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COAL MOUNTAIN MOTEL

Barbara tugged her ball cap low to camouflage her face, lowered her head and checked around her as she darted to the motel room she’d rented. The cheap neon sign flashed orange against the darkness, swinging back and forth in the wind as if it might fly off any second.

Set off the highway and nestled in the woods, the motel was not visible from the road which was the reason she’d chosen it.

She couldn’t go home. Not under the circumstances.

But she hated skulking around like a common criminal.

She fished out the key and let herself into the dingy room, checking all around her. Today in town she thought she might have been spotted, but she’d quickly disappeared into the crowd.

Dust motes floated in the air as she closed the door, the smell of musty carpet swirling around her.

She touched the heart shaped pendant dangling between her breasts, sorrow choking her as she thought of Taylor and Heidi lying dead at the bottom of the falls.

The day they’d been born was one of the happiest days of her life. She’d finally held a sweet precious wiggling little newborn in her arms. The deal she’d made had taunted her, and she’d wanted desperately to take one of the twins home with her.

But they were Claire’s and she loved Claire and at least Barb had a family with them.

She’d do anything to protect them. Yet they were dead.

Why?

She flung her hat and bag on the scarred wooden desk and sank onto the bed, wincing as the coiled springs of the mattress jabbed her legs. Lying back, she stared at the dingy ceiling. A tiny bug crawled along the wall.

For some reason that bug reminded her of her ex.

Thomas had fooled her at first with his big talk about their future and family, maybe because she’d been desperate to have a child.

After they’d lost the baby though, their relationship had disintegrated quickly. He’d wanted out. He’d been in serious debt. And trouble.

She hadn’t wanted any part of the mess he was involved in.

He was the only one who knew what she’d done.

And he’d hated her for it.

He also knew exactly how to hurt her.

Had he killed Taylor and Heidi?