Chapter 20

Closer to nighttime than she'd planned, Deidre Snow finished loading her car at the grocery store, thrilled that she'd found new organic gnocchi. Recipes played through her head. There were so many sauces she could create, and the idea put a happy hop into her step. She wanted to make dinner for Monty Buckley soon, and a filling and mild meal was exactly what he needed.

She slid into her SUV and drove away from the grocery store, noting that it had finally stopped snowing. The groundhog had not seen his shadow this year, but she figured he must have been drunk, because there was no way winter was ending early. She flicked on her headlights to combat the early darkness.

It had been nice of Laurel to have officers watch her home at night. She had slept soundly and knew they'd be outside her place again tonight. Thank goodness.

As she drove out of the center of Genesis Valley, a truck roared up behind her, its headlights on high. There were so many idiots on the roads these days. She slowed down so he could pass her. He edged closer. Her heart started to beat faster, so she sped up. The truck kept pace, its headlights so bright, she couldn't see the driver.

She slowed down again, and so did he. She looked around, but she'd already left the town behind, so she sped up and took a wild right onto a country road.

He followed her.

She fumbled for her phone and pressed speed dial.

"Hi, Mom," Laurel said through the Bluetooth in the dash. "Huck and I are just leaving a restaurant. It's freezing. How was the grocery store?"

"Somebody's following me. They have big, bright lights," she burst out, her hands shaking on the steering wheel.

Laurel's voice remained calm. "Where are you?"

"I just turned off Larneys Road," Deidre said. "I don't know. There are trees everywhere. I don't know where to go. What should I do? I sped up and he followed, and I slowed down and he did the same."

"Take a deep breath," Laurel said. "We're headed out to the truck. I need to put you on hold just for a second, okay?"

"All right." Deidre gripped the steering wheel tighter.

The truck behind her hit her back bumper. She screamed, but Laurel was already on hold. She would have to handle this.

There was another turnoff coming up, and she'd swerve suddenly. She waited until the last second and turned, going around a farm field. Damn it, why hadn't she looked in her rearview when she'd been in town? Or had the truck come after town?

"All right, I'm back," Laurel said. "I called the local police. They know your location and are headed toward you. Do not leave your car."

"I know," Deidre said, panicking.

The truck had caught up with her again and hit her once more. Her vehicle slid on the icy road. She screamed.

"What happened?" Laurel asked, wind whistling through the phone. "We're coming. I promise, Mom."

"He hit me twice," Deidre said. "He's trying to hit my back bumper."

"I need you to stay on the best roads you can. If you take a right about two miles from where you are, it'll bring you back to Birch Tree Road, okay?"

Tears filled Deidre's eyes, and she blinked them away. "Is it the killer? Is it Jason Abbott? Is it Zeke Caine? What about your half sister? Or even a stranger who wants to rob me?" Horrific scenarios spun wildly through her head.

"It doesn't matter who it is. What matters is that you're in control and you're driving safely, okay?"

Deidre held her breath. "All right."

"Don't hold your breath," Laurel said.

Deidre sped up and looked in her rearview mirror. "Okay." All she could see were lights.

"Tell me about the vehicle behind you," Laurel said.

"I can't see anything but big headlights," Deidre gasped, in the grip of a panic attack.

"Focus, Mom. You're okay."

Deidre couldn't breathe. Was she having a heart attack? "I see the turnoff."

"Take it, but don't go off the road."

Deidre slowed down just enough and then turned. The truck immediately followed, sliding behind her.

"Now, I want you to press the gas pedal down. Hard," Laurel said.

Deidre followed orders, speeding up as the vehicle behind her did the same. "It's a big truck. The headlights are huge."

"Keep going. Three miles ahead, you'll be back on Birch Tree Road. I want you to take a left. Drive back toward town."

"Okay," Deidre said, and then yelped as the truck hit her again. Her SUV fishtailed wildly, but she'd grown up driving in the mountains of Washington State and she quickly corrected, hitting the gas. "I'm about to turn onto Birch Tree Road."

Sirens echoed in the distance. She took a left and fishtailed, nearly going off the road, but she made it back on. At least this road had been graveled. She swallowed and could barely breathe. Her lungs weren't working.

The sirens got louder. The truck spun around and drove in the other direction. She could see its taillights.

"They're going the other way." She let out a huge breath and her lungs stuttered.

"Keep driving. I've almost reached you, and the police should be there soon."

Deidre squinted to see red-and-blue lights spiraling into the sky around the nearest bend. "I hear sirens and can see lights in the distance."

"Don't stop until you get to the police," Laurel ordered.

"I won't," Deidre said, her body sagging. She couldn't believe this. What was she going to do now? She'd never leave her house again.

* * *

Laurel and Huck had stayed with Deidre all night. She'd been shaken for a while but had later calmed down. There were officers searching for the truck, but Deidre hadn't been able to give them much of a description.

Now Laurel had officers on her mother twenty-four hours a day. She might have to hire private security soon—or speed up her mother's travel schedule.

Back at the office, first thing in the morning, Tim Kohnex was waiting in the vestibule in front of Laurel's door as she walked inside the FBI building, finishing off a jelly doughnut.

Beside her, Huck paused. "Mr. Kohnex?"

"Hi." Kohnex pushed away from the wall. "I needed to talk to you."

Laurel wiped her hands on a napkin. "Do you have information regarding Mrs. Bearing?"

"I do." Kohnex looked around, his eyes flicking back and forth.

Laurel looked up to his face. "All right. Why don't you accompany me to the conference room upstairs?"

"I'll go with you," Huck said congenially.

