Matt gently cleared his throat, again reminding them that he was bearing witness. Lingering for another beat, Julian straightened up and Clydie turned back around in her chair, realizing she was still holding the picture of Tessa Wright and promptly placing it back onto the table.

Looking rather a bit annoyed, Matt reached for the bulletin, picking it up and studying it for a second. "I don't recognize this girl. She's not from town, is she?" he asked.

"No. She's from Bishop's Bay," Julian answered. "According to my brother, she was attending the community college there, studying criminal justice. She was last seen leaving a party at a friend's house one night, walking toward her car that was parked down the block. The next morning, her car was still there, but she was gone."

Looking down at the photograph, Matt's face visibly paled, which sent a measure of nervousness snaking up Clydie's spine. "Matt? What is it?"

Matt lifted his gaze, but looked to Julian. "She went to the community college in Bishop's Bay? Piedmont Community College?"

"Yes," Julian replied, narrowing his gaze.

"Shep goes to Piedmont Community College. He takes classes there three days a week. He's studying criminal justice."

Clydie felt a chill course through her. Shep...again.

"Are you sure?" asked Julian, sounding half dubious.

"I'm sure. I mean, ask anybody. His dad made him get off his butt and go to school because he didn't seem interested in getting a job."

Clydie swallowed hard, feeling her pulse speeding up. "That could be...I mean, it could be a coincidence, right?"

Matt lifted his shoulders, giving his head an uncertain shake.

"It very well could be a coincidence. I mean, we're only working off of vague assumptions at this point," Julian pointed out plainly.  "We need facts.  And unfortunately, there's no way to get those facts."

Matt offered up another shrug. "Well, there's one way. One of those girls might be able to tell Clydie what happened."

That would be convenient, wouldn't it. But, clearly, it was not going to be that easy and, in fact, could turn out to be completely impossible.

Julian turned his attention back to Clydie, his features a bit torn. "I honestly have no idea where to go from here. This is a bit outside my area of expertise."

She had no answers, either. It was all she could do just to process the fact that she was being haunted and tormented by two girls who had been actual people. Jessica Hyatt and Tessa Wright... Two girls who'd been walking the earth, living their lives...and now they were both dead and gone. 

 Well, at least they were dead. The gone part...that point was rather open ended.

From out of nowhere, it hit her like a ton of bricks...that she was really and truly...seeing the leftovers of people. The leftovers of two young girls who were no longer with their families, but were instead, trapped in whatever hell that her own sister had been cast down into.

"Clydie?" Julian's voice pulled her out of her thoughts, allowing her to catch the dark expression on his face. "I have to tell you, I'm worried about what all this is doin' to you. Whatever is happening, you're getting hurt. You're waking up outside, nearly frozen to death, pill bottles are showing up in your room. You feel safer here at my house than in yer own home. Its...its not a good situation."

"I'll be okay," she shrugged, suddenly feeling embarrassed. "I've been dealing with this for a long time and I've...I've managed to get this far."

That statement did not serve to soothe Julian. "But, I haven't been dealing with this for a long time and I am scared as hell for you."

"Don't be. I can handle this," she told him because, honestly, what other choice was there?

"And if you can't?" Julian wondered. "If its too much, will yer parents lock you away in a hospital someplace?"

"I don't know. Maybe," she replied truthfully.

That answer had Julain's eyes going stone cold. "I can't let that happen to you, Clydie. Not if I can help it."

"You can't help it. My parents can put me on an involuntary psych hold any time they think its necessary. And my doctors will back them up."

That revelation had stark anger rolling across Julian's face, but it was Matt who spoke. "Nope. Its not gonna happen, Clydie. Its not. You have friends with you now. Friends who'll take care of you."

She really and truly appreciated the sentiment, as well as the loyalty. But, neither Julian nor Matt, nor both of them together, could stop her parents if they chose to check her into the nearest padded room for a while.

"We should get back. You're dad's probably wondering where you've been," she said, pushing her chair back and getting to her feet.

Julian rose with her, reaching for her hand as she headed for the patio door. "I'll see you later," he said in a gruff sort of voice.

She gave him a nod. "Thanks for lunch."

