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Chapter Two "All right, ladies." Ben smiled at the two tellers. "Which one of you has the combination?" Libby shifted uncomfortably. How did he do that? Smile so innocently, so nonthreateningly, when he was holding a pistol in his hand? There was a name for that, wasn't there? For killers who could charm others into doing what they wanted them to do. Sociopath? Psychopath? Evil? The young-looking teller—Amy, Libby gathered from her nametag—fluttered her hands as she looked anxiously from Ben to the other teller, Audra, then to Pete and Libby. The poor kid wanted so badly to shout Audra does! but couldn't be quite that cowardly. Calmly, her voice steady, Audra spoke. "I do." "Then come over here and open these bars for us. My boys would like to get started. They've got plans for tonight." "To drop dead, I hope." Audra's words were no more than a mutter, but they made Libby smile. That's what she hoped, too. Audra opened the barred door without a hitch then returned to the counter, sliding one arm around Amy's waist. The girl leaned heavily against her. "Why are you here?" Pete hissed at Libby. Libby turned her head just enough to catch a blurred glimpse of him. "I had business in Charleston. I thought it would be nice to take a leisurely drive home, so I cancelled my flight and rented a car instead." "But why are you here?" Here in the town where she'd lived two-thirds of her life. Back when she was a kid and believed anything was possible, she'd thought she would be married here, raise her kids here. Be perfectly happy for all her days and die in this little town. God, she'd been naive. Though it seemed chances were good she actually might die here. "Just a drive through Copper Lake for old time's sake," she said. "I stopped to get some cash, but the ATM was broken so I came inside." "You weren't going to call any of your friends?" By friends, she figured he meant himself. He must know she'd cut off contact with everyone else in Copper Lake at the same time she'd stopped talking to him. She'd isolated herself out of shame and fear and what little bit of pride she'd held on to, but it had been hard. Everything about her life then had been so damn hard. Especially losing Pete. The only man she'd ever loved.



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