As we were finishing our rather late dinner, Brineesha swung by and, after about twenty minutes, took Tessa home so she could get to her homework. I planned to return home soon myself, but just as a precaution I had an undercover car follow them.
After they were gone Lien-hua said, “Pat, how’s your lecture coming for tomorrow morning?”
“I called Dr. Neubauer. He’s going to cover for me.”
“The pollen guy? From the Lab?”
“Yeah. The lecture is about forensic palynology and its relationship to geospatial investigation.”
“Sounds scintillating.”
“Oh, it would have been, but I figured Neubauer could cover the palynology portion better in his sleep than I ever could. Anyway, that way I can be here.”
“I think you should go teach. If you lurk around here all week it’s going to make me feel guilty.”
“I’m not lurking.”
“What are you doing?”
“Lingering.”
“Ah. Well, if you linger around here too much I’ll feel guilty that you’re not out there doing what you need to be doing. I really just need to rest anyway. If I’m lucky, I might be able to get released Wednesday or Thursday.”
“The doctor said it might be six days,” I said protectively. “Plus one more after they cast your leg.”
“I’m a quick recoverer. Teach your class in the morning and then you can linger here in the afternoon.”
“I don’t know, I—”
“Pat, stop being stubborn.”
“I’m not stubborn. I’m strong-willed.”
“I see.”
I took a breath and considered her antilingering request. “You sure?”
“Yes. Maybe you can bring me something for lunch from that burger place you like so much. That one near the Academy. I always forget the name of it.”
I doubted that was true; I figured she just wanted me to say it. “Billy Bongo’s Burger Hut?”
“That’s the one. I’ll take a grilled chicken salad.”
“You don’t go to Billy Bongo’s for a salad.”
“I have to watch my figure.”
“I can take care of that for you.”
“Mm-hmm.”
I took her hand in mine.
I already knew what I would get from Billy Bongo’s, and undoubtedly so did Lien-hua: an Ultimate Deluxe Classic Cheeseyburg Extreme, curly fries, and a medium Cherry Coke. I have a weakness for cheeseburgers — I guess that can count as a quirk too. Either way, it definitely isn’t an ideal food choice, living with a vegan animal rights activist daughter.
At last I gave in. “Okay. It’s a deal.”
After making her promise that she would call me right away if she needed me — if she needed anything — I got in touch with Dr. Neubauer, told him about the change of plans, then I gave Lien-hua a kiss and left the hospital.
I’d just slipped into my car and was starting the engine when Saundra Weathers returned the call I’d put through to her yesterday morning.
27
“I was gone for the weekend, just got the message you left me,” she said. “You mentioned your name, Patrick Bowers. Are you the same Patrick Bowers I’m thinking you are?”
“From Horicon.”
“So that is you. And you’re an FBI agent now?”
“I’ve been with the Bureau for ten years.”
“The last I heard you were a homicide detective in Milwaukee.”
“I was on the force there for six years before joining the FBI.”
“And you sent those two agents here? The ones who are outside my house parked at the curb right now?”
“Yes.” I assumed they must have introduced themselves when she arrived home, told her only what they were supposed to — that her name had come up in an investigation and they were there “as standard operating procedure.”
To help transition to the reason I’d asked her to call, I said, “I saw that two of your books have hit the New York Times bestseller list. Congratulations.”
“Thank you.” She quickly brushed the compliment aside. “So you’re the same Patrick Bowers who found… Well, who found that girl. Back when we were in high school.”
“Yes, I am. Miss Weathers, I would—”
“Saundra. Please.”
“Saundra, have you ever heard of Richard Basque?”
“The serial killer? Doesn’t he eat the people he kills?” Since she lived in the region, and considering the media coverage of his crimes, I wasn’t surprised she was familiar with who he was.
“He does.”
“Is that what this is about? That’s the investigation my name came up in?”
“Last night a copy of one of your books, On My Way to Dying, was found in a car he’d stolen.”
She didn’t say anything. “And?”
“And I have reason to believe that he left it there for me to find. Since your family owned the land bordering the marsh, you and I are connected — in a way — through the death of Mindy Wells. I don’t believe it was a coincidence.”
“That book has sold over five hundred thousand copies, Patrick. Are you sure it didn’t just belong to the person who owned the car?”
“We contacted her. It isn’t hers.”
A moment passed. “Saundra, I’m wondering if you’ve noticed anything unusual lately. Any strange phone calls, anyone you didn’t recognize watching you or coming by your house? Anything at all?”
“No. Nothing like that. You think he might be coming after me?” Surprisingly, she didn’t sound either shocked or afraid, more curious than anything.
“I’m not saying that at all.”
“Then why are the agents outside my house?”
“As a precaution.”
“A precaution against what?”
“Basque is an extremely dangerous man. Anyone he’s had contact with could be in danger.”
“So I’m in danger?” Again she sounded more intrigued than afraid.
“There’s no evidence to suggest that you are, but I’m going to ask you to call me if you see or hear anything out of the ordinary. And I’d like to keep those agents assigned to you.”
“As a precaution.”
“Yes. Will that be acceptable to you?”
“For how long?”
“That’ll depend on how our investigation progresses. But I think it’s better to—”
“What? Be safe than sorry?”
“To cover all our bases.”
She didn’t reply right away and I sensed that she was gearing up to argue with me, but in the end she didn’t. “They can stay.”
“Thank you.”
Then she abruptly returned the conversation to what had happened in Horicon. “Do you ever think about that day? About that girl in the tree house?”
Yes. All the time.
“Yes. Do you?”
“Yes. I guess that’s what led me to become a crime writer. After being there, you know, in town when it happened. Maybe writing has been my way of trying to sort all that out. Is that why you got into law enforcement?”
“I’m really not sure,” I told her truthfully.
We were both silent for a moment and then she said, “I’ll contact you if I hear or see anything. But I’d like to ask you something in return.”
“What’s that?”
“That you’ll call me if you find out anything more. I have a little girl. You understand.”
“I won’t be able to give you specifics concerning the investigation, I hope you can understand that, but if we find out anything more regarding the novel or if we find out Basque has taken any kind of special interest in you, I’ll call you right away.”
“Alright. Thank you.”
We ended the call and as I drove home, Saundra’s question plagued me: “Is that why you got into law enforcement?”