She stepped out onto the patio, Matt following along right behind, and with a dark and dire looked etched onto his face, Julian closed the sliding door and disappeared into the house, leaving her with a very uneasy feeling in the pit of her stomach.

*  *  *  *  *  *

Ella and Frank were only too happy to drive her to the town square that evening and drop her in front of the Two Points Pub and truly, she was happy to be out of the house. That afternoon had been fairly uneventful, but terribly long, and the break from scrubbing and cleaning—and searching for the still elusive medicine bag—was a welcome reprieve. And since it was Friday, she knew that her parents were due for their date night, which they made a point of never missing when Frank was in town, and she really didn't relish the thought of staying in that big old house all alone for hours on end.

She exited the SUV with her blankets and her messenger bag, filled with all the essentials, in tow and waved goodbye to her parents, watching them drive away into the downtown traffic before turning and entering the Two Points.

It was overly warm in the place and the voices and racket from the pool tables was a bit of a shock, but she forced herself to move forward, past the roaring fireplaces and all the crowded tables, forbidding herself a single worried or anxious feeling. She could handle whatever happened, so even if Sam and her friends decided to show their faces...she would deal with it. She would learn how to deal with it.

Matt was behind the bar mixing up a drink, and he waved to her, motioning her over to the right of the space, where she spotted an empty table for two by the wall. She quickly got herself over to it and took a seat, laying her arm full of blankets on the tabletop and trying to meld into the shadows. She really didn't get the bar scene. All the people stuffed into a small space, talking and laughing too loudly, most of them acting in ways they would act if they were totally sober...hopefully. It all just left her feeling out of place and out of her element.

She sat with her back pressed against the wall, willing Matt to hurry up and finish his shift and trying not to notice the stares she was getting. It was probably glaringly obvious that she did not belong there and her discomfiture was catching the attention of all the people in her vicinity.

After a few minutes of awkwardly sitting and pretending that she didn't stick out like a sore thumb, she noticed a few familiar faces rounding the fireplace, coming from the pool table side of the bar, and somehow one of those faces almost instantly spotted her.

Damn.

The young man broke into a grin and lifted his glass by way of greeting and then strode in her direction, his friends following right behind. For a second, she thought about getting up and walking right out the door, but felt that it might be too conspicuous.

"'Sup, Georgia!" Shep greeted as he and friends all gathered around her table. "What are you doing in a place like this?"

"I'm waiting for Matt," she answered, trying to keep her tone congenial while also trying not to shrink away from him.

"Oh? You're hanging out with him again? Why?" Shep wondered, seemingly genuinely confused. "There are a lot better choices here."

She chose not to respond to that particular statement. "Matt should be off work at any minute, but it was nice seeing you again," she said, hoping he'd take the hint and go away.

Putting aside the fact that he roofied girls and could possibly have done away with a couple...the guy was just...a jerk. It simply oozed from him like an oil slick. And it made her want to gag. Or slap him. Adding back in the fact that he could be a sick, twisted murderer and, in the very least, probably a rapist, she was absolutely repulsed and wanting nothing more than to have him as far away from her as he could get.

"What's Matt got you doing tonight?" Jax questioned, dropping down into the second chair at the table and thusly dashing her hopes of being left alone.

"We're going to a movie in the park," she said, turning her attention to Jax, who was also a jerk, but the lesser of the two evils at that point.

"Hey, that's where we're headed," the boy grinned.

"That's where everyone's headed because its the only place to go," Shep pointed out.

Jax shot Shep a rude hand gesture. "You and Matt can hang out with us tonight. Just so you won't be bored stiff."

"That's up to Matt," she replied, feeling the creep of Shep's gaze on her and trying very hard to act as if she didn't notice.

Shep Benton was barking up the wrong tree if he was planning ways to pull something on her. Thanks to Katie Hyatt, she was forewarned and thusly forearmed, so she would not be the next victim added to his list.

"Eh, Matt won't mind. We're all friends here," Shep said, giving her a wink.

Wrong. They were not all friends. "Again, you can take that up with Matt."

"Georgia seems a little chilly, Shep. I don't think your charm is working on her," Jason said, jabbing Shep with an elbow.

