Page 52 of The Furies

“Will you tell him about my visit?”

“I don’t see why not.”

She was playing a dangerous game, and I wasn’t convinced that she knew all the rules. With that in mind, the likelihood of her losing was high.

“Wasn’t Egon worried about leaving you exposed to Kepler?”

“That’s why I have the gun, but Egon was convinced that Kepler would weaken fast, assuming he could even figure out who was responsible for the robbery.”

I tapped the image of the rune.

“I think, Ms. Towle, that your brother may have been gravely mistaken.”

* * *

ABOUT FIFTY MILES TO the east, Ambar Strange moved through the confines of her Westbrook cottage, a distracted specter haunting its spaces. Her car was parked in the driveway, mud on its body and wheels. It looked as though it had been driven hard. From a thicket of trees, Kepler followed her form, and wondered where she had been until now.

CHAPTER LVIII

Eleanor Towle walked me to the door and stayed on the porch as I headed to my car. Logically, Kepler should have approached her, just as he had given Raum Buker intimations of his presence in the hope of frightening him into returning what had been taken, but Kepler had not. There could only be one reason: He was aware that Eleanor didn’t have the coin, and the only way he could have known this was because Egon Towle had told him so. But Egon’s testimony must have been very convincing to ensure that Kepler didn’t go after his sister, which meant that if Egon wasn’t already dead, he almost certainly wished he was. This, though, I did not share with Eleanor. If she was as bright as she appeared, or half as bright as she thought, she might have suspected as much already.

“May I ask one last question?” I said.

“I’m surprised you have any left, but go ahead.”

“How many of those stolen coins did your brother entrust to you?”

The hall light shone behind her, casting her into silhouette and hiding her face from view. I heard her laugh, and the wind caught the sound and carried it away to the north.

“You’re very perceptive, Mr. Parker, but you do rush ahead of yourself. If you ever get lonely, feel free to visit again. I wouldn’t wait too long, though. I might be gone.”

She stepped back into the hallway and closed the door.

* * *

I SAW THAT I’D missed a call from Will Quinn, as well as a text message from Dave Evans at the Bear asking me to call him as soon as I got the chance. Since I was working for Will, I got back to him first as I drove east, and listened as he described what he’d found at Dolors Strange’s home.

“Have you managed to reach her?”

“Just now, after eight attempts.”

“Did she say where she was?”

“Only that she needed some space to think, and had headed out of town for a couple of nights.”

I could hear the doubt in his voice. He was asking himself if Dolors had been alone, or if she might not have brought along Raum Buker for one last turn on the merry-go-round.

“What about Ambar?” I said.

“What about her?”

“Did she leave town as well?”

“I didn’t ask.”

“Do you think you could find out?”

“I’ll try.”

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