All She Ever Wanted - Barbara Freethy [108]
"Not if he had Emily's journal."
"How would he have gotten her journal?"
"I don't know, but let's take this one step at a time. And think about this—an English professor would certainly know how to write a book."
"I guess."
"You don't sound convinced," Cole said, his eyes narrowing. "What's wrong?"
"I was just so sure it was Dylan or Drew or someone we knew more intimately. But Professor Martin—why would he take the trouble to disguise himself? What would his connection be to this man?" She waved her hand toward Mr. Williams, who had yet to acknowledge their presence in the room. "They don't have the same name, but he obviously came here to visit him."
"They're probably family of some sort. Let's go to the university and see if we can find this professor. He has a better shot at answering your questions than I do."
She nodded in agreement. "Let's pick up Laura and Madison on the way. Maybe one of them knows more about him. They're at the sorority house."
Cole's face paled. "That's the last place I want to go."
"I feel the same way, but I don't think this will be over until we do."
* * *
While Madison parked the car in the lot, Laura walked along the sidewalk in front of the two-story sorority house that had been her home for three years. She put one hand up to shade her eyes from the sun as she stared at the building. She'd had so many moments in this house, both good and bad. Coming back here wouldn't mean as much to Natalie and Madison as it did to her. After they'd left, the sorority had become her haven, her family of friends. While she'd never felt as close to anyone as she'd felt to Natalie, Madison, and Emily, she had managed to fit in and find a group of women with whom she could laugh and study, dance and party, and eventually share a graduation ceremony.
She hadn't been back to the house since that graduation, but it looked the same, maybe a new coat of off-white paint on the outside. White columns provided a covered walkway from the parking lot to the house. A border of flowers ran along that walk and a short patch of lawn led down to the sidewalk. The downstairs housed the library, living room, dining room, and kitchen, as well as the housemother's quarters in the back. The second story was all windows as bedrooms ran around the front, sides, and back, with communal bathrooms in the middle of the floor.
The very first day of rush, Laura had stood on this sidewalk with her friends, waiting to be invited in. It was the first house they had visited, and they had had no idea what rush meant. They had been shocked when the front door and second-story windows had flown open with dozens of girls in colorful costumes singing a sorority song and inviting them to come inside. It had seemed corny and silly and they'd laughed a lot, but they'd gone inside. A whole new world had opened up to them.
It had been Emily's idea to rush. They'd met some sorority girls their freshman year in the dorms and had envied their parties and closeness. Sorority life had looked like a lot of fun. They'd decided as sophomores to give it a try. And they'd made a pact; they'd join together or not at all. Fortunately, the Gamma Delta house had invited all four of them to join.
The front door opened now and a young woman walked out, headphones in her ears, a book bag over one shoulder. She couldn't have been more than nineteen. To Laura she looked like a baby. Had they really been that young, that carefree? The girl didn't pause or acknowledge Laura as she made her way to a bike parked at the side of the house. She hopped on and rode off, perhaps to her next class.
"It looks the same," Madison said, coming up beside Laura.
Dressed in a black miniskirt, black knee-high boots, and a silk sweater, Madison looked sophisticated and successful. Laura felt like a frumpy housewife in her Dockers pants and cream-colored sweater.
"Frowns will make you wrinkle," Madison told her with a smile.
Laura's frown disappeared at that familiar comment. "I think that's one of the first things you