Page 4 of Seeking Evil

She grabbed her bag and got out. As she entered the office, a little bell above the door jingled.

Sierra spotted a tall woman who appeared to be at least sixty straightening brochures. She turned as Sierra neared and smiled. “You must be Sierra Parker. I’ve been expecting you. I’m Inez Bradley. I run this place with my husband, Terrance.”

“That’s right. Nice to meet you, Inez.” Sierra glanced past the office space to a sitting room that showed two glasses of wine on the coffee table. Soft music played in the background. Sierra couldn’t place the song, though she wondered if she’d interrupted date night for Inez and her husband.

“You too.” Inez rounded the counter. “We’ve got you all set up. Terrance checked your room earlier. Everything’s in order. You’re in Cabin D.” She pulled out a map and pointed. Not that it would be much of a challenge to find her cabin. There were only ten or so.

“Thank you. Do you need my credit card?” All Sierra wanted to do was take a long, hot shower and climb into bed. The miles she’d traveled since leaving Langley were catching up to her.

“Oh, no, honey.” Inez waved off her attempt to pay. “You’ll settle up when you’re ready to leave. There are fresh towels in the bathroom. We serve coffee and pastries from six until ten.”

Coming from the hectic rush of life near the country’s capital, Sierra was a bit thrown by the slower pace of a small town.

Sierra thanked Inez and then realized it had been hours since she’d eaten anything. “I don’t suppose there’s a place that delivers at this time of the evening?”

Inez shook her head. “No, I’m sorry. But there is a diner right next door. They have a nice selection of home-cooked meals.”

Something warm and home-cooked sounded good. “Thanks. I’ll check them out.” She could always order it to go.

“Here’s your key.” Inez handed her an actual key attached to a bear keychain. Cute.

Sierra smiled at the quaint way to enter her cabin and headed for the door when Inez stopped her. “Are you here by yourself?” Sierra turned. Inez wore a worried expression on her face.

“I am.” She didn’t understand the significance of the question. “Why do you ask?”

Inez waved her hand once more in a gesture Sierra believed was probably a habit. “Oh, no reason. It’s just . . .” She stopped as if thinking twice about saying anything.

“Just what?” Sierra returned to the counter with all thoughts of food gone.

“Just be careful. There’s a lot of open space out here and not too many residents. A woman alone could find herself in trouble.”

Sierra jerked back as if struck. “I’m not sure I understand what you’re talking about.”

Inez laughed. “I don’t know either. I’m being silly. My husband tells me this all the time. Forget I said anything.” She turned off the neon open sign, making a point of closing the place.

Sierra wanted to ask more, but Inez had clearly shut down. Sierra stepped from the office and breathed in the cool summer night air. In Langley, the temperature had been climbing steadily along with the humidity. Fresh mountain air felt nice.

She returned to her Jeep and got in while Inez’s strange words niggled her brain. What had the older woman been trying to tell her?

She gave herself a mental shake. She was letting her work bleed into this moment. She’d come here to get away and think.

Pulling forward, she slipped into a parking space out front of the Pinedale Diner. Scents wafting from the establishment reminded her she was hungry.

Sierra left her phone in the cup holder because she wanted to eat her meal in peace and she wasn’t sure how she would handle it if Zeke called again.

She got out and went inside.

A bored-looking waitress glanced up from her phone. “You can sit where you want.” Her hand swept the nearly empty dining area, the light catching her blood-red nails. “I’ll be right with you.”

Sierra found a booth against the wall and retrieved the menu that was tucked behind the napkin dispensary.

Even though it was after ten p. m., having breakfast sounded nice.

Once she’d given her order of pancakes and bacon to the waitress, who looked as if she belonged somewhere in the fifties with her piled-high, jet-black hair and abundance of makeup, Sierra glanced around at the diner. Only a couple of people were eating. A single older man by himself at the counter. A younger couple sitting side-by-side in a booth. She watched them for a minute giggling and staring into each other’s eyes. They were on a date. Probably in the early stages of love where everything was filtered through rose-colored glasses.

She looked away. They reminded her of Zeke and herself at the beginning, and she didn’t want to think about Zeke now. She’d fall apart. Sierra had come here to get away from all that. Think about the future clearly without the promise of Zeke clouding her judgment.

Inside her bag was a letter from her former FBI trainer. He’d offered her a job helping to train the next group of FBI agents. Was she ready to leave her BAU team?

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