Roadside Crosses (Kathryn Dance 2)

One name that stood out was Donald Hawken, an old friend of James Chilton's, who was mentioned in the "On the Home Front" section. Hawken might be the victim for whom Travis had left the cross on the windswept stretch of Highway 1.

So they'd driven to the man's house, their purpose to get Hawken and his wife out of danger and set up surveillance at the house.

But upon arriving, Dance had seen a figure in a hood, possibly holding a gun, lurking in the bushes to the side of the ranch. She'd sent Albert Stemple and the MCSO deputy after the intruder, and Rey Carraneo, with Dance behind him, barged into the house, guns drawn, to protect Hawken and his wife.

They were still badly shaken; they'd assumed Carraneo was the killer when the plainclothes agent had burst through the door, his weapon high.

Dance's Motorola crackled and she answered. It was Stemple again. "I'm in the backyard. Got a cross carved into this patch of dirt and rose petals sca

ttered around it."

"Roger that, Al."

Lily closed her eyes, lowered her head to her husband's shoulder.

Four or five minutes, Dance was thinking. If we'd gotten here just that much later, the couple would be dead.

"Why us?" Hawken asked. "We didn't do anything to him. We didn't post. We don't even know him."

Dance explained about the boy's expanding his targets.

"You mean, anybody even mentioned in the blog's at risk?"

"Seems that way."

Dozens of police had descended on the area within minutes, but the calls coming in made clear that Travis was nowhere to be found.

How the hell does a kid on a bicycle get away? Dance thought, frustrated. He just vanishes. Where? Somebody's basement? An abandoned construction site?

Outside, the first of the press cars were beginning to arrive, the vans with the dishes atop, the cameramen prodding their equipment to life.

About to stoke the panic in town that much hotter.

More police showed up too, including several bicycle patrol officers.

Dance now asked Hawken, "You still have your house in the San Diego area?"

Lily replied, "It's on the market. Hasn't sold yet."

"I'd like you to go back there."

"Well," he said, "there's no furniture. It's in storage."

"You have people you can stay with?"

"My parents. Donald's children are staying with them now."

"Then go back there until we find Travis."

"I guess we could," Lily said.

"You go," Hawken said to her. "I'm not leaving Jim."

"There's nothing you can do to help him," Dance said.

"There sure is. I can give him moral support. This is a terrible time. He needs friends."

Dance continued, "I'm sure he appreciates your loyalty, but look at what just happened. That boy knows where you live and he obviously wants to hurt you."