Dead Ringer Read Online Free PDF Page B

looked around. Apparently she’d been too wrapped up in
the article to notice that Becca was gone.
    “I guess so,” she said, quickly wiping her eyes. If she’d
gained any ground with Charlie earlier, looking like an emotional mess would
certainly send her back to square one. “I was just reading about—”
    “Yeah, I see that,” Charlie said. His eyes were fixed on the
picture of Sarah blown up on the computer screen behind her. The gallery had
flipped back to that first photo, fifteen-year-old Sarah. Laura realized that
it was the version of Sarah that Charlie would have last seen, which probably
explained why his face was now the color of chalk.
    “I started reading, and I couldn’t stop,” she explained. “I
guess I feel sort of connected to her because…you know…”
    Charlie nodded silently.
    “Can I ask you something?”
    Charlie nodded, though a little nervously, Laura thought.
    “Do you think I look like her?” He clearly didn’t know what
to say, and Laura couldn’t blame him. It was an awkward question to ask.
    “I think everyone has a doppelgänger,” he finally said. “And
I’m really sorry that yours happens to be her, but it’s not your fault.”
    Laura nodded. “I just feel bad that I’m reminding people of
this awful story,” she said. “It seems like there are so many unanswered
questions.”
    “Yeah,” Charlie said. “I guess.”
    Laura could tell that the topic was making him
uncomfortable, which was the absolute last thing she wanted.
    “Anyway. Sorry. Hi. How did you know to find me here?” Laura
finally said.
    “Kit said she heard you signed up to work on the paper. I
didn’t even know we had a paper, but that’s cool that you’re into writing.”
    “Yeah, I worked on the school paper back home, so…” Laura
could tell that he’d come here for something specific, but was currently
reconsidering whatever that had been.
    “Right. Cool. Well I, um…I wanted to invite you to Jeff Haskell’s
party tonight. He always does one on the first Friday we’re back at school. His
parents don’t care, so it’s pretty cool.” Then Charlie paused. It was almost
like he was reading her mind. “I know everyone’s been weird to you this week,
but I still think you should come.”
    Laura was almost as surprised by the invite as she’d been to
see him in the newspaper office in the first place. Did he really want her
there? How would he handle any wrath from Amanda if she showed up? And more
importantly, why did he care enough to come all the way to the newspaper office
to invite her? Laura mentally thanked Ms. O’Malley for that well-timed English
assignment. It had clearly led to Charlie’s change of heart.
    “Well,” she said, “I’m having dinner with my parents tonight.
We’ve all been craving sushi since we left California, so we’re going to try
out a place a few towns over. But maybe I’ll come after that. I’ll have to
think about it.”
    “Well, I won’t be there until later anyway,” Charlie said. “We
have our first game this afternoon, and a big team dinner after that.”
    “That’s right,” Laura said. “Is it a home game?”
    “Yes, so please consider this an invite to that, too. Come to
that and the party. I’ll make sure no one gives you a hard time.”
    Whether he was trying to win her over, or was just a good
guy in general, Laura believed him.
     “Going in a different direction with the article?”
    Laura whipped around to find Becca in the doorway, two pizza
boxes in hand. “Hey, Sanders,” Becca said snottily, “shouldn’t you be signing
autographs before the game?” Her comment caught Charlie so off guard that he
didn’t even respond.
     “Sorry, Bec,” Laura said. “I found these articles in
my search for local rivers, and I got sort of wrapped up in it all.”
    Becca just nodded. Laura could only assume Becca’s silence had
to do with Charlie’s presence in the room.
    “I should get to the field,” Charlie said,