Misplaced (116 page)

He
r
knee
s
buckle
d
an
d
sh
e
woul
d
ha
v
e
falle
n
ha
d
Khara
no
t
bee
n
ther
e
t
o
stead
y
her
,
co
v
e
r
he
r
mouth
,
an
d
lea
d
her
further
into
the
s
ha
do
w
s
.
W
ith
the
s
quad
c
ar
no
l
o
nger
in
view,
V
ictori
a
gre
w
desperate
.
Sh
e
obser
v
e
d
wit
h
growin
g
alarm
,
the
officer
take
down
the
license
plate
number
of
Bea’s
car
and
make
notes.
When
he
had
finished, he
slipped
his
pen
into
his
unifor
m
pocke
t
an
d
proceede
d
t
o
th
e
cruise
r
wher
e
h
e
spoke
into the radio.

Throughou
t
th
e
afternoon
,
Khar
a
mad
e
sur
e
the
y
sta
y
ed
out of sight while men came
and
w
ent.
A middle-aged
cowboy
w
alke
d
t
o
hi
s
picku
p
wit
h
a
particularl
y
eage
r
expression
,
obviously
thrilled
to
work
a
homicide.
A
man
w
earing
a
bolo
tie and corduroy jacket got out of a car with a camera.

Jus
t
a
fe
w
hour
s
ago
,
Celest
e
ha
d
fille
d
th
e
wickiu
p
wit
h
her
impish smile and crazy stories. How could she be dead?

An
d
Elia
s
w
a
s
responsible
.
V
ictori
a
w
a
s
unabl
e
t
o
do
anything
but
lean
against
a
tree
and
w
atch
as
the
crime
scene
w
a
s
processed
.
Lea
v
e
s
shoo
k
lik
e
gol
d
coin
s
i
n
th
e
sunlight.
Insect
s
c
rep
t
i
n
an
d
aroun
d
th
e
mois
t
lea
v
e
s
lit
t
erin
g
th
e
groun
d
,
an
d
env
y
sur
g
e
d
t
hrou
g
h
V
ic
t
ori
a
a
t
t
h
e
cal
m
predic
t
a
b
ili
t
y
of
their
tiny
li
v
es.
A
familiar
conversation crept
steadily
to
the
door
o
f
he
r
consciousness
.

Y
ou shouldn’t ha
v
e trusted anyone with the bracelets.

It
w
asn’t anyone, it
w
as Elias. Elias! How could I ha
v
e known?

The
signs
w
ere
there.
Remember
his
expression
when
he
first
saw
them?

Elias wouldn’t hurt anyone.

But
there
is
another
side
to
him—one
that’s
fooled
you
since
you
w
ere a child.

Celeste would still be ali
v
e if not for you.

A
t
last
,
sh
e
w
a
s
abl
e
t
o
speak
.
“
I
can’
t
stan
d
i
t
anymore
.
I
ha
v
e to see for myself.”

“I
know
.
Bu
t
le
t
the
m
al
l
lea
v
e
first
.
E
v
e
n
Lil
a
an
d
Chris
must not see us.”

“Why not?”

“I
t
i
s
les
s
dangerou
s
fo
r
the
m
i
f
the
y
kno
w
nothin
g
about
us
now.
I
am
still
unsure
about
the
relationship
bet
w
een
your
uncle
and
Mieley,
though
I
fear
that
when
he
informed
you
of
their partnership, he spoke the truth.”

A
fresh
w
a
v
e
of
worry
engulfed
her.
Bea
w
as
the
only
one
who
knew
where
they
had
gone.
V
ictoria
clutched
at
the
small
cross around her neck and squeezed her e
y
es shut.

Hey
!
Remembe
r
me
?
Yup
,
th
e
gir
l
yo
u
lef
t
i
n
th
e
middl
e
o
f
the
Rio
Grande.
I
ha
v
en’t
asked
you
for
anything
since
that
day,
ha
v
e
I?
Hell
no,
I
ha
v
en’t.
But
I’m
asking
for
your
help
now,
and
you
’
d
better
be
listening.
P
lease
keep
Bea
and
her
children
safe.
Y
ou
o
w
e
me
that
much.

A
s
afternoo
n
ble
d
int
o
e
v
ening
,
v
ehicle
s
bega
n
t
o
depart.
V
ictoria’
s
e
y
e
s
follo
w
e
d
he
r
uncl
e
unti
l
th
e
polic
e
car
disappeared
.
Th
e
tw
o
sheriff
s
cam
e
ou
t
last
.
Th
e
talle
r
one,
a
ma
n
wit
h
prominen
t
cheekbone
s
an
d
a
sca
r
o
f
a
mouth,
remo
v
ed
a
paper
bag
from
the
truck.
Pulling
out
a
roll
of
neon
y
ellow
tape,
he
cordoned
off
the
front
door
and
windows
and
proceeded
around
the
back
of
the
house.
Shortly
after
w
ard,
he
and
his
companion
loaded
the
pickup
with
se
v
eral
black
cases
and dro
v
e a
w
ay.