Windermere picked up the radio. “Here’s the deal,” she said. “We’re thinking Parkerson’s in one of the houses along the shore. Look for a blue Ford Explorer SUV, but be careful. No light shows. We don’t want to spook him.”
The radio crackled. Six voices radioed back the affirmative, one by one. Windermere put down the handset and looked over at Stevens. “You feel lucky?”
Stevens stared out into the gloom. “He’s out there.”
“Good. So which way am I turning?”
“You’re asking me?” Stevens paused. “Let’s go left.”
Windermere hit her blinker. “Left it is.” Then she picked up the radio. “We’re going left,” she said. “I want a couple of cars with me. The rest of you guys head right.”
She crept the Camry around the corner and idled slow down the empty road. To the left, a farmer’s field climbed a slight slope. To the right, trees and cabins and the black water beyond. Most of the cabins were empty, no lights on inside and no cars in the yards. “Hope you’re right, Stevens,” she said. “We put enough damn time into this case. I want to close it ourselves.”
Stevens stared out at the night. “Closed is closed.”
“Not for me. Not after that needle-in-the-haystack bullshit.”
“There’s still Lind.”
“Small fry,” she said. “I want the big fish.”
They passed more empty houses, bigger ones now. Still no sign of the Explorer. No signs of life anywhere. “He could have hid the truck,” Stevens said. “Kept the lights off. We probably have to go house to house.”
“Maybe he’s not here at all.” Windermere glanced at Rachel Parkerson in the backseat. “Maybe the lake house is on a whole other lake. Maybe we’re in the wrong locale altogether.”
“This is his lake,” said Rachel. “If he has a lake house, this is where he’ll be.”
“So you say.”
Rachel frowned. “What does that mean?”
“You’re his wife,” said Windermere. “No offense, but if it were my husband, I might be tempted to send the cops on a goose chase. Give him enough time to bolt.”
Rachel Parkerson’s eyes flashed. Then she sunk back into her seat. “I’m not smart enough for that,” she said, staring out the window. “Maybe if I’d thought of it first.”
Windermere glanced at Stevens. Stevens wasn’t paying attention. He was staring out into the trees, stiff as a hound on a scent. “There’s a light on out there,” he said. “In the trees.”
Windermere slowed the car. Followed his look. Sure enough, a dim light past the end of the road. A grove of trees. A dirt path. Windermere picked up the radio. “Got a light over here,” she said. “Someone babysit wifey while we check it out.”
She parked the Camry and turned off the ignition. Behind them, a Cornelius PD cruiser pulled in and stopped. A uniform stepped out and met them by the back of the Toyota. Windermere gestured in at Rachel Parkerson. “This is our man’s wife,” she said. “She’s liable to get squirrelly. Lock her up in your squad car until we figure this out.”
The uniform opened the rear door and helped Rachel Parkerson out of the backseat. She looked at Windermere and Stevens through hollow eyes and allowed herself to be led to the patrol car. Windermere waited until the woman was secured. Then she turned back to Stevens. “Got your gun, partner?”
Stevens nodded. “Girl’s best friend.”