Dancing in the Dark Read Free

reconsider his decision to break up if he realized how much he
missed you? Did you hope that disappearing for a couple of days would
make Shawn come around?”
    Leslie considered her answer. Yes, she did want Shawn to worry about
her, and yes, as she’d lain in that dark, damp place for three days and
nights, she’d been sustained by the hope that Shawn was missing her.
She’d hoped that the horror she was going through would all be worth it
because, when faced with the thought of losing her forever, Shawn would
realize he loved her as much as she loved him.
    But if she told the detective that, it might help confirm what
Leslie knew he already suspected. That she had staged a three-day
disappearance to get attention. She didn’t want him to think that.
    “Look, Detective, someone abducted me, blindfolded, gagged, and tied
me up, and left me somewhere for three days. I feel like you’re
accusing me when you should be out there searching for a real criminal.”
    “We are, Leslie, believe me, we are. I’m not the only man working on
this case. The better part of the Neptune Police Department is
involved. We will get to the bottom of this. You can count on that.”
Something in the detective’s tone made the words feel more like a
threat than a reassurance.
    The hospital room door opened, and the doctor who had examined her
in the emergency room walked in and stood beside the bed. He looked at
his clipboard before speaking. He looked at the cop too. As part of a
crime investigation, the police as well as the patient had a right to
know these test results.
    “The rape kit came back negative. So we have that to be grateful
for, Leslie. Even though you didn’t claim to be raped, it was good to
have done the test. You can never be too sure in a situation like this
one. You could have been drugged or knocked unconscious and not even
known it.” The doctor smiled reassuringly and put his hand on her
shoulder. “So, physically, you check out fine. Those scrapes on your
wrists and legs will heal in few days. So will the cuts at the corners
of your mouth. You can go home, Leslie. You are going to have to talk
to someone, though, get your feelings out. Do you need a reference for
a therapist? We have some excellent ones on staff.”
    “Thanks, but I already have a therapist.” Leslie nodded, knowing
that it made no sense to protest. Sure, she’d go back to therapy, and
she’d fool Dr. Messinger the same way she was fooling the emergency
room doctor right now. He had no idea that she was pinching herself,
over and over again, beneath the white hospital sheet.

CHAPTER 3
    In August, other television news executive producers might be out
playing golf in the Hamptons or relaxing in the south of France, but
Joel Malcolm was at his desk, clicking the remote control at the half
dozen television monitors mounted on his office wall when Diane knocked
on the back of the open door.
    “Ah, good. You’re here,” he said, waving her in. Joel nodded toward
one of the TV sets. The identifying tag at the bottom of the screen
read ocean grove, new jersey. A reporter was doing a stand-up report
from a beach, the ocean in the background. His face was flushed, his
shirt collar was open, and his hair didn’t move. If there was no breeze
to ruffle this guy’s hair, Diane thought, it must be brutally hot, even
at the seashore.
    “You know about this girl that’s been missing from the Jersey
Shore?” Joel pointed at the television.
    “I haven’t been paying that much attention to the story,” Diane
said, taking a seat on the leather sofa, “but I bet you’re going to
tell me all about her.”
    If Joel detected any sarcasm, he ignored it. “Well, she’d been
missing for the last three days, but she turned up last night. Matthew
got it, off the record, from the local police that they think this girl
is making it all up—that she faked her own abduction. Apparently, she’s
a real head case.”
    Diane felt her pulse quicken. Here it