CHAPTER ONE HUNDRED AND EIGHTY FOUR - A Revelation of Danger

"Unless she saw something," Ella said, voicing the thought that had been nagging at her all day. "Something that someone doesn't want her to talk about." The possibility hung in the air between them, adding to the growing sense of unease that had been building since Thornton's death. As the days passed with no sign of Rebecca, the atmosphere in Willow Creek grew increasingly tense. Rumors flew thick and fast, each one more outlandish than the last. Some people speculated that Rebecca had been involved in Thornton's death and had fled to avoid prosecution. Others whispered that she had been silenced by whoever was really responsible. For Ella and Lucas, the uncertainty was almost unbearable. They found themselves second-guessing everyone around them, wondering who they could really trust. "I hate feeling this way," Ella confided in Lucas one night as they lay in bed, both too wound up to sleep. "I keep looking at people I've known for years, people I thought were friends, and wonder