grown in the wake of my flight northward.
When she returned, twenty minutes later, I had showered and shaved; everything I owned was either on my back or in the car. I met her in the foyer, by the door. Her face was flushed. “I found a room at the Holiday Inn,” I told her. “I didn’t want to leave without saying goodbye.”
She closed the door and leaned against it. “Hang on a second,” she said. “I owe you an apology.” A pause. “Look, Adam. I’m a cop, and that’s all about keeping control. You understand? It’s about logic, and I’ve trained myself that way since you left. It’s all I had left.” She blew out a hard breath. “What I said back there, that was five years’ worth of control slipping away in under a minute. You didn’t deserve it. You don’t deserve to be tossed out in the middle of the night either. Tomorrow’s soon enough.”
There was no irony in her.
“Okay, Robin. We’ll talk. Just let me get my bag. Do you have any wine?”
“Some.”
“Wine could be nice,” I said, then went outside to collect my things. I stood in the parking lot. The sky spread out, a low blackness propped up by small-town light. I tried to figure out how I felt about Robin and the things she’d said. Everything was happening so fast, and I was no closer to doing what I’d come here to do.
I dropped my duffel in the foyer and walked toward the living room. I heard Robin’s voice, saw that she was on her cell. She held up a hand, and I stopped, realizing that something was wrong. It was all over her.
“Okay,” she said. “I’ll be there in fifteen minutes.”
She snapped the phone closed, reached for the gun in its shoulder holster, shrugged it on.
“What is it?” I asked.
Her features closed down as she spoke. “I have to go out,” she said.
“Something serious?”
She stepped closer. I felt the change in her, the sudden rise of an unyielding intellect. “I can’t talk about it, Adam, but I think that it is.” I started to speak, but she cut me off. “I want you to stay here. Stay by the phone.”
“Is there a problem?” I was suddenly wary; there was something in her eyes.
“I want to know where to find you,” she said. “That’s all.”
I tried to hold her gaze, but she glanced away. I didn’t know what was going on, but I did know this: that was her third lie tonight. I didn’t know what it was about, but it could not be good. “I’ll be here,” I said.
Then she left.
No kiss. No goodbye.
All business.
CHAPTER 5
I stretched out on the sofa, but sleep was an impossible dream. I sat up when Robin opened the door. Strain showed on her face. Fatigue and what looked like anger.
“What time is it?” I asked.
“After midnight.”
I noticed all of the things that were not right: red mud on her shoes, a leaf tangled in her hair. Her face was flushed, with spots of brighter color in the hollow places. The kitchen lamp put pinpricks in her eyes.
Something was very wrong.
“I have to ask you a question,” she said.
I leaned forward. “Ask,” I said.
She perched on the edge of the coffee table. Our knees were close, but we did not touch. “Did you see Grace today?”
“Did something happen to her?” Adrenaline jolted through me.
“Just answer me, Adam.”
My voice was too loud. “Did something happen to her?”
We stared at each other. She didn’t blink.
“Yes,” I finally said. “I saw her at the farm. At the river.”
“What time?”
“Four. Four thirty, maybe. What’s going on, Robin?”
She blew out a breath. “Thanks for not lying to me.”
“Why would I lie to you? Just tell me what the hell is going on. Did something happen to Grace?”
“She’s been attacked.”
“What do you mean?”
“Somebody assaulted her, maybe raped her. It happened this afternoon. Early evening, perhaps. Down by the river. It looks like someone dragged her off the trail. They’d just found her when I got the
When she returned, twenty minutes later, I had showered and shaved; everything I owned was either on my back or in the car. I met her in the foyer, by the door. Her face was flushed. “I found a room at the Holiday Inn,” I told her. “I didn’t want to leave without saying goodbye.”
She closed the door and leaned against it. “Hang on a second,” she said. “I owe you an apology.” A pause. “Look, Adam. I’m a cop, and that’s all about keeping control. You understand? It’s about logic, and I’ve trained myself that way since you left. It’s all I had left.” She blew out a hard breath. “What I said back there, that was five years’ worth of control slipping away in under a minute. You didn’t deserve it. You don’t deserve to be tossed out in the middle of the night either. Tomorrow’s soon enough.”
There was no irony in her.
“Okay, Robin. We’ll talk. Just let me get my bag. Do you have any wine?”
“Some.”
“Wine could be nice,” I said, then went outside to collect my things. I stood in the parking lot. The sky spread out, a low blackness propped up by small-town light. I tried to figure out how I felt about Robin and the things she’d said. Everything was happening so fast, and I was no closer to doing what I’d come here to do.
I dropped my duffel in the foyer and walked toward the living room. I heard Robin’s voice, saw that she was on her cell. She held up a hand, and I stopped, realizing that something was wrong. It was all over her.
“Okay,” she said. “I’ll be there in fifteen minutes.”
She snapped the phone closed, reached for the gun in its shoulder holster, shrugged it on.
“What is it?” I asked.
Her features closed down as she spoke. “I have to go out,” she said.
“Something serious?”
She stepped closer. I felt the change in her, the sudden rise of an unyielding intellect. “I can’t talk about it, Adam, but I think that it is.” I started to speak, but she cut me off. “I want you to stay here. Stay by the phone.”
“Is there a problem?” I was suddenly wary; there was something in her eyes.
“I want to know where to find you,” she said. “That’s all.”
I tried to hold her gaze, but she glanced away. I didn’t know what was going on, but I did know this: that was her third lie tonight. I didn’t know what it was about, but it could not be good. “I’ll be here,” I said.
Then she left.
No kiss. No goodbye.
All business.
CHAPTER 5
I stretched out on the sofa, but sleep was an impossible dream. I sat up when Robin opened the door. Strain showed on her face. Fatigue and what looked like anger.
“What time is it?” I asked.
“After midnight.”
I noticed all of the things that were not right: red mud on her shoes, a leaf tangled in her hair. Her face was flushed, with spots of brighter color in the hollow places. The kitchen lamp put pinpricks in her eyes.
Something was very wrong.
“I have to ask you a question,” she said.
I leaned forward. “Ask,” I said.
She perched on the edge of the coffee table. Our knees were close, but we did not touch. “Did you see Grace today?”
“Did something happen to her?” Adrenaline jolted through me.
“Just answer me, Adam.”
My voice was too loud. “Did something happen to her?”
We stared at each other. She didn’t blink.
“Yes,” I finally said. “I saw her at the farm. At the river.”
“What time?”
“Four. Four thirty, maybe. What’s going on, Robin?”
She blew out a breath. “Thanks for not lying to me.”
“Why would I lie to you? Just tell me what the hell is going on. Did something happen to Grace?”
“She’s been attacked.”
“What do you mean?”
“Somebody assaulted her, maybe raped her. It happened this afternoon. Early evening, perhaps. Down by the river. It looks like someone dragged her off the trail. They’d just found her when I got the
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