“Then you’d better call her and tell her to make herself available.” His lips twisted. “She’s probably back in the forest communing with that coyote.”
“I don’t like her being there alone. That’s not what I meant to happen when I asked for her help.”
“I can’t keep an armed guard on her constantly. I’ve told her not to go into the forest, but she’s not listening.”
“She’s listening. But probably not to us.” She shook her head. “And I’m the one who set her to trying to find out what was happening in that forest. But now it scares me.”
“Me, too.”
Eve looked at him. “You?”
“I don’t give a damn about the fact that she thinks she talks to— Hell, maybe she does. Or maybe she’s just nuts. I don’t care. I don’t want her running around that forest and getting herself killed. That’s my county, my town.” He said fiercely, “Keep her out.”
“I’ll try,” she said. “I’ll tell her I want her to leave the area. Okay?”
“If she listens to you.”
“I don’t know if she will,” Eve said ruefully. “And, if I tell her to go, I don’t know where that will be. She seems to drift from place to place. She makes friends, but Kendra Michaels, who found her and sent her here, and my adopted daughter, Jane, are the only ones who appear to be close to her. I don’t know how much they even know about her.”
“I’ll find out before this is over.”
“You haven’t yet.” She waved a dismissive hand as she saw him frown. “It’s not important. I only want to keep her safe and make sure that she’s not collateral damage from our going after Walsh.”
“She wasn’t the target in Tahoe. You were the one Walsh wanted to lure to your death. Joe Quinn was the one who took the bullet, but it could have been you. Didn’t you tell me that he said he had orders to take you out?”
She nodded. “I was getting in his way. I was too close.” She shivered. “God, I hope I’m close. I don’t seem to know anything.” They had pulled up to the front entrance of the hotel, and the doorman opened her car door. “That’s got to change, Nalchek.” She got out and nodded at the reconstruction she’d placed on the backseat. “Take good care of that skull. I hope we don’t need to use it again. Tomorrow will tell the tale, won’t it?”
“I hope so,” Nalchek said soberly. “There’s something I should tell you. I’ve persuaded the SFOPD to assign an officer to keep an eye on you while you’re at the hotel or hospital. If you go anywhere else, call me, and I’ll make sure you’re safe. Don’t be alarmed. We both know that Margaret isn’t the only one who is at risk.” He smiled faintly. “I’m sure Quinn would approve.”
“Without a doubt.” She added, “I won’t argue. Anything to get Walsh.” She turned and headed for the front entrance. “I’ll call Margaret and have her ready for you.”
“You can try,” he said dryly. “So far, I’ve found that she’s not only ready, she’s a step ahead.”
“Then I’ll tell her to be kind to you.” Eve wrinkled her nose at him. “Poor Nalchek, so put upon…”
SONDERVILLE FOREST
Margaret felt a chill as she closed her eyes and tried to delve through the confusion she was sensing in the coyote’s mind. It was difficult. She had been struggling to understand what Sajan was trying to communicate since she had made contact over an hour ago.
“He’s coming.”
“Why are you afraid of him, Sajan?”
“Same as the other one. Rage. Violence. Just like the other one.”
“What other one?” she asked patiently.
“The grave.”
The chill was spreading. “The one who put the little girl in the grave?”
“Shouldn’t have done it. Shouldn’t have killed. His fault I have to be here.”
“Whose fault?”
“Shouldn’t have done it. Don’t like any of this. Why should I be here?”
“I have no idea. Talk to me. Maybe we can figure it out. Whose fault? I need—”
“Coming now! Hide!”
He was gone.
And she was left alone in the darkness of the forest.
Coming.
Who was coming? Walsh?