Silent Run - Barbara Freethy [98]
“I’m sad for Andy and worried about Jessica. And I have to admit it kind of stung to have Adele tell me not to call her again, to stay out of her life. I don’t know why it bothers me, though. It’s not the first time I’ve heard those words.” She forced a false smile. “Adele called Jessica Sarah, so I guess that’s her name now. They’re the same person.”
“Are you ready to go to LA?”
“You don’t even stop to take a breath, do you? I’m still reeling from finding out Andy is dead.”
“I know, Catherine, and I’m sorry if I’m rushing you, but we need to find Sarah before what happened to Andy happens to her.”
Chapter Twenty
Sarah awoke disoriented and alone. She sat up abruptly, then blew out a breath of relief when she saw Jake tapping the computer keys, a stream of sunlight coming through the window.
“I made coffee,” he said, without looking up from what he was doing.
“Thanks,” she mumbled. Since Jake had obviously taken a shower and changed his clothes, she decided to do the same. She stumbled out of bed, grabbed her duffel bag, and headed toward the bathroom. She had a bad case of morning breath, and she suspected her hair looked like a family of birds had made a nest in it. She couldn’t remember her dreams. Maybe Jake’s presence had chased the nightmares away.
The hot water from the shower felt good on her head and shoulders, and she stayed under the spray for long, luxurious minutes, almost dreading the moment when she would have to confront another day of uncertainty. But as Caitlyn’s sweet face appeared in her mind, Sarah knew there was a very good reason for getting on with things. She did not want to spend another night without her daughter back in her arms.
Twenty minutes later she was dressed and ready to get down to business. She moved over to the table, where Jake seemed absorbed by whatever he was reading on the screen.
“What’s up?” she asked.
“I found some information on Shane Hollis.”
“Who is he?” Sarah asked, sitting down next to Jake.
There was new energy in his voice this morning, as well as an eager light in his eyes. Whatever he’d discovered had certainly gotten him charged up.
“He’s a Harvard graduate, for one.”
“No,” she said in disbelief. “The guy in the beanie who tried to kill me several times went to Harvard?”
“On scholarship. He was part of a grade-school class sponsored by a wealthy businessman who promised to put them all through college at his alma mater.”
“Are you sure you’re talking about the right Shane Hollis?”
“Listen to this and then tell me what you think.” Jake flipped to a new screen and started to read. “ ‘A group of students thought to belong to one of Har-vard’s most secret societies, the Eye of the Tiger, were questioned today regarding the recent suicide of one of their members, Daniel Haggarty, under suspicion that there was some type of hazing involved. Shane Hollis and Timothy Fontaine, the grandson of Harold Fontaine, the state senator from Connecticut, were the first to discover their friend’s body. After lengthy questioning and a review of Daniel Haggarty’s psychological records, no charges were filed in the case.”
“Eye of the Tiger,” she repeated, the name echoing through her head.
“Exactly. That would explain the tiger tattoo you saw in your dream.”
Sarah pushed back her chair and stood up, feeling unsettled, but she didn’t know why. “What else?” she asked.
Jake flipped to another screen. “Once I found the tiger connection, I started researching the group. There were at least five to six guys involved, as far as I can tell. All, with the exception of Shane Hollis, were rich, well-connected, privileged young men who, according to other students, were arrogant, cocky, and felt they were better than everyone else. Their activities were shrouded in secrecy, most involving college-type pranks, until Haggarty’s suicide.”
“Okay, but what’s the connection between Shane Hollis and me?” Sarah asked.