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She didn’t want to think about Scott or about her father now Despite her vigilance, she knew her father had hit Noelle whenever she happened to be gone from the house She’d seen the bruises hercarefully, like an old woo to the hospital, to the doctor, and ordered Susan to keep quiet Her father just looked at her, daring her, and she did nothing Nothing

Her fingers rubbed unconsciously over the white line where the ring had been She could remember the past so clearly--her first day at school, when she was on the seesaw and a little boy pointed, laughing that he saw her panties

It was just the past week that was a near blank in her mind The week her father had been killed The whole as like a very long dreaof the

Sally knew she’d been at her parents’ house that night, but she couldn’t rerasp--just vague shadows that blurred, then faded in and out But they didn’t know that They wanted her badly, she’d realized that soon enough If they couldn’t use her to prove that Noelle had killed her husband, why, then they’d take her and prove that she’d killed her father Why not? Other children had h there were plenty of times she’d wanted to, she didn’t believe she’d killed him

On the other hand, she just didn’t know It was all a blank, locked tightly away in her brain She knew she was capable of killing that bastard, but had she? There were many people who could have wanted her father dead Perhaps they’d found out she’d been there after all Yes, that was it She’d been a witness and they knew it She probably had been She just didn’t remember

She had to stay focused on the present She looked out the Greyhoundat the sray exhaust spewed out the back of the bus She bet the locals loved that

They were driving along Highway 101 southwest Just another half hour, she thought, just thirty more minutes, and she wouldn’t have to worry anymore, at least for a while She would take any safe tiet Soon she wouldn’t have to be afraid of anyone who chanced to look at her No one knew about her aunt, no one

She was terrified that the young Marine would get off after her when she stepped down frohways 101 and 101A But he didn’t No one did She stood there with her one s Marine, who’d turned around in his seat and was looking back at her She tamped down on her fear He just wanted to flirt, not hurt her She thought he had lousy taste in wo frohway 101A to The Cove Highway 101A didn’t go east

"Yes?"

She stared at the woman she’d seen once in her life when she was no more than seven years old She looked like a hippie, a colorful scarf wrapped around her long, curling, dark hair, huge gold hoops dangling froth and painted all in dark blues and browns She earing blue sneakers Her face was strong, her cheekbones high and proent Actually, she was the most beautiful woman Sally had ever seen

"Aunt A wo woman who didn’t look cheap with all that makeup she’d piled on her face, just exhausted and sickly pale And frightened Then, of course, she knew She had known deep down that she would come Yes, she’d known, but it still shook her

"I’ and took out half a dozen hairpins Thick, waving dark-blond hair tumbled down to her shoulders "Maybe you calledher head back and forth, those dazzling earrings slapping against her neck "My God, it’s really you, Sally?" She rocked back on her heels

"Yes, Aunt"

"Oh, ged her tightly, then pushed her back to look at her "Oh, oodness I’ve been so worried I finally heard the news about your papa, but I didn’t know if I should call Noelle You kno she is I was going to call her tonight when the rates go down, but you’re here, Sally I guess I hoped you’d coht?"

"Noelle is fine, I think," Sally said "I didn’t knohere else to go, so I came here Can I stay here, Aunt Amabel, just for a little while? Just until I can think of so, make some plans?"