“They are your fault.”
“You want me dead, don’t you? You hope I die. You want me out of your life forever. You always have.”
She bowed her head and rubbed her hairline where a headache was coming on. “Don’t say things like that. You know they’re not true.”
“When Panella gets to me, when they find me with a bullet in my head, you’ll have finally gotten what you want, which is rid of me!”
With that, the phone went dead.
After Shaw dropped his bombshell in Morrow’s office, things happened quickly.
Morrow turned over the questioning of Linda Meeker to the two detectives who’d been interviewing her before. Her father’s bellowing could be heard throughout the building, publicly denouncing her for a long list of sins that would land her in Hell.
If Shaw had had the strength to lay into the judgmental son of a bitch, he would have. But he barely had the stamina to walk to the car with Wiley and Hickam. He stripped off the hot-as-Hades hoodie and the sunglasses and practically fell into the backseat.
He got out of s
ight just in time. Before they were even clear of the parking lot, two news vans in an obvious race pulled up in front of the sheriff’s office.
“Crap,” Hickam said.
“It was only a matter of time,” Wiley said. “Two murders originating in one backwoods bar within a few days? Had to make news even if it’s dismissed as a bizarre coincidence.”
“Morrow said he would personally flay and filet anyone who leaked the girl’s name to the media,” Shaw said. “But it’ll get out.”
“Morrow’s gonna have people guarding her house,” Wiley said.
Shaw was only marginally reassured. He trusted Morrow, but he thought about the sloppy surveillance that had been done on Jordie.
Hickam said, “It’ll really turn into a circus if Panella’s name gets attached to the crime.”
“Morrow’s going to keep that speculation out of the media,” Wiley said.
“Except it’s not speculation.”
Wiley conceded Shaw’s point. “It’s scary to think he’s in the area. But I’d be lying if I pretended I’m not a little glad. I’d love to nail the bastard once and for all without having to go to the edge of nowhere in order to find him.” He looked at Hickam. “You notify the marshal’s service?”
“Gave the guy a hard-on.”
Wiley smiled and watched as the reporters and cameramen rushed the entry of the sheriff’s office. “I hate leaving Morrow alone to stamp out that wildfire.”
“He’ll handle it. He’s solid,” Shaw said as he dug his thumb and forefinger into his eye sockets. He’d never been so tired.
As though reading his mind, Wiley said, “You’re going back to the hospital.”
Shaw lowered his hand. “Hell I am. We gotta move Jordie Bennett to a safe house.”
“We don’t need your help,” Hickam said.
“Didn’t say you did.”
“We can handle it without you.”
“You can, but you’re not.”
Hickam shrugged. “Fine. Your funeral.”
“You wish.”