She waited until Yancey came back in, but he only locked the door to the office and left, closing the door to the building. She waited for him to get a little way down the path before she slipped from her hiding place and went to the door. She turned the knob, but the door didn't open. She turned it again, and this time put her weight against the door. It was bolted from the outside.

She glanced around the dimly lit room, desperately searching for a way out. The window was barely large enough for her to pass through, but she might be able to get out that way. She held her breath while she tugged at the window, letting it out in a sigh of relief when the sash lifted quietly. Glancing around to see if Yancey was gone, she spotted him disappearing around the bend, on his way to the house. She unhooked the screen and pushed it out. Wiggling through the small opening, she turned and pulled the sash back down. There was no way to lock the screen, so she simply pushed it shut and started for the house. As she approached, Yancey was no where in sight, so she nonchalantly wandered over to the pool. She carried a chair to a spot that wouldn't be visible on a course from the path to the door, and sat down.

It was a risk that didn't pay off. She still had no proof that anything illegal was going on, except that the man in the black suit was concerned about her presence. So that was why he was glaring at her at the dance. He was afraid she would spill the beans. She shivered, wondering what plan Yancey had for dealing with her. There was only one answer, of course. Get out as fast as possible. In the meantime, she had to avoid Yancey while she thought up some excuse for leaving.

Tears burned her eyes as she thought of his deceit. His purpose for bringing her here was unclear. Surely he should have known she would get suspicious. And yet, even after he knew she suspected something, he made no attempt to send her home. Worst of all was the façade of romantic interest. Difficult as it was to believe he was involved in something like this, it was even harder to believe he had no interest in her. Maybe it was vanity, but it was hard to believe his interest in her wasn't genuine.

"There you are." Yancey's voice interrupted her thoughts. She made a fuss of tucking the shirt into her jeans. That was when she noticed the clay on her shirt. She tucked the spot into her jeans, trying not to expose her tears.




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