.” Melton shrugged. “Extracting DNA may be very difficult and time-consuming. We’ll naturally pursue that avenue, but there may be a media leak at any time. I have to have some warning of the identity.”
“So you can put a spin on whatever I find.” Eve shook her head. “It’s not worth it to me.”
“You’re afraid?”
“I’m not dumb. Why should I risk my life for you and your career?”
“The skull was moved to the church in great secrecy. No one will suspect it’s there, and we’ll have people at the church at all times to protect you.”
Eve shook her head.
“I don’t blame you for not caring about my problems, but Bently was a good man.” Melton paused. “And he had a wife and three children. I guess I don’t have to tell you what hell they’ve been going through for the last two years.”
Good move, she thought bitterly. Calculated or not, the words struck exactly the right note. She knew the agony of going through years of waiting with no closure.
“Think about it. It’s only a few days, a week at most. I’ll get what I want, Mrs. Bently and the children’s years of agony may be over, and you’ll have the satisfaction of working on an interesting project. Everybody wins.”
“Why didn’t you just send me the skull?”
“We were planning on doing that before the skeleton disappeared. After that happened, I thought we should have increased security. I was also concerned about the media, since you have a greater visibility in your hometown.” Melton grimaced. “I didn’t want to stir up the media unless I had something positive to offer them. They’d love to dredge up all that sensational stuff we went through after Bently disappeared.” He breathed a sigh of relief. “I’m glad we can have everything out in the open now.”
Eve gazed at him skeptically. “Then you won’t mind if I check with Sheriff Bouvier about the skeleton.”
“I do mind your lack of trust, but I’ll call the sheriff and tell him to be entirely open with you.” Melton paused. “And now that you realize how fully you’re going to have our support, you certainly won’t need any outside help.”
He was leading up to something. “Meaning?”
“You probably don’t realize that Sean Galen has a criminal background and is completely untrustworthy. I’m sure you’ll want to send him packing.”
“Really? John Logan trusts him.”
“Mr. Logan is a respectable businessman and I’d never want to impugn his choice of associates. Perhaps he doesn’t realize the extent of Galen’s—”
“Logan doesn’t wear blinders. He knows more about Galen than you do.”
“We won’t argue. The crux of my argument is that you have no need of Galen. I’ll be glad to dismiss him for you.”
“He’s not an easy man to dismiss.” Eve stared Melton directly in the eyes. “And I’ve no desire to dismiss him. Galen stays.”
“In what capacity? You surely don’t think you need a bodyguard just because of this little incident.”
“This ‘little incident’ almost killed me.” She waved an impatient hand. “But no, I don’t need a bodyguard. Don’t you dare suggest that in Marie’s hearing. It was an accident. She’s going to feel bad enough about my getting ill.”
“Then in what capacity?” Melton repeated. “Galen isn’t qualified for anything but—”
“You’re Melton?” Galen was standing in the doorway. “I’m Sean Galen.” He came forward. “And I really think you’ve overstayed your visit. Eve’s looking a little stressed.”
“I’m not stressed.”
“Will you accept ‘pissed off’?” He turned to Melton. “Eve doesn’t like to be told what to do. Now, I realize that you only have her well-being at heart, but she can get a little cranky. Suppose you leave.”
“You have no right to—” Melton broke off as he met Galen’s gaze. He took an involuntary step backward, but recovered quickly. “Ms. Duncan realizes I only want what’s best for her.” His
“So you can put a spin on whatever I find.” Eve shook her head. “It’s not worth it to me.”
“You’re afraid?”
“I’m not dumb. Why should I risk my life for you and your career?”
“The skull was moved to the church in great secrecy. No one will suspect it’s there, and we’ll have people at the church at all times to protect you.”
Eve shook her head.
“I don’t blame you for not caring about my problems, but Bently was a good man.” Melton paused. “And he had a wife and three children. I guess I don’t have to tell you what hell they’ve been going through for the last two years.”
Good move, she thought bitterly. Calculated or not, the words struck exactly the right note. She knew the agony of going through years of waiting with no closure.
“Think about it. It’s only a few days, a week at most. I’ll get what I want, Mrs. Bently and the children’s years of agony may be over, and you’ll have the satisfaction of working on an interesting project. Everybody wins.”
“Why didn’t you just send me the skull?”
“We were planning on doing that before the skeleton disappeared. After that happened, I thought we should have increased security. I was also concerned about the media, since you have a greater visibility in your hometown.” Melton grimaced. “I didn’t want to stir up the media unless I had something positive to offer them. They’d love to dredge up all that sensational stuff we went through after Bently disappeared.” He breathed a sigh of relief. “I’m glad we can have everything out in the open now.”
Eve gazed at him skeptically. “Then you won’t mind if I check with Sheriff Bouvier about the skeleton.”
“I do mind your lack of trust, but I’ll call the sheriff and tell him to be entirely open with you.” Melton paused. “And now that you realize how fully you’re going to have our support, you certainly won’t need any outside help.”
He was leading up to something. “Meaning?”
“You probably don’t realize that Sean Galen has a criminal background and is completely untrustworthy. I’m sure you’ll want to send him packing.”
“Really? John Logan trusts him.”
“Mr. Logan is a respectable businessman and I’d never want to impugn his choice of associates. Perhaps he doesn’t realize the extent of Galen’s—”
“Logan doesn’t wear blinders. He knows more about Galen than you do.”
“We won’t argue. The crux of my argument is that you have no need of Galen. I’ll be glad to dismiss him for you.”
“He’s not an easy man to dismiss.” Eve stared Melton directly in the eyes. “And I’ve no desire to dismiss him. Galen stays.”
“In what capacity? You surely don’t think you need a bodyguard just because of this little incident.”
“This ‘little incident’ almost killed me.” She waved an impatient hand. “But no, I don’t need a bodyguard. Don’t you dare suggest that in Marie’s hearing. It was an accident. She’s going to feel bad enough about my getting ill.”
“Then in what capacity?” Melton repeated. “Galen isn’t qualified for anything but—”
“You’re Melton?” Galen was standing in the doorway. “I’m Sean Galen.” He came forward. “And I really think you’ve overstayed your visit. Eve’s looking a little stressed.”
“I’m not stressed.”
“Will you accept ‘pissed off’?” He turned to Melton. “Eve doesn’t like to be told what to do. Now, I realize that you only have her well-being at heart, but she can get a little cranky. Suppose you leave.”
“You have no right to—” Melton broke off as he met Galen’s gaze. He took an involuntary step backward, but recovered quickly. “Ms. Duncan realizes I only want what’s best for her.” His
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