Chasing Shadows Read Online Free

Sarah had never fallen into the “normal” category.
    Karen, seeming to sense that she needed time to process everything, remained silent while Sarah weighed the pros and cons in her head. What better way to forget about real life than to immerse herself in a life of the past?
    “Fine,” she said at last.
    Karen started. “Fine?”
    “Fine, I’ll go back with you.”
    Karen visibly brightened. “Really?”
    “Yes, but I can’t give you any guarantees. If things are really bad or we get into trouble, I think we should just abandon ship, regardless of whether or not the real killer is put away. That’s my one condition, but it’s a deal breaker.”
    Karen hesitated briefly, and then nodded her head in acquiescence. “Okay. I can live with that. Then we will have tried our best.”
    Sarah nodded. “I guess we should go, then, huh?”
    Karen watched her intently for a moment, looking like she was trying to read the feelings she was hiding. “You don’t have to do this, you know. You have a choice.”
    Sarah nodded her head, suddenly reminded of a conversation she’d had with Will about choices. She wasn’t sure if she was making the right one, though she tried not to dwell on that for too long as she fastened the sleek watch around her wrist.
    “No, I’ve made my decision. Now let’s go before I change my mind and start to question my sanity.”
    Karen actually smiled slightly as they left the swings and stepped onto the patio. “What are you going to tell your mom?” she whispered.
    Sarah shrugged, sounding more certain of herself than she felt. “I’ll just tell her that I’m staying over at your house, which technically I will be.” She took a deep breath and pulled the door open, making her way into the kitchen and sending up a silent prayer that all would go as planned.
    Her mom was just shutting the oven door when they entered the kitchen. Sarah took an appreciative sniff of the sweet aroma that permeated the room before clearing her throat to get her mom’s attention. She glanced over her shoulder at them and smiled.
    “Hey, girls. If you don’t mind waiting, I’ll have some treats coming out of the oven for you to taste in a little bit.”
    “Um, no, that’s okay,” Sarah began. “I mean, they smell great, but I was wondering if I could spend the night at Karen’s house? You know, one last hoorah before school starts.”
    “Oh.” Sarah tried to not feel guilty over the dismal look that crossed her mom’s features. She knew her mom wanted to spend every last second Sarah had left at home together, especially since it was just the two of them tonight.
    “I mean, we could camp out in my room.” Sarah spoke with calculated slowness.
    Her mom made an obvious effort to paste on a brave smile. “Honey, it would be a crime to sleep in a room that the W.H.O. wouldn’t go into, even if they could find some new species of bacteria to study.”
    Sarah rolled her eyes, but was unable to contain her grin. “Ha-ha. Very funny.”
    Her mom’s smile was more genuine now, though a hint of nostalgia still hung in her blue eyes. “Of course you can go. Have fun.”
    “Thanks.” Sarah hugged her mom for longer than a typical goodbye required. She pulled away reluctantly and saw the tears that pooled in her mom’s eyes, though she quickly blinked them away.
    “It was nice meeting you, Mrs. Matthews,” Karen said, speaking for the first time since they had reentered the house.
    Sarah’s mom smiled. “You are welcome here anytime, sweetie. Give me a call if you girls need anything.”
    “We will, Mom.” Sarah sent a small wave over her shoulder as they walked to the front door. She hoped her mom wouldn’t notice that she didn’t bring an overnight bag.
    The two girls stood just outside the front door. “So, what exactly are we supposed to do now?” Sarah asked, shoving her hands into the pockets of her shorts and rocking back on her heels. She let her gaze wander the yard and