourself.”

Echoes of memories whispered in Dana’s ears. She moistened her lips. “Yes.” It was a nightmare…one that wouldn’t end. “My mother and I faced a second blow when six months after we moved from Brighton my father committed suicide.” She fought back the emotion that accompanied thoughts of that time. “He blamed himself for not taking better care of us.”

After a moment’s consideration, Victoria said, “William Spencer is a member of our Recon Team, a division of the Colby Agency created specifically to find the missing. Though the children in this situation are deceased, the truth is missing.” Victoria settled a reassuring gaze upon Dana. “The members of this team are the best in the business, Dana. If it’s humanly possible to find the truth for you, Spence will find it.”

Victoria checked what appeared to be a large desk calendar. “I’d like you to meet Spence. We’ll go over the details you remember and determine a starting place and strategy.” She reached for the phone on her desk and gifted Dana with another reassuring smile. “You can take a deep breath, Dana. The Colby Agency will find the answers you’re looking for.”

Dana wished she could take a deep breath…wished that what she felt at those sincere and comforting words was relief, but the truth was, in this case, she felt fear. Fear and dread.

Was she putting the past behind her…or the rest of her life?

WILLIAM SPENCER TYPED the conclusion and hit Print. His first “final” field report was finished. He’d worked six months for the Colby Agency before being assigned a case where he was the primary investigator. Until then he’d done research and assessments. It felt good to be a full-fledged Colby investigator. The work here gave him a sense of accomplishment and self-satisfaction—something that had been sorely missing in his former career as a child advocacy attorney.

He gritted his teeth when he considered the numerous times he’d helped remove a child from harm’s way only to have another judge overrule the decision and place the child right back into dangerous territory—typically with his or her own mother or father. The last child he’d rescued using his legal expertise had been returned to his mother and stepfather only to end up dead twenty-four hours later.

Spence had walked away from his firm. Enough was enough. He wanted to be at a place where his efforts actually did some good for the long term. Landing at the Colby Agency was the best thing that could have happened to him, professionally as well as personally.

A distinct buzz drew his attention to the telephone on his desk. Anticipation zinged through him. He pressed the speaker button. “Spence.”

“Spence,” Victoria said, “I have a client, Ms. Dana Hall, in my office. Could you join us?”

“Absolutely.” His pulse quickened as he tapped the speaker button to end the connection and grabbed his notepad and pen. The idea of being assigned a new case immediately after completing his first had him practically sprinting toward Victoria’s office.

Grinning, he gave Mildred a little salute. She smiled back at him. That was another thing he loved about working at the Colby Agency. The staff operated like one big family. Since he had no family of his own, not since he was sixteen anyway, the camaraderie filled a long, empty void.

As he entered the boss’s office, she announced, “Ms. Hall, this is William Spencer.”

The obviously nervous client extended her hand as he approached. “Mr. Spencer,” she said softly.

“Ms. Hall.” Spence gave her a firm handshake then settled into the chair next to hers.

Dana Hall was blond and petite. She dressed like most female white-collar professionals, skirt and matching jacket, with a starched white blouse and practical shoes. But it was the big brown eyes filled with sadness and intense worry that overwhelmed her attractive oval face. This was a lady with heavy personal baggage. He knew that look.

Victoria briefly reviewed Ms. Hall’s situation. Spence had to admit that he was a little surprised he was chosen for the case considering the three children involved were deceased, more specifically murdered. The only homicide he’d been involved with had happened in the present. Personally, he wasn’t sure he was the right man for the job. But he trusted Victoria’s judgment. She had a reason for asking him to sit in on this meeting. And if she asked him to take the case, she had her reasons for that as well.

“I’d like to be closely involved with the investigation,” Ms. Hall said when Victoria had finished bringing Spence up to speed. “The police haven’t been very cooperative with any of my past efforts. I need to have an active part in solving this painful mystery once and for all.”

“That’s understandable,” Victoria granted. She turned her attention to Spence. “Ms. Hall’s participation will likely be an asset, don’t you agree?”

“I do,” Spence concurred. Dana Hall would know those closest to the victims and would likely recall the players involved in the official police investigation that followed the murders.

“I’d like to get started as soon as possible,” Dana went on to say. “I’ve lived with this a very long time. It will be a tremendous relief to put this behind me. The sooner the better.”