Page 51 of Vanishing Point
“Rental car,” Laurel said, pointing to the sticker on the back that indicated it was from the rental company. “I’ll text the plate to Copeland. Someone can get in touch with the rental company.”
Thomas nodded. “Can you describe her friend?” he asked Mrs. Harolds.
“She was dressed much nicer than Vi. You know, I don’t know why young women wear those jeans. In my generation, we got dressed up if we were going anywhere. We cared about our appearance.”
Thomas wanted to scream, but he kept his cool. It was the only way to get the information. “And the friend did? Was she wearing a dress?”
“No, she looked very professional. Like Laurel here,” Mrs. Harolds said, pointing to Laurel’s court outfit. A blazer, button-up, and modest skirt. “Dark hair, pulled back. Dark sunglasses. I thought maybe she was a cop, though I didn’t recognize her.”
“Okay.” There were no other female cops in the department who’d be out of uniform. Could it have been one of the municipalities in Bent County? Except why would they come this way, and why wouldn’t Vicallhim?
“Thank you. You’ve got my number right, Mrs. Harolds? If you think of anything else, if you see that car again, can you call me? Right away.”
“Well, of course. I’d like to see them punished for blocking a mailbox.”
He narrowly resisted telling her he didn’t give a shit about her mailbox. Probably because Laurel was pulling him away. Back through Mrs. Harolds’s backyard and then his own. Copeland was just pulling up with a deputy in a county van.
“I’ll show Bridgers where to get the prints from,” Laurel said. She motioned for the deputy to follow her inside once he had his toolbox.
“I’ve got Clarion working on dealing with the rental company,” Copeland said to him. “Once we know who rented it out, it’ll go over the radio.”
“She’s with a woman. Dark hair. Blazer, skirt. No idea height or weight. No idea anything beyond that car.”
“Then we’ll get to the bottom of that car. Hey.” Copeland studied him. “Listen, I know you want to be a part of this—”
“You aren’t about to suggest I sit this out?”
“Sit out the case involving your live-in girlfriend? Me? No. Why would I do that?”
Thomas scowled at him. “I’m letting you and Laurel take the lead as best I can. But I have to be here. I have to be part of this.”
“Look. I’m going to ask this, because it has to be asked. Because Laurel’s got too soft a spot for you to do it, but someone’s got to. Is it possible she left of her own accord?”
Thomas wanted to be offended. Hewasoffended. But he was also still numb enough to know Copeland was just doing his job.
“Even if I take myself out of this, she wouldn’t leave her daughter, her cousins without a word. She just wouldn’t.” Speaking of cousins… “I’m going to call Rosalie while you guys process the house.”
“You sure you want to bring a bunch of reckless PIs into this?”
He already had pushed in Rosalie’s number and was listening to the phone ring in his ear. “Yeah, I’m sure.”
VI HADN’T GOTTENmore than one step before she fell. All on her own. Like an idiot. But panic had shot through her with such a violent surge of shock, she hadn’t thought. She’d only acted.
Eric was here. Working with the inspector? How?Why?
“Dianne,” he said, in that terrible, patient way of his. The kind she knew meant terrible things were coming. “Get her on her feet.”
The inspector yanked Vi up again. “Where do you think you’re going tied up like that?” She laughed, the sound full of menace, not humor.
Vi looked up at the woman, wondering how this had happened. “You said he was arrested.”
“I lied.”Dianneshrugged. “Like you should have.” She shoved Vi forward, and then into a chair. Facing Eric. Who just sat there, looking calm and still as he so often did. If there was anythingoffabout him, it was the faint hint of a beard growing and the fact his hair was a little long. In all their time together, he’d preferred to stay clean-shaven with a short buzz cut.
He looked at her, nothing but smug satisfaction in his expression. Just like when she’d tried to go to the police the first time, and nothing had come of it.
It lit something within her. An anger that she’d had to push down deep when she’d been with him for fear that everything would spiral out of control. An anger she’d avoided out of fear for so long.
But these past two years, she’d climbed out of fear. So anger and temper snapped inside of her like a storm.
