Until Dark - Mariah Stewart [29]
“Sure. Just give me a minute.”
“I’ll meet you out front,” Barker said as he left the room.
“What’s next?” Kendra asked Adam.
“Well, we’re going to be heading out to the park. We’ll meet the evidence team down there. There’s a lot of ground to cover down there, and only a few hours of daylight left.”
“State, local, and federal investigators, I take it.”
“As many hands as we can get.”
Kendra finished packing her folders into her briefcase and closed the cover with a snap of the lock.
“Kendra, the sketch you did . . . it really is remarkable.”
“I had good information from a great witness.” She smiled as she picked up her purse and slung the wide strap over her shoulder. “Fortunately for us Mr. Tursky has a good memory. Let’s see what happens once the sketch is made public. Hopefully someone will recognize him and call in, and you’ll find him before he finds another victim.”
“Nothing’s ever that easy.”
“Maybe this time you’ll get lucky.”
She paused, feeling like the guest whose welcome has just worn out. “I think I’ll call for a cab to take me back to the hotel. I know everyone is anxious to get down to the park, and there’s really nothing more for me to do here once the press conference is over.”
“Why not take my car? I can grab a ride with Barker or Miranda.”
“I don’t really see any reason for me to stay in Walnut Crossing. My job was to sketch,” she reminded him. “I sketched.”
Adam stood with his hands on his hips, as if pondering some unexpected bit of news. He hadn’t thought about her leaving just yet.
“What if we get another good witness?”
“I don’t know what someone else could add to what Mr. Tursky gave us that would change the sketch. He said there were no distinguishing features. And if something really important came up, I can always come back, you know.”
“Yes, but you still have to get home, right? Why not drive my car back to Smith’s Forge and I’ll pick it up on my way back to Virginia?”
“Then what will you drive while you’re here?”
“I’m not worried about getting around.”
“I don’t know if I’m up to such a racy little number.” She crossed her arms over her chest. “It might be too much car for me.”
He studied her stance, the amused expression on her face.
“I doubt it.” He tossed her the keys. “I seriously doubt it.”
Chapter
Six
Kendra left the highway, opting for the back roads that wound around the hill on which Walnut Crossing was built and led back to the main road on the far side. She wished she’d asked Adam to show her how to put the top down, though she suspected it wouldn’t be all that difficult, since it was automatic and there must be a manual somewhere. But having the windows down and all that lovely country air rushing through was just fine. Especially for someone accustomed to driving a car that had to be coaxed to go over fifty, and had long ago lost its ability to provide heat, air-conditioning, and music. The Audi could chew up her old Subaru and spit it out in less than thirty seconds.
A green station wagon pulled out of the hotel’s back parking lot as Kendra slowed to pull in. The driver beeped his horn in greeting as he sped past. Kendra waved idly, with little more than a cursory glance in his direction.
“Guess he’s admiring my wheels,” Kendra said under her breath as she parked as close to the front door as she could.
“And such nice wheels, they are.” She nodded while she locked the door, then stepped back to admire the saucy car. “Very, very nice. Though sadly not mine. I am tempted. I have to admit.”
In spite of the grind of the past few days, she felt . . . lighter, might be the best way to describe it, she thought as she got into the elevator and pushed the button