Dark Water Read Online Free PDF Page A

calls me Red. I was four grades ahead of you in school.”
    Sarah looked for the child in the short, balding man, without success. “I’m sorry. I don’t remember you.”
    Red ducked his head. “That’s all right. It’s been a long time.” Then he looked up at her and added, “I’m real sorry about your father.”
    â€œReally?”
    Red flushed. He’d been old enough to remember the treatment Sarah Whitman and her mother had received. He also remembered that her mother had committed suicide and that Sarah had been the one to find her. He couldn’t imagine what that must have done to her and could hardly blame her for holding a grudge. Aware that there was little he could say that would make up for the past twenty years, he pointed at the sheriff.
    â€œIf you’ll wait a minute, I’ll tell Sheriff Gallagher you’re here.”
    Sarah sighed, more than a little disgusted with herself as she watched him hurrying away. She’d been rude. It wasn’t like her to behave this way. If she was going to find out what had really happened to her father, she was going to need some help from the authorities, and alienating the first person who’d been friendly wasn’t going to help.
    Then her gaze moved past the deputy to the massive body of water beyond. Despite the picturesque beauty of the autumnal offering from the trees surrounding the lake, she shivered. The water was motionless—a black mirror with a smooth surface that was deceptive, showing none of the horror that had been hidden beneath. She moved closer, pulled to the truth of what her father had endured, trying to envision what he’d gone through. Suddenly the pain of it made her breath catch. Her vision blurred as an onset of tears burned the back of her throat.
    God. Oh, Daddy…who did this to you?
    â€œMiss Whitman?”
    Sarah shuddered as her concentration was broken. She turned, unaware that tears were rolling down her face.
    â€œSheriff Gallagher?”
    It wasn’t the first time in Ron Gallagher’s life that he’d wished to be tall, dark and handsome, but right now he might have bartered away his soul for a chance to win this woman’s heart. She was stunning, and it bothered him to see the weary, fragile look on her face. He wanted to slay dragons and find killers and make the tears go away. Instead, he offered her his hand.
    â€œMiss Whitman. I’m very sorry to have had to give you this news.”
    Sarah shook his hand briefly, because it would have been rude to do otherwise, but truthfully, she was finding it more and more difficult to be cordial. There was a rage growing inside her that was beginning to hurt. Her family had been destroyed because of a murder and a lie, and someone needed to pay.
    â€œThank you,” she said, and then clutched her hands against her stomach to keep them from shaking. “I’ve come for my father.”
    Ron sighed. Well, hell. The one thing she’d asked that he couldn’t give.
    â€œI’m sorry, Miss Whitman, but I can’t release him…at least not just yet.”
    â€œWhat can you tell me that I want to hear?”
    â€œAt this point, not much…but it’s early stages in the investigation, and you’ve got to understand that I’m working on a twenty-year-old case, with the crime scene under about eighty feet of water.”
    Sarah’s fingers curled into fists as she looked past the sheriff at the surface of the lake. She swallowed twice before the words would come past her lips.
    â€œI need to ask you something,” she whispered.
    She looked so hurt and so lost that Ron wanted to put his arms around her and pull her head onto his shoulder.
    â€œYes, ma’am?”
    â€œDo they know if—” She shuddered, then took a deep breath, making herself focus on what she wanted to say instead of screaming aloud at the thought. “My daddy…do they