Night Tide (49 page)

beyond! nearly! overwhelmed! his! senses.! After! years! of!

confinement,! the! limitlessness! of! the! vistas! he’d! encountered!

since! his! release! filled! him! with! awe! and! appreciation.! Every!

day!he!watched!people!myopically!go!about!their!business!with!

heads!down!or!eyes!straight!ahead,!indifferent!or!inattentive!to!

their!surroundings.!From!the!road!out!of!town!he’d!been!able!

to!see!the!snow6capped!peaks!of!three!of!Washington’s!tallest!

mountains—Baker,! Rainier! and! Adams—and! the! entire!

Olympic!range!to!the!west.!How!anyone!who!lived!in!the!area!

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could!fail!to!take!time!out!each!day!to!admire!such!beauty,!such!

majesty,! saddened! him.! So! many! people! took! too! much! for!

granted.!!

!

Movement! in! the! compound! again! caught! his! eye,! and! he!

tensed,! senses! alert.! A! black! Jeep! wheeled! out! of! a! space! in!

front!of!the!office!building!and!headed!toward!the!first!of!the!

long! buildings.! Through! the! lenses,! he! saw! it! was! manned! by!

only! the! driver.! He! could! make! out! a! company! logo! on! a! side!

panel,! but! no! other! insignia.! The! driver! stopped! at! the! first!

building! and! disappeared! inside.! Langford! noted! the! time! on!

his!watch,!and!when!the!driver!reappeared!about!five!minutes!

later,!he!noted!that,!too.!!

!

After!getting!back!in!the!Jeep,!the!driver!aimed!it!onto!the!

grass!and!slowly!encircled!the!entire!building!before!bumping!

back! onto! the! paved! lane! connecting! the! buildings.! Langford!

watched!as!he!repeated!the!process!at!the!next!two!buildings,!

marking! times! on! his! watch.! After! the! Jeep! returned! to! the!

parking!area,!Langford!stayed!where!he!was,!waiting!patiently.!

Half! an! hour! later,! the! Jeep’s! driver! repeated! the! entire!

process,! and! Langford! checked! his! watch! frequently,!

comparing!times!to!his!mental!notes.!

!

When! the! security! guard! returned! to! the! office,! Langford!

relaxed,!sitting!cross6legged!at!the!base!of!a!tree.!The!sun!arced!

high!in!the!sky!behind!him,!and!soon!people!drifted!out!of!the!

buildings!in!twos!or!threes!and!walked!toward!the!complex!of!

smaller! buildings,! some! heading! for! cars,! others! disappearing!

into! the! office! building.! Lunchtime.! He! sipped! his! water! and!

bided!his!time!until!the!employees!returned!to!work.!All!told,!

he!counted!fewer!than!three!dozen,!suggesting!a!high!degree!of!

automation!in!product!assembly.!

!

It! didn’t! concern! him.! He! was! more! interested! in! what!

went! on! in! the! Victorian! building.! Meetings! with! clients,!

probably,! as! well! as! serving! as! a! guesthouse! for! out6of6

towners.! And! something! else,! he! suspected.! His! patience! was!

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soon! rewarded.! A! woman! appeared! on! the! front! stoop! of! the!

house.! Short,! blond! hair.! He! raised! the! glasses.! The! sister,!

Keely.!She!appeared!to!be!waiting!for!something,!or!someone.!

He!panned!the!lenses!left.!A!black!SUV!headed!down!the!drive!

from!the!road!and!pulled!up!in!front!of!the!house.!The!driver!

hurried!around!to!the!passenger!side,!but!a!silver6haired!man!

had! already! opened! the! door! and! stepped! out.! Langford! had!

done! his! homework.! Though! the! photo! he! recalled! showed! a!

much! younger! man,! the! hooded! eyes,! a! sharp! nose! and! thin6

lipped!mouth!were!instantly!recognizable.!
Baines.
!

!

Obviously! more! accustomed! to! boardrooms! than! farm!

country,! Baines! wore! beige! slacks,! dress! shirt! with! French!

cuffs,! the! cufflinks! glinting! in! the! sun,! silk! tie! and! expensive6

looking! cordovan! loafers.! A! shark! in! Zegna! accompanied! by!

well6fed!remoras.!Baines’!only!concession!to!the!heat!was!the!

blazer! slung! over! his! shoulder! with! a! hooked! finger.! Keely’s!

lips! moved! as! she! descended! to! the! bottom! step.! Baines!

ignored!her,!making!a!slow!pivot!as!he!surveyed!the!grounds.!

Apparently! satisfied,! he! rounded! the! hood! of! the! SUV! and!

approached! his! daughter.! He! offered! a! quick! air6kiss! as! he!

passed!her!on!his!way!up!the!steps.!
Arrogant*bastard.
!

!

Langford! felt! a! corner! of! his! mouth! turn! up.! He! was!

pleased!his!hunch!had!played!out!so!far.!If!Keely!was!here,!he!

was! fairly! certain! the! Wilsons! were! here,! too.! Baines! himself!

showing! up! meant! they! were! important! to! him,! even! though!

