Page 58 of Wham Line
The whole thing was insane.And Indira wasn’t insane.She also wasn’t a killer, which made the whole thing even more maddening.Iknewshe hadn’t killed Mal.So, why was she running?
Because she had a reason to run.
That wasn’t what the Brits would callsmashinglyhelpful (do Brits say that?), but it did feel like a step in the right direction.Indira would only have gone along with Fox’s plan if she had a good reason.A reason to keep herself out of the sheriff’s hands.Avoiding prison wasn’t enough; Indira was very much of the be-a-good-citizen-and-pick-up-that-gum-wrapper-even-though-it’s-not-yours school of thought (yes, that was a real example, and yes, I washed my hands for like two minutes after).Normally, I would have said that Indira would have let herself be arrested.She would have stood trial.And, if she’d been convicted, she would have gone to prison and begun the process of appealing.The only reason Indira would do something this foolish—
The only reason would be if she were protecting someone.
Keme?
That was my first, automatic thought.But, of course, Keme hadn’t killed Mal.He’d been at the table with us when Mal had gotten shot.
The next thought was the one that should have been obvious: Nalini.
But why would Nalini have killed Mal?Because he got handsy?Or had it gone beyond that?Or was this some elaborate plot to get revenge on the man who had ruined her aunt’s life?
And in any case, wouldn’t Indira have turned herself in anyway?How could she help anyone by running?
I didn’t know, but I knew I needed to talk to her.
I tried her phone again, and this time, I left a message: “I know what you’re doing.And I know who you’re protecting.And I’m going to tell the sheriff everything if you don’t call me back and tell me where you are.”
I called Fox’s phone and asked them to relay the same message.
I texted the same content to Keme and Millie.
And wouldn’t you know it?About three minutes later, Keme called me back.
“She wants to talk to you,” he said.
“Okay,” I said.
Indira’s voice came on the phone a moment later.“Dashiell, I know you think you’re doing the right thing—”
“Just Dash.”
Silence.
Then she gave a watery little laugh.“Do you know, you haven’t said that to me in a long time?”
“I give you extra wiggle room because I love you.Now tell me where you are; I want to talk to you.”
“It’s too late—”
“Indira.”
Her breathing roughened.And then, voice thick, she said, “Please don’t tell the sheriff.”
“Where are you?”
Seconds trickled past.“Fox’s friend has a cabin.”
“Have them send me the directions; I’m on my way.”
Chapter 16
Fox’s friend’s cabin was south of Hemlock House.I followed the state highway for a while and then cut inland on an aging two-lane that eventually petered out.After that, the Malibu had to rough it up a winding dirt drive.
The cabin itself was perched on a hill, nestled among a stand of lodgepole pine.Because this was one of Fox’s friends, it was a genuine log cabin, the wood gray and worn from decades of exposure.It looked to be of the two-room variety, with a little brick chimney leaking a tail of smoke and a wood-shingle roof.You can pretty much sum up the whole experience by saying the roof had sprouted—it was like a miniature rain forest up there.
