Chapter 4
A Dangerous Alliance
As Eleanor draws closer to the truth, a mysterious figure emerges, either offering unsolicited help or trying to obstruct her progress, forcing her to question who she can trust and whether her investigation is putting her in danger.
The bell above the library door jingled, a sound usually reserved for the flutter of a patron or the delivery of a new shipment. This time, it was a man, and not one I recognized from my daily rounds of Havenwood. He was tall, with a lean frame that suggested an active life, though his tweed jacket and spectacles gave him an academic air. His hair, a distinguished silver, was neatly combed, and his eyes, a startling shade of blue, seemed to assess the room, then me, with an unsettling intensity.
“Miss Vance, I presume?” His voice was a low timbre, smooth as polished walnut. He extended a hand, and I took it, my fingers brushing against skin that felt surprisingly warm. “Julian Thorne. I believe we have a mutual interest.”
My heart gave a little lurch. Julian Thorne. The name from the old newspaper articles, the one who tried to reopen the investigation into Sarah’s disappearance decades ago, only to be rebuffed. He was an investigative journalist, or had been. What was he doing in Havenwood, and why was he seeking me out now?
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