Two wire cages, a couple of feet in each direction. They were empty. Behind them some darker lumps appeared to be tote bags and a toolbox.
We stepped back and stared at each other. Nascha said, “He must keep animals of some kind.”
“But what? That wasn’t a dog I heard. A cat?” I hesitated and shook my head. I’d heard cats yowl, but I didn’t think that was the sound from yesterday. Besides, why would anyone be carrying cats around in cages in the back of his truck?
“Rabbits?” Nascha said.
“Rabbits don’t sound like that! I didn’t think they even made noise.”
“They can scream when attacked.” She looked back at the truck window, her face troubled. “If he had rabbits and some other animal threatening them…. But why?” She shook her head. “I grew up in Santa Fe. I’m a city girl. This is not my area of expertise.”
She glanced down the street toward her car. “Oh, I forgot to put money in the meter, and they’re checking! I’m not usually here this early in the day.” She hurried back to her car.
I took one last look in the back window. Those cages were not big enough for a person. Definitely not. Whatever they were used for, they were not used to transport screaming women into the woods. But instead of solving a mystery, I’d increased the questions.
I stepped back, studying the dried mud splattered halfway up the sides. The truck obviously went off road in all kinds of weather. I wondered if you could look up license plates online or if you had to have official access to some database. I memorized the number just in case.
I stepped back onto the sidewalk. Someone spoke from beside the truck. “Hello.”
My gaze swung to the one-handed man. I jerked back in shock and stumbled off the curb. I almost fell out into the street, barely catching myself on the bumper of his truck and the hood of the car behind.
I held myself there, gasping. He stepped around the truck. “Are you all right?”
I pushed myself up. The hot metal of the truck hurt my hand, but I wasn’t sure of my ability to stand without help at that moment so I held on. At least he didn’t offer to help. If he’d gotten close enough to touch me I would have leapt into the street without a thought for traffic.
I scrambled for some excuse for my presence. The only reason I wasn’t babbling was that I was breathing too hard to speak.
The man gazed at me solemnly. “You found Bethany.”
“I… yes.” I was too startled to say anything but the truth.
“Thank you.”
What an odd thing to say. His mouth carried a hint of a smile, but his eyes were so bleak my heart ached even as it slowed its furious pumping.
“I remember you,” he said.
I couldn’t think of an answer. Of course he remembered me from yesterday. We’d just established that he recognized me.
His lips curved a fraction more. “You had a locker down the hall from me.” I must have still looked blank, because he added, “In high school.”
Understanding dawned. His smile became more natural than I’d seen it yet. “You don’t remember me.”
I struggled for something—anything—to say, so I wouldn’t look like a complete idiot. “I’m … sorry?”
“No surprise. You were a grade ahead. And I was kind of a geek.”
That was hard to believe. At a glance he was nondescript, but on closer examination, he had a lean, tough build, though his clothes hung a little too loose. I would have believed he was a wrestler in high school, but geek didn’t come to mind. He was kind of cute in a boy-next-door way, with close-cropped brown hair and those sad gray eyes that probably would have had Eslinda going all motherly.
But there was something about the way he stood, something lurking under the surface of those eyes, that warned against getting too close. He reminded me a bit of a stray dog, thin and abused and tragic, but still tough and wary, the kind you wanted to feed but were afraid to touch because you couldn’t quite trust it not
We stepped back and stared at each other. Nascha said, “He must keep animals of some kind.”
“But what? That wasn’t a dog I heard. A cat?” I hesitated and shook my head. I’d heard cats yowl, but I didn’t think that was the sound from yesterday. Besides, why would anyone be carrying cats around in cages in the back of his truck?
“Rabbits?” Nascha said.
“Rabbits don’t sound like that! I didn’t think they even made noise.”
“They can scream when attacked.” She looked back at the truck window, her face troubled. “If he had rabbits and some other animal threatening them…. But why?” She shook her head. “I grew up in Santa Fe. I’m a city girl. This is not my area of expertise.”
She glanced down the street toward her car. “Oh, I forgot to put money in the meter, and they’re checking! I’m not usually here this early in the day.” She hurried back to her car.
I took one last look in the back window. Those cages were not big enough for a person. Definitely not. Whatever they were used for, they were not used to transport screaming women into the woods. But instead of solving a mystery, I’d increased the questions.
I stepped back, studying the dried mud splattered halfway up the sides. The truck obviously went off road in all kinds of weather. I wondered if you could look up license plates online or if you had to have official access to some database. I memorized the number just in case.
I stepped back onto the sidewalk. Someone spoke from beside the truck. “Hello.”
My gaze swung to the one-handed man. I jerked back in shock and stumbled off the curb. I almost fell out into the street, barely catching myself on the bumper of his truck and the hood of the car behind.
I held myself there, gasping. He stepped around the truck. “Are you all right?”
I pushed myself up. The hot metal of the truck hurt my hand, but I wasn’t sure of my ability to stand without help at that moment so I held on. At least he didn’t offer to help. If he’d gotten close enough to touch me I would have leapt into the street without a thought for traffic.
I scrambled for some excuse for my presence. The only reason I wasn’t babbling was that I was breathing too hard to speak.
The man gazed at me solemnly. “You found Bethany.”
“I… yes.” I was too startled to say anything but the truth.
“Thank you.”
What an odd thing to say. His mouth carried a hint of a smile, but his eyes were so bleak my heart ached even as it slowed its furious pumping.
“I remember you,” he said.
I couldn’t think of an answer. Of course he remembered me from yesterday. We’d just established that he recognized me.
His lips curved a fraction more. “You had a locker down the hall from me.” I must have still looked blank, because he added, “In high school.”
Understanding dawned. His smile became more natural than I’d seen it yet. “You don’t remember me.”
I struggled for something—anything—to say, so I wouldn’t look like a complete idiot. “I’m … sorry?”
“No surprise. You were a grade ahead. And I was kind of a geek.”
That was hard to believe. At a glance he was nondescript, but on closer examination, he had a lean, tough build, though his clothes hung a little too loose. I would have believed he was a wrestler in high school, but geek didn’t come to mind. He was kind of cute in a boy-next-door way, with close-cropped brown hair and those sad gray eyes that probably would have had Eslinda going all motherly.
But there was something about the way he stood, something lurking under the surface of those eyes, that warned against getting too close. He reminded me a bit of a stray dog, thin and abused and tragic, but still tough and wary, the kind you wanted to feed but were afraid to touch because you couldn’t quite trust it not
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