“Then where is Cara?”

“I don’t know. I can feel her. She’s scared, so scared. Like she was that night. There were tall trees around her then, but now there’s only rock. And she’s all alone.”

“Does Walsh know where she is?”

“I don’t think so. Maybe. He hurt Elena.”

“Do you know where Elena is?”

“The car.” Her green eyes were glittering with tears. “It’s the car. We have to help them, Eve. I’ve been searching. I have to find them before Walsh does.”

“We will. We found two bus passes that led up and around Carmel. Could that be near where she is?”

“I told you, I don’t know. I have to—” She stopped and drew a deep breath and straightened her shoulders. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have put this on you. I always knew that I was the one who had to stop Walsh. Maybe the reason I was sent to you was that I had to learn to be strong enough to do it. Remember, you told me that I had to reach down and get the strength to fight him? Maybe I didn’t try hard enough. Well, I have to do it now.” Her lips were trembling, but her voice was steady. “I hope you can help me, but if you can’t, then I have to do it myself. It’s all wrong. It shouldn’t happen again. I can’t let it happen.”

“No, and it won’t. We’ll work it out together. It will be—”

*   *   *

But Jenny was gone.

Eve could feel her own eyes sting. “I wish you wouldn’t do that, Jenny. It’s hard enough without you wafting off to never-never land after you upset me.”

She pulled into the parking lot of the hotel and turned off the car. She buried her face in her hands and tried to get control of herself.

Think.

Try to put it together.

If she was to believe Jenny, Cara was somewhere alone and on the run.

Elena Delaney? Eve was afraid to make a guess. She leaned back in the seat and took a deep breath.

Wherever Elena was, she must be in danger … or worse. She had to be found. How?

“Car … it’s the car.”

She took out her phone and dialed Nalchek. “I need your help.”

“In the middle of the night?” A pause followed immediately by, “Have you found Walsh?”

“Not yet. I’m worried about Elena Delaney. I’m afraid that Walsh may have located her.”

“Not the kid?”

“No, I think Cara and her aunt may have split up.”

“Why do you think that?”

Awkwardness again. “I had a tip.”

“Another anonymous source?”

“Yes.”

“That you’re not going to divulge.”

“Sorry.”

“So am I,” he said dryly. “And how am I supposed to help?”

“You were going to try to locate Elena’s car. Have you done it?”

“Yes. I’ve been on the phone twice with the local police.”

“Could you call them now and go up the chain of command to try to get someone to find her car right away?”

“I could ask them, but I have no proof to show real grounds for the pressure.”

“Kidnapping. Tell them that you suspect that she kidnapped Cara, and you’re trying to verify.”

“She’s supposed to be the kid’s aunt.”

“Which you can say was based on forged documents.”

“And they’ll have my ass when they find out I’m lying.”

“It could be true. We don’t know why she was with Cara. We don’t know anything.”

“Your mysterious source didn’t tell you?” he asked sarcastically.

She didn’t answer. “Will you do it?”

“You haven’t given me a good reason.”

“Walsh is after Elena. She’s going to die if we don’t find her before Walsh does.”

He was silent. “So Walsh is directly involved and on the move? That has a certain substance. I’ll give Carmel PD a call and phone you. Are you still at the hotel in San Francisco?”

“I won’t be by the time you get back to me. I’ll be on my way to Carmel.”

“Then I’ll see you there. I’m staying at the Radisson.”

“In Carmel?” she asked, startled.

“I started driving down there after the last time you called me. Things were happening, and I figured that was the place to be. You were getting close.”

“Not close enough. Cara Delaney slipped away.”

“Closer than I’ve been before. This time I’ll get him,” he said grimly. “Is Margaret still with you?”

“Yes.”

“Leave her in San Francisco. She’ll get in the way.”

“No. Call me when you find out anything.” She hung up.

The news that Nalchek was in Carmel had come as a surprise. She supposed it shouldn’t have been a shock. She couldn’t expect the sheriff to stay in the background while she was asking for help. She had known from the beginning that he was a dominant personality. But she was uneasy knowing he had not bothered to tell her he was coming to Carmel. He had just quietly and efficiently complied with her every request and compiled all the information she had gathered for his own investigation. Then he had positioned himself where he might be able to use it for his own advantage.

Nothing wrong with that. She and Joe had not been overgenerous about sharing their information, either. It had not been easy to explain Jenny.

Easy?

Impossible.

And Margaret’s distrust of Nalchek had influenced her whether she wanted to admit it or not. He must sense that reaction, as well.

But that distrust hadn’t stopped her from calling him for help again. Just be careful, strike a fine balance, and let him help her.

And hope that help included finding Elena Delaney.

CHAPTER

14

PACIFIC HIGHWAY

TWO HOURS LATER

“Are you going to tell me what this is all about?” Margaret asked quietly. “You tumble me out of my bed in the middle of the night and whisk me back here with the briefest explanation possible.”

“I was wondering if I should even bring you,” Eve said. “I think I did it because Nalchek told me not to. And because I found myself making excuses for him. I want to believe him, Margaret. You, on the other hand, have doubts. I needed the balance.”

“That’s clear,” Margaret said. “Maybe. But how did you find out that Elena didn’t pick up Cara?”

She didn’t answer.

“Ah, the anonymous source again? That must have driven Nalchek crazy.”

“He wasn’t happy.”

“I can see that he wouldn’t be.” She didn’t speak for a few minutes. “Sources he can’t identify will upset him. I’m the prime example.” She grimaced. “Sometimes I wish I could pull up a mysterious but entirely understandable and plausible ‘source’ myself every now and then. But it never works for me.”

“What are you trying to say?”

“Nothing. Can’t you tell? I’m being diplomatic. I’ve got pretty good instincts, and I know all kinds of strange things happen in this world. I think I knew when you had no trouble accepting what I am. I just want you to know you don’t have to make any explanations to me. I’m not going to ask you any questions, and I’ll accept what you say without delving.”

Eve didn’t know what to say. “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome. So does your ‘source’ think that Elena is—”

Eve’s phone rang. “Nalchek.” She hit the speaker. “We’re almost there, Nalchek. Are you at your hotel?”

“No. I’m at highway marker fourteen Pacific Highway. Meet me there.”

“Why?”

“Because I didn’t have to ask the local police to look for that car. They’d already found it.” He hung up.

*   *   *

“My God.” Eve pulled over to the side of the road and jumped out of her car. She ran to the edge of the cliff and looked down the steep slope.

The dark blue Camaro was a twisted hunk of metal on the rocks below. It must have been on fire because it was still black and smoking. She could see the forensic teams trying to make their way carefully around the rough terrain to do their investigation.

“She couldn’t have survived that,” Margaret whispered beside her.