second impulse to get up and walk out of the room, and he very nearly obeyed that one. Instead, he drew a deep breath, let it out slowly, and said, “The carnival isn’t in Golden because the next town on the schedule just hosted a circus. The carnival is in Golden because you wanted it to be here.”
“I didn’t want to be here, Luke, believe me. In fact, I would have gone a long way to avoid being here just now. But we both know some of the things I see simply can’t be changed. And unfortunately for us both, this is one of them. It’s the real punch line of the cosmic joke. In that vision where I saw you playing chess with the kidnapper, I also saw myself standing behind you. You can’t win the game without me.”
Lindsay stretched languidly and yawned. “God. Do we have to go back to the station?”
Metcalf eyed smooth flesh still clinging to its golden summer tan and reached over to touch her. “Somebody might wonder if we never come back from lunch,” he noted absently.
“Ummm. What lunch? I’ve lost ten pounds with these lunches of ours.”
“We can stop for a quick burger on the way back.”
“You always say that, but when it comes down to it neither one of us is hungry.”
“So we lose a few pounds and go back to work relaxed and destressed; I’d call that a good lunch break.”
Lindsay started to reach for him but saw over his shoulder the clock on the nightstand and groaned. “We’ve been gone almost an hour now.”
“I’m the sheriff. I can be late.”
“But—”
“And so can you.”
They were very late in returning to the station, and when absolutely nobody commented, Lindsay wondered for the first time if their “secret” affair was as secret as she’d believed.
People were very studiously not commenting.
They found both Lucas and his partner in the conference room. He was pacing with the wired energy of a caged cat; Jaylene was sitting on the end of the conference table, watching him meditatively.
“Sorry,” Lindsay said as they came in.
Lucas paused and looked at her. “Why?”
“Lunch. We’re late getting back.”
“Oh. That.” He resumed pacing. “I’m not hungry.”
Gesturing to two Styrofoam containers behind her on the table, Jaylene said, “I brought him something, but he’s been a little . . . preoccupied.”
“Has something happened?” Metcalf asked.
“No,” Lucas said. He glanced at Jaylene, then added, “Nothing’s changed.”
Metcalf looked at Lindsay. “Was that a qualified statement? It sounded qualified to me.”
“Don’t ask,” Lucas told him. “You won’t like the answer, believe me.”
“It’s Samantha,” Jaylene said. “She believes she’s meant to be here, to be involved in the investigation. To help Luke win the game.”
“Shit,” Metcalf said.
Lindsay asked, “Help him how?”
“If she even knows, she isn’t saying.”
“I don’t think she knows,” Lucas said. “Just that she’s somehow involved.”
“That’s what I’ve been saying,” the sheriff reminded them.
Lucas stopped pacing and took a chair. “Involved in the investigation. On our side.”
“Your side,” Jaylene murmured.
“Is there a difference?” he demanded.
“Maybe so.”
He gestured slightly as though pushing the comment away, then said, “Whether Sam’s involved doesn’t change the fact that we’ve got nothing to go on. No evidence, nothing to I.D. him or even point us in his direction. If this bastard follows his usual pattern, he’s already in another state and planning his next abduction.”
Lindsay said, “But Sam says his next abduction is here in Golden.” She frowned. “If we assume for a minute that she’s right, why would he change his M.O. now? I mean, why plan two kidnappings in the same area? Isn’t that asking for trouble?”
“Maybe it’s asking for Luke,” Jaylene offered. “Maybe part of the game was to eventually get us in position before the fact. It would be the first
“I didn’t want to be here, Luke, believe me. In fact, I would have gone a long way to avoid being here just now. But we both know some of the things I see simply can’t be changed. And unfortunately for us both, this is one of them. It’s the real punch line of the cosmic joke. In that vision where I saw you playing chess with the kidnapper, I also saw myself standing behind you. You can’t win the game without me.”
Lindsay stretched languidly and yawned. “God. Do we have to go back to the station?”
Metcalf eyed smooth flesh still clinging to its golden summer tan and reached over to touch her. “Somebody might wonder if we never come back from lunch,” he noted absently.
“Ummm. What lunch? I’ve lost ten pounds with these lunches of ours.”
“We can stop for a quick burger on the way back.”
“You always say that, but when it comes down to it neither one of us is hungry.”
“So we lose a few pounds and go back to work relaxed and destressed; I’d call that a good lunch break.”
Lindsay started to reach for him but saw over his shoulder the clock on the nightstand and groaned. “We’ve been gone almost an hour now.”
“I’m the sheriff. I can be late.”
“But—”
“And so can you.”
They were very late in returning to the station, and when absolutely nobody commented, Lindsay wondered for the first time if their “secret” affair was as secret as she’d believed.
People were very studiously not commenting.
They found both Lucas and his partner in the conference room. He was pacing with the wired energy of a caged cat; Jaylene was sitting on the end of the conference table, watching him meditatively.
“Sorry,” Lindsay said as they came in.
Lucas paused and looked at her. “Why?”
“Lunch. We’re late getting back.”
“Oh. That.” He resumed pacing. “I’m not hungry.”
Gesturing to two Styrofoam containers behind her on the table, Jaylene said, “I brought him something, but he’s been a little . . . preoccupied.”
“Has something happened?” Metcalf asked.
“No,” Lucas said. He glanced at Jaylene, then added, “Nothing’s changed.”
Metcalf looked at Lindsay. “Was that a qualified statement? It sounded qualified to me.”
“Don’t ask,” Lucas told him. “You won’t like the answer, believe me.”
“It’s Samantha,” Jaylene said. “She believes she’s meant to be here, to be involved in the investigation. To help Luke win the game.”
“Shit,” Metcalf said.
Lindsay asked, “Help him how?”
“If she even knows, she isn’t saying.”
“I don’t think she knows,” Lucas said. “Just that she’s somehow involved.”
“That’s what I’ve been saying,” the sheriff reminded them.
Lucas stopped pacing and took a chair. “Involved in the investigation. On our side.”
“Your side,” Jaylene murmured.
“Is there a difference?” he demanded.
“Maybe so.”
He gestured slightly as though pushing the comment away, then said, “Whether Sam’s involved doesn’t change the fact that we’ve got nothing to go on. No evidence, nothing to I.D. him or even point us in his direction. If this bastard follows his usual pattern, he’s already in another state and planning his next abduction.”
Lindsay said, “But Sam says his next abduction is here in Golden.” She frowned. “If we assume for a minute that she’s right, why would he change his M.O. now? I mean, why plan two kidnappings in the same area? Isn’t that asking for trouble?”
“Maybe it’s asking for Luke,” Jaylene offered. “Maybe part of the game was to eventually get us in position before the fact. It would be the first
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