She doubted Shep's "charm" worked on any girl, which explained the reported roofie situation.

"She'll warm up," Shep replied easily.

No. No, she would absolutely not warm up. The guy was a creep and a jerk, a rapist and probable murderer, ergo, there would be no warmth coming from her.

"Come on, Georgia. Life can't be all that bad for you," Shep cajoled. "Its okay to smile a little."

She continued to silently regard him, feeling the want to vomit more than smile.

"Whew! If looks could kill!" Craig put in, wincing before taking a drink.

And speaking of killing...

Shep suddenly held his hand out to Clydie, giving her a lopsided smile that she truly doubted worked on any girl. Ever. And again, she found herself wanting to get up and walk away...but something suddenly stopped her. The spark of a thought, flaring to life in the back of her mind...

"Come on, Georgia, let's be friends. I'm really not that bad. I'm actually kind of cool, once you get to know me," coaxed Shep.

This man... No. This man-child was assaulting girl and perhaps worse. And he had no idea that she had any clue as to his misdeeds. So, wouldn't that make it fairly easy to ask a question or two? Perhaps get him to reveal some small hint of guilt. And if he did that, she could go to Julian and they could try and figure out how to nail his...not so sizable pecker...to the wall.

Swallowing the urge to vomit, she tried to force herself to relax a fraction, before she wound up turning Shep off. Hesitantly, and with slightly gritted jaw teeth, she reached out and placed her hand in his, yet keeping her expression somewhat aloof.

Playing hard to get might yield her up better results than just giving in and soothing his ego. Who knew what he might say to impress her and win her favor?

"Let's go get us a drink, Georgia," Shep said, upending his glass and thunking it down onto the table before pulling her up out of her chair and shooting his friends a rather snide look. "I'm buying."

Shep led her toward the bar and as they approached, Matt looked at them, his brows lifting high. "Hey, Matt. Give me a Jack and coke and a soda for the lady."

Matt's gaze narrowed as he regarded Clydie, but she simply lifted her shoulder and gave him a wincing sort of smile. "Don't you have some place to be, Shep?" he asked, getting to making their drinks.

"Actually, we're headed to the same place tonight, so I thought we could walk over together," Shep answered, causing Matt's eyes to darken.

"You know Clydie is going with me, right?" Matt pointed out, placing two filled glasses on the bar and making sure to sit Clydie's directly in front of her.

"She told me that. A couple of times," Shep smiled, pulling some bills from his back pocket and tossing them onto the bar before picking up his glass and once again reaching for Clydie's hand.

She took up her own glass and tentatively placed her hand in his, allowing him to lead her back toward the table. As Shep cast Matt a look over his shoulder, she felt it was rather good luck that Shep was showboating. A little competition could only work to her advantage. She only had to figure out how to broach the rather delicate subject that she wanted to discuss with him, which might not be so easy.

Simply saying, Hey, Shep. So, I hear you might have drugged and murdered a couple of girls lately. Wanna tell me about that, likely wouldn't work.

She would need to be sly about it and figure out a way to naturally steer the conversation toward Jessica Hyatt because talking about Tessa Wright might be a bit out of the realm of everyday conversation.

Back at the table, she took her seat and Shep stood beside her, looking slightly puffed up and...protective, as if he was doing her favor by keeping all the other guys away. It was annoying, and pompous, and a jerk sort of move, but again, it was behavior that just might work to her advantage.

She thought about taking a sip of her soda, but her stomach gave a sudden lurch. Even though Matt had made it and handed it directly to her, she just couldn't bring herself to do it. So, she sat it on the table, pushing it away from herself.

"The movie starts at eight thirty. We're going to be late if we keep standing around here," Craig spoke, sounding antsy.

Shep made a noise in his throat. "Dude, its an old movie that you've seen fifty times. What do you think you're missing?"

Craig looked mildly offended. "I want to get a seat close to Whitney," he snipped.

"Pfft," Shep responded. "Are you still trying to get with her? Its been weeks. Its probably time to pack it in, bro."

"The hell!" Craig shot back. "I'm getting her to go out with me!"

