Sound of Darkness

Mark watched her go, pulling out his phone to call Ragnar.

Over the line, Ragnar said, “Angela told me you want to see some interaction. I am going to visit Sally and ask her what’s with her and Brant Pickering, and then I think my most useful action will be to head to Front Royal, talk with the police and the rangers.”

“We’ll meet you there as soon as possible,” Mark promised.

“I’d love to be a fly on the wall there, but even if Megan Law is as annoying as all hell, I think she was reading Carver just right. That shack or cabin is out there, and while we know that Carver used it, his copycat may have used it too.”

“And we may find evidence,” Mark agreed. “We’ll play this out and be there soon.”

“Yes. I need you guys—at least, we need Red!”

“Yeah. We’ll get Red out there quickly.”

He ended the call and walked the rest of the way to the building that housed the Krewe offices. He went to Angela’s office first.

“Colleen is on her way to get Dierdre.”

“And Vince Monroe has beaten you in,” Angela told him. “I have him in the far conference room. We can keep him there until anyone who comes in with Dierdre has gone past. And don’t worry, no matter what questions have been asked so far to either Gary Boynton or Rory Ayers, I can come up with more.”

“We haven’t heard anything further on Brant Pickering, right?”

“Not yet.”

“Thank you. I’ll go in with Vince. Ragnar is going to visit Sally, and then he’ll be heading toward Front Royal.”

“We’ve informed the main Bureau offices there, and they’re sending out agents to comb the woods as well.”

“We can use all the help we can get,” Mark assured her.

He walked down the hall to the conference room. Vince Monroe was seated at the table, staring at his hands.

“Hello,” he said, greeting Mark.

“You’re early,” Mark noted. “Colleen has gone for Dierdre, but it will take a bit.”

Monroe shook his head. “It’s all right. Ever since I talked to you guys, I’ve been worried. I go over and over everything I can remember from when we were seeing each other.”

“And do you come up with anything?”

Monroe grimaced. “Her father is a jerk?”

Mark shrugged.

Monroe laughed, adjusting himself in his chair. “So, you are being polite, but you know he’s an ass.”

“Ah, well, my position is not to judge people’s personalities unless, of course, they’re stark raving crazy and a danger to others.”

“He’s just a danger to common decency,” Monroe said. “But whatever.” He fell quiet. “It will be good to see Dierdre. Just to see for myself she’s all right.”

“You do still love her.”

Monroe smiled. “She’s special. How she’s his kid, I’ll never know. Her mom is all right, though. I guess she was the one home during Dierdre’s formative years. Ayers was probably always at work. She didn’t matter until she could help in a merger.”

There was a tap on the door. It was Angela.

“Excuse me, gentlemen. Mark, may I see you for a minute?”

“Of course. Excuse me, Mr. Monroe.”

“Vince, please.”

“Vince,” he said, frowning slightly at Angela as he headed out.

“I’ve found some interesting information,” she said.