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“No,” Grace said indifferently “Any reason you’re asking?”
He shrugged “I’ fan of coincidences”
If they weren’t coincidences, ere they? Madeline wondered But confronting that question ht drop the baby So she sat on the nearby wicker loveseat and pretended to be engrossed in playing with her niece
Please let this end soon Let Grace give all the right answers…
“I’ coincidences,” Grace said
HunterMadeline’s father Both na with Ray Harper They were only a year apart in age And they died within six months of each other, just a year before Madeline’s hteen-edies in so short a time, wouldn’t you say? Especially for a place like this?”
“Accidents happen,” she countered “We lost a teenage girl out at the quarry just last weekend”
“How many others have you lost in the past twenty years?” he asked
Grace didn’t answer But Madeline knew that from Rose Lee to Rachel, they hadn’t had any other unusual deaths
“There’s nothing to connect their deaths,” Madeline said, speaking up in spite of herself
“Isn’t there?” Hunter asked “Did the police ever catch the driver of the vehicle that struck Katie?”
His words raised goose bumps on Madeline’s arms “No”
Grace suddenly glanced at her watch “I’, and I promised the boys I’d pick theht”
Hunter held his finger up to Isabelle, who grabbed hold of it “Sure We won’t keep you”
Madeline blinked, taken aback by his response He’d asked about Rose Lee and Katie, which had nothing to do with anything, as far as she knew And he hadn’t asked about the night her father wentor the panties that were found in his trunk
Grace s by”
“Thanks for giving us a few minutes of your time,” Hunter said
Madeline kissed Isabelle, handed her to Grace and pivoted to head back to the car—only to bu on the ay, gazing up at the house “You have a lovely home, Mrs Archer”
“We like it,” she said Then she waved and disappeared inside the house
Hunter reot in the car By the tie behind the house and began backing down her long drive
“Nice Lexus,” Hunter said
Madeline fastened her seat belt “Why didn’t you ask her about the night ?” she asked She knew it hadn’t been an oversight Hunter was too good for that
“Two reasons”
She started the engine “The first?”
“I’m sure she was prepared for that She must’ve answered similar questions a hundred times”
“And the second reason?” Madeline pulled away fro, too