It wasnt the happiness she had envisioned for herself before the night at the Halloween attraction.
But it was okay.
She hadnt seen Tyleror any of her old friendsfor over a decade.
Sarah had been living in the present.
And then she heard about the murder of Hannah Levine.
Like it or not, the past came crashing down on her.
And with it, Tyler Grant reentered her life.
Chapter One
Tyler!
Davey Cray greeted Tyler with a smile like no other. He stepped forward instantly, no hesitance after ten yearsjust a greeting fueled by pure love.
It was as if he had expected him. Maybe he had.
Tyler hugged Davey in return, a wealth of emotions flooding through him.
I knew youd come. I knew youd come! Davey said. My mom said you were busy, you didnt live here anymore. You work in Boston. But I knew you would come. His smile faded. You came for Hannah. Davey looked perplexed. Hannah wasnt always very nice. And I watched the news. She wasnt doing good things. But...poor Hannah. Poor Hannah.
Yes, poor Hannah. Shed disappeared after leaving a bar near Times Square.
Her torso and limbs had turned up on a bank of the Hudson River.
Her head had come up just downriver about a half mile. She had been savagely cut to ribbons, much like the victims ten years past.
According to the news, Hannah had become a bartender, and then a stripperand then a cocaine addict. Had that already been in the cards for her? Or had her life been twisted on that horrible night?
Poor Hannah, yes. Nobody deserves to have their life stolen, Tyler assured Davey. Nobody, he repeated firmly. Had youseen her?
Davey shook his head gravely. My mom doesnt let me go to strip clubs! he said, almost in a whisper. Then he smiled again. Tyler, I have a girlfriend. She has Down syndrome like me.
Well, wow! Thats cool. Got a picture?
Davey did. He pulled out his wallet. He showed Tyler a picture of a lovely young girl with a smile as magnificent as his, short brown hair and big brown eyes.
Shes a looker! Tyler said.
Megan. Her name is Megan. Davey grinned happily.
Thats wonderful.
Sarah set me up on the right kind of page on the internet. It really is cool.
Ill bet it is! Leave it to Sarah.
She loves me. And, you know, she loves you, too.
Of course. We all love each other.
By that time, Renee Cray had made it to the door. She was a tall, thin, blonde woman in her late forties, with big brown eyes just like Daveys. Tyler! she exclaimed.
And then she, too, threw her arms around him, as if he was the lost black sheep of the family being welcomed back into the fold.
Maybe he was.
Tyler! How wonderful to see you! We knew, of course, that youd joined the navy. And I know Sarah had heard youre living in Boston, working there as some kind of a consultant. Police consultant? PI? Something like that?
Exactly like that, he told her.
Renee continued to stare at him. Youre here...because of Hannah Levine, right? But...what can you do? What can anyone do? Is it horrible to say Im glad her parents died in a car accident years ago? But what... Her voice trailed off, and then she straightened. Where are my manners? Come in, come inyou know the way, of course!
He entered the parlor; Renee and Davey lived in a charming little two-story house in Brooklyn that offered a real yard and a porch with several rocking chairs. Renee was a buyer for a major retail chain and was able to keep up a very nice home on her own salary. Since the death of her husband, she had never done much more than workand care for Davey. Tyler doubted she had changed. She was, in his opinion, a wonderful mother, never making Davey too dependent and never becoming codependent herself.
Sit, sit, Renee told him. Davey, get Tyler some tea, will you, please? You still like iced tea, right?
Still love it, Tyler assured her.
When her son was gone, Renee leaned forward. Oh, Tyler! Its been so hard to listen to the news. I mean, bad things happen all the time. Its just that...you all escaped such a terrible thing, and now Hannah. Of course, her lifestyle...but then again, no one asks to be murdered... They havent given out many details. We dont know if she was raped and murdered, but she was...decapitated. Beheaded. Just like
She broke off again, shaking her head. Its like its the same killeras if he came back. Oh, Ill never forget that night! Hearing what had happened, trying to find Davey, trying to find you children... Oh, Tyler! Hannah now...its just too sad!
