The farm was no less beautiful in the setting sun that it had been earlier this afternoon. She could see it from a different angle this time and noted that it was a shorter and more direct drive coming from the Davis estate. Unless of course your aim was a secret hideaway closer to the woods. 'Don't go there Celia' she chided herself.If Sonya Davis were having an affair with Riley O'Rourke, would she have gone to all that trouble to go into the woods? There were more than enough places scattered around the farm to go to if that were the case. And more comfortable too no doubt.They hadn't found any soiled mattresses hidden away, or a tent set up for secret trysts; nothing that would lead anyone to suspect someone was having sex out there. Not even an indentation in the grass. Surely they would've left some kind of evidence behind if this is something that had been going on for a while.Her eyes searched out the landscape; she could see silos, barns, some of them older and probably

Detective Sparks left her house at about the same time and headed for her old beat up truck that she'd bought off of old man Stevens. She didn't need much more than that to get around since most places were within walking distance.She could've taken the police issue vehicle but since it was late and she knew from this morning that her old beater could handle the terrain much better she decided to forego it.Riley O'Rourke had been the one to call in to the station when he saw the strange light in the trees in the woods behind his place. The call came just in time to save her from herself since she'd just been sitting there making herself crazy with her thoughts.She knew that time was running out for them, that the first twenty-four to forty-eight hours made all the difference in the world when it came to a murder case, but she just wasn't getting it. And the fact that her mind kept coming back to Mr. O'Rourke wasn't helping matters.She hated to admit it, but he was looking more

She pulled into the parking lot outside the ranch-style red brick building that housed the police station. There were only five fulltime staffers here, and a handful of volunteers when they were needed. She'd already been fielding calls from the mayor and knew that if she didn't have something soon to keep him off her back he'd bring in the state patrol. Something she didn't want to happen, because she didn't want to lose her first real case since moving to the small town.But the way things were looking she didn't hold out much hope that she'd be left at the helm. Time was of the essence but no amount of time was going to help if she didn't get a clue as to what was going on. And going over and over the case in her head was only leaving her with more questions than answers. What a mess!"Morning boss! I've already got started on those leads like you said but I don't think we're going to find any help there. Two of the places that ordered the acid are commercial cleaners, office bu

Valerie reached the gallery just ahead of the cops and opened the doors, turning on the lights and getting the coffee started at the little station she kept in back. She'd had an assistant once, but found that the girl spent more time on her phone than she did working, and since her place was never overly busy except when she was having a showing there was no longer a need.Sonya had always helped out when she needed a hand in the past before the children came, but that hadn't been for a while. As she thought of her friend she wondered how long it was going to take until she no longer did. It was going to take some time she was sure, they'd been such good friends.They'd done practically everything together, except have children. That was the only place they'd differed. They'd gone away to college together, been married close together; there was so much that they'd shared in their lives. So many milestones.She didn't want to dwell too much on it, not now, and especially not with

Niall sat alone downstairs for a while after the cops and Valerie left. He was trying to make sense of the detective's words that had left him with even more questions now than before. Why had Sonya changed her code? What was she trying to hide?He tried to recall if there had been any changes in her behavior the last few months but nothing came to mind It's true that after baby Abigail was born they'd both sorta spun out of control a little bit.His psychiatrist had put it down to him having a midlife crisis and it was obvious that she'd been suffering the after effects of the birth. But things had smoothed out a lot here lately, and he refused to believe that his loving wife of almost seven years had been doing anything behind his back that would warrant the need for such secrecy."No, they must be wrong." He left his seat and took the stairs two at a time and headed for the room they'd shared as man and wife. The nightgown she'd worn the night before she was killed still laid acr