Alex Kava Bundle - Alex Kava [710]
That wasn’t her concern, Cunningham had told her. She was to see Keller made his flight. That was it. End of her deal. End of her obligation. He made it sound so easy.
Keller had refused to even get in the same vehicle she was in and accepted the alternative, a ride in an Omaha squad car with a police officer Pakula had assigned for the task. Keller seemed pleased with the escort. And she wished she could slap that smug look off his face. The thought of letting him go made her insides feel like liquid fire. And yet, she stood back and watched him walk down the terminal’s ramp to get in line for the security check.
She had done her job. That was it. She didn’t need to rub her own nose in it by standing around watching. She had other things to attend to, like Gwen. When she talked to her this morning her friend sounded in good spirits but very weak and vulnerable. She seemed overly concerned about Harvey though Julia Racine appeared to be taking good care of him. Gwen said she was okay about what had happened, but Maggie knew better. She wanted to see for herself and would be leaving for home tomorrow despite the fact that not all the pieces of this case’s puzzle fit to her liking.
She turned to leave the terminal and almost bumped into Sister Kate Rosetti.
“Maggie, hi. Are you leaving for home?”
“Tomorrow. Where are you off to?” Maggie almost didn’t recognize her. She wore blue jeans, another bright-colored T-shirt that read Pensacola Seafood Festival and tennis shoes. She carried a duffel bag over her shoulder and her short hair was flat today as if she hadn’t had time to style it after getting out of the shower. She had to wait for an answer. They were right under a loudspeaker and it blared out instructions about not leaving luggage unattended.
“I have a presentation in Chicago this weekend,” Sister Kate finally said when it was all clear.
“That’s right. You mentioned it at dinner.”
“One more job and that’s it.”
“You won’t miss it?” Maggie asked.
“No, I won’t,” she said. Then, smiling and placing her hand over her heart like she was preparing for some Girl Scout pledge, she added, “On my grandfather’s honor, this is my last job.”
“After all your trips, at least you’ve learned to travel light.”
“I wish. I have all my samples in my checked luggage. I don’t like to chance getting asked a lot of questions going through security with a couple of thirteenth-century daggers.” She laughed and Maggie joined her.
Again the loudspeaker interrupted them: “United flight 1270 for Denver at Gate 29 and United flight 1690 for Chicago at Gate 14 are now boarding.”
“That’s me. I’d better go.” But she didn’t move. “It was really a pleasure meeting you, Maggie.”
“I enjoyed it, too, and I now know more about daggers than I ever wanted to know.”
“You take care of yourself,” Sister Kate said, her voice somber and not as jovial as just minutes before. She gave Maggie a one-armed hug to avoid knocking her with her duffel bag.
“You, too.”
Maggie watched her show her ID and continue down the terminal ramp to the security checkpoint which had cleared a bit and wasn’t as busy. She glanced over her shoulder one last time to wave and Maggie waved back. As Sister Kate continued down the ramp she pulled out a baseball cap from her duffel bag and slung it on. Maggie smiled. She couldn’t help thinking that in her blue jeans, T-shirt, tennis shoes and a baseball cap she looked like one of her teenage students. And then it hit Maggie that from the back Sister Kate Rosetti looked so much like a teenage boy.
It came to Maggie in waves. All of it, everything in bits and pieces that by themselves didn’t mean anything but all together…The daggers went with her everywhere she traveled. She remembered Sister Kate telling them she had a presentation in Saint Louis the same weekend Father Kincaid had been killed in Columbia. She remembered Pakula