Evidence of Life - By Barbara Taylor Sissel Page 0,16
of the major roads. There’s a lot of wild country, a lot of canyons and gorges. There were rock slides, places where the entire cliff face came down. We’ve got secondary roads buried under rubble or torn up by the water from one end of a three-county area to the other. Every river flowed out of its banks, and when you get that kind of water raging that way, it gets a hold on things—cars, houses, trees, what-have-you—and it takes them wherever it wants.”
Dennis spoke of the water as if it were conscious, as if it had mind and will, a brain. “There’s a lot of ground to cover, miles and miles crisscrossed by rivers and streams and creeks, and frankly, there’s just a whole lot of it that’s not accessible at all, not even on a good day.”
Abby studied the pattern of veins on the backs of Dennis’s hands, the cording of blue that traced the pale flesh inside one wrist and disappeared into the crook of an elbow, a sprinkling of freckles on his forearms. She looked at his kind face, his hazel eyes. The delicate netting of lines at the corners suggested exposure to sun and laughter. He didn’t like having to tell her these things, having to prepare her for the worst. He hadn’t liked questioning her in the first hours after her arrival here. She was sorry for him.
He pushed his untouched mug of coffee a little farther toward the center of the coffee table and continued. “Let’s say they were on Highway 46 like the attendant at the Shell station said, but they got off for some reason, took one of the ranch roads, by accident maybe, and we don’t know that, but if they did, then— Well, there’s no telling. Now there are still crews out, clearing and repairing, and so forth. They’ll be at it for weeks so it’s possible they could come across something, you know?”
She nodded.
“I just don’t want to give you false hope.”
She thought of saying she would settle for any kind of hope, false or otherwise.
He shifted his elbows off his knees and straightened, looking uncomfortable, and as if he could read her anxiety, he spoke quickly. “It’s like I’ve said before, it would be really helpful if I knew what your husband had in mind coming out here, or where he was headed after he left Boerne, assuming that was your Cherokee the kid saw leaving the gas station.”
It would be helpful if you knew? The retort rose like acid. It brought Abby to her feet. She went to the wall of glass and looked out, seeking relief in the view. The scene was as still, as quiet and lovely as a painting. Even the water was undisturbed by all but the faintest tracing of ripples. It was impossible to imagine that it had ever flung itself over its banks and run amok across ground that wasn’t its own. Nature was so full of cruel tricks.
She wondered how she could take on the mystery that the water had left behind, the one Dennis seemed to think she should be able to resolve. He kept asking her questions, all manner of questions, to which she had no answers. What must he think of a wife who didn’t know her husband’s destination, a mother who would let her daughter leave home without knowing exactly where her father was taking her? You can make a lot of mistakes in your life trying to figure out what matters. Nick’s line to Jake passed through Abby’s mind. What mistakes?
She turned to face Dennis. “We’ve been over this a dozen times.”
“I know, but it’s always possible you’ll remember something new. So, you mentioned that you and your husband had talked of retiring out here. Could he have been looking at land?”
“No. We couldn’t possibly afford to buy property right now.” Abby thrust up her hands. “We have two children, one in college, another one on her way there. There’s the mortgage, car payments. Nick just bought a new BMW. He’s crazy about cars, so is my son.”
“He was worried about finances, then.”
“I’ve told you, not more than the average husband and father.” Exasperated, Abby crossed her arms. “Did you talk to Joe Drexler, Nick’s law partner? Did he tell you how unfounded those allegations are about the settlement money?”
“He confirmed what you said. Helix Belle’s legal team is trying to muddy the water, which is what I figured. It’s just—” Dennis stopped as