Hidden in the Wall
A young woman's skeleton was found buried on the campus grounds. Contractor Trevor Whittaker couldn't get the cold-case murder out of his mind. Who was the woman? Why was she killed? And did his lovely boss's father, a wealthy, secretive benefactor of the college, have anything to do with it?Family and friends warned Alumni Director Stephanie Kessler to stay away from her new employee. They said Trevor was still the same bad boy he'd been ten years ago, but Stephanie wasn't the same mousy girl. So, this time, they both had something to prove.
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Hidden In The Wall
Valerie Hansen
This book has to be dedicated to the five other
marvelous authors who participated in this series: Shirlee McCoy, Margaret Daley, Carol Steward, Lenora Worth and Marta Perry!
Special thanks and acknowledgment are given to
Valerie Hansen for her contribution to the REUNION REVELATIONS miniseries.
CONTENTS
PROLOGUE
CHAPTER ONE
CHAPTER TWO
CHAPTER THREE
CHAPTER FOUR
CHAPTER FIVE
CHAPTER SIX
CHAPTER SEVEN
CHAPTER EIGHT
CHAPTER NINE
CHAPTER TEN
CHAPTER ELEVEN
CHAPTER TWELVE
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
PROLOGUE
A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for adversity.
âProverbs 17:17
Trevor Whittaker swung the boom of the backhoe and took more and more bites of earth. If he hadnât been paying such close attention, he might have missed feeling a momentary stutter of the equipment. Concerned, he peered at the partially dug trench then climbed down to take a closer look.
Steff had left a spade leaning against the building, so he grabbed it instead of returning to his truck for his own tools. The blade had connected with something hard. It looked likeâ¦
Trevorâs breath caught. He dropped the shovel and fell to his knees, frantically clawing at the earth. With trembling fingers he brushed aside enough dirt to be certain his imagination wasnât playing tricks on him.
He reeled back on his haunches, appalled. These werenât water or electric lines he had unearthed, they were bones. Human bones!
Suddenly a shadow fell across the trench. Trevor leaped to his feet, blocked Steffâs view with his body and grasped her arms to control her. âDonât look.â
She tried to twist free. âWhy not? Let me go.â
âNo. Thereâsâ¦â He thought about trying to distract her instead of revealing his gruesome find, then realized sheâd never accept anything but the truth. âThereâs a skeleton in the trench,â he said hoarsely. âItâs a grave.â
ONE
Two months prior
Slightly lifting the skirt of her pale blue satin gown so the hem wouldnât brush against the asphalt, Stephanie Kessler picked up her evening bag, left her car in the parking lot of the Mossy Oak Inn and started toward the innâs ballroom. This was not just another of the many gatherings she organized for Magnolia College as the Alumni Relations Director. It was also the ten-year reunion of her own graduating class and she wanted everything to be perfect.
Steff paused long enough to check her slim, jeweled watch. Sheâd been so eager to renew acquaintances sheâd arrived far too early. Rather than waste time pacing inside the inn or rearranging the lovely table decorations for the umpteenth time, she decided to stroll across to her office on the opposite side of the campus.
Not only was the balmy June evening ideal for a leisurely walk, she reasoned, the exercise would help her unwind. And checking her e-mail would show her whether sheâd had any last-minute answers to her recent pleas for alumni financial support. In spite of recent fund-raisers, she was still coming up short on donations for the planned library expansion. That was worrisome.
A welcome breeze lifted Steffâs short blond hair away from her cheeks. When she faced into the wind to take advantage of its refreshing coolness, her gaze rested on the imposing stone edifices of the college that had become the central focus of her life.
Campus was nearly deserted this time of year, which was why she was surprised to notice a tuxedo-clad figure whom she didnât recognize hurrying around the far end of the liberal arts building.
Assuming from his attire that he must be planning to attend the gala at the inn, she noted he was headed in the wrong direction.
Since she had plenty of time to spare, Steff decided to do her good deed for the day, follow him, and help him find his way to the reunion.
The height of her heels and the unevenness of the old brick walkway slowed her progress. By the time she got to the next corner her quarry was already disappearing past the science building.
The newer walkway in that area was a flat cement surface and she was able to travel faster. She proceeded as far as the quad and paused, puzzled. Shading her eyes against the setting sun, she squinted as she studied her immediate surroundings. The man couldnât have vanished into thin air. So where had he gone? Could he have ducked into one of the buildings theyâd passed? Since no classes were in session this time of year, that didnât make sense. Besides, why on earth would he want to hide?
Feeling foolish for having followed a stranger halfway across campus, she decided to give up and resume her trip to her office. That was when she spotted him. Heâd been temporarily out of sight because heâd been bending over next to the east wall of the library and the foundation plantings had masked his position.
The man was pacing now, as if measuring the distance from the library wall to the sidewalk. What in the world could he be up to? Stephanie asked herself. More importantly, who was he?