Langford!was!convinced!they!didn’t!have!what!Baines!wanted.!

None!of!it!mattered!now.!He!was!so!close!he!could!taste!sweet!

victory—vindication,!and!revenge,!finally!within!his!grasp.!But!

he!had!to!make!sure.!He!needed!verification,!absolute!certainty!

that!the!Wilsons!were!in!the!compound.!Then!he’d!be!able!to!

put!the!wheels!in!motion.!

!

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!

!

Chapter&47&

!

!

Marion! Reynolds! was! a! diminutive! woman! who! had! to!

crane!her!neck!to!peer!up!at!me.!Her!wizened!face,!yellowed!by!

the! porch! light,! was! a! leathery! map! to! a! lifetime! of! joys! and!

sorrows.! She! wore! a! red! gingham! shirt! with! an! embroidered!

yoke,! the! top! two! buttons—plastic! made! to! look! like! mother6

of6pearl—undone! to! reveal! a! chicken! neck! tanned! the! same!

terracotta! color! as! her! face.! The! shirt! was! neatly! tucked! into!

worn,! loose6fitting! jeans! held! up! by! a! wide! rawhide! belt!

cinched!with!a!pewter!buckle!the!size!of!my!fist!embossed!in!

the!shape!of!an!eagle.!The!jeans!ended!in!white!athletic!socks!

stuffed!into!open6toed!scuffs.!At!my!feet,!two!pairs!of!cowboy!

boots,!one!large,!one!small,!stood!next!to!the!door.!Both!chafed!

and! dusty,! emanating! a! not! unpleasant,! earthy! scent! of! loam,!

grass!and!dried!horse!manure!in!little!whiffs.!

!

The!old!woman!narrowed!her!eyes.!“A!key,!you!say?”!

!

“Yes,!to!the!neighbors’!house.!The!Jones’s.”!

!

“I!know!who!they!are.”!She!admonished!me!with!a!finger.!

“Haven’t! lost! all! my! marbles,! just! a! few.! Nice! enough! couple,!

but!odd.!Tree6hugger!odd,!if!you!know!what!I!mean.!How!do!I!

know!you’re!not!some!crook!trying!to!rob!the!place?”!

!

“You!can!call!their!daughter!Sarah.!She’ll!vouch!for!me.”!

!

To!Reyna,!she!said,!“He!always!got!his!guard!up!like!that?”!

She!didn’t!wait!for!the!answer.!“I!was!having!a!little!fun!with!

you,!big!fella.!Shoot,!I!could!have!only!half!a!sack!of!cats’!eyes!

and!pick!a!man!your!size!out!of!a!line6up.!Not!likely!to!forget!

that! face,! either.! Don’t! think! you’d! be! here! if! you! intended! to!

bust! into! the! neighbors’.! Don’t! need! to! call! the! girl,! neither.! I!

know!her.!And!the!brother—the!cop.!I’ll!take!you!at!your!word.!

You!wait!here,!I’ll!get!the!key.”!!

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!

She!retreated!into!the!interior!of!the!house,!and!returned!a!

few!moments!later!with!a!single!key!in!her!outstretched!hand.!

When!I!reached!for!it,!she!pulled!her!hand!away.!

!

“Big!gunfight!over!there!last!week.!Made!a!hell!of!a!ruckus.!

Surprised! they! don’t! still! have! the! place! wrapped! in! crime!

scene! tape.”! She! eyed! me! suspiciously.! “You! wouldn’t! be!

souvenir!hunters,!would!you?”!

!

“I!know!all!about!the!shooting,!Miz!Reynolds.!I!was!there.”!

!

She! grinned! slyly! and! looked! at! Reyna.! “He! really! don’t!

know!when!his!leg’s!being!pulled,!does!he?!Son,!you’re!hard!to!

miss.! I! know! you! were! there.! I! know! who! you! are! from! the!

news.”!!

!

She!pressed!the!key!into!my!palm.!“When!you’re!done!with!

it,!leave!it!in!the!mailbox!out!front.!No!need!to!disturb!me!or!

the!husband.”!

!

“Thank!you.”!!

!

Before! I! could! pull! away,! she! clutched! my! wrist! with!

strength!I!didn’t!expect.!

!

“Might!not!have!been!so!easy!if!not!for!this!girl!here,”!she!

said!with!a!nod!at!Reyna.!“You!military,!miss?”!

!

“Navy,!ma’am.”!

!

“Thought!so.!You!got!that!look,!even!without!the!uniform.!

Well,! you! might! be! tough! enough! for! this! one.! He’s! gonna! be!

hard!to!pin!down,!though.!Too!fidgety.!Short!attention!span.!I!

can! tell.! Take! one! helluva! woman! to! hold! his! interest.! You!

might!just!be!the!one.”!

!

Heat!rushed!into!my!face,!and!I!felt!myself!shrinking!till!I!

was!a!little!under!Marion’s!height.!I!squirmed!under!her!gaze.!!

