wasn't the time to run. Hiking through the hills by herself was one thing, but toting a baby around a wilderness was another. She had to be responsible and not act impulsively.
She would wait and see. Kaldak may not know where Emily was, but he understood more than she did about what had happened at Tenajo.
She went down the porch steps and started toward the plaza.
Kaldak was coming out of the cantina carrying a shiny metal briefcase when she reached the fountain. “That didn't take you long,” he said.
“She's not there. You knew she wouldn't be.”
“I knew it wasn't likely. So did you.” He glanced at Josie. “She woke up. Is she okay?”
“Fine. I fed her and changed her and she couldn't be happier.”
“You've been busy.” He paused. “Did you find any money?”
“No,” she said, repulsed. “I didn't look.”
“I haven't found any either.” He crossed the street to the general store. “Wait here.”
Robbing the dead. He was even worse than she had thought.
He was frowning as he came out of the general store a few minutes later. He clearly hadn't found anything. Good.
“Any money you find belongs to those poor people's relatives.”
He shook his head. “It belongs to me.” He was climbing the steps of the church.
She followed him. “My God, what are you doing? This is a church.”
“The priest is dead, isn't he?”
“Yes. And that makes stealing from the church all right?”
“You found him?”
She nodded.
“Where?”
She pointed to the spot. “Next to the poor box.”
“What poor box?”
She shrugged. “It was beside him. Rico kicked it.”
His gaze raked the area and then focused on the second pew. She stood watching in disbelief as he walked over, pulled the poor box from beneath the pew, and lifted the lid.
“Jackpot,” he said softly.
She moved closer and looked down into the box at stacks of violet-blue and lilac twenty-peso bills.
“You've found what you're looking for,” she said coldly. “May we leave now?”
He unfastened the metal briefcase. “Stand back a few feet.” She did and watched him empty the poor box into the briefcase. His expression was no longer impassive but filled with savage satisfaction. The amount of money in the poor box must have been substantial to stir a man like Kaldak.
“Let's go.” He picked up the briefcase and went out the door.
She followed him. “Why do you want that money?”
“So I won't have to go back to San Andreas and risk getting my head blown off.”
“It's not that much money. It wouldn't set you up for life.”
He didn't answer. “Get in the jeep. I'll make one more sweep and be right with you. We've got to get out of here. We've stayed longer than I like.”
She didn't move. “Where are we going?”
“Into the hills. Esteban has scouts all around here. We're bound to have been seen. We have to get out of town.”
“I'm not going anywhere until you tell me what's going on.”
“I don't know how much to tell you.”
“You haven't told me
anything
.”
“I've probably told you more than I should.”
“For my good?”
“No, for mine.”
“Of course, why would I assume anything else?”
“You shouldn't. I've already done more for you than I should have. I'm an ass. I should have handled it better.” He started toward the general store. “Now there's only damage control.”
“And the money is damage control?”
“Get in the jeep.”
A chill went through her. Damage control could mean mending fences with Esteban by killing her and Josie. Why should she trust him? He was a murderer and a grave robber.
But who else could she trust?
Herself. Nobody but herself. Any other choice could be fatal.
She spun on her heel and started across the plaza. “I have to go back to Josie's house and get food and diapers for her. You can pick us up there.”
She could feel his gaze on her, but she resisted the temptation to look back.
The gesture would have looked suspiciously fugitive.
She
She would wait and see. Kaldak may not know where Emily was, but he understood more than she did about what had happened at Tenajo.
She went down the porch steps and started toward the plaza.
Kaldak was coming out of the cantina carrying a shiny metal briefcase when she reached the fountain. “That didn't take you long,” he said.
“She's not there. You knew she wouldn't be.”
“I knew it wasn't likely. So did you.” He glanced at Josie. “She woke up. Is she okay?”
“Fine. I fed her and changed her and she couldn't be happier.”
“You've been busy.” He paused. “Did you find any money?”
“No,” she said, repulsed. “I didn't look.”
“I haven't found any either.” He crossed the street to the general store. “Wait here.”
Robbing the dead. He was even worse than she had thought.
He was frowning as he came out of the general store a few minutes later. He clearly hadn't found anything. Good.
“Any money you find belongs to those poor people's relatives.”
He shook his head. “It belongs to me.” He was climbing the steps of the church.
She followed him. “My God, what are you doing? This is a church.”
“The priest is dead, isn't he?”
“Yes. And that makes stealing from the church all right?”
“You found him?”
She nodded.
“Where?”
She pointed to the spot. “Next to the poor box.”
“What poor box?”
She shrugged. “It was beside him. Rico kicked it.”
His gaze raked the area and then focused on the second pew. She stood watching in disbelief as he walked over, pulled the poor box from beneath the pew, and lifted the lid.
“Jackpot,” he said softly.
She moved closer and looked down into the box at stacks of violet-blue and lilac twenty-peso bills.
“You've found what you're looking for,” she said coldly. “May we leave now?”
He unfastened the metal briefcase. “Stand back a few feet.” She did and watched him empty the poor box into the briefcase. His expression was no longer impassive but filled with savage satisfaction. The amount of money in the poor box must have been substantial to stir a man like Kaldak.
“Let's go.” He picked up the briefcase and went out the door.
She followed him. “Why do you want that money?”
“So I won't have to go back to San Andreas and risk getting my head blown off.”
“It's not that much money. It wouldn't set you up for life.”
He didn't answer. “Get in the jeep. I'll make one more sweep and be right with you. We've got to get out of here. We've stayed longer than I like.”
She didn't move. “Where are we going?”
“Into the hills. Esteban has scouts all around here. We're bound to have been seen. We have to get out of town.”
“I'm not going anywhere until you tell me what's going on.”
“I don't know how much to tell you.”
“You haven't told me
anything
.”
“I've probably told you more than I should.”
“For my good?”
“No, for mine.”
“Of course, why would I assume anything else?”
“You shouldn't. I've already done more for you than I should have. I'm an ass. I should have handled it better.” He started toward the general store. “Now there's only damage control.”
“And the money is damage control?”
“Get in the jeep.”
A chill went through her. Damage control could mean mending fences with Esteban by killing her and Josie. Why should she trust him? He was a murderer and a grave robber.
But who else could she trust?
Herself. Nobody but herself. Any other choice could be fatal.
She spun on her heel and started across the plaza. “I have to go back to Josie's house and get food and diapers for her. You can pick us up there.”
She could feel his gaze on her, but she resisted the temptation to look back.
The gesture would have looked suspiciously fugitive.
She
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