Sound of Darkness

Seven

“That’s him now, I imagine,” Megan said, pointing down the street as Mark’s navy SUV moved along, signaling a stop.

“That’s him,” Colleen agreed.

“Wow,” Megan said.

“Wow—beautiful dog?” Colleen asked. Red was seated in the front seat at the moment. Once Mark pulled over, Colleen knew the dog would jump in the back.

Megan laughed. “Well, yes, wow. Beautiful dog. But your new partner...perfect for the job. Square jaw, great face...those eyes. He’s perfect. Not the guy you want to be interrogating you. The guy you want with you in a fight.”

She grinned at Colleen.

“Not that I want you in a fight!” she said.

“Honestly, Megan. A lot of the job is sitting in the office poring through information, looking for clues on social media, or sometimes, just watching people. Like sitting in a car all day.”

Mark’s car had pulled up to the curb. He leaned over to open the passenger-side door.

He gave Megan a very nice smile.

“Hi, Megan. I’m Mark. I’m sure your sister has told you what we’re doing.”

Megan started for the back door. Colleen urged her into the front passenger’s seat instead.

“There might be a little dog hair,” Mark said.

“I love dogs,” Megan told him. “And he’s beautiful. Red, right?” she said, twisting around to address the dog.

Red let out a woof and Megan turned to stroke him. She looked at Mark, and he returned her glance right before pulling back onto the road.

“I’m a dog person,” Megan told him. “I have a German shepherd mix. Her name is Lily. I’m probably wearing a little German shepherd hair as it is.”

“Was Lily a rescue?” he asked, driving.

“Yep. But she wasn’t horribly abandoned. Her owner passed away and the woman’s son was overseas in the military. I went to school with him, and he knows how much I love pups, so...anyway, Lily is great. Nothing like Red, I imagine, but she does love people. She keeps me exercising.”

Megan seemed to get along easily with Mark.

And Mark kept smiling at Megan.

Colleen wondered if even Red noted how much easier his master took to Megan than he had to Colleen.

Granted they had been thrown together to find a woman buried in the earth before she suffocated.

Megan grew serious.

“Special Agent Gallagher—”

“Mark, please.”

“Of course, Mark. I just don’t see how this man who is so incredible with descriptions and words, who has such a handle on the customs and mores of people during different times in history, could be a horrible monster.”

“You’d be surprised,” Mark said quietly.

“So, I’m just supposed to find out if he left New York the night that Dierdre Ayers was taken?”

“Megan,” Colleen said, “obviously, you can’t just ask him if he was in New York City.”

“Duh!” Megan said, glancing back at her, frowning. “My question is—that’s the main thing you want me to find out? And it’s all right if I tell him how fabulous his work is?”

“Fawn all over him,” Mark said.

“Oh, I don’t really fawn. I mean, I have professional integrity, you know. And sadly, he’s never worked with my publishing house. Of course, maybe my adoration would make him want to in the future!”

“If he’s innocent, you’re welcome to the writer,” Mark assured her.

Megan asked about Red as they drove. Mark described how he happened to have a friend who was a dog trainer—one of the best in the country—and Red had just proved himself to be exceptional at many disciplines.

The two engaged in conversation all the way to the hospital.

Ragnar was already there. He was standing in the hall on the fourth floor when they arrived. Mark was a bit ahead of the two of them.

Megan caught Colleen’s arm lightly. “My Lord! And that’s the partner? Well, I’m a little relieved. Patrick would be relieved. It looks like you have a pair of giant bastions to guard you. Not to mention the dog.”

“Definitely the easiest partner to get along with,” Colleen assured her.

“Put pigtails on that guy, and you could walk him into a Viking movie,” Megan said.

“I admit I thought the same thing.”

“And that’s—”