The police department was a small brick building, where four uniformed officers were drinking coffee. Most of them were well past middle age, and they didn’t look up to anything more serious than saving a kitten stuck in a tree. Two of them did notice the arrival and turned to offering inquiring looks.
Harold cleared his throat. “Is Deke around?”
“In his office.”
“Well, go get him,” the old man snapped.
Presently a barrel-chested man only slightly younger than Harold ambled out of the back. His color was high, ruddy on rounded cheeks, and he had a tonsure of white hair that looked like baby duck down. “What can I do you for, Hal?”
The old man, who had softened since last night, laid out her story for the sheriff or captain or whatever this guy’s title was. Mr. Dixon came from an era where men took care of women, and Mia didn’t mind right at the moment. She studied her borrowed Converse sneakers, which were two sizes too big. But that was just as well with the bandages.
Once he’d gotten the gist, Deke barked, “Winston! Are you writing this down?”
One of the uniforms snapped to his feet and got a pad. “I am now.”
It took about an hour to file the report. Guilt prodded at her.
“And you can’t be more specific about where you were camping?” the officer asked.
“I’m afraid not. My friend Kelly was in charge of the planning.”
“And where’s Kelly now?”
Shit. Did they think she’d left a body in the woods? Think fast.
“She texted me that she’d gotten a ride home, but I lost my bearings in the woods. I walked a really long way before I found the Dixon place, and I managed to lose my phone.”
“What’s Kelly’s personal information in case we need to talk to her? We could use corroboration in your description of the perp.”
“Look,” she said. “I just want to get this over with. I doubt you’re going to catch the guy. He’s probably a hundred miles away by now.”
“In his painted van,” Harold agreed.
The sheriff narrowed his eyes on her. “And I doubt you’ve told me the whole story.” You wouldn’t believe me if I did. “But it’s not a crime to turn up dirty and ragged, unless Harold wants to prosecute you for trespassing.”
“Alice would skin me alive.”
“Then I believe we’re done here.”
Not quite yet. “Could I use your phone to call a friend? It’s a cell phone, but I’ll reimburse you for the cost when she wires me the money.”
“There’s a Western Union at the Safeway,” Harold offered.
“But she needs ID to pick up the money,” one of the uniforms pointed out.
Crap. She needed to get in touch with Kyra, pick up some money, and find a way to e-mail the old Addison Foster account. She still remembered the information from the business card he’d given her, nearly a year ago now. Surely the library offers free Net, even in a town this size.
“You can use the phone,” Deke said. “Don’t worry about reimbursing us.”
But how was she going to take care of the wire transfer? Mia regarded Harold speculatively. “How far is the Safeway?”
The old man furrowed his brow. “Two miles, give or take.”
“I’m afraid I’m going to have to ask you one more favor.”
“Honey,” Harold said with a smirk, “ Alice would skin me alive for that, too.”
A rich group guffaw rewarded his sally, and Mia’s cheeks heated. This was absurd. Despite a good night’s sleep and a full stomach, she wasn’t out of the woods yet. Well, metaphorically, anyway. At this point, she needed to get back to Søren; he could protect her if they were still looking for her.
If not, well… she loved him. She wanted him. It was that simple. She’d found the man she’d never walk away from, whether he wanted her or not.
She offered a half smile. “I’ll have to restrain myself. A different favor, then, if you have the time?”
Harold grinned, acknowledging that she was a good sport. “I’m seventy-eight years old. What do you think I do all day?”
“Then I need the address of the Safeway and the telephone.”
A uniformed cop offered her a seat at the desk while someone else wrote down the information. Mia had no idea what time it was in Sinagpore-or if Kyra was still there; she implored merciful gods that her friend would answer the phone. Taking a deep breath, she dialed. It rang three times, making her think it would roll to voice mail and then:
“Hello?” Groggy. Kyra.
Great, she’d woken her up. But she’d reached her. “It’s Mia.”
“What’s wrong? Are you in trouble? I got your e-mail. You said it was complicated.”
What the hell? And then it hit her. Søren. He must’ve remembered what I said about not wanting Kyra to worry. Thank God.
She took the cue. “The situation has been upgraded from complicated to a big fucking mess. Can you wire me some money?”
“Of course.” Kyra proved why she was the best of all possible friends, no questions asked. “Give me the information, and I’ll find an all-night transfer agent somewhere. If I have to, I’ll call it in and put it on Rey’s card.” Mia heard a bass rumble in the background and then: “He wants to know how much you need. The gold card has a 10K limit, but he has a platinum with no balance and a higher line of credit.”
“Your boyfriend would send me that much money?” She was flabbergasted.
This time, she heard the answer clearly; he must’ve leaned closer to the phone. “Absolutely. You sent me Kyra, and she’s priceless.”
God, how she envied them.
She collected herself, realizing she had a small precinct listening to every word. “I don’t need much, a few hundred to buy clothes and to travel on. I can take the bus from here, I think.” At Harold’s nod of confirmation, she gave Kyra the pertinent information regarding the local Safeway, and then added, “I don’t have ID, so you’ll need to send the money to Harold Dixon. He’s helping me out.”
“Give him a kiss for me, then,” Kyra said. “But no ID? That isn’t like you. What’s going on? Do you need backup? Say the word, and we’re on a plane.”
Love and gratitude flooded her. With warrants outstanding, it would be risky for Kyra to come back into the country on a plane. Her crimes weren’t high profile, but there was always a risk when crossing international borders.
“No, I’ll be fine. I just had my purse stolen and a scare, that’s all.”
“If I don’t hear from you on a new cell phone within twenty-four hours, I’m on my way. I know you were in Exeter last, so that’s where I’ll start looking.”
“Noted. But it’s not necessary. This is more than enough.”
“Then let me get the money sent. Love ya, M. Talk soon.”
She smiled, teary with relief. “You, too, Special K.”
Kyra was laughing when she hung up; Mia knew why. She hadn’t called her friend that in years. The cops were watching her warily, as if they expected her to start bawling. Mia proved them wrong by reining it in and wiping her eyes discreetly.
“So you’ve got someone sending you money, care of me? That’s clever. I guess we’d better head over to the Safeway and wait for it.” Offering the other men a jaunty wave, Harold shambled toward his elderly Buick out front.
Inside the grocery store, they waited for nearly two hours before the wire came through. To pass the time, she pulled a free local newzine from the stand outside and read the classified ads. Harold took possession of the money, and he was wide-eyed to discover Kyra had sent a full grand in emergency funding. Mia offered a hundred for his trouble, but he wouldn’t take it.
“Alice wouldn’t like it,” he muttered. “Besides, this is the most fun I’ve had in years.”