Page 39 of Crosshairs

Rose bent and kissed her sister on the cheek and whispered something in her ear. Then Ainsley did the same. When they stepped away from the bed, Linc walked close enough to take her hand. “Hurry up and get well so we can finish that book,” he said.

“You work on it,” she said softly.

“I’ll wait on you.”

Back in the waiting room, he suggested that they pick up something to eat and meet Rose at her house. Hamburgers from the Magnolia Grill were decided on.

Ainsley turned to her grandmother. “Did you say anything to that news reporter about the journals?”

Rose pressed her fingers against her lips. “Maybe. While she was telling me her funny stories, sometimes she’d ask me a question about Cora.”

Linc shook his head. That was Sarah at her best. “I don’t think we should discuss anything with Sarah Tolliver,” Linc said. “When she asks a question, just say ‘No comment.’”

“But she seemed so nice,” Rose said.

“Oh, she is,” he replied, “but never forget, she is first and foremost a reporter.”

After they left the waiting room, Linc said, “I’ll get the pickup and meet you at the door while you’re getting your vest.”

“Good idea.”

“Have you heard anything from your supervisor?” he asked a few minutes later as they drove to pick up the hamburgers.

“No, and I tried to call him again. I don’t understand why it’s going straight to voicemail unless he’s in a remote area of the mountains.”

“Is there anyone else you can call?”

“We’re the only two ISB rangers in the Smokies.” Ainsley scrolled through her phone. “But I can try one of the law enforcement rangers in the area.”

He pulled into the drive-through and ordered the burgers.

“Goes to voicemail, just like Brent’s,” Ainsley said. “Something big must be going down.”

Linc drove to Rose’s and pulled the pickup into the drive behind the older woman’s Prius and parked beside his Tahoe he’d left earlier. He followed Ainsley inside, remembering the countless times he’d trailed her through the old-fashioned kitchen that was spotless as usual.

“I was about to send out a search party for you two,” Rose said. “And why are you wearing that thing?”

Ainsley looked down at the vest Rose pointed to. “SOP.” She pulled the Velcro tabs loose and slipped the vest off.

“And standard operating procedures don’t apply to Linc?” she asked, sniffing. “You didn’t have it on in the hospital either.”

Rose didn’t miss anything.

“I’m hungry,” Ainsley said, pulling out one of the ladder-back chairs and plopping down. She reached for the bag. Linc had a feeling the subject wouldn’t be ignored long.

“Not until I get plates.” Rose’s lips twitched.

He laughed at the way the older woman looked over her glasses at Ainsley when she said they didn’t need plates. He wondered if Rose had ever eaten on a paper plate other than ata picnic. Once they’d eaten, he helped clear the table and put everything in the trash while the plates and utensils went into the dishwasher. Then he looked at his watch. “It’s almost three thirty. Do we have time to check out Cora’s house?”

Indecision played on Ainsley’s face. “Let’s at least look at the library, but I need to run to my room first.”

She returned wearing a better-fitting vest under her park service shirt and tossed him the one she’d been wearing. “Now you have one—you can adjust it to fit you.” Then she kissed her grandmother on the cheek. “Try to get some rest before you go back to the hospital.”

Rose eyed Ainsley over her glasses again. “I could say the same thing to you.” Then she turned to Linc. “See if you can get her to at least take a nap.”

“Yes, ma’am.” He swallowed the chuckle that almost escaped his lips. From the look on Ainsley’s face, she didn’t find the order amusing.

“Put the vest on,” Ainsley said when they were outside. “If I’m in danger, then you are too.”

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