Free A Deadly Love by Jannine Gallant

his side, taking comfort in her warmth, the smell of her shampoo, the softness of her hand in his. “Until they do, I want you to be careful.”
    He felt her tense. “Why? Surely it was some crazy stalker or obsessed fan who killed her.”
    “Maybe it was. Maybe Cybil paid the ultimate price for her fame. But until they catch him, I don’t want you to go out in the woods alone. I don’t want you to take any risks.”
    “I’m sure her killer is long gone. Anyone hanging around the area who isn’t a local would be an immediate suspect. Harley’s no fool.”
    “No, he’s not, and the state police are involved.” He stroked his thumb across the back of her hand. “Humor me, Brooke.”
    She turned her head in the direction of the forest and shivered. “I won’t go wandering around by myself. I promise.”
    He rested his chin against the top of her head as the tense knot in his chest eased slightly. “You should go to bed.”
    “I don’t want to leave you alone.”
    “I’ll be fine. My relationship with Cybil ended years ago. What happened to her was unspeakably horrible, but it doesn’t affect me personally. It makes me sad and angry, but it isn’t going to ruin my life.”
    “That may be true, but it probably isn’t much comfort after what you saw.”
    He shuddered. “Maybe not.”
    “I want to help, even if it’s just keeping you company.”
    He lay back against the cushions, pulled her more fully into his arms, and stroked her silky hair. He pushed the picture of Cybil tied to the tree out of his mind and focused on the woman lying next to him. He kissed the side of her neck, his lips trailing across her soft skin. She was warm and very much alive.
    “Thank you for staying,” he whispered in her ear.
    She pressed his hand against her chest. “It’s where I want to be.”
    ****
    Brooke knew the minute Dillon fell asleep. His breathing deepened and he relaxed against her, the tension draining from his body. She lay perfectly still, knowing how exhausted he was. She couldn’t begin to imagine the horror he must have felt when he discovered the murdered woman was someone he knew. Someone he had loved.
    She pictured Cybil McCoy as she’d looked on the movie screen, larger than life and so very, very beautiful. As a child spending her summers in Woodvale, she hadn’t known the older girl well. Cybil had no interest in the skinny, blonde girl visiting her grandparents. Brooke, on the other hand, had watched her with envy for the place she held in Dillon’s heart.
    Guilt ate at her. Had it been Cybil screaming in the night? If she’d called Harley, could he have saved the actress? A tear squeezed through her lashes. She’d never know if she could have made a difference.
    Dillon moved restlessly, and Brooke tucked the blanket more tightly around them. Pressing her face against his chest, she listened to his breathing and smelled his woodsy male scent. Slowly the darkness faded to gray. As dawn broke across the forest, she had an uneasy feeling the crush she’d had on Dillon all those years ago was nothing compared to the feelings she harbored for him now. When his hand pressed more firmly against her chest, he touched her heart.

Chapter Five
    Marnie Palmer was missing. Irene gave Dillon the news along with his soup and sandwich special.
    “What do you mean missing?” He handed Zack a packet of crackers, and the boy crumbled them into his clam chowder. Dishes clattered in the kitchen, and Muzak drifted from hidden speakers. The smell of burgers and fries filled the air.
    “She had an appointment to show the old Winston place at nine this morning. Her clients stopped in around nine-thirty for coffee, and I overheard them talking. They were pissed—” She glanced at Zack’s bent head. “I mean mad because they wasted their time driving out from Eureka on a Saturday morning for nothing.”
    “Maybe Marnie overslept.”
    The waitress leaned against the side of the booth and tucked a lock of