"No, that's okay." Laurel looked at him. "You're not part of this case, Huck. We have to draw the line somewhere." Considering they planned to go on an ice-breaking excursion soon, she felt slightly hypocritical. But she needed to at least try to keep up a wall between Huck and the investigation.

Huck hesitated by the door to the Fish and Wildlife office, and she tried to read his expression. Was that concern?

The door buzzed and she opened it.

"Hello, Agent Snow," Agent Norrs called down. "I'm working in your office today to get caught up. There's a man waiting in the vestibule for you, and I thought if you wanted to interview him, Sherry could get the conference room ready."

Huck's shoulders visibly relaxed. "Hi, Norrs."

"Hi, Captain," Norrs called back. "I see you purchased doughnuts. Did you bring me any?"

"Sure." Huck handed the box to Laurel, after filching one maple bar. "Share with Norrs. Even though he's investigating me for murder, I like that he's here to provide backup."

Laurel pulled open her door. "Follow me, Mr. Kohnex." She walked up the stairs.

"Nice wallpaper," Kohnex said from behind her.

She sometimes forgot that the nude cancan dancers lined the hallway up. "Yes, we probably need to update this place," she said, reaching the top of the stairs. "Hello, Sherry."

"Hello, Laurel." Sherry craned her neck to look at the doughnut box.

"Here you go." Laurel placed it on the display counter, feeling disjointed without Kate there. "Make sure Agent Norrs gets one."

Norrs appeared in the doorway. "I will make sure Agent Norrs gets one." He flipped open the box and pounced on a round pastry with sprinkles. "I never get doughnuts anymore. Which one do you want, Sherry?"

She took a chocolate one.

"Mr. Kohnex?" Laurel asked.

He shook his head. "I don't eat doughnuts. Do you have any scotch?"

Sherry snickered. "It's eight o'clock in the morning."

"Oh." He looked around. "Still, no doughnut."

Laurel walked through the open doorway. "This way, Mr. Kohnex." She led him into the conference room. "Make yourself comfortable. I'll be back in a moment." She strode down to her office and dropped her coat and briefcase before taking a notebook and returning to the conference room, where Sherry had already left a pitcher of water.

"Would you like coffee or tea?" Laurel asked.

Kohnex shook his head. "I don't do caffeine either."

"How about water?" She nodded to the pitcher.

He frowned. "Is it from a mineral well?"

"I believe we pour our water from the tap," Laurel said.

"Then no water." He kicked back in his chair, his arms long and his legs extending far beneath the table. He seemed to be in good shape. How marvelous it would be to be 6' 7". Laurel could only imagine.

She sat down just as Agent Norrs strode inside, wiping the sprinkles off his shirt, and took a seat. Laurel introduced them. "Mr. Kohnex says he has evidence regarding Mrs. Bearing's murder."

Kohnex took a deep breath. "I've tortured myself whether to tell you this or not, but . . ." He looked up at the ceiling, and then down. "I walked in on Pastor John and Mrs. Bearing in his office a week ago. They were naked."

Norrs made a notation. "What did they do?"

"They hurriedly got dressed. They were both very embarrassed, but there wasn't much they could say." He lifted his shoulders. "I knew something was different about the pastor. His aura had completely changed, but the wind didn't whisper this one to me. However, I don't think he killed her."

Laurel sat back. "Why not?"

"His aura doesn't show evil. He's a nice guy."

Norrs cleared his voice. "I guess he's not that nice, considering he was having an affair with the mayor's wife."

"I see." Kohnex leaned back. "I had a dream about you, Agent Snow."

The hair rose on the back of her neck. "Was it a good dream?"

"It was not a good dream," Kohnex said. "You were running. There was snow and ice, and it was cold and frightening. I think you need to be very careful."

Agent Norrs leaned forward, looking like a stubborn bulldog. "Is that a threat?"

"No." Kohnex's eyes opened wide. "It's a warning. I'm telling you, the fates are whispering to me to warn you."

"Whispering?" Agent Norrs asked.

Kohnex nodded. "Yes, they want you protected, but there is a force after you." He shook his head and then stopped abruptly, staring down at the wooden table. "There are actually two forces after you, Agent Snow." He lifted his head and his pupils dilated. "You have to be very careful. It's not just your life you need to protect."

She barely stopped herself from reacting. "What do you mean? Please clarify."

He shook his head. "That's all I know, except . . ." He clasped his hands together. "I don't want you to take this the wrong way."

He had something worse to say? Laurel studied him. "What is it?"

"There's going to be another body found by a river."

Laurel already knew that there would be another body if she didn't catch this killer. "Do you know when?"

"Very soon," he said instantly.

Agent Norrs gave her a look. Laurel nodded. They definitely needed to investigate Kohnex more deeply than they had so far. "How do you know?"

"I had a dream," Kohnex said.

"Who is the victim?" Agent Norrs asked.

Kohnex shook his head. "I don't know. All I see is a blond woman face down near a river."

"Pretty much what you saw when you found Teri Bearing?" Agent Norrs grunted.

Kohnex nodded.

"Is there anything else?" Laurel asked.

"No. I just want to help. I hope you'll let me help. Too many times, nobody does," Kohnex said, his voice rough.

Sherry poked her head in. "Hi, a younger blond woman is out front freaking out, and the reporter from next door just ran outside."

Laurel briefly closed her eyes. This was all she needed. "I'll go." She stood.

"Right," Agent Norrs said. "Mr. Kohnex, you can stay here with me and run me through everywhere you've been during the last couple of weeks, minute by minute."

Kohnex stretched his long legs out even farther, his lips turning down. "This is why I don't like to help. Now I'm a suspect when you should be looking everywhere but at me."

"We'll look everywhere," Agent Norrs said, clapping him on the shoulder. "But for now, let's take a look at you."