Iris Johansen - Quicksand

"But you think it's possible?"

She nodded jerkily. "He called her a burning arrow in the darkness. Bonnie was- He sounded like he knew her."

"Or a clever sadist who wanted to make sure he'd hurt you."

"Yes, he definitely wanted to do that." She lifted her cup to her lips. "He didn't like Joe setting the police on him, and I was the nearest target." She thought about it. "No, it was more than that. He sounded… exhilarated."

"What do you know about Kistle?"

"Not as much as I'd like. The report Montalvo gave me was pretty scanty. There were three possible suspects his investigators turned up. Kistle was one of them. They traced Kistle from the time he was running drugs in Atlanta at the time of Bonnie's death to last year when he was living in Detroit. There were big gaps in the report. He must have moved around a lot and been smart enough to be able to change identities and obtain false documents whenever he liked. He just disappeared from view for long periods. We don't know where in the country he was living. Though he mentioned Colorado to me on the telephone."

I impersonated a sheriff once. It was in Fort Collins, Colorado. Children are taught to trust policemen.

The memory brought back the same shock and sickness as when she'd first heard it. She wearily shook her head. "I need to know more. He used the name Kistle again when he showed up in Detroit last year. A few months later he left Detroit and there was no word until now."

"No prior arrests? No school records?"

"Nothing."

"Then Kistle can't be his real name."

Eve nodded. "We were trying to check his background, but we weren't getting very far. And we wanted to know where the bastard was now. Evidently Joe found him." Her lips tightened. "And didn't tell me."

"It was a wrong move," Jane said. "But he only wanted what was best for you. He didn't want you to go through all that pain if Kistle wasn't the right man."

"I know that. It doesn't help. Bonnie is my daughter. He should have shared the-" She broke off as the phone rang. She jumped up to answer it. "It's Deputy Dodsworth," she told Jane as she picked up the handset. "Eve Duncan. Please. Tell me you got Kistle, Deputy."

"Not yet." His voice was grim. "I called the highway patrol and they set up roadblocks, but he drove into Clayborne Forest and abandoned his car. We're searching for him now. We're combing the entire area. We'll find him."

"And Sheriff Jedroth?"

"Dead. I jumped in the patrol car myself and drove over to Kistle's place where Jim was doing surveillance. The bastard stabbed him in the back. I don't know how the hell he did it. Jim was sharp, real sharp. He would have been-" The deputy cleared his throat. "He was a good man."

Eve said gently, "I'm sure he was. I'm sorry, Deputy."

"Yeah, me too. We grew up together." He drew a deep breath before he said, "I have questions to ask you. This telephone number is the same one the sheriff was using for Detective Joe Quinn. I want to speak to him."

"You'll be doing that in person in a few hours. He's on his way there. You can meet him at the airport. There can't be that many flights into Bloomburg."

"And you are Eve Duncan?"

"Yes, I told you that before. I live with Joe Quinn."

"And why should Kistle have-"

"Look, Joe must have told you or your sheriff enough about why we're after Kistle to satisfy you. I'm sorry, but I don't want to talk about it right now. If you need to know anything else, ask Joe. Good-bye, Deputy." She hung up and turned back to Jane. "He got away. They still think they may be able to get him. He's running around in the woods somewhere." She sank back into her chair. "And Sheriff Jedroth was murdered, stabbed in the back while he was doing surveillance on Kistle."

"You're not surprised, are you? It wasn't likely that he'd have picked up the sheriff's cell phone in the lost and found."

"No, I'm not surprised." Eve lifted her cup to her lips. "Kistle was incredibly ugly. If you could have heard-" She broke off. She couldn't talk about it. Not now. She set her cup down and pushed back her chair. "I'm going outside for a walk."

"I'll go with you."

"No, I'll take my cell in case Joe calls me, but I need you to answer the house phone and call me if you hear anything about Kistle."

"And you want to be alone."

She nodded jerkily. "No offense. I'm grateful you were here. I just need-"

"For God's sake, you don't have to explain yourself to me. After all these years I'd think you'd know that. Get out of here. I'll hold down the fort." She nudged Toby with her foot. "Go with her, you lazy lug. Being with Toby is like being alone and yet he's good company."

"If you can get him moving," Eve said as she headed for the door. "I won't be long, Jane."

"I know."

Toby got to his feet, yawned, and trotted after Eve.

Eve took a deep breath of the sharp, clear air as she went out on the porch. That was better. She had needed something to brace her. She had needed to be alone. She didn't want to worry Jane any more than she had already. She was no longer shaking, but the muscles of her stomach were locked and tense and she felt a terrible sense of foreboding. It was stupid. If Kistle had killed Bonnie, there was nothing worse that he could do to her. Taunts were painful, but they paled in the reality of her little girl's death.

She went down the steps and started down the lake path.

A beautiful child.

Like a burning arrow.

Bonnie.

She stopped to look out over the glittering surface of the lake. She had spent so many years here since she had come to live with Joe. So peaceful and lovely. It had never failed to bring her a sense of serenity and inner strength. How Bonnie would have loved to be able to play and run beside this lake. She had missed so many things.

" NOT SO MANY, Mama."

Eve stopped on the path as she saw Bonnie sitting cross-legged on the ground beneath the oak tree to the right of the path. She was wearing her Bugs Bunny T-shirt and the moonlight was tangled in her curly red hair.

" Of course you did," Eve said. "What do you know? You were only seven when you were taken from me. "

" And can you be sure that what I've got now isn't better than those years you're so sorry I missed? "

" Well, if you have it so good now, why are you flitting around haunting me? You must like it here. "

Bonnie's smile illuminated her face. "No, I just like being with you, Mama. "

Eve felt an aching melting deep within her. "Oh, and I like being with you, baby. "

Bonnie suddenly chuckled. "You said I was haunting you. Ghosts haunt. Are you finally admitting that I'm a grade-A, genuine ghost? "

" Not necessarily. I'm sure hallucinations can haunt. Figments of the imagination are-" She shook her head. "I don't want to argue about it now. You're here and that's all I care about. "

" You let him hurt you. You shouldn't have done that. Mama. He… likes it. "

" Is he the one, baby? "

" I don't know. I don't let myself think of that night. I've told you that before, Mama. "

" He wants me to believe he did. "

" Truth or lie. He knows it hurts you. He's going to keep on trying to hurt you. Stay away from him." She frowned. "And stay away from the woman too. She can hurt you more than anyone. "

" What woman? "

" I don't… know. The box. The woman with the box." She shook her head. "Just stay here where you're safe. "

" I can't do that. I have to find Kistle and make him tell me where you are. I have to bring you home. "

" I'm home where I am now. You're the one who is lost. That's why I come. I can't let you stay lost. It hurts me when you hurt. "