Scene of the Crime Deadman's Bluff - By Carla Cassidy Page 0,61
with the rest of my life.”
“Are you sure you’re ready to go back?”
She looked up at him and wanted to fall into the soft gray of his eyes. He cared about her. She knew that without question. She’d never forget that moment when she’d come to consciousness in the sand and her first sight had been those kind, calm eyes of his. It might have been that single second of connection that had made her fall in love with him.
“Ready or not, it’s time,” she replied. “I have clients ready for me to get back to work. If I remember anything else I can always call you. But it’s foolish for me to just hang around here and put off the inevitable.”
“But how will you get home? We haven’t even found your car.”
“That’s what rental cars are for. I’m sure there’s a place here in town or nearby where I can rent a car to get back to Amarillo. Once there I’ll talk to my car insurance company and see what they can work out. As far as I’m concerned, my car is officially a stolen vehicle. I’ll manage.”
He looked as if he wanted to change her mind, but he leaned back in his chair and released a sigh of obvious resignation. “Of course you’ll manage. You’re one of the strongest women I’ve ever met.”
As she thought of leaving him, she didn’t feel strong. She felt as weak as a baby, ready to weep with a kind of despair she’d never felt before about a man. She didn’t even remember feeling this way after her divorce from Jason.
Thankfully at that moment the waitress arrived with their meals and the conversation turned to the tenderness of the roast, the richness of his gravy and anything else that had nothing to do with the crimes, the killer or her leaving Amber Lake behind.
An early twilight stole over the area as they left the café. Clouds chased across the sky, portending the possibility of a rain sometime overnight.
“Surely you won’t want to take off if it’s raining in the morning,” Seth said once they were back in his truck and headed to Linda’s.
“I can drive in the rain. All I’ll need your help with is getting a rental car. Once I get home and can get my banking situation straightened out, I’ll make it all right with you.”
“I’m not worried about that. Wally down at the gas station on Main is also part of a chain of rental cars. He’s always got one or two cars available. I’m sure we can get you set up without a problem.”
As much as her heart ached, she knew she was making the right decision. It was time to say goodbye to Amber Lake. It was time to say goodbye to Seth.
They hadn’t been inside the house for long, and Tamara had just gotten comfortable on the sofa, when Seth’s cell phone rang. He listened intently, his features suddenly tense...excited. Tamara straightened up, wondering who the caller was and what they were saying to him.
He listened another minute or two longer. “We’ll be there as soon as we can,” he replied, and then clicked off and slid his phone into his pocket.
“That was Atkins. They believe there’s another body at the dunes, but none of them have moved in to the crime scene location yet.”
Tamara’s heart dropped as she realized another woman had been buried. “But maybe she’s still alive. I was.”
“But your face hadn’t been buried. Apparently all they can see of this person is part of a hand. The good news is they caught Sam Clemmons on his ATV riding away from the scene. Atkins is sure he’s our man. This is the kind of proof we’ve needed. He’s the Sandman and he’s in custody.”
“That’s wonderful!” Tamara exclaimed. At least she’d leave here in the morning knowing that the man who had tried to bury her alive was in jail. She just wished he’d been caught before another woman had died.
“Come on, let’s go. They’re waiting for us,” he said as he strapped on his shoulder holster.
“They’re waiting for you. You go and I’ll spend my time here packing up for the morning.”
He frowned and opened his mouth as if to protest, but she stopped whatever he was about to say by holding up a hand. “You said it yourself, the bad guy is in custody. I’ll be fine here and to be honest, I don’t want to see another crime scene like that.”