Page 94 of Montana Manhunt

“So she set her sights on Bradley,” Rayne prompted. “What did Dana do?”

“Bradley was a nice guy and really smart. Dana was all about her looks. She didn’t have good study habits. When Dana decided she wanted Bradley for herself, she asked him to tutor her in science.”

Violet frowned. “Was Bradley good in science?” She could see him being top of the class in English or history.

“He was good at every subject. Honestly, I think Bradley’s father pushed him too hard to score at the top of every class. Anyway, Dana convinced Bradley to meet her at the public library for tutoring. They stayed until the library closed, then Bradley, being the gentleman he was, insisted on driving her home since it was dark outside.”

“What happened then?”

“Dana’s parents were attending a party and didn’t plan to return home until after midnight. Bradley didn’t know that. When he parked in her driveway, Dana told him she was afraid to go into the house alone. He volunteered to check the house to make sure no one had broken in.” Charity swallowed hard. “She kissed him.”

“How did he handle it?” Rayne asked.

“Pushed her away and told her he wasn’t interested in dating her. Dana was embarrassed and furious and swore she’d get revenge for what he did to her. Lauren and I told her to just cut her loss and drop it, but Dana wouldn’t listen to reason. She said she was going to make him pay.” The other woman grimaced. “Lauren and I didn’t know what she planned to do until it was too late to stop her. By then, Dana had already filed rape charges and told the police that he’d assaulted us, too.”

Violet shook her head, horrified by the story. “Why didn’t you and Lauren tell the police the truth?”

“You weren’t there,” Charity snapped. “You don’t know how much power Dana and her family wielded in Laramie. Dana toldus if we didn’t confirm the story of Bradley raping us, she’d make us pay.” She shuddered. “We believed her.”

Rayne scowled. “Are you kidding me? Melton could have been taken to trial, found guilty of rape, and sent to prison.”

“I know. What we did was horrible. I’ve felt guilty about it for years, but nothing happened to Bradley. The police chief brought Bradley in for questioning, and that was the end of it. The charges were dismissed.”

“His plans for attending law school could have been torpedoed because of those accusations.”

“We were dumb teenagers. We didn’t think about the long-term repercussions of those accusations.”

Violet rested her hand on Rayne’s forearm. “Charity, tell us what happened to Dana.”

“After we graduated from high school, Lauren and I got out of Laramie.”

Considering what they’d tried to do with Bradley, Violet didn’t blame them for bolting as soon as they had their degree. “What about Dana?”

“She stayed in Laramie for a while where she was a big fish in a small pond. Her daddy made sure nothing hindered her rise to the top.”

“What about Bradley?”

“He left right after graduation, too. In his case, his parents helped him find an apartment for him to go to college.”

“Three months early?”

Charity snorted. “Do you blame Bradley for getting out of town? Dana would have done anything she could to continue making his life miserable.”

“Where did Dana go after she left Laramie?”

“Morrison.” Charity frowned. “Never figured out why she moved to that town. I don’t remember her having a connection to Morrison.”

That was interesting. “Did she hold grudges for a long time?”

“She never forgot if you wronged her, and she was very creative in making you pay. That’s why Lauren and I were too afraid to stand up to her and tell the truth to the police.”

“You’re lucky,” Rayne said.

“Believe me, I know. I’m grateful Bradley doesn’t hold grudges. I’d hate to go up against a lawyer in court.” Charity looked at Violet. “You said your sister was dating Bradley and was murdered. How did she die?”

“She was stabbed to death.”

Blood drained from Charity’s face. “That’s how Dana died. That has to be a coincidence, right?”

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