Its not the same killer, Tyler said quietly. I saw Archibald Lemming die. I saw him with a wooden table leg sticking straight through him. He did not miraculously get up and come back to kill again. Hannah had demons she dealt with, but they were in the way she looked at life. Its tragic, because no one should ever die like that. And, he reflected softly, she was our friend. We were all friends back then. We havent seen each other in a while, but...we were friends. We knew her.
Renee nodded, still visibly shaken.
Maybe they hadnt seen Hannah in a long time, but she had still been one of them.
Tyler, I guess its been in the media everywhere, but...you werent that close with Hannah, were you? Had you talked to her? How did you come to be here?
He smiled grimly.
Sarah. Sarah was why he had come. He thought back, hardly twelve hours earlier, when he had heard from her. He had received the text message from an unknown number.
Hi Tyler. Its Sarah. Have you seen the news?
Yes, of course hed seen the news.
And hed been saddened and shocked. Hed been there the night of one of the most gruesome spree killings in American history, and then hed gone on to war. Not much compared to the atrocities one could see in battle. Between the two, he was a fairly hardened man.
But...their old friend Hannah had been brutally murdered. And even if her life had taken a turn for the worse latelywhich the media was playing upneither she, nor any victim, should ever have to suffer such horrors.
While Tyler hadnt seen Sarah in a decade, the second he received the missive from her, it felt as if lightning bolts tore straight through his middle and out through every extremity.
They said time healed all wounds. He wasnt so sure. He never really understood why hed done what hed done himself, except that, in the midst of the trauma and turmoil that had swept around them that night in a long-gone October, Sarah had still seemed to push him away. She always said she was fine, absolutely fine. That she needed to worry about Davey.
She had rejected Tylers helpjust as she had refused to understand hed been willing to make Davey his responsibility, just as much as Davey was Sarahs responsibility.
Theyd all had to deal with what had happened, with what they had witnessed.
Tyler had always wanted her to know he loved Davey, and he never minded responsibility, and he didnt give a damn about anyone elses thoughts or opinions on the matter. They had to allow Davey a certain freedom. When they were with him, they both needed to be responsible. That was sharing life, and it was certainly no burden to Tyler.
Theyd all had to deal with what had happened, with what they had witnessed.
Tyler had always wanted her to know he loved Davey, and he never minded responsibility, and he didnt give a damn about anyone elses thoughts or opinions on the matter. They had to allow Davey a certain freedom. When they were with him, they both needed to be responsible. That was sharing life, and it was certainly no burden to Tyler.
But Sarah had shut down; she had found excuses not to see him.
And hed had to leave.
Maybe, after that, pride had taken hold. She had never tried to reach him.
And so he had never tried to get in touch with her.
But now...
Now Sarah had reached out to him.
Hed kept up with information about her, of course. Easy enough; she kept a professional platform going.
He liked to think she had followed him, as well. Not that he was as forthcoming about where he was and what he was doing. He had become a licensed investigator and consultant. Most of his work had been with the Boston Police Department; some had been with the FBI.
He knew she hadnt gone far. Her parents had rented out their Brooklyn home and moved to California. Sarah was living in Manhattan. Shed found a successful career writing fictionhed bought her books, naturally. Her early romances reminded him of the two of them; theyd been so young when theyd been together, so idealistic. Theyd believed in humanity and the world and that all good things were possible.
Her sci-fi novels were funfilled with cool creatures, aliens who seemed to parallel real life, and bits of sound science.
Part of why hed never tried to contact her again had been pride, yes. Part of his efforts had actually been almost nobleher life looked good; he didnt want to ruin it.
But now...
Yes, hed seen the news. Hannah Levine had been murdered. The reporters had not dealt gently with the victim because of her lifestyle. They hadnt known her. Hadnt known how poor shed grown up, and that she had lost both parents tragically to an accident on the FDR. They did mention, briefly, that shed survived the night of horror long ago.
As if reading his mind, Renee said, Theyre almost acting as if she deserved it, Tyler! Deserved it, because of the way she lived. Im wishing I had tried harder. Oh, look! If she hadnt been an escort, this wouldnt have happened to her. I feel terrible. I mean, who ever really understands what makes us tick? Not even shrinks! Because...well, poor child, poor child! She never had muchthat father of hers was a blowhard, but he was her dad. Both dead, no help...and she was a beautiful little thing. She was probably a very good stripper.
