Sound of Darkness

But there had been no letter and no sexual assault...

Dierdre started to tremble. She sat up, her eyes opening.

“And they knew, of course, my folks knew right away, thank God! I called home when I was leaving the restaurant. If I hadn’t—if they’d still thought I was with Gary—you wouldn’t have found me!”

“You called home from your table?”

“From the table, as we were walking out.”

She could have been overheard, Colleen thought.

“Colleen, I...” Dierdre began. She was still trembling.

“It’s okay. We can be done for today,” Colleen assured her.

“Well, I wish I could remember more. More details. That one thing is just going to drive me completely crazy.”

“The scent you can’t place?”

Dierdre nodded. “It’s like something I should know.”

“A cologne or aftershave?”

Dierdre shook her head.

“Nothing so...obvious. I don’t think.”

“Don’t worry about it and don’t even talk about it. Not to Gary, not to your folks, not to anyone. And then it might come to you,” Colleen said.

Please don’t say anything to Gary—not when we still suspect he might have been your would-be murderer!

She didn’t dare say that; Dierdre would be indignant.

Gary was such a good guy.

He loved her. He would never hurt her.

And he was going to be in a giant business deal with her father.

“Just call me, please. If anything comes to you. Anything at all.”

“I will.” Dierdre let out a sigh. “Even though I want to forget it all, so badly.”

“Of course. And hopefully, we’ll have the truth soon enough, and you can start to put it all behind you and concentrate on the future.”

“The future,” she said. “What a strange day. I do want to get to the future.” She gave Colleen a weak smile. “Seriously, you don’t suspect Vince, do you?”

“No, I don’t.”

“He’s a great guy,” she said softly.

“He seems to be.”

“Well!” Dierdre gave herself a shake. “I’d better get going. Gary has been waiting and my parents will be waiting. I wish I could help more!”

“You have helped us every time we’ve talked, Dierdre, honestly,” Colleen assured her, rising. She smiled. “I’m sure Red will be happy if you say goodbye on your way out!”

Colleen opened the door to Angela’s office.

Angela almost magically appeared in the hallway and smiled.

“Dierdre, Gary is waiting out front. Come on, I’ll show you the way.”

Colleen gave her a goodbye smile and sank back into the chair.

She felt that she had learned something.

She just wished she knew what.

Pressing someone for a memory could more deeply bury whatever they were seeking even deeper.

She hoped Dierdre would remember what it was about a smell that seemed to tease at the back of her mind.

It could be crucial.

Mark came around the corner with Red as she stood, reflective.

“Well?” he asked.

“I went through the senses. She remembers a smell but can’t put her finger on what it was or where it came from.”

“You warned her not to tell anyone?”