“A prosthesis. Difficult to run with, as you can see.”
She stepped back. “Turn around slowly.”
He did as she said, and she clipped cuffs around his wrists. She was surprised to see the man’s well groomed, good-looking, mild-mannered face, with blue eyes and curly black hair. She also noticed his expensive hiking gear—covered in mud now, but it was easy to see that it had cost him a pretty penny. This guy didn’t look like a criminal at all.
“Um, can you lower the weapon?” he said. “It’s making me nervous.”
Ignoring him, she fished into his pocket, withdrew his wallet, opened it, and removed a driver’s license—California, in the name of Javier Castillo.
She Mirandized him—and then began walking him back up the hill toward the cabin. “You realize you were trespassing on a crime scene? Tampering with evidence? Other charges come to mind as well—interfering with a police officer, resisting arrest, fleeing—mister, you’re in deep shit. What the hell were you doing?”
The man replied, in a calm voice, “I decline to answer questions without my attorney present.”
“Oh, so you’re one of those assholes. What were you looking for?”
“You have my answer.”
“Okay, Javier, smart-ass.”
“Call me Javi,” he said pleasantly.
At this point, a scattering of heavy drops began to fall, and there was a close peal of thunder as they approached the cabin again, keeping outside of the line of tape this time. She paused and took a moment to get herself under control, take a deep breath, get her heart rate down—and not let herself be provoked. This shitty day had turned even shittier, somehow. But maybe—just maybe—this could be the big break in the case they were waiting for.
“Okay,Javi. Here’s what we’re going to do. You’re going to walk in front of me. We’re going to hike back down to the trailhead, where we’re going to be picked up by my partner, and we’re going to take you in. Do you understand?”
“But it’s raining.”
“Looks like you’re gonna get wet. At least it’s washing the mud off yah. Now get your ass moving down the trail.”
