out. Your grandfather talked about it often.”
“And the ones who moved in haven’t lost any kids?”
Lonna took a piece of bread. “I pressed Peter for more information…”
Into the couch in his office? The angry little voice in my head broke in.
“And?”
“He said they just took it as a sign they were meant to be here, and the land was supposed to change hands now for a new era.”
“How pompous!” Wine sloshed in the glass as I set it down. “He’d be great in politics.”
Gabriel looked up from the bread. “Worse arguments have been made for relieving people of their birthrights. This used to be Native American country before the settlers came through.”
“Good point. So he couldn’t come up with any good explanation either?”
“No, only a strange one. The Piney Mountain residents seem to feel the developers have brought an evil spirit upon them. Did you have any luck with Louise?”
“No.” I lowered my eyes. “I didn’t get to talk to her.”
“What happened?”
“She didn’t show up for work today. The sheriff didn’t know anything, either.”
“He wouldn’t,” Gabriel said.
“Why didn’t you say something before now?” Lonna’s tone accused me of a grave sin of omission, so I decided to commit one and not tell her about the CLS victims in our midst.
“I got a little distracted, okay? Leo and Ron knew my grandfather, and they’d seen the spot where he disappeared. They took me there.”
“Did you find anything?”
I lied. “No. But at least I got a mental picture of the crime.”
“Some of us can do our jobs without getting distracted by a cute piece of ass.”
“And some of us can do our jobs without sleeping with one.”
We locked eyes. Gabriel cleared the bowls and beat a hasty retreat to the kitchen.
“I come up here to protect you, and this is the thanks I get?”
“Oh, that’s rich!” I threw my napkin down. “Since when does protecting me entail getting into the first pair of trousers you come across?”
“I wouldn’t have if I’d known about Louise.”
“Not like we could do anything anyway. The sheriff has his eyes on us. He’s not the only one.”
“Your job was to get information from the locals.” She pitched her voice low and dangerous. “I wouldn’t have spent so much time with Peter if I’d known you couldn’t even manage that today. I was going to interview Ron and Leo tomorrow.”
“What is my job, Lonna? I. Have. No. Job. I have no boyfriend. I have no ability to find either right now, not until I figure out what happened to my grandfather!”
“Ladies, would you like dessert?” Gabriel came in with three dishes of chocolate mousse on a silver tray. His eyes begged for us to be finished.
“I’m done.” Lonna slowly folded her napkin and placed it on the table. “I’ll be upstairs reviewing my notes on the missing-children case if anyone needs me.”
I put my head in my hands as I listened to the angry click of her heels on the hardwood floor. “I think I need something a little stronger, Gabriel.”
“Yes, Madam. An Irish coffee, perhaps?”
“Decaf. I’ll be on the balcony.”
The motion-sensor light clicked on as I opened one of the French doors and slipped outside. The house was built on the mountainside, so the basement level was actually a ballroom in the back with a patio under the balcony that could be used even in the rain. The night was quiet as though the hills slumbered, and far away I could hear the river. An owl hooted somewhere in the woods, and then I heard a howl. The bone-piercing cry chilled me to my marrow, and I didn’t see the wolves in my mind’s eye, but rather another presence, this one infinitely menacing and ready to snatch up victims without notice. I wondered at this and at the fight Lonna and I had just had. It wasn’t like either of us to confront each other. Something about this place was unsettling. Too many had gone missing. What could be out there?
“Your coffee,
“And the ones who moved in haven’t lost any kids?”
Lonna took a piece of bread. “I pressed Peter for more information…”
Into the couch in his office? The angry little voice in my head broke in.
“And?”
“He said they just took it as a sign they were meant to be here, and the land was supposed to change hands now for a new era.”
“How pompous!” Wine sloshed in the glass as I set it down. “He’d be great in politics.”
Gabriel looked up from the bread. “Worse arguments have been made for relieving people of their birthrights. This used to be Native American country before the settlers came through.”
“Good point. So he couldn’t come up with any good explanation either?”
“No, only a strange one. The Piney Mountain residents seem to feel the developers have brought an evil spirit upon them. Did you have any luck with Louise?”
“No.” I lowered my eyes. “I didn’t get to talk to her.”
“What happened?”
“She didn’t show up for work today. The sheriff didn’t know anything, either.”
“He wouldn’t,” Gabriel said.
“Why didn’t you say something before now?” Lonna’s tone accused me of a grave sin of omission, so I decided to commit one and not tell her about the CLS victims in our midst.
“I got a little distracted, okay? Leo and Ron knew my grandfather, and they’d seen the spot where he disappeared. They took me there.”
“Did you find anything?”
I lied. “No. But at least I got a mental picture of the crime.”
“Some of us can do our jobs without getting distracted by a cute piece of ass.”
“And some of us can do our jobs without sleeping with one.”
We locked eyes. Gabriel cleared the bowls and beat a hasty retreat to the kitchen.
“I come up here to protect you, and this is the thanks I get?”
“Oh, that’s rich!” I threw my napkin down. “Since when does protecting me entail getting into the first pair of trousers you come across?”
“I wouldn’t have if I’d known about Louise.”
“Not like we could do anything anyway. The sheriff has his eyes on us. He’s not the only one.”
“Your job was to get information from the locals.” She pitched her voice low and dangerous. “I wouldn’t have spent so much time with Peter if I’d known you couldn’t even manage that today. I was going to interview Ron and Leo tomorrow.”
“What is my job, Lonna? I. Have. No. Job. I have no boyfriend. I have no ability to find either right now, not until I figure out what happened to my grandfather!”
“Ladies, would you like dessert?” Gabriel came in with three dishes of chocolate mousse on a silver tray. His eyes begged for us to be finished.
“I’m done.” Lonna slowly folded her napkin and placed it on the table. “I’ll be upstairs reviewing my notes on the missing-children case if anyone needs me.”
I put my head in my hands as I listened to the angry click of her heels on the hardwood floor. “I think I need something a little stronger, Gabriel.”
“Yes, Madam. An Irish coffee, perhaps?”
“Decaf. I’ll be on the balcony.”
The motion-sensor light clicked on as I opened one of the French doors and slipped outside. The house was built on the mountainside, so the basement level was actually a ballroom in the back with a patio under the balcony that could be used even in the rain. The night was quiet as though the hills slumbered, and far away I could hear the river. An owl hooted somewhere in the woods, and then I heard a howl. The bone-piercing cry chilled me to my marrow, and I didn’t see the wolves in my mind’s eye, but rather another presence, this one infinitely menacing and ready to snatch up victims without notice. I wondered at this and at the fight Lonna and I had just had. It wasn’t like either of us to confront each other. Something about this place was unsettling. Too many had gone missing. What could be out there?
“Your coffee,
Similar Books
