Nothing wrong with that. She and Joe had not been overgenerous about sharing their information, either. It had not been easy to explain Jenny.
Easy?
Impossible.
And Margaret’s distrust of Nalchek had influenced her whether she wanted to admit it or not. He must sense that reaction, as well.
But that distrust hadn’t stopped her from calling him for help again. Just be careful, strike a fine balance, and let him help her.
And hope that help included finding Elena Delaney.
CHAPTER
14
PACIFIC HIGHWAY
TWO HOURS LATER
“Are you going to tell me what this is all about?” Margaret asked quietly. “You tumble me out of my bed in the middle of the night and whisk me back here with the briefest explanation possible.”
“I was wondering if I should even bring you,” Eve said. “I think I did it because Nalchek told me not to. And because I found myself making excuses for him. I want to believe him, Margaret. You, on the other hand, have doubts. I needed the balance.”
“That’s clear,” Margaret said. “Maybe. But how did you find out that Elena didn’t pick up Cara?”
She didn’t answer.
“Ah, the anonymous source again? That must have driven Nalchek crazy.”
“He wasn’t happy.”
“I can see that he wouldn’t be.” She didn’t speak for a few minutes. “Sources he can’t identify will upset him. I’m the prime example.” She grimaced. “Sometimes I wish I could pull up a mysterious but entirely understandable and plausible ‘source’ myself every now and then. But it never works for me.”
“What are you trying to say?”
“Nothing. Can’t you tell? I’m being diplomatic. I’ve got pretty good instincts, and I know all kinds of strange things happen in this world. I think I knew when you had no trouble accepting what I am. I just want you to know you don’t have to make any explanations to me. I’m not going to ask you any questions, and I’ll accept what you say without delving.”
Eve didn’t know what to say. “Thank you.”
“You’re welcome. So does your ‘source’ think that Elena is—”
Eve’s phone rang. “Nalchek.” She hit the speaker. “We’re almost there, Nalchek. Are you at your hotel?”
“No. I’m at highway marker fourteen Pacific Highway. Meet me there.”
“Why?”
“Because I didn’t have to ask the local police to look for that car. They’d already found it.” He hung up.
* * *
“My God.” Eve pulled over to the side of the road and jumped out of her car. She ran to the edge of the cliff and looked down the steep slope.
The dark blue Camaro was a twisted hunk of metal on the rocks below. It must have been on fire because it was still black and smoking. She could see the forensic teams trying to make their way carefully around the rough terrain to do their investigation.
“She couldn’t have survived that,” Margaret whispered beside her.
That’s what Eve had been thinking. “We have to find out.” She was gazing around the area, looking for Nalchek. She spotted him a few seconds later, talking to a tech holding a clipboard several yards down the slope. “Nalchek!” She half ran half slid toward him down the steep slope.
He caught her as she would have slid past him. He muttered a curse. “Be careful. All we need is another victim in the mix. I would have come to you.”
She was gazing down at the blackened, smoking car. “Another victim? Elena Delaney was in that car?”
“They can’t get close enough to determine that,” he said. “But they should know soon. It’s almost a foregone conclusion. They’ve searched the slope and rocks, and she wasn’t thrown from the car.”
“They’re sure it was her car?” Margaret said as she came to stand beside them.
“They found the license plate. It was blown over on those rocks when the gas tank exploded. Half-melted but readable.” He looked back at Eve. “It looks as if Walsh found her.”
Eve nodded as she looked down at that charred wreckage. She felt a wrenching pity. She knew little about Elena Delaney, but she had risked her life to save that little girl. She didn’t deserve to have that monster do this to her. “Terrible.”
He nodded. “But the question is, did this happen before or after he found her?”
“What?”
“Did he fake this accident after he found out what he wanted to know from her? Or did she go off the road while she was in a panic, trying to get away from him?”
She shook her head. “I’m afraid I’m not thinking too clearly. My first thought was that Walsh did it.”
“And probably the right one. I’m so frustrated, I’m grasping at straws. I don’t want him to get what he wanted.” He said through clenched teeth, “I wanted him.”
So had Eve.
This can’t happen again, Jenny had said. It’s all wrong.
But it was happening, and Eve hadn’t been able to stop it.
She looked back down at the wreckage. “We should know soon enough if he managed to chalk up another victim.”
“She won’t be down there in that car,” Margaret said quietly.
Eve’s gaze flew to her face. “What?”
“I think that Nalchek is probably right, and he faked the accident to stall us.”
“Why do you think that?”
She lifted her gaze to the sky and pointed. “Because they’re flying over that hill on the other side of the road.”
Eve’s gaze followed Margaret’s.
Vultures. Black vultures wheeling in wide circles in the sky.
“Shit!” Nalchek whirled to face Margaret. “Could they be sensing death or injury in that car?”
“Not likely. They have extraordinary smell, but that car was burning, and smoke would have masked the death scent.” She looked back at the vultures across the road. “They think that their meal is up there somewhere.”
“Shit!” Nalchek started running up the slope at top speed.
Eve and Margaret were right behind him.
“She’s dead?” Eve asked. “Is that why—”
“She may not be dead yet,” Margaret said. “But it must be close. Actually, they think she’s alive. Movement. That’s why they’re still just hovering. They won’t go in until they believe there’s no fight left in the victim. That’s the way they prefer it.”
“Then we have a chance of saving her.” They had reached the road, but Nalchek was already on the other side and entering the woods. Eve ran after him. “There’s a chance.”
“Eve…” Margaret was running after her. “Don’t get your hopes up. Those vultures smell it.”
Smell death.
Eve ignored her and tried to catch up to Nalchek. He was glancing on either side of the trail as he climbed the hill.
No sign.
He reached the top of the hill.
He stopped, gazing at something below him.
Eve had a cold, sinking feeling.
It didn’t have to be bad.
But Nalchek was just standing there.
She caught up to him. “Do you see—”
A small, slender woman was lying crumpled near the bottom of the hill. She looked like the description they had of Elena Delaney. Midthirties, brown hair with a pink streak …
Or was that blood?
Her white T-shirt was soaked in blood.
She looked … broken.
White bones were sticking out of those thin arms. And her neck was at an odd angle.
“Why are we just standing here,” Eve said unevenly. “Margaret said she could be alive.”
“That fall alone should have finished her,” Nalchek said.
“But maybe it didn’t. We have to try.” She started slipping and sliding down the hill. “We’ve got to help her.”