Page 47 of Devoted

"Angie, you had a long night. Why don't we let the others finish this? They can search for Freestone's body withoutus."

"No, the bend. Let's head overthere."

Clark turns and yells to Greene. "We should look for him at the bend in theriver."

Greene calls back. "A vehicle is going that way rightnow."

I run to catch up to the jeep before they take off. I climb into the backseat and rest back. My heart is still thumping in my chest as the jeep waddles over the rough road running along the river. It would probably have been easier and quicker on foot. The young officer in the passenger seat stretches his neck up to keep an eye on the river. I roll down the back window and stick my face out to do the same. There is plenty of storm debris but no sign of a person. I know I'm holding out too much hope that he survived the fall but it's too hard to accept that he'sdead.

We reach the bend in the river. I'm out of the jeep before it's stopped completely. I run for the bank and slide down it toward the water. Up close, the river is murky with silt and debris. A dead tree juts out several feet into the river. The water rushes up over it like a makeshiftdamn.

"Do you see him?" I ask the two officers who've joined me on thebank.

"Sure don't see him," oneanswers.

I tightrope walk along the dead tree to get a better look at the middle of the wideriver.

"Be careful, detective," one officer says. "That current will take you straight out to theocean."

I look up river and down. No sign ofhim.

"Hate to say it but I think the guy is dead," the officer says almost blithely. "You'd have to be a professional cliff diver to survive thatjump."

I snap my face toward him so fast I nearly lose my balance. "What did you justsay?"

The officer who doesn't look more than twenty seals his mouth shut, certain he's said somethingwrong.

"Cliff diver," I repeat for him. "You'd have to be a cliff diver." I hop off the tree. "Take me back to the bridge.Now."

We climb back in just as two other vehicles join us. The driver waves them back. "He's gone." He calls to them. "Halfway to the ocean by now," headds.

Probably, I thinkwryly.

We reach the bridge and I climb quickly out of the jeep. The others have cleared the bridge. Clark is talking to Greene next to her patrol car. She has a pair of binoculars around herneck.

"Any sign of him?" Clarkasks.

I shake my head and try to look properly stunned anddismayed.

Clark gives me an empathetic look. "It seems he's gone, Tennyson. Officer Greene was just telling me that when the river is swollen, the current carries stuff to the ocean quickly. It's a hundred and fifty foot drop. Just no way to survive thatimpact."

"Yes, I'm sure you're right. Captain, I'm just going to take a little walk. Need a little time by myself to absorbthis."

"All right. Don't be long. Officer Greene is going to drive us back to thehelicopter."

"I won't be long." I point to her binoculars. "Do you mind if I use those for just aminute?"

Greene is slightly baffled by the request. She removes the binoculars from her neck and hands them to me. I stroll along, looking as sad and dismayed as I can for a person anxious to get down to the river bend and look for signs of life. I wander back along the dirt road that the jeep just traveled until I reach the bend. I look back. No one has followed and some of the vehicles are pulling away from the bridge site. As far as they're concerned, the wanted criminal just saved the legal system time andmoney.

I reach the submerged tree and climb onto it. I lift the binoculars to my eyes and sweep the river from side to side. The sun is glaring off the water but the binoculars are strong. It takes me a few seconds until the lens passes something in the distance that is not consistent with floating debris. It's a small raft. I focus the lenses and stare at the raft as it floats farther away. It's easy enough to make out Oscar's gigantic silhouette at the front of the raft. Kane's dark head pops into view. I can't help but smile. Staging your own suicide right in front of the police. That's one way to get them off yourtail.

I watch as they get smaller and smaller. Just before I lower the binoculars, Kane looks back over his shoulder. I stare at him through the lens. As always, his blue eyes find me and stay on me until they are too far away tosee.

27

Angie

Four monthslater

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