Page 93 of The Search

“I started the talks with her and I’d like to continue. But my time is at a premium right now. Perhaps I could reach her through this Sergeant Chavez? Do you know him personally?”

“Several of our group have worked with Richard in the past. He’s with the Maricopa Sheriff’s Department and works with the lake patrol. Nice guy. He was terribly concerned about those kids.”

“What kids?”

“Haven’t you seen the stories on TV? Three teenagers were picnicking in the Tonto Basin forest near Apache Lake and they disappeared. Search parties have been looking for them for the past two days. Thank God it’s summer. It increases the chance of survival enormously.”

“No, I didn’t see the story.” Sarah didn’t have a television set. “Is Sarah going directly to Apache Lake?”

“Yes, she’s to meet Chavez at the rest stop.”

“Can you give me his phone number?”

“Sure. But he’s hard to reach. In emergency situations he’s usually out on the trail or water with the search teams.”

“I can try.” He took down the number. “Thank you. I’ll have Sarah get back to you about my donation.” He hung up and called Margaret. “Get in touch with the Maricopa Sheriff’s Department and check on Sergeant Richard Chavez. Make sure he’s on the up-and-up. Then get me any information on the search going on at Apache Lake.”

“Got it.”

He hung up the phone.

Maggie was still howling.

Maybe she was hurting. He went to the porch and checked her bandage. It was fresh; Sarah must have changed it before she left. Maggie snapped and he barely eluded those powerful jaws. “I can’t help it, dammit. I didn’t send them away.”

She glared at him and then raised her head and howled.

He got to his feet when the phone rang.

“Chavez checks out. Been with the patrol for fifteen years and has a chest full of commendations. He’s working the Apache Lake case. Anything else?”

“Not right now.” He hung up and sank down in his easy chair.

Everything looked okay. It was a valid case, Chavez had checked out, no one was following Sarah but Smith.

Okay, hell. Just the fact that Sarah had not woken him to tell him she was going was significant. She had reasserted her independence and delicately thumbed her nose at him. It was a reaction he had half-expected, one he couldn’t ignore. Now what was he going to do? The situation appeared safe and she was only doing her job. If he went after her, she would have grounds to claim he was interfering with her freedom.

Maggie howled.

And she had told him to take care of Maggie. He couldn’t leave the wolf alone or under the care of someone Sarah didn’t trust. Any other action would really blow any gains he’d made the previous night.

Maggie howled again.

He felt like howling too, in frustration, anger, and panic. What appeared smooth on the surface might be nasty underneath. He didn’t know Smith. Was he sharp enough? And there were too many things Logan didn’t know about the job Sarah was going on.

Just what the hell was a water search?

She was being followed.

Sarah glanced at the rearview mirror again. Black Toyota SUV. It was the same car she’d noticed behind her a few miles after she’d left the cabin. And he was closer. Her hands tightened on the steering wheel.

She was going through the last small town before she hit that twisting road down to the lake. Time to check out the SUV before she got to a more isolated area. She pulled into a busy Texaco station and got out of the car. “Stay, Monty.”

She took six steps back to the road, directly in the path of traffic. The SUV screeched to a halt only a few feet from where she stood.

“Jesus.” A sandy-haired man stuck his head out the window. “I almost hit you, lady.”

She glanced over her shoulder at the service station. They were attracting enough attention. Several motorists had stopped pumping gas to watch them. “Who almost hit me?” She moved to the side of the car. “Who are you? And why are you following me?”