All She Ever Wanted - Barbara Freethy [109]
"Oh, please, I was hardly a bombshell at eighteen."
"You were then and you are now. Don't even try to pretend you don't know that."
"Okay, I won't. It must have been strange to live here after Emily died and we left." Madison gave her a curious look. "Especially that first week."
"It was really difficult for a long time. Emily and Natalie's room was empty the rest of that year. The following summer they painted it. Some new transfer students moved in, girls that hadn't been here that night. They'd heard the stories, but after they put their stuff in the room, it looked different. I didn't go in there much; I couldn't. I couldn't go by the side yard or out on the roof either. Actually, they nailed the windows shut until they could put up a guardrail. By the time I was a senior, everyone was back out there again, as if it had never happened."
"Except for you."
"Except for me. No amount of time could ever make me forget that Emily fell off that roof." Madison didn't comment on that, and Laura couldn't help wondering what was going through her mind. Madison seemed so casual, unconcerned, yet she was here. She'd taken off work to come to Santa Cruz, so she must be worried about something. "I know you didn't come down here because the police called you, Madison. Or even because Natalie had a lead on Malone. What is it you're looking for? And don't give me some flippant reply. I want the truth."
Madison didn't answer for a moment, then said, "I want to know if Dylan is involved in the book."
"Dylan?" Laura echoed, sensing there was more behind her words. "You like him, don't you?"
"He intrigues me. That's all. I'm curious. Don't make more of it than that."
"I think there is more, but I'll leave it be for now."
"Thank God! Speaking of men, I have a question for you. I know Emily had a crush on someone right before she died. Did she ever tell you who it was?"
Laura was surprised by the question. "I—I don't know. Why?"
"Maybe that man is the key to all this."
Laura shook her head as she tried to remember. "We were always talking about guys. I can't remember one in particular."
"Do you think Drew might know?"
"I don't know why Emily would have confided in Drew and not us," she said slowly, not really liking the tone of Madison's question.
"They were pretty close, weren't they?"
"I guess. You're not suggesting that ..." She could tell by Madison's expression that's exactly what she was suggesting. "You think Emily was interested in Drew? Are you serious?"
"He did go to her room that night."
"Yes, but he and I were planning to be together that night. If he was interested in Emily, he wouldn't have made such a point of wanting to be with me—would he?" She hated the insecurity in her voice. Drew had married her. He'd loved her. He still loved her. "And Emily, she wouldn't have gone for Drew. She knew I was interested in him."
"Which is why I asked. Emily used the word unattainable when she told me there was someone she wanted. And I was just trying to think who was unattainable, that's all."
"Unattainable? So you think it was Drew she wanted?"
"It was just a thought."
"You're wrong. They were friends, that's it. Maybe it was one of the Somerville twins, Dylan or Josh. Emily used to say that being Cole's little sister cut her off from a lot of potential dates, because everyone thought of her as the little sister."
"It wasn't Dylan," Madison said. "He had a huge crush on her, and he said it wasn't reciprocated. Although I never considered Josh. He wasn't around that much. He just came down with Cole sometimes."
"When they came down, Josh hung out with Emily, while Natalie and Cole took off together."
"That is interesting," Madison said. "Josh ... I'll have to think about that." She glanced around. "I wonder what's taking Natalie and Cole so long. I really hate to