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They joined Michelle, whose face was as pale as the cloudy dawn sky overhead. She was clutching Amy possessively. The girl was now awake.
The social worker nodded at Michelle and then crouched down. “Hi, Amy. I’m Consuela. You can call me Co
The girl blinked.
“We’re going to take you for a ride to see some nice people.”
“Where’s Mommy?”
“These are some very nice people. You’ll like them.”
“I don’t like Mommy’s friends.”
“No, they’re not friends of hers.”
“Where’s Chester?”
“We’ll get Chester for you,” Bry
The social worker put her arm around Amy and helped her to her feet, then wrapped the blanket tighter around the girl. “Let’s go for a ride.”
The girl gazed absently at Michelle and nodded.
The young woman watched her go with such a look of affection that one might have thought she was the girl’s mother.
There was silence for a moment.
“I know all you’ve been through. But I have something else to ask.”
Michelle glanced at her.
“It’ll be a couple of hours before your brother gets here?”
“I guess.”
“I know this is hard. I know you don’t want to. But will you come back to my house for a little while? We’re not too far away. I can get you a change of clothes, something to eat and drink.”
“Bry
She glanced his way but continued speaking to the young woman. “I need you to tell me everything you can remember about Hart. Anything he mentioned or any ma
“Absolutely.”
“She needs rest,” Graham said, nodding at Michelle.
“She has to wait somewhere.”
“No, it’s okay, really,” Michelle said to Graham. “I don’t want him to hurt anybody else. I’m not sure what I can do. But I’ll help.” Her voice was firm.
The medical examiner’s van headed off, the two bodies in the back. Bry
Bry
The sheriff nodded. Then said, “And we’ll need to talk to you, Graham, about what happened with Eric. Can you come down to the station?”
Graham looked at his watch. “I should get Joey to his English tutor.”
Bry
“I think he should go.”
“Not today,” Bry
Graham shrugged then turned to the sheriff and said that he’d call the station and arrange a time.
Dahl then extended his hand to her. She blinked at the solemn gesture. She took it awkwardly. “I owe you more than a half day, Bry
“Sure.” She took Michelle’s arm and they followed Graham to his truck.
“MOM. LIKE, WHERE were you? Shit. What happened to your face?”
“Just an accident. Watch your language.”
“My God!” A
“It’s all right.”
“It’s not all right. It’s all black and blue. And yellow. And I can’t even see what’s under the bandage.”
Bry
“What happened, Mom?” Joey was wide-eyed.
“I fell.” Bry
Her mother eyed the bandage and said no more.
Michelle walked into the living room. The tape on her ankle-and the painkillers-had done the trick. She was no longer limping.
“Mom, this is Michelle,” Bry
“Hello, dear.”
The young woman nodded politely.
“Joey, you go upstairs. I’ll call your tutor. Graham and I’ll be busy today. You’re staying home.”
Graham said, “Really. I can drop him off.”
“Please, honey, it’ll be better.”
“You two are a mess,” A
Bry
“Yeah.”
“Upstairs. Work on your history project.”
“All right.”
The boy trooped off, with a glance back at Michelle. Graham went into the kitchen.
In her deputy voice, her calm voice, Bry
“Oh, no.” Shocked, A
“Thank you.”
“Her brother’s on his way. She’ll be here for a little while until he gets here.”
“You come over here and sit down.” A
Michelle said, “I’d really like to take a shower, if I could.”
“Of course. There’s a bathroom down that hall. There.” Bry
Michelle was smiling. “I’d love some. Thanks. Anything you’ve got.”
“I’ll hang them on the door,” Bry
A
“Thanks. If it’s not too much trouble.”
Bry
A
“I’ll give you the details later, Mom. They tried to kill her too. She found the bodies.”
“No!” A
“Let’s ask her. Might be a good idea. But I don’t know. She’s had so much coming at her. And one of our deputies was killed.”
“No! Who?”
“Eric.”
“That cute boy? With the brunet wife?”
Bry
With the brunet wife and a young baby.
“Did you get shot?” A
“Collateral injury. Like a ricochet.”
“But you were shot?”
She nodded.
“What on earth happened?”
Bry
A
A smile. “Thanks, Mom.” Bry
“Was here. I don’t know. Out back, I guess.”
Water began to flow in the front bathroom. The pipes squealed.
Bry
She replayed Comp’s horrific death: the look on his face as he gazed at Hart, revealing pure betrayal.
Then the image of Hart’s face looking back at her as he sped away in the stolen sedan, the image frozen over the bead sight of the pistol she held firmly.
You should’ve killed me…
She wanted a shower badly but she’d get clothes for Michelle first. She’d interview the young woman, then call Tom Dahl and the State Police and FBI with any new information about Emma Feldman or Hart or his partner that Michelle could recall-something that might lead to Mankewitz. Then she’d speed up to Gardener and bully the evidence through the crime lab.