Small-Town Secrets

A frown furrowed its way across Dana’s brow as she bit her lip. “I’m not sure. She wasn’t there that night so I probably didn’t.”

“Your parents never suspected the two of you left the house without their knowledge?” That part nagged at him. But then, he’d grown up in the city. Maybe that was the difference.

“My parents slept upstairs. We used the downstairs den for a bedroom because of my sleepwalking.”

Something else he hadn’t heard about. “You walked in your sleep?”

“When I was younger. They were afraid I’d fall down the stairs or something. They kept the deadbolts secured…or they did until I’d stopped doing it. By then Donna and I didn’t want to move back upstairs. We’d gotten used to the room.”

Spence imagined that her parents had beaten themselves up over and over again for that decision.

“What did the two of you do after you left the house?” He guided the conversation back to the details of that tragic night.

“We danced around in the yard. Let a couple of leftover balloons go in honor of Sherry and Joanna, then headed into the woods.” Other than lacing and unlacing her fingers repeatedly, she sat perfectly still. “When we got to the stream we spread the blanket and laid down to stare up at the stars.”

“Donna didn’t fall? Hit her head?”

Dana shook her head. “Nothing like that happened.” Inwardly she cringed at the thought that her sister had been hit in the head with a rock…or fallen against one. Why couldn’t she remember any part of that?

“What did you talk about?”

She stared at the wall across the room, her gaze distant. “How much she missed her friends. How we couldn’t wait until we were old enough to get our driver’s licenses. Nothing in particular.”

More of that prolonged silence.

“Who fell asleep first?”

Dana thought about the question, then said, “I guess I must have. I could still hear her talking as I drifted off.”

“What happened when you woke up?”

Her gaze collided with his. “I don’t remember waking up. I told you that.”

Her defensive tone also told him she didn’t want her claim disputed and definitely didn’t want to try remembering.

Move on for now. “Okay. So tell me more about Lorie Hamilton.”

Dana blinked. Her frustrated expression relaxed fractionally. “She was a cheerleader. Very popular. Everyone loved her. She and Donna got to know each other when my sister tried out for the cheerleading squad for the upcoming school year.”