It finally lulled me to sleep. I had lain awake for what seemed like hours, my brain whirling with questions. Delia’s bright, pert face seemed to float before me, and then the dark eyes of Derek Hawke stared from out of the darkness, his wide lips twisting into a smile. The bed was warm, the feather pillow soft, and layers of unconsciousness superimposed one another until I floated in a dark void where nebulous gray shapes moved slowly against a darker gray field. Once I thought I heard angry voices outside the room, but I thought it must have been part of a dream. The room was filled with misty gray light when I opened my eyelids. Through the window I could see streaks of pinkish orange. I was drowsy, and for a moment I could not remember where I was. Some sound had awakened me. The sound was repeated. Someone was opening the door, and the hinges creaked slightly. I lowered my lashes, peering through them as a shadowy form moved slowly into the room. It was the girl I had seen last night when I stopped for petrol.
