Blue Twilight by MAGGIE SHAYNE Page A

were saying “See? I told you he was an all-right guy.” She rolled her eyes, because she didn’t agree. Lou turned his attention to the cop again. “How thoroughly did you search them?”
    â€œAs good as you could. Probably better, bein’ I know my way around out there.”
    Lou nodded.
    â€œYou won’t mind if we take a look ourselves all the same, will you?” Max asked. “Just for my peace of mind?”
    â€œYou wanna waste your time, be my guest,” the chief said. “Fact is, even if they did run off, I don’t think two girls slipping away from their families to raise some hell would go into the woods to do it. No, I expect they’ll turn up anytime now. You’ll see.”
    â€œStill, I’d like to go out there,” Lou said.
    The chief nodded. “Fine by me. Just make sure it’s before dark.”
    Max went silent, turning wide eyes on Lou. His were just as startled, and then they both turned to stare at the chief. “Why’s that?” Lou asked.
    â€œThis town has a dusk-to-dawn curfew in effect,” he said. “Didn’t you see the sign?”
    â€œA little town like this?” Max asked. Her voice had gone soft. She didn’t want to start thinking what she was thinking. But damn. Vanishing girls. No one allowed out after dark. Scrawny pale guys? What was she supposed to think? “Mind if I ask why?”
    The chief shrugged. “Aah, we had some trouble a few years back. Kids coming down from bigger towns, raising hell. It was starting to turn into party central for the college crowd. Beer bottles all over the beaches. Goddamn metal music blasting from their car radios.” He shook his head. “It was a nuisance. So we instituted a curfew.”
    It was not, Max decided, a very logical reason.
    Lou sighed. “As a professional courtesy,” Lou said, “one cop to another—”
    â€œYou’re a cop?” Fieldner asked.
    â€œYeah. Twenty years on the force in White Plains. I’m retired now.”
    â€œI see.” He seemed to mull that over and looked not at Lou, but at Jason.
    â€œSo as a favor to a fellow officer, would you give us permission to be out after dark if we need to?” Lou smiled his friendliest smile. “After all, it’s not like we’re going to have a beer party on the beach.”
    Fieldner held Jason’s gaze until Jason looked away, then slid his cold eyes back to Lou. He said, “Last thing I need is for more of you to come up missing. Those woods are dangerous in the dark. I prefer you honor the curfew.”
    Lou sighed but nodded his acceptance of that edict. Max had no intention of obeying.
    â€œIf you don’t mind my asking,” she said, “is it true you’re the only cop in town?”
    He smiled at her, though it, like every other expression, never reached his eyes. Behind the mustache, his teeth were big and yellow. “Have been for twenty years.”
    â€œYou’re shitting me.”
    His grin widened. “How many men do you think are needed to tend to a handful of retirees and a few families? Heck, that’s all the more reason for the curfew. I have to sleep sometime.” He got up from behind his desk, walked toward the door. Clearly, he’d had enough of them for one morning. “I’ll tell you, I seriously doubt those girls are really missing at all. They’re safe and sound someplace, probably out raising hell somewhere.”
    Max shot Jason a look, half expecting him to rise to his sister’s defense. Instead he only shrugged. “It’s possible. Delia’s been…a little on the wild side lately.”
    Max got to her feet. “Guess we’ll head over to that visitor center now. Check out those woods.”
    Lou shook the other man’s hand, then followed Max out to the waiting car. Glancing her way, he said, “His hand was warm. He’s got body