Jenny spun back toward her car, just in time to see a group of kids coming down the sidewalk toward them. Karen and Dean and a girl she didn't recognize. She'd been shouting at the end, and she could tell by the looks on their faces that they'd heard what she'd said, but she marched back to her car without a word, her face blazing hot. Let David be the one to explain why she'd been shrieking at him on the street.

If the main street of Rimrock hadn't been paved, she would have roared off in a cloud of dust, but she had to be satisfied with just gunning the motor before she pulled away. She didn't want to give him the satisfaction of looking back, but she did glance discreetly in the rearview mirror. There he was, hands stuffed in his pockets, talking to the others.

Probably telling them a complete lie, she thought. Oh, he was tricky. All that cute, little-boy stuff he'd pulled at first -- looking at the sky, running his hand through his hair -- he'd done everything but scuff the toe of his sneaker in the dirt. And all the time he was just working up to making her feel guilty about Diana. He'd conveniently forgotten, of course, that when they'd met up on the rimrocks that night, he was the one who suggested

that the storm had played tricks with her hearing. And now that they knew what had happened to Diana, he wanted Jenny to remember, so he could wallow in a bunch of "If only's."

Well, too bad. She wasn't going to accommodate him. She was through trying to remember what she'd heard, and she was going to do her best to bury that night at the bottom of her memory pile.

Jenny's anger carried her most of the way home. It wasn't until she was on the long, empty stretch of road that led to her tumoff that she cahned down enough to notice how fast she was driving. She eased up on the gas pedal, even though she knew it wouldn't matter. Not once on this road had she ever seen a police car. In fact, the first time she'd encountered any car was earlier, when she'd seen David's Toyota behind her.

Not quite furious anymore, but still plenty mad, Jenny sped up the hill to her house and all but stomped inside. Peaches was waiting, as usual, looking as if she'd just waked up.

She gave the dog an absent-minded pat, walked into the living room, and was all set to fling herself onto the couch when she noticed that the answering machine had a message on it.

If she ever needed an admiring phone call, this would be the time. She punched the button eagerly, crossing her fingers and wondering what he'd say. Would he finally reveal who he was, or was he going to keep the tantalizing game going a little longer?

Chapter 8

But instead of the soft, enticing voice of her secret admirer, Jenny heard her father's voice boom out: "Jen! Looks like we'll be a few days longer than we thought. The house deal hit a couple of snags, nothing that can't be worked out, although your mother is ready to throttle everybody in sight. As soon as we know when we're coming back, we'll give you the word. Gall and tell us how you're doing, but not tonight. We'll be out. Hope the mutt's earning her keep."