Free Dust and Obey by Christy Barritt Page B

and behold, my roommate was Ginger. When I arrived, she had already changed into her nightgown—something silky and low cut—and was sitting on her bed filing her fingernails. She smiled when she spotted me, no sign of the distress I’d heard in her voice less than thirty minutes ago.
    “We’re rooming together, huh?” I asked, lowering myself onto my bed and taking my shoes off.
    “I thought it was strange, also, but I guess some of the other rooms here are still under construction. Dr. Turner also said rooming with someone else will help to give us accountability and the chance to work on our relational skills outside of marriage.”
    “He has some interesting ideas.”
    “I think they’re refreshing.” She shrugged. “So, anyway, what do you think so far?”
    I lowered myself onto my bed and crossed my legs under me. “I’m not sure yet. Is that a typical night?”
    “There is no typical here.” She let out a laugh. “Dr. Turner likes to keep us on our toes. He says when we can learn to live with the unexpected surprises and curveballs that life throws us then we can survive anything. Everything he says is an analogy to marriage. You’ll discover that quickly.”
    “I’ve noticed already.” I shifted, ready to get to the heart of why I was really here. Why waste time? “Look, I heard rumblings about the couple whose place we took. Is it true the woman died?”
    “Anna Thorn?” Ginger frowned and put down her nail file. “She was one of the women going through this program. Super nice woman.”
    “What happened?”
    She leaned closer, even though there was no one else in the room. “She overdosed. Steve, the cook, found her in the boathouse.”
    I widened my eyes as if the news shocked me. “Really? That’s horrible.”
    Ginger nodded grimly. “I know. I just can’t believe the woman would take her own life. She just didn’t seem like the type—not that there’s a type, I mean.”
    “So, you’re saying you don’t think it was a suicide?”
    Ginger suddenly straightened. “Oh, no. That’s not what I’m saying. I mean, what else could have happened to her? It’s not like you can make someone take pills, right? It’s just sobering to have someone you know pass away like that.”
    I nodded. “I can imagine.”
    “Anyway, that’s probably more than you wanted to hear. I don’t want to give you a bad impression before you barely get started. I mean, I’m not saying that this program drove her to suicide or anything . . .”
    Her uncomfortable laugh at the end made me wonder just that, though.

 
     
     
     
     
    CHAPTER 13
    I awoke early the next morning. I hadn’t been able to sleep much because I had too many things running through my mind. No one else was stirring, so I bypassed the shower, pulled my hair into a ponytail, and headed outside to explore a little.
    The air felt dewy as soon as I set foot out the front door. A slight fog still hung over the island, but nothing like yesterday. My gaze instantly went to the site where the skeleton had been discovered. To my surprise, the area had been cleared except for some yellow police tape staked around the gravesite.
    I walked to the cliff’s edge and looked down. There was a small indention in the ground where the body had been exhumed. Otherwise, I saw no sign of what had happened.
    I wondered what the authorities had discovered about the body. My theory was, since this place was once called Cemetery Island, that the corpse was someone who’d died while traversing these waters many years ago. Though my mind usually jumped to foul play, I wasn’t overly concerned right now. The find seemed more historical than nefarious.
    With that settled in my mind, I pulled my sweatshirt closer and started my brisk walk. A crushed-oyster-shell path led around the perimeter of the island, so I decided to follow that.
    Just breathing in the fresh air made my spirit feel calmer and more at peace. I glanced around, getting my first real look at