Silver Falls - Anne Stuart [105]
Maggie had no qualms about naming names. “I don’t blame you for not trusting Caleb. He’s never done anything to make people trust him. I think he liked people thinking he was the crazy one. He certainly never did anything to convince people otherwise.”
Rachel’s smile was forced. “Well, they know now, don’t they? Not that it matters. He must be long gone by now.”
A slow smile lit Maggie’s weathered face. “You asking me if he’s still in town?”
“Of course not.”
“Because he is. Man’s got a boatload of guilt to deal with, and he doesn’t know what the hell to do.
Unlike his father, who doesn’t feel a speck of responsibility for any of it. But then, anyone knows that Stephen Henry’s a major asshole.”
That surprised a laugh out of Rachel. “Blasphemy.”
“You betcha. I brought the keys to the place.
You want me to come in with you, keep you company while you pack?”
“There’s no need. I don’t think David’s ghost is going to be bothering me.”
“I doubt it. I expect he’s roasting in hell right now, and they don’t give day passes.”
“You think he’s in hell? He was a very sick man.”
“Oh, screw that. He was a very bad man, and I’m just sorry I didn’t get the chance to see him hang.” She looked at Rachel. “At least you got to kick him in the face a couple of times.”
“Three times,” Rachel said. “And I feel bad about that.”
“Do you really?”
She thought about it. “No. I’d do it again if I had the chance.”
“Me, too. Someone threatens my daughter, they’re toast.”
Rachel thought about it for a moment. She’d relived those moments over and over again, the feel of her booted foot smashing into his face, and then his body falling, twisting and turning. She looked at Maggie. “Damn straight,” she said.
Maggie laughed. “Good for you. Where’s Sophie now?”
“Visiting the Old Goat. Which I don’t understand in the slightest.” Rachel shook her head. “But I think we’ve already established that Sophie’s a better judge of character than I ever was, so there must be something good about him.”
“He tried to save your life and got a bullet from his beloved son for his efforts.”
“Well, there is that.” She wasn’t going to ask. She’d told herself it didn’t matter—if Caleb didn’t want to see her then she sure as hell didn’t want to see him. She couldn’t fight it anymore. “Where the fuck is he?”
“Still in the hospital, I assume.”
“I didn’t mean Stephen Henry.”
Maggie grinned. “I know. Actually, I don’t know where Caleb is. He’s heading off to New Zealand in a couple of days—he’s taking some time off and then he’s on assignment again.”
“Sophie and I are going to New Zealand,” Rachel said, alarmed.
“It’s a big country. You aren’t going to run into him unless you want to,” Maggie pointed out.
“I don’t know what I want,” she said, miserable.
“How’s that working for you? If you don’t want me to come in with you then I’ve got things I gotta do. Write me when you get a chance.”
“I’ve got a cell phone, you’ve got a cell phone. I’ll call.”
“From New Zealand?”
“I’ll call.”
The house smelled musty, with a chemical scent to it that had to come from the armies of investigators who had gone through the place with a fine-tooth comb. David’s precious BMW was long gone, evidence. There’d been a dead body in the trunk all that time. She shuddered at the thought.
She moved through the house slowly. She’d lived here for four months, and oddly enough there was no sign of her presence. Everything reflected David’s sterile taste, black and white and beige, and she wondered how she’d managed to live here so long without suffocating.
She went straight for Sophie’s bedroom. Her suitcase was gone, as well as the silver barrettes from the dresser, presumably taken as evidence. A stray shudder danced across Rachel’s backbone.
Holding her breath, she went into her own room. No sign of her suitcase, either, and the things she’d had left to pack were gone as well. Her closet door was open, the plain clothes were still in there, and she shook her head. She hadn’t remembered finishing packing, but then, that day had been such a horrific nightmare it was a