Page 84 of Girl Between

“Jake told you about Claire?”

“Just that she was someone you both trusted and ended up blindsided.”

She swallowed the tightness in her throat. “He’s right,” she said. “I thought she was a friend, someone I knew. But I was wrong. I see that now and how dangerous that kind of clouded judgement can be. I don’t want to see that happen here.”

“I get it. And I appreciate it, truly. But Landry’s not pulling the wool over my eyes. I’ve known the man since I was a boy. Watched him try to stop the hurt in this whole damn town after Katrina, even though the hurt in him was big enough to swallow him whole. He lost his wife, his practice, and almost his daughter. But he’s still here, still fighting the good fight, alongside me and every first responder in this town. He’s one of the good ones, Dana. I’d stake my career on it.”

“Then I hope you’re right.”

The road ended abruptly, and Dana slammed on the brakes. “Is this it?” she asked apprehensively.

The ‘ferry,’ a barely seaworthy bucket of rust, was tethered to an even more rotted-looking floating dock, which appeared to be nothing more than a few splintered pieces of petrified barnwood strapped haphazardly to some old oil drums.

“Yep,” George confirmed.

Dismayed, Dana reached for the door, but George stopped her, a gentle hand on her shoulder. “I don’t know what happened on your last case, I don’t need to. What Idoknow is carrying the weight of it will only make it harder to heal. Don’t do that to yourself. Life’s hard enough without punishing yourself for the past.”

“Easier said than done,” she quipped, fighting the stinging sensation behind her eyes.

George took her hand when he saw the emotion welling there. “True, but this isn’t a fight you need to face alone.” He tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, and her breath hitched. “Sometimes it’s easier to let go when you find something new to hold onto.”

George leaned closer, but Dana pulled away, letting go of his hand. “George, I?—”

“I know, it’s complicated.” He grinned. “But if it ever gets uncomplicated, you know where to find me.”

She huffed a laugh. “I do.”

“Now come on. We got a ferry to catch.”

77

The weightof my predicament threatens to crush me. I force myself to focus, to think rationally. There has to be a solution, some way to divert their attention without showing my hand. My fingertips drum against the table, the rhythm grounding me in the moment.

I need to get out of Louisiana, but leaving now would only draw more suspicion. Besides, I can’t leave without her. She’s all I have left. I hate that he knows just how much she means to me. She’s the only reason I’m going along with the charade. But lying to her is killing me.

I told myself it was just until I could get her to safety. But I’m beginning to doubt that’s a possibility. If I can’t save her, I have nothing left to live for. But that doesn’t mean I’ll let anyone else die. I took an oath.Do no harm.

I haven’t been living up to that.

Time is ticking away, each second bringing me closer to the brink. I rise from the table and pace the room, the walls closing in on me. My mind churns, seeking the flicker of an idea that might turn the tide.

I need an ally, someone who shares my urgency and desperation. Trust is a scarce commodity, but I have no choice. The idea crystallizes,fragile yet full of potential. I grab my phone, fingers hovering over the keypad, and take a deep breath. I’ve made this call before. This time I promise myself it will work.

It has to.

This is my last shot, my final gamble. With a steady hand, I dial the number. As the ringing begins, my heart pounds in my chest, each beat echoing the urgency of the moment. The answer comes, an unfamiliar voice. I don’t wait for encouragement. I get right to the point. "I need help."

78

Bullfrogs croakedfrom somewhere in the mossy black water. Dana swallowed thickly as she watched slow ripples part the still water in the distance. She didn’t know whether she preferred the unblinking stares of the alligators sunbathing on felled logs or when they silently slipped beneath the inky black veil of water. Either way she couldn’t stop her mind from visualizing a horrific death by the prehistoric creatures.

“Relax,” George teased. “They only bite.”

“Not funny,” Dana quipped.

“You don’t gotta worry about gators. They’re opportunistic feeders. Too lazy to go after people. It’s the spiders and snakes that’ll get ya out here.”

“Not helping,” said Dana.