The Bone House - Brian Freeman [106]
'Hil, forget it. I borrowed a phone at the pier. I called my number, and I pulled out of the ferry line. You don't think people will remember that? If I try to cover it up, it will only make me look guilty.'
He was right, but Hilary didn't want to hear it. Her voice rose as she felt anger and despair carrying her away. 'You can't give them rope to hang around your neck. They're not going to care about the truth. All they want is to put you in prison. They want to take you away from me, and I am not going to let that happen.'
Mark reached out and embraced her. She felt as if they were holding on with nothing but their fingertips, slipping out of each other's grasp. To make it worse, she was about to leave him alone for the night.
'Call Gale,' she told him, 'but don't mention the shoes. A lawyer can't advise you to destroy evidence. I still think you should get rid of them.'
'That's like admitting I killed him.'
'Why are you fighting me on this?'
'Because this time, I think you're wrong, and if I do it, there's no going back.'
'How long were you gone from the ferry line when you drove to Hoffman's house?' she asked.
Mark shrugged. 'Ten minutes. Maybe fifteen.'
'That's not much time.' 'They'll say it's plenty of time to get to his house, argue, struggle, and kill him.'
'For God's sake, Mark, whose side are you on?'
'Ours,' he said, 'but I'm not going to pretend. I'm in trouble. Lying and hiding won't get me out of it.'
Hilary saw the crew at the ferry dock waving to her. The other cars had already pulled ahead of her and boarded. She checked her watch; it was two minutes before four o'clock. The boat was leaving.
'I have to go,' she told him.
'What? Why? Where are you going?'
'Amy Leigh is missing. I got a call from her roommate at Green Bay. She hasn't seen Amy since last night, and Amy's not answering her phone. I'm going to Green Bay. We're going to talk to the police.'
Mark blew out his breath in disappointment. 'Of all nights, Hil. I really need you with me.'
'If something happens to Amy, and I didn't do anything to stop it, I'd never forgive myself. She called me. She reached out to me. I've got to do this.'
'Let me come with you.'
'Not in those shoes. Not in those clothes. Go home and call Archie Gale.'
'Hil, let it go. I'm coming.'
She shook her head. 'Look at yourself, Mark. You're not in any shape to do this now. Plus, if you're there, the police will make this about you, not Amy.'
He opened the car door. Wind rushed in. 'OK. Go.'
'This might be our one chance to find out what really happened to Glory,' she told him. 'To prove it wasn't you. This coach that Amy talked about, Gary Jensen, I called a friend of mine at the school where he used to work. He was suspected of having sexual relationships with teenage girls.'
Mark climbed out of the car and leaned back in through the door with a sad smile. 'So was I.'
'Damn it, Mark, don't talk like that.'
'I'm sorry, I can't help it.' He pulled her face closer and kissed her. His lips were cool. 'I love you. Don't forget that.'
'I love you, too.'
He shut the door and walked away. After an instant of doubt, she put the Taurus in gear and drove on to the ferry. With the car parked, she got out and climbed the steps to the passenger deck. She stayed outside, hanging on to the railing as the boat eased away from the island. Beyond the shelter of the harbor, the wind on the open water intensified, and the ferry swayed under her feet. Back on the shore, in the parking lot, she could still see Mark's truck. She waved, and she saw the lights of the Explorer flash on and off. He was inside, watching her go.
Inside the bridge cabin, on the top deck of the ferry, a nineteen-year- old man named Keith Whelan watched Hilary at the railing. He was as thin as a telephone pole, with shaggy black hair. He'd worked on the ferry runs for two years. The pilot at the wheel glanced away from the