Deadly Touch - Heather Graham Page 0,71

in brackish water down at the tip of the peninsula. Note the difference in the snouts on the creatures, and remember crocodiles are still endangered here while alligators are not.”

The lecture was ongoing, but Raina didn’t pay attention any longer. She saw Axel was thanking Jeremy and saying goodbye to him.

She waited a few minutes and then made her way back toward Linda’s chickee kiosk.

Linda was talking earnestly to Axel when she reached the booth again. He was looking at her with a question in his eyes.

“A paying customer walked up. I didn’t want to intrude,” Raina said.

Linda looked a little confused, oblivious to the fact Axel had asked Raina to stay with her.

“I had to pay my respects to Big Ole Mac,” she said.

“Ah, yes, of course!” Axel said.

“I told him what I told you—about seeing strange cars on off-beat roads,” Linda said. “I hope it was helpful in some way.”

“Yes, it is,” Axel told her.

“Well, I guess we should get Andrew’s horses back,” Axel said. He smiled at Raina.

“I guess we should,” she agreed.

“Speaking of Andrew, he’s right over there,” Linda said.

Andrew was in uniform, talking casually to people as he made his way over to join them.

“I’m returning the horses, Officer, I swear,” Axel said lightly.

“Good to hear!” Andrew said. “Just thought I’d check on you all. We’ve got a wild one here,” he teased, looking at Raina.

“Her horse is the wild thing,” Linda said. “Speaking of which, isn’t there another one of those school camp-out-in-the-Everglades thing coming up? I’d be happy to lecture on differences in Eastern woodland tribes and Western tribes, cultures and history. I’ve meant to volunteer.”

“I’m the one you volunteer with!” Jeremy said as he walked up to the group. “You can let me know anytime.”

“Axel and Raina made me think of it,” Linda said.

“There’s a group this weekend. And you’re more than welcome to lecture,” Jeremy said.

“A school group this week?” Axel asked.

“Yes, this is the weekend three of the middle schools come—packs of eighth-graders. Maybe at some time someone thought it was a good rite of passage into high school or something like that,” Jeremy told them. “You’re welcome to come out, you know. I have plenty of little pop-up tents!”

“Maybe we’ll do that,” Axel told him. “You’re going to be there, Andrew, right?”

“I will be there,” Andrew said.

Jeremy was regarding Axel steadily. “Because you’re worried?” he asked.

Axel shrugged. “Back to basics, maybe. Fran Castle disappeared on a night like that about thirteen years ago. I don’t know. I guess it would be good to be there. Of course, I’d be an idiot to think I could really watch the Everglades—an army can barely do that. But yeah, I’m here—and not getting very far.”

“We’ll all make it safer for the kids, at any rate,” Andrew said, shrugging.

“How is Nigel doing with the investigation? I’m assuming he has something like an army behind him. I mean, checking with witnesses, and all that?”

“We have people from all kinds of agencies working it,” Axel said. “But the Everglades, as you know, can be brutal. Finding leads is...”

“Needle in a haystack,” Jeremy said. “Pin in a sawgrass swamp.”

“Something like that,” Axel agreed. “Anyway, we’ll see you this weekend.”

“Perfect,” Jeremy agreed.

“Andrew, we’ll take the horses back,” Axel told him. He frowned. “Titan is...?”

“A very happy dog. I had a big steak bone. The place isn’t locked. I figured if that dog was on guard, I didn’t need to worry too much about leaving the place unlocked!”

They exchanged goodbyes, Linda giving Raina a big hug and a smile, Jeremy doing the same. “Hey, even if that lug goes back to Washington, you’re welcome out here anytime,” Linda told Raina.

“Technically, the big lug goes back to Virginia!” Axel teased. At last, he and Raina left them and headed back to retrieve the horses.

When they were mounted and back on the trail, Raina asked him, “Do you think you learned anything?”

“I don’t know.” He glanced her way. “Jeremy couldn’t vouch for anything before you and your group and the chaperones arrived that afternoon. There had been a report earlier—around two in the afternoon. Vinnie Magruder—Miami-Dade back then—didn’t arrive at the campsite until about 8:00 p.m. So, I don’t know. I don’t think I like your old chaperones very much. Frank Peters doesn’t seem to be very true blue, but worse, I think Loretta Oster is conniving. According to the bartender, she saw what went on, but she didn’t confront Frank about trying to buy Jennifer Lowry a drink. She