Missing (The Cass Lehman Series Book 3) by Melanie Casey

my toes hanging off the short edge. I looked down; I was wearing worn boots and ancient jeans with frayed cuffs.
    The cold sent shivers over my skin, making it pucker into goosebumps. Hunger gnawed at my stomach and it growled noisily. I reached out and grabbed for a rope hanging down from the tree above. With hands that were calloused and filthy I slipped the loop at the end over my neck. Looking up, I could see the faint glimmer of stars in between the tree branches. Relief and calm settled over me and a single thought filled my mind: ‘It’s finally over.’

    I closed my eyes and pushed off. The jolt sent pain searing through my neck. My eyes snapped open. I tried to breathe but couldn’t. Instinct made me struggle and fight as panic took over. My will to live was a fierce, all-consuming fire and I grabbed at the rope, tearing my nails. My feet lashed out, looking for purchase on the edge of the bench, but I was swinging too wildly. I touched it with a toe but the worn sole of my shoe slipped against the gloss of painted timber. My line of sight narrowed and shrank to a pinpoint as the pain was swallowed by numbness. Calm settled over me, blanketing me with warmth, and the world receded.
    ‘Lady? Hey? Can you hear me? Are you all right?’
    ‘Of course she’s not all right, shit for brains. Didn’t you see how she was thrashing around? I reckon she’s had a fit or something.’
    ‘We should call an ambulance.’
    ‘There’s a bloke walking along the road over there, he might be able to help.’
    ‘Hey! Mister!’
    I wanted to open my eyes and tell them I was fine, but the effort was just too much. I lay there, drifting in a half-aware state, trying to find the will to surface into consciousness.
    ‘Cass?’
    The voice was Ed’s. I opened my eyes a crack.
    ‘He was relieved ,’ I mumbled, tears filling my eyes.
    ‘Come on. I’ll help you up. It’s all right boys. She’ll be fine now. Thanks for your help.’
    The boys’ voices faded as they walked away.
    ‘Told you she was epileptic.’

    ‘What are you, a doctor now?’
    ‘Whatever.’
    ‘Cass? Can you sit up?’ Ed was gazing worriedly at me.
    I nodded and he put an arm around me, helping me up. I realised I’d been lying on the ground. I looked at him. There was no hint of anything but concern on his face.
    ‘Let’s go home,’ he said.

CHAPTER
9
    ‘Morning, sunshine!’ Janice intercepted Ed as he made a beeline for his desk. ‘Your interstate visitors have arrived. They’re in meeting room two. I organised coffee and a bowl of water and told them you’d had an emergency at home but that you wouldn’t be too far away.’
    Ed’s stomach dropped into his boots as he regarded the detective. He’d completely forgotten about the cadaver dog and its handler. Dave was taking his mother to the doctor so Ed had promised he’d come in early to meet Maria and Bruno. He was supposed to be in at eight. It was nearly nine.
    ‘Janice, you’re a treasure. Thanks for covering my butt. I owe you a drink.’

    ‘You owe me a whole pub’s worth! If you want to go straight in, I’ll duck out and grab you a coffee. You look like you need one.’
    ‘Thanks.’ He had to fight an impulse to smack a big kiss on her cheek. The spectre of sexual harassment claims had long since put paid to any physical displays of gratitude around the office.
    He dragged himself towards the meeting room. As he passed the window, his reflection in the glass told him just how rough he was looking; ruffled hair, crooked tie, wrinkled shirt and dark circles under his eyes. It wasn’t pretty.
    He was still feeling the aftermath of the night before. He’d half-walked, half-carried Cass home from the park and tucked her into bed. She’d fallen asleep almost immediately, leaving him wide awake next to her, staring into the darkness.
    His brain had refused to shut down. A whirl of thoughts had whipped around into the small hours of the morning: Grace, Phil, the job at