Killing Me Softly Read Online Free PDF

that guy?”
    â€œHe’s been cleared of any wrongdoing, but he was required to meet with the department psychiatrist to be sure he wasn’t suffering from post-traumatic stress. She just gave him the all clear, and he was scheduled to return to work on Monday. Hence, the party last night.”
    â€œHe was celebrating,” Dawn said.
    â€œApparently.”
    Dawn closed her eyes, shook her head, offering a token argument, because she couldn’t seem to stop her self. Force of habit, she presumed. “I don’t know what good my coming back would do, Beth.”
    â€œYes, you do,” Beth whispered. “You know you do.”
    â€œDid he…ask for me?”
    â€œHe needs you, Dawn. If they don’t arrest him—”
    â€œArrest him?”
    â€œIf they don’t arrest him, Josh is going to bring himhome. Dawnie, you know you can help. Even without the…the ability you inherited from your father—”
    â€œThere is no ability.” She didn’t bother reminding Beth that any mention of Dawn’s long-dead father was strictly off-limits. The man had been a powerful medium—as well as a murderer. His gift and his mental illness, so twisted up in his mind that he couldn’t tell the real voices from the imaginary ones. The ones that told him to kill. With his dying breath, he’d passed his gift on to his teenage daughter, promising to return to her. A promise he’d kept, and one that had sent her running across the continent to escape.
    And she had escaped.
    â€œThe dead don’t talk to me anymore, Beth. It’s…it’s gone.” Thanks to AA—Absolut and Ativan in her case.
    â€œI don’t believe that,” Beth said softly. “I know it drove your father insane—and I know that scares you, Dawn. So I hope, for your sake, it’s true. But even without that, Dawn, you can help. You and Bryan were like—you were like Nancy Drew and the Hardy Boys.”
    â€œOne Hardy Boy.”
    â€œThe way you figured out what was going on in Blackberry five years ago when your father found me here—when he thought God was telling him to kill me… If it hadn’t been for you and Bryan…”
    â€œThat was five years ago, Beth. A lot of water has gone under the bridge since then. Bryan’s the one who went on to become a cop. I just fix cars—”
    â€œYou restore classic cars for collectors. Don’t undersell yourself.”
    â€œYeah, well, it’s a far cry from crime solving.”
    â€œHe needs you, Dawn. And I need you. I’m scared. Josh sounded awful on the phone. Bryan’s his son, and this is going to be hell on him, no matter how it comes out. I need to be there for him, Dawn, but I’m scared, too. I need you. The family needs to face this together. Please, baby, please. It’s time you came home.”
    â€œThere are just…so many ghosts.”
    â€œYeah. Well, now there’s one more.”
    â€œBeth—”
    â€œDawn,” Beth said, and her tone had changed from pleading to the voice of absolute authority. “I didn’t raise you—didn’t even get to know you until you were practically grown. But I am your mother and I’m speaking to you as a mother right now. There’s a ticket waiting for you at the airport. Your flight leaves at 1:16 p.m., your time. Get up, pack a bag, call your boss and get your ass home. I’m not asking you. I’m telling you.”
    Dawn closed her eyes. “I’m a grown-up now, Beth. You can’t tell me what to do.”
    â€œI just did, kiddo. I’ve put up with your hiding and your wallowing and your—well, to be blunt, your cowardice, for five long years, but I’m done with it now. You’re tougher than this. Stronger. Your family needs you, and I hate to say it, Dawn, but if you let me down again, I’m just not going to forgive you. Not this