Silver Falls - Anne Stuart [36]
“Do you know how fast—?”
“Oh, shit, Maggie! Where’s Sophie? And what the hell are you doing making traffic stops when there’s been a second murder?”
Maggie grimaced. “Sophie’s fine. You don’t think I’d let her be in any danger, do you? She and Kristen are both at the station, playing on their computers. It’s you I’m worried about. I knew you’d panic, given your history. And considering how fast you were driving…”
“Oh, fuck my driving. I need to see Sophie.”
“I told you, she’s fine,” Maggie said grimly. “She knows you’re coming for her, and she’s taking all this mess a hell of a lot more calmly than you are. I should have your ass for speeding.”
“Screw that.”
“I can’t do that. This is my new job.”
“What?”
“Second dead body. Presumably another murder, though we won’t know for certain until the autopsy. But it ties in with the killings in other parts of the country. So far we have the FBI coming in and taking over, treating me like a secretary, so chances are we’ve got bigger fish as well. There have even been suspicious cases outside the country.”
Rachel stared at her, her mouth dry, her heart racing. “So they think this is a full-blown serial killer?”
Maggie nodded. “Which is good news. It means that it’s a stranger, not anyone we know. Some FBI asshole named Johnson has taken over the case, and he’s not interested in my opinions—I’m on traffic duty until they decide the killer’s moved on.”
“How do we know that? David said a new girl had just been found.”
“David told you that, did he? And where were you when he passed on that information?” Maggie said in her brusque, even voice.
Rachel stared at her. “Does it matter?”
Maggie was a master of implacability. “I’m curious about everything. I may be off the case but that doesn’t mean I’m letting go. This is my town, my people, and I’m looking out for them.”
“But you can’t think David had anything to do with it?”
“I told you, I’m just curious. I want to see how the news spreads. David told you, and then you told…anyone?”
“I had just come down the mountain from his brother’s house. He told us both, and then I took off.” She tried to tell herself that didn’t sound damning.
“You mind me asking, as a friend, what you were doing with our local bad boy? Caleb’s not the kind of man young wives should hang around with. Particularly if they’re married to his brother. Those two had a rivalry going on that would put World War Two to shame. Any fool could see that it was mainly one-sided. One brother just couldn’t stand it when the other one got attention.”
“It’s no big deal. I’d climbed up the falls and I didn’t have time to get back down without catching a ride. Fortunately Caleb was up there. Whose side?”
“Huh? Oh, who was the competitive one? I think I’ll leave you time to figure it out. If I were you I wouldn’t jump to any conclusions.” She took a step back. “You know, I ought to give you one hell of a ticket, but I figure you’ve got extenuating circumstances. Just don’t do it again.” Maggie’s voice was stern.
“Yes, ma’am. Do you want me to bring Kristen with us when I pick up Sophie?”
For a moment Maggie hesitated. “Sure,” she said finally. “Just keep a close eye on them. If this is the same man who’s killed young women all through the Northwest then presumably he’s long gone. But you can’t be too careful.”
“How could he be long gone if there’s a new body?”
“She’d been dead for a while, though she only recently hit the water. We’re not even sure who she is. If the FBI knows, they’re not telling. I don’t know where she’s been stashed all this time but she sure didn’t smell pretty.”
“Oh, God,” Rachel said faintly.
“Yeah.” Maggie’s voice was grim. “I’ll be by as soon as I get off work. Just don’t leave them alone. You stay with them, okay?”
“Okay,” Rachel said. “I’ll feed them dinner.”
“I get off at five—I can pick her up then. And why don’t you let me take Sophie