considered."
Expecting his next words to be a request for her to call Faye to the phone, she quickly asked, "How was the canoe trip?"
"Didn't Faye tell you?"
"No."
"We found a body this morning."
"A body? You mean a dead body?"
"As dead as they come," he said.
"Jeez."
"Yeah."
"Where'd you find it?"
"At the Bend."
"No kidding? Man, what a way to start your day."
"It was pretty weird," Bass muttered.
"What sort of . . . How did the person die?"
"Somebody cut off her head."
"Eh!" Ina jerked the phone away from her face as if a repulsive bug were crawling on its mouthpiece.
"Ina?" the faint voice asked. "Ina? You still there?"
She brought the phone closer. "Yeah, I'm here."
"Sorry. I shouldn't have been so blunt about it."
"It's okay. God. The head was cut off?"
"Like with a saw or something."
"God. And Faye saw this?"
"She saw what was left."
"God. Poor Faye. Is she all right?"
"She took it pretty hard at first. But she seemed quite a lot better by the time I dropped her off."
"Must've been awful."
"It wasn't very pleasant. Faye didn't even want me to come in. She said she wanted to take a sleeping pill and forget the whole thing."
Just like Faye, Ina thought.
"If she's still asleep," Bass said, "don't bother waking her up. But maybe you could take a look for me. The ringing might've woken her. But if it didn't, just wait till she wakes up and tell her I called. I only called to make sure she's okay."
"She isn't here, Bass." Ina wiggled. The rub of the sheet felt good against her bare skin, like a caress.
For a few seconds, Bass said nothing.
Then, sounding confused, he said, "What do you mean, she isn't there?"
"She isn't in her bedroom. She isn't in the house."
"Where is she?"
"I don't have any idea. I figured she was with you."
"No. I dropped her off at the house a long time ago. Around one forty-five?"
"Well, hang on a second. Let me check around. I just woke up from a nap. Maybe she came in while I was asleep."
"Okay, would you?"
"Sure."
"And if she's not there, would you check to see if her car's gone?"
"Sure. I'll be right back."
Ina set down the phone on her pillow and climbed out of bed. Not bothering to put on any clothes, she hurried down the hallway to the kitchen. The linoleum floor felt cool under her feet, and a little sticky in places. At the far end of the eating area, a door led into the garage. She opened it. Faye's Volvo was gone.
Though certain that nobody'd come into the house while she'd been asleep, she did a quick search before returning to her bedroom. She flopped onto the bed and picked up the phone. "Bass?"
"Yeah."
"Faye's not here. Neither is her car."
Bass was silent for a while. Then he said, "Maybe she went to the store or something."
"No, I don't think so."
"Why's that?"
Squirming against the sheet, Ina asked, "Why would she take her suitcases to the store?"
"Her suitcases are gone?"
"That's right. And so are a bunch of her clothes. There's a lot of stuff missing from her closet. There're empty hangers, missing shoes."
"My God. Where'd she go?"
Ina grinned. "I have no idea. I thought she was with you, Bass."
"No. Huh-uh. I wonder . . . Do you think she might've gone to see her parents?"
"That's possible," Ina said. "She's done it before."
"Maybe that's it," Bass muttered. "But you'd think she would've told me . . . or you . . . somebody."
"You'd think so. But, you know, Faye didn't tell anyone last time she took off, either."
"No, she didn't."
Thinking about the last time Faye had pulled a disappearing act made Ina feel good. The long wait with Bass, the quiet talking, the sharing. That vigil was the closest she'd ever been to him. If only Faye had piled into a bridge abutment or taken a flying leap off the Golden Gate Bridge or simply decided to stay away. . . .
"Burlingame's a good six hour drive," Bass said. "That's if you don't stop to eat or anything."
"How'll we know?" Ina asked.
"Know what?"
"Whether that's where she went?"
"I
Expecting his next words to be a request for her to call Faye to the phone, she quickly asked, "How was the canoe trip?"
"Didn't Faye tell you?"
"No."
"We found a body this morning."
"A body? You mean a dead body?"
"As dead as they come," he said.
"Jeez."
"Yeah."
"Where'd you find it?"
"At the Bend."
"No kidding? Man, what a way to start your day."
"It was pretty weird," Bass muttered.
"What sort of . . . How did the person die?"
"Somebody cut off her head."
"Eh!" Ina jerked the phone away from her face as if a repulsive bug were crawling on its mouthpiece.
"Ina?" the faint voice asked. "Ina? You still there?"
She brought the phone closer. "Yeah, I'm here."
"Sorry. I shouldn't have been so blunt about it."
"It's okay. God. The head was cut off?"
"Like with a saw or something."
"God. And Faye saw this?"
"She saw what was left."
"God. Poor Faye. Is she all right?"
"She took it pretty hard at first. But she seemed quite a lot better by the time I dropped her off."
"Must've been awful."
"It wasn't very pleasant. Faye didn't even want me to come in. She said she wanted to take a sleeping pill and forget the whole thing."
Just like Faye, Ina thought.
"If she's still asleep," Bass said, "don't bother waking her up. But maybe you could take a look for me. The ringing might've woken her. But if it didn't, just wait till she wakes up and tell her I called. I only called to make sure she's okay."
"She isn't here, Bass." Ina wiggled. The rub of the sheet felt good against her bare skin, like a caress.
For a few seconds, Bass said nothing.
Then, sounding confused, he said, "What do you mean, she isn't there?"
"She isn't in her bedroom. She isn't in the house."
"Where is she?"
"I don't have any idea. I figured she was with you."
"No. I dropped her off at the house a long time ago. Around one forty-five?"
"Well, hang on a second. Let me check around. I just woke up from a nap. Maybe she came in while I was asleep."
"Okay, would you?"
"Sure."
"And if she's not there, would you check to see if her car's gone?"
"Sure. I'll be right back."
Ina set down the phone on her pillow and climbed out of bed. Not bothering to put on any clothes, she hurried down the hallway to the kitchen. The linoleum floor felt cool under her feet, and a little sticky in places. At the far end of the eating area, a door led into the garage. She opened it. Faye's Volvo was gone.
Though certain that nobody'd come into the house while she'd been asleep, she did a quick search before returning to her bedroom. She flopped onto the bed and picked up the phone. "Bass?"
"Yeah."
"Faye's not here. Neither is her car."
Bass was silent for a while. Then he said, "Maybe she went to the store or something."
"No, I don't think so."
"Why's that?"
Squirming against the sheet, Ina asked, "Why would she take her suitcases to the store?"
"Her suitcases are gone?"
"That's right. And so are a bunch of her clothes. There's a lot of stuff missing from her closet. There're empty hangers, missing shoes."
"My God. Where'd she go?"
Ina grinned. "I have no idea. I thought she was with you, Bass."
"No. Huh-uh. I wonder . . . Do you think she might've gone to see her parents?"
"That's possible," Ina said. "She's done it before."
"Maybe that's it," Bass muttered. "But you'd think she would've told me . . . or you . . . somebody."
"You'd think so. But, you know, Faye didn't tell anyone last time she took off, either."
"No, she didn't."
Thinking about the last time Faye had pulled a disappearing act made Ina feel good. The long wait with Bass, the quiet talking, the sharing. That vigil was the closest she'd ever been to him. If only Faye had piled into a bridge abutment or taken a flying leap off the Golden Gate Bridge or simply decided to stay away. . . .
"Burlingame's a good six hour drive," Bass said. "That's if you don't stop to eat or anything."
"How'll we know?" Ina asked.
"Know what?"
"Whether that's where she went?"
"I
Similar Books
