Free Buried in a Book by Lucy Arlington

expecting me at seven and doesn’t take too kindly to me being late.”
    “Seven?” I looked at my watch. “I’ve got to catch the train! Addison, can we get together for coffee sometime? I’d like to hear more about your time at the agency.”
    She shrugged. “I guess so. You know where to find me.”
    “Thanks.” I ran out through the Secret Garden gates just as the whistle of the Inspiration Valley Express blew in the distance. As exhausted as I was, I sprinted all the way to the station.

Chapter 5
    IT WAS FRIDAY NIGHT. ALL ACROSS THE TOWN OF Dunston , people were preparing to celebrate the commencement of the weekend by going out to dinner, catching a movie, or attending a local baseball game.
    Not me. I got in my pajamas and ate a comforting bowl of macaroni and cheese in front of the television while watching the Food Network. By ten I could barely keep my eyes open, and even six-foot cakes fashioned into the Seven Wonders of the World couldn’t compete with my exhaustion. When I’d decided to walk to the Dunston train station that morning, I was in high spirits and had no way of knowing that I would disembark from the Inspiration Express feeling so exhausted that just having to carry my purse was almost too much to bear. I climbed the stairs and fell into bed, but not before experiencing another pang of annoyance that Trey had borrowed my car without permission.
    My bed had never felt so good. I curled up on my sideand went right to sleep, but sometime after midnight I woke up, feeling thirsty. I drank from the water cup sitting precariously on a stack of paperbacks on the bedside table and drifted off again.
    Fragmented images permeated my dreams. Marlette appeared, carrying a bouquet of white flowers. As he presented them to me, the blooms transformed into small birds. The creatures flew right at me, and I lifted my hands to shield my face, but they darted above my head, seeking escape through the windows in the reception area. Their bodies slammed against the glass, obscuring the light and covering Marlette’s stricken face in shadow.
    Someone was calling my name from the bottom of the stairs, but I was too busy trying to open the nearest window to reply. I was able to unlock the window with ease, but no matter how hard I pushed, it would not budge.
    The birds became more and more agitated, striking at the glass with their beaks. The shouting from the first floor became louder and shriller, dominating the rest of the dream elements.
    My brain struggled to comprehend that the sound was coming from my bedroom. The noise was not a part of my dream. My phone was ringing.
    I wasn’t wearing my contacts, so the numbers of the digital clock were a red blur, but I was conscious enough to know that it was too late at night or too early in the morning for a phone call.
    As my fingers grasped the receiver, I could only think of two people. My mother. Trey.
    “Hello?” My voice was raspy, fearful.
    “Ms. Wilkins? This is Officer Griffiths. I’m sorry to bother you at this hour, but we have your son here at thestation and, well, he’s asked that you come down and pick him up.”
    It took a moment for his words to break through the fog, but by the time I turned on the table lamp, I was fully awake, my heart pounding against my rib cage. Panic made it nearly impossible to breathe, let alone speak. “What’s happened?”
    “Your son has been in an accident,” Griffiths informed me gravely, and I drew in such a sharp breath that I almost missed the next thing he said. “He’s not hurt. A few cuts and bruises, but that’s all. There were three passengers in the vehicle with your son. They are also, luckily, uninjured.” He paused. “However, the vehicle, which I understand is registered in your name, is totaled.”
    “Good Lord!” I exclaimed, my throat constricting again. “What did Trey do?”
    Griffiths seemed reluctant to be the bearer of bad news but kept his voice steady as he described how my son