LITMIR.BIZ

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Crivaro was right about one thing. They’d surely be doing a little investigating, even if it was only to find out there was nothing to investigate. It might turn out to be a good experience after all. She might actually learn something.

      Finally Riley said, “It’s OK. I’ll stay with you.”

      Crivaro’s eyes brightened.

      “Are you sure?” he asked.

      Riley smirked a little and said, “I’ll let you know if I change my mind.”

      Crivaro grinned. “Well, the offer still stands, if you want to get the hell away from me. At least as far as this trip is concerned. When we start working cases together officially, you’ll be stuck with me.”

      “I’ll keep that in mind,” Riley said.

      Crivaro leaned back in his chair and closed his eyes, apparently about to take a nap.

      Riley took a flight magazine out of the seat pocket in front of her and started to browse through it.

      She found herself mulling over what she’d just done.

      I chose work over Ryan.

      And to her surprise, she felt good about it.

      What does that say about me? she wondered. And our future?

      Then her mind turned to speculation about the present.

      Arizona.

      She really knew nothing about it.

      She’d spent most of her life in the green hills of Virginia. What might such a different part of the country have in store for her?

      CHAPTER FIVE

      When the flight landed in Phoenix, Riley and Crivaro got their go-bags out of the overhead bin and made their way through the boarding bridge into the terminal. About twenty people were waiting for the passengers from their flight, but there was no question about who was there to meet them.

      A hearty-looking guy with a ruddy expression was waving vigorously at Crivaro. Riley knew that had to be Harry Carnes. The equally sturdy woman standing beside him with crossed arms and a frown on her face must be Harry’s wife, and she was not looking happy at the moment.

      The man welcomed Crivaro with a big hug, and Crivaro introduced Riley to the couple. The wife’s name was Jillian. Riley guessed them to be about Agent Crivaro’s age or maybe just a little bit older.

      For a moment, she was startled to see that both of them were wearing T-shirts, jean short, and sandals. She and Crivaro still had on their jackets and clothes suitable for colder weather.

      “Luggage?” Harry asked, eyeing their outfits.

      “No, just these,” Jake replied, holding up his go-bag.

      Harry laughed and said, “Well, that’s something you can take care of soon enough.”

      She remembered what Crivaro had said during the flight.

      “The weather in Arizona this year is sure a lot nicer than it is in Virginia.”

      She definitely wasn’t prepared for the weather here. They’d been in so much of a hurry to leave, she’d given no thought to packing a different wardrobe. She wondered if she was going to have to buy some new things for herself. Her budget sure wouldn’t cover much.

      Maybe it won’t matter, she thought. If they headed back to Quantico soon, she could probably make do with what she had.

      Harry led the way to the nearest food court, where they sat at a table and ordered sandwiches for lunch.

      Crivaro said to Harry, “So here I am. Now tell me everything you know.”

      Harry shrugged. “I don’t know much except what I told you over the phone. A woman was found dead yesterday on a hiking trail near Tunsboro, a town north of here. Her name was Brett Parma. When I heard about it on the news, I got curious and called the Tunsboro police chief. I had trouble getting him to open up, but I managed to pry a little out of him. He did mention the slashes on the woman’s arms—and also that she’d bled to death somewhere before her body had been left on that trail. Then he basically told me to keep out of the way of his investigation.”

      “Which is what we’re going to do,” Jillian commented.

      Harry leaned across the table toward Crivaro. “Jake, it all just gave me the weirdest feeling. It was like Erin Gibney’s murder a year ago all over again. I started flashing back to how I’d tried to help the cops in Gladwin solve the case, and how we’d failed.”

      Harry lowered his eyes and muttered, “We never even came close to finding out who did that one.”

      Jillian sighed unhappily and said to Crivaro, “Harry’s feeling all guilty about this whole thing. He says if he’d solved that case back in Colorado, maybe this new murder wouldn’t have happened. Of course that’s ridiculous. Jake, can you talk some sense into him? Tell him he’s got no reason to feel that way.”

      Crivaro gazed at Harry sympathetically.

      He said, “Jillian’s right. You can’t beat yourself up about that. Even if there is a connection between the two murders—”

      Harry interrupted, “Jake, there is a connection. I feel it in my bones.”

      Riley could see a world of skepticism in Crivaro’s face.

      “Harry, I’ve worked a lot more homicide cases than you have,” Crivaro said. “I know what it’s like to feel responsible for those deaths, for not being able to catch a killer. But you can’t let it get the best of you.”

      He reached out and put a hand on his friend’s arm.

      “You didn’t kill anybody, Harry. You’re not responsible for that. It’s not your fault. Do you hear what I’m saying?”

      Harry heaved a long, bitter sigh, then said to Jake and Riley, “Well, I was a cop long enough to know that. We never solve them all. But I was also out there long enough to recognize when my cop’s instinct is likely to be right. This thing, this latest murder, is really ringing some alarms for me.”

      He put his unfinished sandwich back on the plate and pushed it away.

      “I’m glad you two came out here to check things out,” he continued. “That makes me feel a whole lot better. Finish your sandwiches and I’ll drive you to Tunsboro.”

      Jillian poked him in the arm and said almost in a whisper, “Wait a minute, Harry. You’re not driving anyone anywhere. We’ve got to get back to the campground.”

      Harry gave his wife a pleading look.

      “Come on, honey,” he whispered back. “We’re not in that much of a hurry. And Tunsboro’s just a short drive.”

      “They can rent a car,” Jillian said. “Remember, we’ve got a deal.”

      Harry looked embarrassed. Riley wondered what was going on between them. She saw that Crivaro seemed uncertain about what to say next.

      Finally Jillian looked sternly at Jake and said …

      “Harry’s not getting mixed up in this—this—whatever it is. He’s retired. We’re on vacation. I don’t want him getting all worked up about the Erin Gibney killing again. He was a guilty wreck about that for months. I thought we’d put all that behind us.”

      Harry nodded reluctantly and said to Riley and Crivaro with a weak smile. “Well, you heard what the missus said. She’s got me on a tight leash. I wish I could work with you, but there it is. We’ve got an itinerary. We’re headed south to the Coronado National Forest today. We’ve got a reservation at the Riggs Flat campground.”

      “And we’re not canceling,” Jillian added sharply. “No matter what.”

      Harry squeezed her hand and said, “Of course not, honey. But we’ve got enough time to drive these two to the police station in Tunsboro. Then we can get back

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