Rattlesnake Crossing

"No problem at all," Wilson assured her. "I'll split the team into two groups. Half of them will go up the mountain. I'll get the others working down here on the flat."

As Wilson went off to issue orders and dispatch his people, Joa

"I'm afraid we're going to have more than plenty of help," Joa

"What do you mean, more than plenty of help?" Ernie asked.

"Has either one of you ever heard of a race-car driver named Da

Detective Carbajal shrugged his shoulders. "Not me," he said.

"Da

"One and the same," Joa

"How did you find that out?"

"I just lucked into it."

"But is it confirmed?"

"Yes. Frank Montoya already checked it out. So that means we not only have a serial murderer on our hands, we also have a case that's going to arouse a good deal of national interest. With the other cases and other counties involved, it would be bad enough to just have the Tucson and Phoenix media breathing down our necks. This one will probably draw reporters from all over."

"Great," Ernie grumbled. After a moment he brightened. "Get thinking about it, this thing could have an upside."

"What's that?" Joa

"My mother-in-law loves the National Enquirer," he re-plied. "Phylis is always asking me when one of my cases is going to appear in her paper. If the Indy driver turns out to be our killer, maybe this is it."

"Don't even think such a thing," Joa

While Ernie and Jaime set off to join the S and R team in the ground search, Joa

Joa

"Hello," she said, after finally pawing the instrument (nit of the depths of her purse.

"They're done," Maria

Joa

"We're both pretty ragged," Maria

Joa

"Thanks for letting me know," Joa

"For tonight anyway," Maria

There was a pause. "You don't necessarily sound all that hot yourself, Joa

Jeff and Maria

"I'm overseeing a search right now," Joa

"Please," Maria

Something in Maria

"Yes," Maria

"What's wrong, then?"

"That's just it. I don't know. Maybe I'm just tired. We were here all night long. Neither one of us has had any sleep…"

"No, Mari," Joa

Maria

Joa

"Remember when you told me you were trying to pray, but you couldn't remember the words?"

That moment was still crystal clear in Joa

“You told me that it didn't matter," Joa

"I shouldn't have," Maria

"What do you mean, you shouldn't have?"

"I had no right," Maria

"Of course you did. What are you saying, Maria

"I've been here all night trying to pray myself, but I can't, Joa

Maria

"You'll get through this," Joa

"Yes," Maria