"I'll lay down fifty that I can get her out on a date before you can," Jax spoke up and there was something of a dare in his tone.

Craig shot the young man a scathing glare. "She's mine, Jax! I've been working on her for a month!"

"Maybe that's the problem," Jax posed, shaking his head. "You have to get in and get 'em hooked as fast as possible. If it takes more than a couple of days, she's not gonna bite and you need to move on."

"If it takes more than a couple of days, she probably has her legs locked at the knee," Jason put in.

That statement brought Clydie up out of her chair and had her reaching for her blankets. But, Shep beat her to it, snatching them up and shooting his friends a hard look. "You guys are troglodytes."

That said, he took a swig of his drink and sat it down before reaching for Clydie's hand. As he began to move her away from the table...and toward the door of the pub...she had to fight not to balk. She did not want to leave the building with him while she was on her own, but they seemed to have a moment going and she didn't want to ruin it.

"Shep! What the hell are you doing!" Matt's voice blasted just as Shep pushed the door open, revealing the night outside.

"I'm taking Georgia out for a breath of air," Shep answered as Matt swooped in, grabbing Clydie's arm and pulling her away.

"Her name is Clydie," Matt gritted out, jerking the blankets from Shep and then shoving past him and ushering Clydie out onto the sidewalk.

"Keep it calm, Matt," Shep soothed, following them out into the chill air. "We're all friends here, right?"

Matt's response was to growl somewhere in the back of his throat. "My truck's in the back. I'll grab our chairs and we can get going," he said, handing the blankets off to her and heading them down the sidewalk, away from Shep.

Shep didn't follow them, but judging by the look on his face, she knew he wasn't about to let Matt simply walk off into the sunset with her, so to speak.

Matt remained silent until they rounded the corner of the building and then he turned wide, disbelieving eyes to her. "Clydie! What in hell are you doing! You were going off with Shep! Shep!"

"I wasn't going off with him," she stated, glancing around to just to make sure they were still alone.

"Well, that's what it looked like to me! That bastard might have killed two girls! You can't be alone with him!" Matt hissed, as if she'd forgotten.

"Don't you think I know that!" she hissed right back. "But, if he thinks he has a shot with me, I might be able to get some information from him!"

Matt's already wide eyes went even wider and his jaw dropped open. "Clydie, are you nuts! Do you really think Shep is going to confess to murdering two girls?"

"I think it can't hurt to see what I can get out of him. I mean...its at least worth a try," she shrugged.

Matt stared at her for a minute, but then his face fell slack and all the fight drained out of him. "You're probably right. It might be worth a try. But, that does not mean its a good idea."

He was right. It likely was not a good idea. But, if the opportunity was right there in front of her, she had to take it. "I might be able to get him talking, Matt. I'm not looking for him to confess, but he might say something that gives him away. And that's all we need, right? Just...some small thing that we can use that might help us sort some of this out?"

They turned into an alleyway that opened up into a small parking lot and Matt pointed them toward his truck. "Clydie, this is some serious shit. I mean, the guy might have killed two girls—"

"I know, Matt!" she cut in, sounding a bit harsher than she'd meant to. "I can't forget about those two girls because they're coming to me, remember? Those two girls are...haunting me. And I want it to stop."

They reached the truck and Matt pulled two folding chairs from the bed and then started them back along the path they'd just taken, keeping his mouth firmly closed. In fact, he didn't speak until they were moving past the Two Points Pub.

"Clydie, I don't know what to do here," he admitted, his voice coarse and his eyes pained. "I want to help you. And those girls. But, this...this is..."

"Not really what you thought it would be?" she offered, feeling that things had somehow come full about.

"I guess?" Matt hedged, giving her a rueful smile. "Shep is a real person. And he's my friend. I grew up with that jackass. And maybe...maybe it'd be easier not knowing?"

Maybe it would be easier for Matt. But, she didn't want to spend the rest of her life plagued by the hollow eyed leftovers of several dead girls who clawed at her while she was awake and troubled her dreams while she was asleep.  And if Shep Benton was, in any way, responsible for that...and if holding him responsible for that...would make it all stop, then she would do whatever she had to do to figure out the truth.