Free Cradle Of Secrets by Lisa Mondello

car.”
    She gave a sheepish grin. “I did do that, didn’t I?”
    â€œYes, you did.”
    Tammie nodded. “Well, stranger things have happened.”
    â€œSuch as?”
    Her brows furrowed. “Boy, you just get right down to things, don’t you? Not even a mention of coffee—which, by the way, I haven’t had and am dying for right now. In case you forgot, I’m still on Oregon time.”
    With a shrug, he said, “No coffee, I’m afraid. I didn’t have a chance to pick up anything for the kitchen yesterday.”
    She gave a mock pout and snapped her fingers in disappointment.
    He added, “We can get some at the campground store, or just run down to the café for breakfast. Take your pick.”
    Tammie lifted her eyes to him and held her gaze. “There was a man in the yard last night.”
    â€œA man? Outside the house?”
    â€œYes.”
    He laughed humorlessly. “And you say I cut to the chase. We went from coffee to a man in the backyard?”
    She sighed and rubbed the back of her neck. “I haven’t had coffee yet. My mind is a little fuzzy.”
    â€œWhat was he doing?”
    â€œI don’t really know. It looked like he was digging.”
    â€œIn the dirt?”
    With a roll of her eyes, she said, “Where else?”
    â€œDid anyone else hear or see him? Any of the other people in the house?”
    â€œThey should have heard him. He was making enough noise for me to hear him from the second floor. But Serena had had a nightmare, and they were so busy with her, they probably didn’t notice.”
    His brow creased. “Did the man try to come near the house?”
    â€œNot the house. But he did go into a shed out back.”
    Dylan nodded. He’d never gone out back. He’d never even made it past the front door before yesterday. But with all the trees surrounding the property, and the desolate country roads that led up to the mansion, it would be easy for someone to get in and out of the yard unseen.
    Tammie was leaning against her car, her arms folded across her chest and her head bent slightly.
    He cleared his throat. “Did you say anything to anyone?”
    Another roll of the eyes. “Do you think I would have gotten a straight answer if I had?”
    â€œPoint taken. But still, if someone is searching the grounds in the middle of the night, whoever it is might get bold enough to try to get into the house.”
    Looking alarmed, Tammie stood straight and unfolded her arms.
    He answered the unspoken question written on her face. “That mansion is like a fortress, but people have been known to break into buildings with even the tightest security systems.”
    â€œI wonder if that had happened before,” she said, her eyes shifting to one side, as if she were thinking of something.
    He waited, and when her eyes met his again, she said, “Aurore told me to lock my bedroom door last night.”
    â€œStrange.”
    â€œI thought so, too. The only people I could think to worry about last night were Susan and Aurore. That is, until I saw the man in the garden.”
    Dylan looked more closely at Tammie then, saw the droop of her posture, the dark lines under her blue eyes, which were puffy, as if she hadn’t had much sleep.
    Well, at least he hadn’t been the only one.
    â€œThere’s time enough to ask them about it later,” he said. “Why don’t you take a load off while I pick up some things from the campground store? We can throw together some breakfast here. Carol, the waitress at the diner, is a sweet girl, but she has big ears. She can retell a conversation verbatim to the other waitresses the moment her customers walk out the door.”
    Tammie laughed. “I see your point. Besides, given the fact that Serena is practically my double, I’d rather the whole world not come to the conclusion that I’m her.”
    â€œIf they haven’t