Mirror in the Forest: Book One Read Online Free
Author: B. Groves
made her jump, and then turn around really fast to face him.
Her eyes widened with a mixture of surprise, and fear. She looked awful guilty of something, and Mark was going to find out what it was.
She just stood there and peered at him, and he could tell she was wondering what she should do next.
He pulled up beside her, and noticed she was having a hard time catching her breath still. Almost as if she had been running from something. Sweat covered her brow and her thick hair was coming out of what was once a ponytail.
“Everything alright?” He asked, watching her carefully.
The girl nodded a little too fast for Mark’s taste.
Finally, the girl spoke and said, “Yeah, I was just walking around the lake and thought I spotted a bear.”
What was this girl doing walking around the lake this late in the day?
“Are you sure? I just had a report of possible smoke in the area. Do you know anything about that?” He asked.
The girl blinked a few times, and Mark knew she was debating on what to tell him. Yep, he thought, teenagers.
“No….no..I don’t know anything about a fire,” she finally answered stammering a little.
She’s lying about what she saw out there, he thought.
“Really? Because it was reported in the area where you came from,” he said, prodding her a little.
The girl shook her head, and he could tell she was still thinking about what to do and what to say.
“You didn’t see anyone or anything on your little walk?” He asked with sarcasm, obviously not trusting her answers.
“No, nothing,” she answered with doubt in her voice.
The girl looked up as she noticed something down the street, and Mark looked in his rearview mirror. One of the volunteer fire trucks was approaching them.
The truck stopped, and one of the firefighters leaned out of the window acknowledging Mark, but glowering at the girl.
“What’s up Sheriff?” He asked.
“Nothing much. Anything on that smoke?”
“I was coming to find you and tell you that nothing has been spotted, but we’ll keep an eye out the rest of the night,” he answered, but kept a suspicious eye on the girl standing with Mark.
“Alright, I will patrol around here for a while,” Mark answered.
“Sure thing,” the firefighter answered, putting the fire truck in gear, and then driving away.
“See? I told you I didn’t see anything. May I go now?” She pleaded.
It was obvious she was grateful the fireman showed up. She obviously didn’t want to say anything more to him.
Mark sat back in his seat, and thought for a moment. He didn’t see anyone else, and this girl didn’t seem to be in any danger, so he knew he had to let it go. She seemed innocent enough. She didn’t look like the type to start fires.
“What’s your name?” He asked, giving her a slight smile to relax her a little.
“Jessica Winters,” she answered.
She still looked disturbed, her brown eyes kept darting back and forth between the street and the forest, but Mark figured she wasn’t going to tattle on her friends, if that what this was all about. Unless something happened, he couldn’t do much.
“Where do you live Miss Winters?” He asked after a moment.
Mark had a sudden thought that if this girl were dressed up she would be stunning. She had a slightly curvy figure, but he never had a problem with that.
Pushing that ridiculous thought out of his head, Mark asked again after she didn’t answer right away. “Where do you live Jessica?”
“Over on Briarwood,” she finally answered, knowing she wasn’t going to get away that easy from him.
“Why don’t you get in, and I’ll give you a ride home,” he said.
Jessica thought for a moment, and then nodded.
She started to go for the passenger seat, but protocol dictated she had to get into the back seat. She did not put an argument about
Her eyes widened with a mixture of surprise, and fear. She looked awful guilty of something, and Mark was going to find out what it was.
She just stood there and peered at him, and he could tell she was wondering what she should do next.
He pulled up beside her, and noticed she was having a hard time catching her breath still. Almost as if she had been running from something. Sweat covered her brow and her thick hair was coming out of what was once a ponytail.
“Everything alright?” He asked, watching her carefully.
The girl nodded a little too fast for Mark’s taste.
Finally, the girl spoke and said, “Yeah, I was just walking around the lake and thought I spotted a bear.”
What was this girl doing walking around the lake this late in the day?
“Are you sure? I just had a report of possible smoke in the area. Do you know anything about that?” He asked.
The girl blinked a few times, and Mark knew she was debating on what to tell him. Yep, he thought, teenagers.
“No….no..I don’t know anything about a fire,” she finally answered stammering a little.
She’s lying about what she saw out there, he thought.
“Really? Because it was reported in the area where you came from,” he said, prodding her a little.
The girl shook her head, and he could tell she was still thinking about what to do and what to say.
“You didn’t see anyone or anything on your little walk?” He asked with sarcasm, obviously not trusting her answers.
“No, nothing,” she answered with doubt in her voice.
The girl looked up as she noticed something down the street, and Mark looked in his rearview mirror. One of the volunteer fire trucks was approaching them.
The truck stopped, and one of the firefighters leaned out of the window acknowledging Mark, but glowering at the girl.
“What’s up Sheriff?” He asked.
“Nothing much. Anything on that smoke?”
“I was coming to find you and tell you that nothing has been spotted, but we’ll keep an eye out the rest of the night,” he answered, but kept a suspicious eye on the girl standing with Mark.
“Alright, I will patrol around here for a while,” Mark answered.
“Sure thing,” the firefighter answered, putting the fire truck in gear, and then driving away.
“See? I told you I didn’t see anything. May I go now?” She pleaded.
It was obvious she was grateful the fireman showed up. She obviously didn’t want to say anything more to him.
Mark sat back in his seat, and thought for a moment. He didn’t see anyone else, and this girl didn’t seem to be in any danger, so he knew he had to let it go. She seemed innocent enough. She didn’t look like the type to start fires.
“What’s your name?” He asked, giving her a slight smile to relax her a little.
“Jessica Winters,” she answered.
She still looked disturbed, her brown eyes kept darting back and forth between the street and the forest, but Mark figured she wasn’t going to tattle on her friends, if that what this was all about. Unless something happened, he couldn’t do much.
“Where do you live Miss Winters?” He asked after a moment.
Mark had a sudden thought that if this girl were dressed up she would be stunning. She had a slightly curvy figure, but he never had a problem with that.
Pushing that ridiculous thought out of his head, Mark asked again after she didn’t answer right away. “Where do you live Jessica?”
“Over on Briarwood,” she finally answered, knowing she wasn’t going to get away that easy from him.
“Why don’t you get in, and I’ll give you a ride home,” he said.
Jessica thought for a moment, and then nodded.
She started to go for the passenger seat, but protocol dictated she had to get into the back seat. She did not put an argument about
Readers choose
N.J. Walters
Francine Pascal
James Howe
Stephanie Rowe
Ranae Glass
Betsy Cornwell
Cecilia Grant
Cassandra Black
Dee Garretson
Alan Leverone