Page 21 of Crosshairs

“I hope not either, Mr. Norris.” Ainsley shut off the recorder on her phone and wrote down Billy’s contact information, then took a card from her pocket. “If you think of anything that might help with the investigation, give me a call.”

He assured them he would, then before Linc could get the driver’s-side door for her, Ainsley opened it and climbed behind the wheel. “Thanks for letting me know who he was,” she said. “Saved me from having to track him down later.”

“You’re welcome.” Maybe she was warming up to the idea of him helping with the investigation.

She started the truck and pulled out onto the Trace. “Don’t take this wrong, but if you wanted to investigate, why didn’t you become a law enforcement ranger?”

Or not. “I like what I do better.” Linc stared out the passenger window, taking in the green vegetation and the occasional Spanish moss hanging from the trees like ghosts. He wasn’t ready to tell her why he didn’t apply to the protection side of the park service and wasn’t sure he ever would be.

His eyes grew heavy on the smooth road. Staying up all night was getting to him. Ainsley’s cell phone rang, startling him awake.

She glanced at her phone. “It’s my grandmother,” she said and pressed the answer button on the steering wheel. “I have you on speaker. Has something happened to Cora?”

“The surgeon was just in.” Rose’s voice wavered. “The CT scan showed more bleeding and she’s been confused this morning. He plans to take Cora to surgery at one. I called your father, but he was in Jackson. Something about a campaign appearance.”

“Yeah, he told us about it this morning.” Ainsley pressed her lips together and took a deep breath. “I’ll be there,” she said.

“Thank you. The doctor said I could stay with her in ICU until she went to surgery.”

“Rose, I’ll be praying for you and Cora,” Linc said.

“I know you will be,” her grandmother replied. “Thank you.”

“Call me if there’s any change.” Ainsley disconnected the call. “I was afraid they would have to operate.”

“Does Cora have a brain bleed?”

“Not sure exactly what it’s called. When she hit her head, there was a tear in the membrane covering the brain. It’s not as dangerous as bleeding inside her brain but still very serious because it causes pressure to build up inside her skull.”

“Do you think you should turn around and go to the hospital?” He glanced at her as they passed a road sign that said “Rocky Springs—1 mile.”

Responsibility and desire to be with her grandmother and Cora warred in Ainsley’s face. She squared her shoulders, but not without a sigh. “We’re here, and the surgery isn’t for a few hours. May as well at least look at the crime scene.”

10

With his tent packed, Troy Maddox dashed the remains of his coffee on the fire and forced his facial muscles to relax as the twentysomething kid from the next campsite approached. “Mornin’,” he said and pulled his hat lower on his forehead.

“Morning,” the young man replied and extended his hand. “I’m Ted Gilmore. My friends and I, we’re from Nashville.”

“Carter Stevens,” Maddox said, ignoring the outstretched hand.

Ted dropped his arm. “Just wanted to be neighborly and offer to help you break down your campsite, but I see you’re about done.”

“Thanks anyway.” The kid ought to help since he and his three friends were the reason for his move.

Ted cocked his head. “So, where’re you from and where’re you headed?”

Nosy kid. Maddox hesitated, hoping to send the message he didn’t like questions. “From Kentucky,” he said.

Ted glanced around. “You walking?”

Evidently, he hadn’t gotten the message. “Mostly hitchhiking. A couple dropped me off here at Rocky Springs two nights ago. They were going to Alexandria from here.”

Ted rubbed the back of his neck. “I didn’t know anyone did that anymore—hitchhiking, that is.”

“It’s a cheap way to travel.”

An awkward silence fell between them. As much as Maddox wanted to rush Ted off, he didn’t want to appear suspicious and fished for something to say. The bicycles. He’d seen Treks at their campsite earlier this morning. “Y’all bike all the way down on the Trace?”

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