Silent Run

recognized him, maybe trusted him, perhaps even loved him. That thought shook her to the core. She couldn’t love a man she couldn’t remember, could she?
    The silence and intimacy of the car suddenly became too much for her. Reaching for the radio, she turned it on, blasting the car with music. She flipped through a couple of stations until a familiar beat tugged at her memory. She knew this pop song. She’d heard it playing before. Where? Closing her eyes, she let the melody run through her head.
    The music was coming from a bedroom down the hall. How odd, she thought. No one should be in there. As she reached the door, she saw that it was half-open. She gave a knock, a push.
    She heard a shriek and didn’t realize it was coming from her until the two naked people on the bed rolled over to look at her, shock and horror on their faces -- or at least on the woman’s face.
    Betrayal ripped through her, and she ran from the room.
    â€œThis is the place,” Jake said.
    â€œWhat?” Her eyes flew open as Jake stopped the car and turned off the engine. “What did you say?"
    â€œI said we’re here.” His brows drew together in a frown. “Where were you?"
    â€œIn the past. That song on the radio just now was playing in my head. I remember walking into a house, down a long hallway. I opened the bedroom door and there were two people having sex. I don’t think they were supposed to be having sex."
    â€œWho were they?” he asked quickly.
    She licked her lips, wondering why their faces were now so vague. “I... I don’t know. It’s like the memory is just out of reach, hiding in the shadows. I felt a sense of deep betrayal.” She thought for a moment. “Maybe it was my parents."
    â€œSo you were a child in this memory?"
    â€œNo, that doesn’t feel right. I must have been an adult. And the fact that these two people were having sex mattered to me.” A sudden thought occurred to her, and she turned to him with a question in her eyes. “Is it possible that you --”
    Jake gave an immediate and definite shake of his head. “No, it wasn’t me. I didn’t cheat on you, Sarah.
    I don’t know why you left me, but you didn’t leave because you saw me with another woman."
    His green eyes were honest and true and, of course, angry, as if he couldn’t believe she was questioning him about his fidelity after everything she’d supposedly done to him. “Okay,” she said.
    â€œYou can’t turn this around on me."
    â€œI’m not doing that, Jake. I’m just trying to figure out where the memory might have come from. And at the moment you’re the only man in my life that I’m aware of. Did I ever mention any ex-boyfriends when we were together?"
    â€œNo. You said we didn’t need to be one of those couples who shared every little secret.” He uttered a bitter laugh. “Little did I know just how many secrets you were keeping.” He tipped his head toward the street. “Why don’t we table this for the moment and deal with what’s right in front of us."
    Looking around, Sarah noted that they were in a modest, working-class neighborhood on a street filled with apartment buildings a few blocks from the beach. “Which building did Margaret Bradley live in?"
    â€œThe three-story salmon-colored building about a half block down. I think there’s a good chance that you may have lived in the same building. It’s difficult to believe you’d be driving her car unless you knew her. I think she must have given you her vehicle because she wasn’t driving anymore. She was in a convalescent hospital before her death, so that makes sense. It would also make sense that you were a neighbor or that someone who knew Margaret might also know you."
    â€œI hope that’s true."
    â€œOnly one way to find out. We start knocking on doors."
    â€œAre you sure no one followed us here?” She checked the mirror once again. There was no one on the street, but quite a few cars were parked along the curb.
    â€œI’ve been watching closely. I don’t think we were followed, but if you did live in this area, whoever is after you might already know that."
    â€œMaybe this is a bad idea. We could be walking into an ambush,” she said.
    Jake stared at her. “We could be,” he agreed. “But I don’t see that we have another choice."
    â€œNo,