[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
.So he climbed back into the driver’s side, helped her adjust her seat into the upright position, watched her buckle her seatbelt, buckled his and winced at the pressure on his lingering erection, and headed to town.He hit the potholes a little too hard, and pretended Foster’s balls were under the tires.CHAPTER FORTY-SEVENElizabeth looked around Virtue Falls’ streets in wonder.“It is amazing to me that in three and a half days, the town has managed to gain some semblance of normalcy.”“The place never changes.” Garik barely glanced around, and he did not sound complimentary.“No, really, Garik.It’s even more amazing when you consider that aftershocks still shake the region, communications with the outside world are mostly limited to emergency and law enforcement agencies, and road travel is almost nil.” A group of four people, locals, stood talking on the sidewalk.She didn’t know their names, but she recognized them, so she smiled and waved.They stared at her and Garik in the cab of the truck, feebly waved back, then leaned their heads together.Pleased that she had elicited a courteous response, Elizabeth sat up straighter.“How often in the height of the tourist season do we see the streets so empty?”“All we need is one good storm, rain coming through the roofs, everybody jam-packed into the emergency shelters, and the whole town will go into meltdown.” He glared at the gossips.“They’re quivering with frustration already.”“But they brag about their fierce independence and survivalist instincts.”“They’re fiercely independent as long as they have clean running water.Cut that off and they’re nothing but a bunch of stinky, pissed-off citizens demanding their rights.”She didn’t understand why he was so cynical.But she didn’t care.His lovemaking, however cut short, had released some of her anxiety.Garik, on the other hand, seemed more tense.“Do you not like the town?” she asked.“I like the town fine.”“You don’t sound as if you like it.”“I sure as hell don’t like the sheriff.” If possible, Garik sounded even more savage than he had when they were interrupted.“He was certainly in the wrong place at the wrong time.” She arranged her skirt hem primly on her knees.He watched out of the corners of his eyes.“So it’s not the town that makes you grumpy, it’s—”“I’m horny.” He was very loud, and the windows were down.“Okay? I’m horny.And likely to stay that way, which makes me grumpy, as you put it.”She half-smiled.“We could drive out to the other side of town and—”“And have the perverted bastard Foster follow us? I don’t think so.” Garik took an exasperated breath.“I’ve got stuff to do in town.It looks like the Oceanview Café is open.”It was.As she watched, one of the regulars opened the door and walked in.Of course, the door was nothing but a metal frame with a handle.The window that had made up the primary door panel had been swept into a dust pan and tossed into the restaurant’s overflowing trash can.“Drop me there.I’ll grab lunch, then I’ll walk out to Virtue Falls Canyon and check on some of the markers I placed.” She thought she was talking sweet reason.“I suspect the aftershocks will have moved them.”Garik’s head whipped around.His face turned an odd puce.“I want … to … document … the, er…” She faltered to a halt.“Like hell you will,” he snapped.Being horny really unbalanced the guy.“Why not?” she asked gently.“You found your mother’s body yesterday.We discussed the fact Foster did a lousy job investigating her death, and we speculated that your father was innocent—which makes someone else guilty and possibly vengeful.Foster just proved himself to be the major asshole in the state.Dr.Frownfelter is one weird guy.Rainbow is here somewhere.I don’t know where the other possible suspects are, but I do know your phone battery barely got charged this morning.”She pulled the phone out of her bag, and made a face.“It’s dead,” she said.“And you want to go out alone and work in the field?” Garik double-parked next to a battered white pickup, and turned to her.“Not even, sweetheart.”His tone put her back up.“I hardly think you’re in charge of how I spend my time.”“Elizabeth, I don’t know jackshit about rocks, but when it comes to killing people”—he tapped his chest—“I’m the expert.And I’m right.You know I am.”She wanted to disagree—except he was the expert.He had the creds; he was an FBI agent.She would be stupid to argue.She wasn’t stupid.She might be resentful.But she wasn’t stupid.“Since you put it that way … okay.”He watched her cautiously.“Really? You’ll stay in town?”“We both agree that I am an eminently logical person, and doing as you wish in this case is logical.” But she was curious, too.“What are you going to do?”“I’ve got a friend I need to visit.School friend.Name of Mike Sun.I’ll introduce you someday.” Leaning across her, Garik opened her door [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]

Archiwum