!

“Are!you!always!this!blunt?”!

!

“At! my! age! I! can! say! whatever! I! damn! well! please.! Most!

people! take! no! notice.! The! ones! that! do! just! figure! I’m! a!

crotchety!old!so6and6so.”!

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!

Reyna! saved! me,! patting! Marion’s! arm.! “I! think! I! can!

handle!him.!Thank!you!so!much.!We’ll!get!the!key!back!as!soon!

as!we!can.”!

!

Marion! gave! her! a! crooked! smile! and! released! my! wrist.!

Reyna! took! my! elbow! firmly,! turned! me! around! and! led! me!

down! the! steps,! tractable! and! docile! as! an! old! Clydesdale.!

Angular!shapes,!black!against!a!sky!the!color!of!a!bruise,!flitted!

and!swooped!after!crepuscular!insects.!!

!

In!the!car,!Reyna!let!loose!a!chuckle.!My!ears!burned,!but!it!

was!better!than!stony!silence.!

!

“See?!At!least!I!have!entertainment!value.”!

!

Her!chuckle!escalated!to!throaty!laughter.!“I!was!worried!

about!how!we!might!get!along!while!we!muddle!through!this.!

But!you!may!be!worth!keeping!around!for!a!while.”!

!

“Sure!you!can!handle!me?”!

!

“No!worries!there,!mister.!Let’s!get!going.”!

!

I! put! the! car! in! gear! and! headed! up! the! road.! When! we!

reached!Clayt!and!Connie’s,!Reyna!directed!me!inside!to!open!

an!empty!garage!bay!door!so!we!could!park!the!car!out!of!sight.!

She!climbed!in!the!driver’s!seat!while!I!let!myself!in!the!house!

and! made! my! way! to! the! garage.! As! soon! as! she! pulled! in! I!

closed!the!door!behind!her!and!waited!for!her!to!join!me.!

!

Inside,!the!house!felt!cold!despite!the!balmy!weather,!the!

empty! silence! a! chill! reminder! that! they! were! still! out! there!

somewhere,!Connie!likely!wounded.!

!

“What!are!you!looking!for,!anyway?”!Reyna!said.!!

!

“A!Bible.”!I!led!the!way!through!the!kitchen!into!the!family!

room!and!flipped!on!the!lights.!

!

Reyna!wore!a!small!frown.!“Why!a!Bible?”!

!

“Because! it! doesn’t! belong.! Clayt! and! Connie! weren’t!

religious.”!

!

She!shrugged.!“Lots!of!people!who!don’t!go!to!church!have!

Bibles.”!

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!

“As! an! intellectual! curiosity! they! have! books! on! religion.!

They!might!even!have!Bible!study!books.!But!the!Bible!itself?!It!

looked!out!of!place!here.”!

!

I!walked!to!the!bookshelf!and!turned!to!the!spot!where!I!

remembered!seeing!the!worn!copy.!It!wasn’t!there.!Not!even!a!

space! existed! where! it! had! been.! I! wracked! my! brain,! leafing!

through! the! file! card! drawer! for! related! memories,! double6

checking! the! accuracy! of! my! recall.! The! Bible! had! lodged!

between!
Das* Kapital
! and! some! philosophy! books—Hegel,!

Kierkegaard,!maybe!Nietzsche.!I!was!sure!of!it,!the!discord!of!

the!pairing!inculcating!the!image!in!my!head.!Or!had!it!been!a!

red!book?!

!

“What’s!wrong?”!

!

“It’s!gone.!Someone!took!it.”!

!

“When!did!you!see!it!last?”!

!

“The! day! they! disappeared.! The! day! of! the! shooting.! I!

noticed!it!when!I!came!in.”!

!

“Okay,!okay.!Calm!down.”!Reyna!chewed!her!bottom!lip.!“I!

guess! the! good! news! is! that! you! could! be! right! about! Kwan’s!

notes.”!

!

“Yeah,!well,!too!bad!we!don’t!know!where!they!went.”!

!

“Is!it!possible!the!Wilsons!took!it!with!them?”!

!

I! opened! my! mouth,! but! closed! it! before! anything! came!

out.!Gave!it!some!thought.!

!

“Possible.!But!they!didn’t!have!a!lot!of!time.!Even!if!Wink’s!

wrong! and! they! knew! all! about! the! notes,! I’m! not! sure! that!

would!have!been!the!first!thing!they!thought!of.!They!got!out!in!

a!hurry,!Reyna.”!

!

“We!better!check!the!rest!of!the!house!to!be!sure.”!

!

I!heaved!a!sigh.!“I’ll!start!back!in!the!bedrooms.!You!want!

to!start!in!the!kitchen!and!meet!up!in!the!middle?”!

!

She! shrugged! and! turned! on! her! heel.! I! tromped! back! to!

the! furthest! bedroom! and! did! a! cursory! inspection.! It! was! a!

Bible.!I!figured!they!weren’t!likely!to!hide!it!after!letting!it!sit!