That almost made Tyler smile. Probably, he agreed. And yes, she was beautiful. Have the police let anything else out yet?
We know what you know. Her body was found...and then a few hours later, her head was found. First, we heard about the body in the river. Then we heard that it was Hannah.
The front door opened and closed. Tyler felt that same streak of electricity tear through him; he knew Sarah was there.
Renee frowned. Sarah must be here.
Im sorry. I should have said right off the bat that she was meeting me here, Tyler said. Thats why...why I came. She didnt tell you?
No, but...thats great. Youve been talking to Sarah! Renee clapped her hands together, appearing ecstatic.
Weve exchanged two sentences, Renee, he said quietly. Sorry, four sentences, really. Did you hear the news? Yes. Will you come and meet me at Aunt Renees? And then, Yes, Ill come right away.
Renee just nodded. Davey was coming back in the room, bearing glasses of iced tea. Sarah is here, Renee said.
Davey nodded gravely. Of course she is.
Tyler watched as she walked into the parlor. Sarah. Whom he hadnt seen in a decade. She hadnt changed at all. She had changed incredibly. There was nothing of the child left in her. Her facial lines had sharpened into exquisite detail. She had matured naturally and beautifully, all the soft edges of extreme youth falling away to leave an elegantly cast blue-eyed beauty there, as if a picture had come into sharp focus. She was wearing her hair at shoulder length; it had darkened a little, into a deep sun-touched honey color.
He stood. She was staring at him in turn.
Seeing what kind of a difference a decade made.
Hey, he said softly.
Hey! she replied.
They were both awkward, to say the least. She started to move forward quicklythe natural inclination to hug someone you held dear and hadnt seen in a long time.
He did the same.
She stopped.
He stopped.
Then they both smiled, and laughed, and she stepped forward into his arms.
It was impossible, of course. Impossible that they had really known what the depths of love could be when they hadnt even been eighteen. Then hed felt as if hed known, right from the first time hed seen her at school, that he loved her. Would always love her.
That no one could compare.
And now, holding her again, he knew why nothing had ever worked for him. Hed met so many womenlots of them bright, beautiful and wonderfuland yet nothing had ever become more than brief moments of enjoyment, of gentle caring, and never this...connection.
Sarah had called on him because a friend had been murdered, and he was the only one who could really understand just what it was like. This didnt change anything; whether he loved her or not, she would still be determined to push him away when it came to relying on him, sharing with him...
Back then, she hadnt even wanted him near.
They drew apart. It felt as if the clean scent of her shampoo and the delicate, haunting allure of her fragrance lingered, a sweet and poignant memory all around him.
You are here, she said. Thanks. I know this is crazy, but...Hannah. To have survived what happened that October, and then...have this happen. I understand youre in some kind of law enforcement.
No. Private investigator. Thats why Im not so sure how I can really be of help here.
Private investigators get toinvestigate, right? Sarah asked.
Why dont you two sit down? Renee suggested.
Sit, sit. Have tea! Davey said happily.
Once again, Tyler sat. For a moment, the room was still, and everyone in it seemed to feel very awkward.
Im glad you came, Sarah said. Not that I really know anything. I belong to a great writers group that brings us down to the FBI offices once a year for research, but...I really dont know anything. I dont think the FBI is involved. New York police, high-crimes or whatever they call it division... I justThe killing...sounds way too familiar!
Tyler nodded. Yeah. Though psychopaths have beheaded and sliced up victims many times, Im sorry to say. And, of course, he said, pausing then to take a breath, well, we were there. We saw the killer die back then. He looked over at Davey and smiled tightly, still curious about how Davey had sensed so much of what had gone on. We were all there. We saw him die. Davey was a hero.
My dad. My dad was with me, Davey said.
In all he taught you, and all you learned so well! Renee said, looking at her son, her soft tone filled with pain for the husband shed lost.
The police may already have something, Tyler said. When a murder like this occurs, they hold back details from the press. You wouldnt believe the number of crazy people who will call in and confess to something they didnt do, wanting what they see as the credit for such a heinous crime. I have friends in Boston who have friends in New York. Maybe I can helpall depends on whether they want to let me in or not.