head. “Enough? I could probably pull up some other details if I concentrated. But it’s such a waste of time.”
“Enough,” Jane said quietly. “I hope you’re as good at pulling up information about Doane.”
“So do I.” Kendra turned to Joe. “Where can I be helpful? What do we know? Where do we start?”
“What do we know? Damn little. I’d like you to take a look at the safe house in Goldfork, Colorado, where Doane lived, and see if you can come up with something. Venable’s agents have come up with zero leads.”
“Then Doane is definitely not holding Eve at that safe house?”
“No way. But we don’t know where he is holding her. Eve managed to make a call to me, but it was broken off before it made the final connection. Venable is trying to trace the tower now.” He added grimly, “Trying isn’t an option. He has to do it.”
“You mentioned a grave where one of Venable’s agents was buried?”
“You can check it out, but forensics has already gone over it pretty thoroughly.” He looked out at the lake. “But I really want you to get a look at that car when they bring it up. I want to know why Doane drove it into the lake.”
“You said that there might be a corpse in it. Isn’t that what your informant told you?”
“Informant?” Jane repeated. “Oh, Margaret.”
“Who’s Margaret?” Kendra asked. “And how did she know that—”
“She didn’t,” Joe said. “Not definitely. But a body is a hell of a lot easier to dispose of than a car. Why get rid of the car?”
“Who’s Margaret?” Kendra asked again.
“A friend.” Joe stiffened as his gaze narrowed on the crane at the bank. “They’re getting ready to lift. Come on, Kendra. Let’s go and watch them bring it up.” He started down the stairs. “Jane, you stay here. You’ve been doing too much today. You don’t need to be walking halfway around the lake.”
“The hell I will,” Jane said.
Kendra shook her head as she started down the steps after Joe. “You can’t help. All you could do is watch. Save your strength for the big push. Eve told me you were smart. Now prove it.”
Jane hesitated. “Dammit, I wish you were wrong.” She wearily dropped down on the porch swing. “I’ll wait here. You come back and tell me what’s happening.”
“I will.” Kendra hurried down the steps after Joe. A moment later, they were yards from the cottage. She stopped as they reached the shadow of a huge pine. “Go back to her, Quinn.”
“What?”
“She’s not good. She wanted to come with us. There has to be a good reason why she stayed behind.”
“She was shot a couple days ago. Naturally, she’s not a hundred percent.”
“I’d say she’s way under fifty percent. She’s in a lot of pain.”
“She hasn’t said anything to me.”
“Would she?”
Joe cursed. “Probably not. She left the hospital before she was due to be released, and she won’t rest. She must be pretty bad if you noticed—what am I saying? You’d know before anyone else.”
“It’s pretty obvious. She was trying not to show it, but I could hear it in her breathing and see it in her footsteps. When she was leaning against the porch rail, she needed that support.” She paused. “And I could smell it.”
“Smell it?”
“The infection. It has its own scent. Ask any nurse. That wound is festering. I’d bet she’s burning with fever. Go back to her. Take her to the hospital and get her some help.”
“I’m going.” He turned on his heel. “Stubborn. So damn stubborn. Why wouldn’t she tell me?”
“It’s probably your fault. You and Eve raised her. You’d probably behave in the same way.”
“Are you coming with me?”
“No, I’m a stranger. Jane wouldn’t like me to see her when she’s weak. I’ll go down and take a look at that car they’re raising from the lake.” She started down the path around the lake. “I’ll call you if I find out anything.”
“You’d better,” he said grimly
“Enough,” Jane said quietly. “I hope you’re as good at pulling up information about Doane.”
“So do I.” Kendra turned to Joe. “Where can I be helpful? What do we know? Where do we start?”
“What do we know? Damn little. I’d like you to take a look at the safe house in Goldfork, Colorado, where Doane lived, and see if you can come up with something. Venable’s agents have come up with zero leads.”
“Then Doane is definitely not holding Eve at that safe house?”
“No way. But we don’t know where he is holding her. Eve managed to make a call to me, but it was broken off before it made the final connection. Venable is trying to trace the tower now.” He added grimly, “Trying isn’t an option. He has to do it.”
“You mentioned a grave where one of Venable’s agents was buried?”
“You can check it out, but forensics has already gone over it pretty thoroughly.” He looked out at the lake. “But I really want you to get a look at that car when they bring it up. I want to know why Doane drove it into the lake.”
“You said that there might be a corpse in it. Isn’t that what your informant told you?”
“Informant?” Jane repeated. “Oh, Margaret.”
“Who’s Margaret?” Kendra asked. “And how did she know that—”
“She didn’t,” Joe said. “Not definitely. But a body is a hell of a lot easier to dispose of than a car. Why get rid of the car?”
“Who’s Margaret?” Kendra asked again.
“A friend.” Joe stiffened as his gaze narrowed on the crane at the bank. “They’re getting ready to lift. Come on, Kendra. Let’s go and watch them bring it up.” He started down the stairs. “Jane, you stay here. You’ve been doing too much today. You don’t need to be walking halfway around the lake.”
“The hell I will,” Jane said.
Kendra shook her head as she started down the steps after Joe. “You can’t help. All you could do is watch. Save your strength for the big push. Eve told me you were smart. Now prove it.”
Jane hesitated. “Dammit, I wish you were wrong.” She wearily dropped down on the porch swing. “I’ll wait here. You come back and tell me what’s happening.”
“I will.” Kendra hurried down the steps after Joe. A moment later, they were yards from the cottage. She stopped as they reached the shadow of a huge pine. “Go back to her, Quinn.”
“What?”
“She’s not good. She wanted to come with us. There has to be a good reason why she stayed behind.”
“She was shot a couple days ago. Naturally, she’s not a hundred percent.”
“I’d say she’s way under fifty percent. She’s in a lot of pain.”
“She hasn’t said anything to me.”
“Would she?”
Joe cursed. “Probably not. She left the hospital before she was due to be released, and she won’t rest. She must be pretty bad if you noticed—what am I saying? You’d know before anyone else.”
“It’s pretty obvious. She was trying not to show it, but I could hear it in her breathing and see it in her footsteps. When she was leaning against the porch rail, she needed that support.” She paused. “And I could smell it.”
“Smell it?”
“The infection. It has its own scent. Ask any nurse. That wound is festering. I’d bet she’s burning with fever. Go back to her. Take her to the hospital and get her some help.”
“I’m going.” He turned on his heel. “Stubborn. So damn stubborn. Why wouldn’t she tell me?”
“It’s probably your fault. You and Eve raised her. You’d probably behave in the same way.”
“Are you coming with me?”
“No, I’m a stranger. Jane wouldn’t like me to see her when she’s weak. I’ll go down and take a look at that car they’re raising from the lake.” She started down the path around the lake. “I’ll call you if I find out anything.”
“You’d better,” he said grimly
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