Darby Charleston thought she'd left Beaufort behind. A small town in an unremarkable county, in an undistinguished state, it had been torture spending the first eighteen years of her life there and the second she got out, she vowed never to return. 

Her FBI badge afforded her the honor of traveling the country, solving crimes that no one else could as part of the BAU, the perfect excuse to keep her on the road for as long as possible. Her badge and her skill set, however, would be the pairing that would bring her back to the place she had long forgotten about. 

A teenage beauty queen has gone missing without a trace. A seemingly perfect town reeling from loss. A woman who will stop at nothing to reveal the dark underbelly of her hometown. 

Behind the saccharine smiles lie secrets, lies, and betrayal.  

An Open Novella Contest story. No matter how far this gets in the contest, I'll continue writing until the 20,000 words (min) is met. Release date will coincide with the contest.