her aroma. âDumpster diving,â she explained. She glanced at Perez, whose expression remained impassive. Either the agent was naturally stoic or he lacked a sense of smell. Lest he think she routinely waded through garbage, she added, âI was looking for Zack.â
Perezâs chin lifted a fraction of an inch. âThatâs very . . . astute of you.â
It sounded vaguely insulting. âThanks,â she said. âI think.â
âMost civilians would never . . .â he started, then abruptly switched tack âWhy did you think he might have crawled into a Dumpster?â
âTwo-year-olds can get into all kinds of places, canât they? Besides, he might not have crawled in on his own,â she said.
Agent Perez, his eyes still fixed on her, nodded briefly.
âMy God.â Kentâs eyes were wide with horror. âI never thought of that.â He rubbed his eyes briefly as if to erase an ugly image that had formed there, then turned back to Perez. âAnyway, sorry. I had to finish a theft report, and then I had to give some illegal campers the boot.â
Sam frowned. âNot the mother and the two little girls? Down in that flat spot by the river?â
Kent nodded. âYeah. Mexican migrants, I think. Barely understood English.â
She sighed. âThey probably donât have money for the campground fee.â
âI sent her to the national forest. At least I hope she understood; I showed it to her on the map.â He glanced at Perez. âWe have a real problem with the homeless.â
The FBI agent made an impatient gesture. âTheyâre everywhere.â
âGot that right. We see too many illegal Mexicans here.â Apparently Kent had a sudden thought about Agent Perezâs probable ancestry, because he hastily added, âAnd other homeless, too. Sometimes we chase them around for weeks, even months. About three years agoâI was a summer hire thenâwe had this one guy, about my age, and his teenage girlfriend. They kept popping up all over the park. The girl had the most beautiful eyes, big and brown, like a whitetail deer. She was only about Samâs size but a lot younger.â
Sam suddenly felt like an elderly dwarf. She corrected the slouch of her back and tried to relax the frown line etched into her forehead.
Kent continued. âSixteen, maybe seventeen years old. And she was out to here, at least eight months pregnant.â He held his hand out in front of his abdomen, measuring an imaginary belly.
The gesture looked strange on a man. Evidently Perez thought so, too: his gaze remained fixed on the outstretched hand until Kent dropped it back to his side.
Perez abruptly changed the topic. âSo, you two know each other?â
âOh yeah,â Kent said. âIâve known Sam for years.â
Perez turned to her. âI thought your name was Summer.â
âSamâs my nickname,â she said. âBetter than Sum, donât you think?â Then, hearing the double-entendre, she added, âS-U-M, I mean, not S-O-M-E.â
âGot it the first time.â Perezâs gaze shifted to Kent. âWhatâs the connection between you two?â
Kent explained her seasonal employment in the park a year ago, that they were fellow wildlife biologists, Samâs follow-up article about the cougars. Perez took in the information without a change in expression. He looked back to Sam. âYouâre a biologist, a writer, and a photographer?â
âSheâs Wonder Woman,â Kent said. âOdiferous Wonder Woman.â
Sam jabbed him with an elbow.
Perez touched the tip of the pen to the notepad again. âSo youâre a journalist.â His tone made the word sound like an epithet.
âIâm not the press,â she told the agent. Although it felt slightly disloyal to Adam to say it, the last thing she wanted was to be lumped in with the media team
Payge Galvin, Meg Chance
T. Michael Martin
Stephanie Laurens, Victoria Alexander, Rachel Gibson
Terry Deary
Patricia Wentworth
John Julius Norwich
Greg Gutfeld
Kimberly Claire
Sophia Johnson
Richard Newsome