Jenny waited.

David looked at the sky, as if he were inspecting it for signs of rain. The sky was clear. Finally he said, "About that night."

Back to that, Jenny thought. She guessed she couldn't blame him, but she really didn't want to talk about it.

Tou remember, when I found you ... or you found me, or whatever, you said you'd heard a scream? And then, at the diner," he went on, *you said it again. Brad was all over you about it and you changed your mind and said it was the wind. You said that when I came back, too. When you were eating."

"I didn't exactly say that," Jenny reminded him. "I said I'd probably never know. And before, when Dean said it must have been the storm, I went along with it because I didn't feel like getting punched or strangled."

"Okay, good."

"Good?"

"Yeah, you didn't change your mind, you just backed off." David's eyes were slits now and his voice was quiet and intense. Jenny felt like she was under a hot spotlight.

**What's good about it?" she asked.

"It means you did hear something," he said. "And I want to know what it was. It's like trying to put a puzzle together, you know? Only a piece is missing. And you've got it."

"You*re the puzzle, David," Jenny gave another nervous laugh. He was so edgy he almost scared

her. "I mean, okay, so I heard a scream er a shout or something. But I can't remember what it was. Fve tried, but I just can't." She fiddled with the cloth bracelet, twisting it around her wrist. "And . . . this is going to sound really heartless, I know, and I don't mean it to -- but what difference does it make what I heard?"

"It's . . ."he shook his head impatiently. "Look, I can't get into it. But it could make a lot of difference."

Suddenly he reached out with both hands, as if he were going to take her by the shoulders and shake her. He didn't do it, but Jenny could tell he still wanted to.

"I don't see why," she said. She was uncomfortable, but her nervousness was fading and she was starting to get annoyed. "She probably yelled 'help' or *oh, no,' or something like that. Whatever it was, she said it right before she fell, and there was nothing anybody could do, unless maybe they'd been standing next to her."

"That's what I'm ..." Another quick shake of the head. **You don't understand, Jenny."

"Well, explain it to me, then! I'm not dense."

"I can't!" This time David did grab her shoulders. "I just wish you'd try to remember. It's important!"

She shook herself free and stepped back. 'Tirst Brad and now you," she said. "I'm sorry I ever mentioned it in the first place, and I'm sick of feeling guilty about something that wasn't my fault!"

*That isn't -- "

"Look, let's just forget it," she interrupted. "I don't want to talk about it." She turned to leave and then spun around. "I heard something, but I can't remember what it was, and I'm not going to try anymore! I wish I'd never been up there in the first place!"