“You do have an imagination. Why don’t you just let me answer you?” She tilted her head. “You’re the local sheriff? What’s your name?”
“John Nalchek.” He pulled her to a sitting position. “And I was giving you the benefit of the doubt. My next question was going to be what you had to do with the killer who murdered the little girl who was buried in that grave.”
“Nothing. I was just examining the grave and seeing if I could tell if—” She studied his face. “You’re very tough and you’re not ready for explanations yet.” She suddenly gave him a luminous smile. “But maybe you could take these handcuffs off me. Then you could take me to the diner I saw down the road and give me a cup of coffee until you are ready.”
He started to pat her down for weapons. “Or you could tell me your name, and I’ll phone it in and get your record.”
“My name is Margaret Douglas.” She made a face. “And my way is better for all of us. Do you know anything about me?”
“No, but I will after I phone it in. Give me your driver’s license.”
“That’s kind of difficult. I don’t have one.”
“Then how did you get here?”
“I hitchhiked from San Francisco, then walked the rest of the way after I reached Sonderville. You’ve never heard of me?”
“Why should I have heard of you?”
“I thought Eve might have paved the way. I guess she wasn’t sure that I’d show up.”
He stiffened. “Eve?”
“Eve Duncan. She sent word through a friend that she needed me.”
“Why?”
“She thought I might be able to help.” She added simply, “I know pretty much about woods and animals and stuff like this.”
“Son of a bitch.”
“You’re upset. That’s why she didn’t tell you about me. I’m kind of hard to explain.”
“Because you’re a kid who looks like she’s barely out of high school and supposed to be better at tracking and recovery than I am? Yeah, that’s damn hard to explain.”
“And your pride is hurt?” She studied him. “I wouldn’t think that your ego was that fragile.”
He finished searching her. “You don’t know anything about me, Margaret Douglas.”
“No, but I think I’d like to. You’re very interesting. But you can see I’m not much of a danger to you. That patdown was very intimate, and you have to know I don’t have any weapons.”
“Not while I have you down and under control. You could have stashed them somewhere in the woods. You might look like the girl next door, but that doesn’t mean anything. When I was in Afghanistan, a young woman not much older than you came running toward my unit screaming for us to save her. When she was close enough to do damage, she pressed a button and blew herself to pieces, together with four of my buddies.”
“I’m sorry,” she said quietly. “That must have been terrible for you. No wonder you frisked me down so thoroughly.” She sighed. “Now why don’t you call Eve and tell her that you’ve captured and cuffed me and see what she says. If you don’t trust me, you’ll trust her. Everyone always trusts Eve.”
“Because she’s not a flighty kid wandering around the woods and sniffing the soil around graves.”
“She would if it was part of her job. I imagine she does lots of things that would scare most people off. Call her. I could use that cup of coffee.”
He hesitated. “She’s not going to appreciate a call in the middle of the night. She probably just checked into her hotel.” He started dialing. “What the hell. She’s the one who sent you and started all of us spinning in circles.”
“Spinning? That’s a good word. Yes, she did, didn’t she?” She crossed her legs Indian fashion. “Tell her that I would have called her, but I wanted to have something to tell her before I made contact.”
“Tell her yourself.” He spoke into the phone as Eve answered. “John Nalchek. I apprehended a young woman in the woods tonight at the crime scene. She identified herself as Margaret Douglas. I assume you’re familiar with her?”
“Margaret?” Eve repeated. “I didn’t know she was on her way. Apprehended? That sounds … is she okay?”
“Do you mean did I hurt her? No, but it could have happened when I caught her snooping around that grave.” He added deliberately, “She had no business there.”
“Where is she now?”
“We’re still in the woods.”
“Tell her to bring coffee,” Margaret said, “I’m freezing.”
“She wants coffee,” Nalchek said sarcastically. “I guess she expects you to provide it.”
“I’ll be right there.” Eve hung up.
“She verified your identity,” Nalchek said as he hung up. “So now we sit and wait.”
“You could take me to your car. It would be warmer.”
“No, I think that we’re fine here. You shouldn’t be trekking through the woods in nothing but that hoodie if you’re worried about the cold.”
“Punishment?” She shrugged. “Fine. But I thought that I’d be moving around and be able to keep warm.” She got to her knees. “Will you take off the cuffs and let me do that? I’m not going to run away.”
“How do I know—” He muttered a curse and reached behind her and unlocked the cuffs. “Stay close. I’ll be with you every step.”
“Okay.” She moved toward the grave and fell to her knees. “Just keep out of my way.” She picked up the soil and began to sniff it. She put out her tongue and delicately tasted it.
“What are—”
“Hush.” Then she got to her feet and moved into the surrounding brush. “Don’t worry, I’m not trying to escape the unfriendly arms of the law. You can come along.”
“Thank you.” His eyes were narrowed on her. “But I can’t ask questions?”
“You’re not ready. And you disturb my concentration.” She finally stopped beside a huge oak tree. “Here. He likes it here.”
“Who?” Nalchek snapped.
“I don’t know his name or if he has one.” She sat down beneath the tree. “If you’ll be quiet, maybe I can find out.”
Nalchek opened his lips to speak, then closed them again.
Watch.
Listen.
Collate all information.
She might be a screwball. She might be some kind of con artist. But he wouldn’t know if he didn’t stop protesting and start analyzing.
He dropped down beside her and focused on her every move.
CHAPTER
6
“Margaret!”
“That’s Eve.” Margaret got to her feet. “It’s only been thirty minutes. Her hotel must have been close.” She moved out of the forest toward the grave. “Here, Eve. Did you bring my coffee?”
“Yes.” She handed her the paper cup. In the process, she touched her hand and gave a low whistle. “You’re ice-cold. Why didn’t you wait in Nalchek’s car?”
Margaret gave Nalchek a glance. “I was so busy, I didn’t notice the chill. Neither did the sheriff, or I’m sure he would have offered to bring me out of the cold.” She chuckled. “Or is that an espionage term?” She took a sip of coffee. “That’s so good. I’ve spent so much time in the islands that my body temperature tends to plummet. I was fine as long as I was in Southern California.”
“I didn’t offer because I was pissed off,” Nalchek said bluntly. “And I don’t need you to make excuses for me. You shouldn’t have been here if you object to facing the consequences.”
“I’m not objecting,” she said quietly. “I believe in consequences. It’s nature’s way of balancing the order of things.”
“When your friends don’t take a hand.” He turned to Eve. “This isn’t how I expected to meet you. I don’t like your coming here anyway, and I certainly don’t appreciate your sending this weird kid into my woods.”
Eve’s brows rose. “Your woods?”
“My jurisdiction.” He paused. “My hometown. My county.”
“You’re waving all your credentials at us,” she said shrewdly. “You must really not want us here.”
He was silent. “You’ll get in my way.”
“No, I won’t.” She met his gaze. “And I’ll vouch for Margaret.”
“Not good enough,” Margaret said soberly. “He thinks that I might be trouble. He had a bad experience with a woman in Afghanistan who blew up a couple of his buddies and herself along with them.”