planned to make a killing in the stock market like his father; Karen was the one who'd probably make the killing; she was almost as smart as Dean.

It was obvious that Sally had everyone pegged. It was also obvious that she was something of a gossip, but there was nothing really malicious in what she said. Jenny figured that once she got to know these people, she'd form her own opinions. In the meantime, she was enjoying Sally's thumbnail sketches. It was sort of like reading the back cover of one of those fat, gothic paperbacks she'd looked at in drugstores -- "Jessica, the heiress whose passionate nature matched her fiery red hair; Alexander, the dark-eyed stranger whose secret vow of revenge had hardened his heart. ..."

'Who's that?" Jenny said suddenly as a couple drove up and got out of a slightly battered Toyota.

'Where . . . ?" Sally glanced in the direction Jenny was looking. "Oh, that's Diana Benson." Sally lowered her voice. "She just broke up with Brad. And it wasn't a friendly split, either. Brad's got this possessive thing -- sometimes I think he should have lived in the fifties. And Diana's . . . well, the less said, the better. You can bet the two of them won't be partners in the hunt."

Jenny gave Diana a quick glance -- very pretty, blonde, great figure -- but Jenny's eyes lingered on Diana's companion. "And, uh, who's that with her?" she asked, hoping she sounded extremely casual. Talk about dark-eyed strangers. The boy walking with Diana had the darkest eyes she'd ever seen,

and a lanky, long-legged build. Lanky, long-legged boys were one of Jenny^s^many weaknesses.

"Oh, you noticed, huh?" Sally chuckled. "I don't blame you. He's not really handsome, but there's something about him, isn't there? And he's nice, too. Kind of quiet, but nice."

"Are you going to tell me his name or not?" Jenny asked.

"David," SaUy said. "David Howell. And if you're interested, which I can see by the gleam in your eyes that you are, then I'll see what I can do to get him out of Diana's clutches." With that, she took off.

"But Sally, I . . ." Jenny stopped. Sally was already with David and Diana, gesturing wildly and talking a mile a minute. Jenny wanted to drop out of sight, but even if she could have figured out a way, it was too late: Sally was already on her way back, David and Diana in tow.

"This is Jenny Fowler," she said, smiling brightly. "Jenny, meet David and Diana."

Up close, Diana wasn't just pretty; she was almost beautiful. Jenny had dressed carefully in her favorite faded jeans and a rich brown cotton sweater that she thought made her hair look blonder, but next to Diana, she felt distinctly pale and dish-watery.

A smile would have made Diana even better looking, but she wasn't smiling. She seemed annoyed at the whole world, Jenny included. "I hope you like it here in Rimrock," she said without a trace of