page5 (1/2)

The air was different back here, too Thick and fragrant with nolias

Oh, please, she thought, realizing she was on the verge of getting rooet attached to kudzu and rosebushes

Or maybe she should have ht flickered to life briefly before Savannah extinguished it

“I know,” Margot said, watching Savannah carefully “We’ve been alone in this house for so long it see someone else in”

“We don’t need anyone else!” Katie cried and Savannah tucked an ar thatas toosigns of xenophobia

“Margot’s right” Savannah sighed and Margot’s perfect eyebrows arched slightly in surprise Savannah ignored the slick twist of distaste in her belly as the words got clogged in her throat What if sohter, fear crawling over her like ants “It’s tiarden”

MATT WOODS STARED at the two-story plantation-style house then down at the surveillance photos in his hand

He was hunting for Vanessa O’Neill, last seen in New Orleans

But it was the picture of Vanessa’s daughter, Savannah, he couldn’t look away froolden, she smiled up at him from her photo

How uilty was she?

He scoffed at his own question Everyone was guilty No one’s hands were clean

Was she guilty of theft and betrayal like her uilty of bad blood?

Matt rubbed gritty eyes He’d driven through the night froht ofhe realized his plan pretty much sucked

Vanessa had been last seen teeks ago in New Orleans Matt knew this because he’d hired an investigator to track down everyone related to the jewel theft that his father had been involved in seven years ago

His investigator had taken her picture, followed her around to various poker ga about Bonne Terre and the Manor Then she’d vanished Just vanished

Matt connected the dots and decided to come here to find her Or wait for her Whatever it took to correct justice’s aim