Bones by Jan Burke Page A
Authors: Jan Burke
Tags: Fiction, General, detective, Suspense, Mystery & Detective, American Mystery & Suspense Fiction, Mystery, Mystery & Detective - Women Sleuths, Fiction - Mystery, Serial Murderers, Women Journalists, Kelly; Irene (Fictitious character)
Ads: Link
set of coordinates that had been stored in the GPS unit's memory during the two days Newly was in the mountains, and the GPS unit had been returned to the backpack.
"Did you get everything you need?" he asked Newly.
"Yes. And you?"
He hesitated, then said, "Yes. Tell me why you're helping me."
"Oh, I could try to make this sound quite innocent, and say I'm returning a kindness; that your wife was very good to me while we were hiking. She even went so far as to doctor my smelly, blistered feet. But it wouldn't be the truth."
He fell silent, and Frank wondered if he was going to leave it at that. But then he said, "A policeman comes to my hospital room. A man not connected with the case. He tells me that he is concerned about his wife. I involve him in some foolish business so that I can consider my situation. I have no difficulty believing that he is there for the reason he says he is; he's willing to take on demeaning errands in order to talk to me. He's genuinely worried about her. I'm concerned about her, too."
"Why?" Frank asked. "Has something--"
"Nothing. Nothing to be alarmed over. Not yet."
Frank's hands tightened on the wheel. "Does Parrish have something planned?"
"Undoubtedly." At Frank's look of alarm, Newly quickly added, "I don't know what he has planned, and I don't know if it involves your wife, except--well, no, I don't have any idea of what he has in mind."
"You're his lawyer!"
"Yes, but he doesn't confide in me. Not at all--I'll swear that to you, if you'd like. If I didn't feel certain that he's about to do something that will endanger his chances of avoiding the death penalty, I wouldn't be talking to you right now."
They had reached Newly's street, and the lawyer gave Frank his address. It was all Frank could do to concentrate on the house numbers painted on the curbs. It was an expensive neighborhood. Not many criminal defense lawyers made it this big, he knew. He found Newly's sprawling Spanish-style home. He pulled into the driveway and turned off the engine.
"You think he has some plan for Irene," he said to the lawyer. "You started to say so earlier."
"Nick Parrish . . . studies her. Stares at her."
Frank swore.
"Yes," Newly said. "I agree."
"I need to know--I need to know everything you can tell me about where they were headed. Yes--I wrote down the coordinates. But where were they going from the last position?"
"I don't know."
"Newly--"
"I don't know! Punching me in the nose won't help you."
He relaxed his hands, made himself think. "The ranger who took you out--was he going to rejoin them?"
"Yes."
"How? Did they name a place?"
"No . . ." Newly grew thoughtful. "I was not very clear-headed at the time, but . . . oh! Now I remember! He said something to Andy, the botanist, about leaving trail signs. Does that help?"
"Yes," Frank said, almost laughing with relief. "Let me help you get settled in the house. I have a few more questions."
Newly sighed. "I thought you might. But I demand a price."
"Oh?" Frank said, wary again.
"I cannot tell you how anxious I am to throw these boots away. . . . I don't think I'll recover if I have to keep looking at them. Once we're inside, would you mind dropping them in the trash compactor for me?"
"With pleasure," Frank answered.
** CHAPTER 14
WEDNESDAY NIGHT, MAY 17
Southern Sierra Nevada Mountains
He lay on his back, drawing in one deep breath after another.
He modestly acknowledged to himself that he had failed to envision how magnificent it would be. The excitement of it bordered deliciously on the unbearable. A weaker man would have been forced to seek some kind of release. Not him. No, not him.
Earlier, before they had opened the plastic, he had dared to touch himself, just once, but he knew better than to try that now.
Her death scent was on all of them, but especially on those who had stayed closest to the grave throughout the day. The guards had taken turns, had gone to see her. They couldn't resist, of course. Pilgrims
"Did you get everything you need?" he asked Newly.
"Yes. And you?"
He hesitated, then said, "Yes. Tell me why you're helping me."
"Oh, I could try to make this sound quite innocent, and say I'm returning a kindness; that your wife was very good to me while we were hiking. She even went so far as to doctor my smelly, blistered feet. But it wouldn't be the truth."
He fell silent, and Frank wondered if he was going to leave it at that. But then he said, "A policeman comes to my hospital room. A man not connected with the case. He tells me that he is concerned about his wife. I involve him in some foolish business so that I can consider my situation. I have no difficulty believing that he is there for the reason he says he is; he's willing to take on demeaning errands in order to talk to me. He's genuinely worried about her. I'm concerned about her, too."
"Why?" Frank asked. "Has something--"
"Nothing. Nothing to be alarmed over. Not yet."
Frank's hands tightened on the wheel. "Does Parrish have something planned?"
"Undoubtedly." At Frank's look of alarm, Newly quickly added, "I don't know what he has planned, and I don't know if it involves your wife, except--well, no, I don't have any idea of what he has in mind."
"You're his lawyer!"
"Yes, but he doesn't confide in me. Not at all--I'll swear that to you, if you'd like. If I didn't feel certain that he's about to do something that will endanger his chances of avoiding the death penalty, I wouldn't be talking to you right now."
They had reached Newly's street, and the lawyer gave Frank his address. It was all Frank could do to concentrate on the house numbers painted on the curbs. It was an expensive neighborhood. Not many criminal defense lawyers made it this big, he knew. He found Newly's sprawling Spanish-style home. He pulled into the driveway and turned off the engine.
"You think he has some plan for Irene," he said to the lawyer. "You started to say so earlier."
"Nick Parrish . . . studies her. Stares at her."
Frank swore.
"Yes," Newly said. "I agree."
"I need to know--I need to know everything you can tell me about where they were headed. Yes--I wrote down the coordinates. But where were they going from the last position?"
"I don't know."
"Newly--"
"I don't know! Punching me in the nose won't help you."
He relaxed his hands, made himself think. "The ranger who took you out--was he going to rejoin them?"
"Yes."
"How? Did they name a place?"
"No . . ." Newly grew thoughtful. "I was not very clear-headed at the time, but . . . oh! Now I remember! He said something to Andy, the botanist, about leaving trail signs. Does that help?"
"Yes," Frank said, almost laughing with relief. "Let me help you get settled in the house. I have a few more questions."
Newly sighed. "I thought you might. But I demand a price."
"Oh?" Frank said, wary again.
"I cannot tell you how anxious I am to throw these boots away. . . . I don't think I'll recover if I have to keep looking at them. Once we're inside, would you mind dropping them in the trash compactor for me?"
"With pleasure," Frank answered.
** CHAPTER 14
WEDNESDAY NIGHT, MAY 17
Southern Sierra Nevada Mountains
He lay on his back, drawing in one deep breath after another.
He modestly acknowledged to himself that he had failed to envision how magnificent it would be. The excitement of it bordered deliciously on the unbearable. A weaker man would have been forced to seek some kind of release. Not him. No, not him.
Earlier, before they had opened the plastic, he had dared to touch himself, just once, but he knew better than to try that now.
Her death scent was on all of them, but especially on those who had stayed closest to the grave throughout the day. The guards had taken turns, had gone to see her. They couldn't resist, of course. Pilgrims
Similar Books
