“Are you sure you want to be here?” she asked. “You haven’t given yourself enough time to recover from the radiation treatments.”
Monty coughed. “I’m happy to be anywhere and am so thankful I no longer have cancer. I just have a little bug that I caught because my defenses are down.” His hand shook when he reached for his cup of coffee.
“I think you should go home,” she said. “Monty, you and my mother have started becoming friends, and I know it would hurt her greatly if anything happened to you.”
He straightened his shoulders. “I need to be here, Laurel. Huck can’t be.”
“We’re working the case together, but that doesn’t mean we both have to be at every interview. Right now, Fish and Wildlife is tracking down the movements of Mrs. Bearing while Nester is doing the same for Delta Rivers, working remotely. Our organizations work well together, Monty. We can cover for each other.”
He looked at the door and then back. “Are you sure?”
“Yes. Why don’t you take the afternoon off, get some sleep?”
He faltered and then stood. “I really could use some sleep.”
“I will send you my notes after I meet with Pastor John, okay?”
Monty smiled, and the tension around his eyebrows, forehead, and mouth had eased. “Okay, sounds good. If anything happens on the case, call me in.” He walked shakily out the door.
Silence pounded around the office after he left. Even the wind sounded mournful outside. Laurel called Nester.
He answered immediately. “Hi, boss.”
“How’s your sister?” she asked.
“Good. She’s going to be okay.”
What a relief. “I’m so glad. Have you had a chance to conduct my searches?”
“Yep. I’ve been running searches for you and also for my sister. I will find the truck that hit her.” The rapid clacking of keys came across the line. “I have not found Saul Bearing or either of his sons.”
She drew in a deep breath. “We have the local police interviewing everyone at the mayor’s office as well as the elder son’s law firm, and nobody has a clue where they’ve gone.” Perhaps the mayor had killed his wife.
“How infuriating. About Delta Rivers. So far, I have not found a cell phone account for her. However, I did track her movements and see that she arrived in town just one day before her body was found. She flew in from Santa Fe.”
Laurel straightened. “Did she travel solo?”
“Yep. I’m still trying to find out more information.”
Laurel bit back frustration. Nester was doing his best. “Thank you. Call me when you have more.” She clicked off.
Movement sounded and Sherry brought back Pastor John Govern.
“Pastor John. Hello.” Laurel stood and shook his hand. “We’ve had a BOLO out on you for days.”
“I heard. Sorry about that. We snowmobiled where faith took us and just returned a short time ago.” Pastor John looked at the rough wooden door. “I take it something happened to your conference table?”
“The glass shattered in an unfortunate incident. We’re using the door until we obtain a new top.” Laurel studied the pastor. He had to be in his midthirties with short, curly brown hair, deep brown skin, and lighter brown eyes behind wire-rimmed glasses. He had shaved today, showing a hard cut jaw. He stood to about Huck’s height but was slimmer than the captain.
“It’s good to see you again,” the pastor said, settling into the seat.
“Thank you. You, too,” Laurel said. “Perhaps next time you venture into the Cascades, you should take a radio with you, Pastor John.”
He waved a hand in the air. “Maybe. And it’s John. Just John, remember? You’re not a member of the congregation . . . unless that has changed?”
“No,” she said. “That has not changed.”
“Then call me John.” The pastor smiled, showing a perfect row of teeth. “I apologize for not being available before now, since I’ve heard all the news. I cannot believe somebody brutally killed Mrs. Bearing and left her body behind my church.”
