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Back Season of Fear Save as PDF
Chapters (67)
  1. Contents
  2. Title Page
  3. Copyright Page
  4. PROLOGUE
  5. PART ONETHE EXTREMES
  6. 1
  7. 2
  8. 3
  9. 4
  10. 5
  11. 6
  12. 7
  13. 8
  14. 9
  15. 10
  16. 11
  17. 12
  18. 13
  19. 14
  20. 15
  21. 16
  22. PART TWOSOMETHING BAD
  23. 17
  24. 18
  25. 19
  26. 20
  27. 21
  28. 22
  29. 23
  30. 24
  31. 25
  32. 26
  33. 27
  34. 28
  35. 29
  36. 30
  37. PART THREECHAYLA
  38. 31
  39. 32
  40. 33
  41. 34
  42. 35
  43. 36
  44. 37
  45. 38
  46. 39
  47. 40
  48. 41
  49. 42
  50. 43
  51. PART FOURHIT AND RUN
  52. 44
  53. 45
  54. 46
  55. 47
  56. 48
  57. 49
  58. 50
  59. 51
  60. 52
  61. 53
  62. 54
  63. 55
  64. 56
  65. 57
  66. EPILOGUE
  67. AUTHOR’S NOTE

‘I’m afraid not. Just the name Alison.’

Peach thought the woman looked suspicious, as if now this was all about exposing a boyfriend’s affair.

‘Well, he didn’t say anything about that,’ she said, her voice clipped.

‘Okay. Thank you again.’ She added: ‘I appreciate your help. I’m sorry to bother you. Sometimes it’s just nice to talk to someone who met him, even a stranger. It makes him feel not so far away.’

The woman’s face lost its ice. ‘Of course. You know, I do remember something. I didn’t think about it at first, because your young man asked one of the other staff members about it, not me. I simply overheard him. He was looking for someone.’

‘Do you remember who?’

The woman’s brow furrowed. ‘A doctor, I think. He was looking for a doctor who practiced around here ten years ago, and he was wondering if he was still in town. My associate looked it up for him.’

‘What was his name?’

‘Let me think. Wills? Wells? I’m sorry, I wish I’d paid more attention, but I didn’t.’

‘That’s okay.’

Peach was disappointed, but then, with a strange little chill, she reached into her past and pulled out a name. It made no sense. It couldn’t be him. Why would Justin want to know anything about him?

‘Smeltz?’ she murmured. ‘Reuben Smeltz?’

The librarian’s eyes widened with recognition. ‘Why, yes! That was it! I’m sure that was his name.’

‘And is he still alive? Is he still in town?’

‘Let me check.’ The woman tapped keys on her keyboard, and not even ten seconds later, she beamed. ‘Yes indeed. Dr Smeltz has an office—’

‘On East Park Avenue downtown,’ Peach said. ‘Near the old clock tower.’

She raised her eyebrows. ‘You’re right. That’s exactly where it is. Do you know him?’

Peach didn’t answer her, but yes, she knew Dr Reuben Smeltz. He was the man who treated her for pneumonia that night at Birch Fairmont’s estate. He was her own doctor.

29

Garth Oakes jogged down the steps of the sprawling lakefront home in Lake Wales. He wore a form-fitting white T-shirt and baggy red nylon pants over his tree-trunk legs, and he carried a large nylon backpack. His black ponytail bobbed as he ran to his Subaru Outback. He dumped the pack in the rear and took a quick, hungry glance at the red Corvette parked immediately behind him. The rain was too heavy for Garth to see through the windshield, so Cab flashed his headlights at him.

Garth squinted, and then he ran for the passenger side of the Corvette and clambered into the sports car. He shook himself like a wet dog, releasing a spray of rain and an aroma of rosemary oil.

‘Well, hey!’ he said. ‘Detective! This is a small world.’