Mean Streak

“He wasn’t like that.”

“Not creepy then?”

“No.”

“Any rants against the government?”

“When he spoke at all, he was reasonable and soft-spoken, certainly not ranting. I would describe him as taciturn.” She glanced toward the foot of the bed. “Like Sergeant Grange.”

“Huh.” Knight turned and looked at his partner as though assessing him for the first time. Coming back to her, he took a rubber band from his shirt pocket and began winding it around his fingers. “Did you see anything that looked like bomb-making materials?”

“No.”

“Did he have guns?”

“I’m certain he did.”

He raised his eyebrows. “How do you know?”

“A deer head was mounted above the mantel.”

“In these parts, there are deer heads mounted above nearly every mantel.”

“Precisely.”

She had scored that point. Following a lull, Grange asked, “Did he demonstrate any violent tendencies?”

“Not toward me.” She envisioned Norman and Will Floyd lying where they’d landed, bloody and misshapen, moaning in misery. She also thought of the gallantry extended to Pauline and the wrenching concern for Lisa. “The truth is, gentlemen, this man remains as much a mystery to me as he does to you.”

Knight popped the rubber band against his fingers several times. “Guess that says it all. Unless you can think of anything else.”

She shook her head. “I’m sorry.”

“That doesn’t leave much for us to tell the media,” Grange said.

She’d momentarily forgotten the upcoming press conference, and she was grateful she wouldn’t be called upon to make a statement. “Please keep the explanation to a minimum. I didn’t suffer any physical or emotional trauma. I really don’t owe anyone an explanation—”

“Well, see, you sorta do,” Knight said. “Faking your disappearance. Causing a false public alarm. Those are crimes, Emory.”

Her lips parted in surprise. “I didn’t fake my concussion.”

“No, no, we saw the CT,” Knight said. “That part’s factual. The rest…” He frowned and seemed in no way forgiving.

She took a swift breath. “I realize how many people were involved in the search for me. An undertaking like that costs time and money, and I intend to donate funds to each county involved to help them recoup that expense. Perhaps to the school systems or to the public health departments.”

“Well, that’s awful generous of you. A gesture like that would go a long way to keep you in the public’s favor. An

d nobody feels inclined to press charges against you at this time.”

Knight was smiling, but Emory noticed that he’d kept open-ended the option to prosecute. “To the best of my knowledge,” she said, “I fell on the Bear Ridge Trail. I hit my head, sustained a concussion, and lost consciousness. When I came to, I didn’t know where I was, and a combination of unpredictable circumstances prevented me from getting back. I owe my life to the kindness of a man who remains a stranger. After a few days of rest, I should be fully recovered. That’s the statement you should give the media.”

Essentially it was the truth.

They seemed to think it over. Knight looked over at Grange, and Grange said, “It’s the best we’ve got.” As though to soften his obvious dissatisfaction, he politely asked if she would continue her marathon training.

“Not right away.” She looked at her injured foot and said ruefully, “I won’t be ready for the upcoming one.”

“That is a shame,” Knight said. “Jeff told us how hard you’ve worked organizing it, making it an event.”