Jeffery Deaver - The Bodies Left Behind

Then he was looking up again. Realizing who she was. He set the board down and took the goggles off. “Hi.”

She nodded.

He frowned. “Everything okay with Joey?”

“Oh, sure, fine.”

He joined her. They didn’t embrace. He squinted, looking at her cheek.

“You had that surgery?”

“Vanity.”

“You can’t see a thing. How’s it feel?”

“Inside’s tender. Have to watch what I eat.” She looked around the building. “You’re expanding.”

“Just doing what should’ve been done a long time ago. Anna says she’s doing better. I called.”

“She said. More house-ridden than she needs to be. The doctors want her to walk more. I want her out more too.” She laughed.

“And Joey’s been off skateboards without a cop present, hmm? Grandma gave me a report.”

“That’s a capital crime in the house now. And I’ve got spies. They tell me he’s clean. He’s really into lacrosse now.”

“I saw that special. About Michelle Kepler and the murders.”

“On WKSP. That’s right.”

“There were some cops from Milwaukee. They said they ‘d arrested her. You didn’t even get mentioned. Not by name.”

“I didn’t go along for the party. I was off that night.”

“You?”

She nodded.

“Didn’t they interview you, at least? The reporters?”

“What do I need publicity for?” Brynn was suddenly awkward; her face burned like that of a middle-school girl alone at a dance. She thought back to her very first traffic stop. She’d been so nervous she’d returned to her squad car without handing the driver his copy of the ticket. He’d politely called her back and asked for it.

Nervous now, nervous all last night-after her mother had said she’d “run into” Graham at the senior center, and Brynn had stopped her cold.

“So, come on, Mom. What is this, a campaign to get us back together?”

“Hell, yes, and it’s one I aim to win.”

“It’s not that easy, not that simple.”

“When’ve you ever wanted easy? Your brother and sister, yes. Not you.”

“Okay, I was thinking about going to see him.”

“Tomorrow.”

“I’m not ready.”

“Tomorrow.”

A worker stuck his head in and asked Graham a question. He answered in Spanish. All Brynn caught were the words for “in the middle.”

He turned back, said nothing.

Okay. Now.

“Just wondering,” she said. “I’m on break. You’ve been up since six, I’ll bet. And I’ve been up since six. Just wondered if you wanted to get coffee. Or something.”

And, she was thinking, to spend some time talking.

Telling him more about what happened that night in April.

And telling him a lot of other things too. Whatever he’d listen to, she’d tell him.

Just like a few weeks ago when she’d sat in the backyard with Keith and done the same. Part confession, part apology, part just plain talking. Her ex, though cautious at first, had been pleased to listen. She wondered if her present husband would. She surely hoped so.

Several heartbeats of pause. “Sure,” he said. “Let me finish this board.”

“Okay. I’ll be at the diner.”

Graham turned away. And then stopped. He looked back at her, shook his head, frowning.

Brynn McKenzie found herself nodding. She understood. Understood completely.

Graham Boyd had been flustered at first, seeing her just appear like this. He’d agreed impulsively, not knowing what to make of her invitation. Now, reality had returned. He was recalling his own anger and pain from that night in April. And from the months leading up to it.

He had no interest in whatever she was up to here.

Ah, well, she couldn’t blame him one bit. The moment for conversations of the sort she had planned had come and gone long ago.

Flawed jaw set and fixed cheek taut, Brynn gave a wan smile. But before she could say, “That’s okay,” Graham was explaining, “I’m not really into the diner much anymore. There’s a new place in the mall opened up. Coffee’s a lot better. Pretty good hot chocolate too.”

She blinked. “Where is it?”

“Downstairs, next to Sears. I’ll be ten minutes.”

A former journalist, folksinger and attorney, Jeffery Deaver is an international number one best-selling author. His novels have appeared on a number of best-seller lists around the world, including The New York Times, The Times of London and the Los Angeles Times. His books are sold in 150 countries and translated into 25 languages. The author of twenty-three novels and two collections of short stories, he’s been awarded the Steel Dagger and Short Story Dagger from the British Crime Writers’ Association, is a three-time recipient of the Ellery Queen Reader’s Award for Best Short Story of the Year and is a winner of the British Thumping Good Read Award. His book The Cold Moon won a Grand Prix from the Japanese Adventure Fiction Association and was named Book of the Year by the Mystery Writers Association of Japan. He’s been nominated for six Edgar Awards from the Mystery Writers of America, an Anthony Award and a Gumshoe Award. His book A Maiden’s Grave was made into an HBO movie starring James Garner and Marlee Matlin, and his novel The Bone Collector was a feature release from Universal Pictures, starring Denzel Washington and Angelina Jolie. His most recent books are The Broken Window, The Sleeping Doll, The Cold Moon, The Twelfth Card and More Twisted: Collected Stories, Volume II. And, yes, the rumors are true, he did appear as a corrupt reporter on his favorite soap opera, As the World Turns.

Deaver is presently writing the second in the series featuring Kathryn Dance, who had her book-length debut in last year’s The Sleeping Doll, to be published in 2009, and the next Lincoln Rhyme novel for 2010.

Readers can visit his Web site at www.jefferydeaver.com.