Read The Book of James for Free Online Page A

every bush, ground into the soil. It was like I was channeling the negative feelings of everyone who had ever walked this space, and honestly, that scared me. This house, where apparently my husband had spent the better part of his life, disturbed me. I wanted to get out of here as quickly as I had come, but I had only a general idea of the direction of the front gate.
    The trees were thick, and I had no markings to lead me. I
    thought I was going in the right direction, toward a flicker of light, but the light seemed to move, and instead I veered farther into the woods. My heart began to dance against my ribcage.
    A loud thump sounded in the distance. Like a door shutting.
    Someone else was out here. And maybe that light I’d been follow-
    ing had been a flashlight and not a street lamp.
    My legs, pumping in unison, moved me quickly through the
    brush, but my sandals slowed me down. I was just thinking that I
    had reached the height of my stupidity when I tripped. A big rock threw me off balance, and I ended up facedown in rocky dirt, the
    wind sucked out of me. My knee and hand stung; my lungs felt as
    if they’d col apsed in my chest. As I lay there, feeling damp soil against my face, all my angst and curiosity turned to anger. I hated Nick. I hated him for dying in the accident and leaving me. Hated him for lying to me about all this. Hated him for using me, for
    drawing me here. I hated him.
    The crackling of dead leaves somewhere nearby spurred me
    back to my feet, though my injured knee slowed my progress. I
    was beginning to think I was moving parallel to the road, instead of toward it, when I saw the steady stream of light from the street lamp through the trees.
    36
    ELLEN J. GREEN
    Dylan’s car was on the other side of the gate, but he was
    nowhere to be seen. Like a caged animal moving back and forth
    along the fence line looking for a break, I tried to find some way out, but there was nothing. Tiny stones embedded in the palm of
    my right hand made it impossible for me to grab the iron bars for long. I fell backward onto the ground, ready to cry in frustration, when a heavy hand landed on my shoulder.
    “Need a boost?”
    I looked up. “Dylan? Thank God.” I clutched my chest.
    “I felt bad about making you go in all by yourself. I’ve been
    looking for you. What happened to your hand and eye?”
    I touched my cheek and realized it was bleeding too. “I fell
    in the woods, and my hand hurts like hel . I don’t know how I’m
    going to get back over the fence.”
    He turned and looked over his shoulder. “I heard something
    like the front door slamming a while ago. I think someone is out
    here. You’re going to have to do the best you can. So get up.” He pulled at my arm.
    When Dylan pushed me upward, my blood smeared against
    the wrought iron, but I held on long enough to drop myself to
    the ground on the other side. My injured knee slammed into the
    ground, making me moan with pain.
    He was at my side before I knew it, looking down at me with
    disdain. “I could be disbarred for breaking the law. I’m an officer of the court, you know. I never would have come with you if I’d
    known . . .”
    The words were lost on me. As we climbed into his car, just
    before we pulled away, I glanced backward over my shoulder.
    Shadows danced with the trees, and maybe it was my imagination,
    but I swore I saw a dark figure slip back into the woods on the
    other side of the gate.

CHAPTER 8
CORA
    Other than the small tick-tick of the clock on the mantel, only
    echoing silence filled the room.
    Cora sat in the leather club chair, turned slightly so she could
    look through the window. Evening had settled over the prop-
    erty, but ground lighting il uminated part of a fountain near the entranceway. She could see a hint of the statue of the boy, water spilling from his jug into the pool. For a moment she imagined
    someone running with the shadows, darting across the lawn as the
    breeze rustled tree branches.
    Nick?