"Which brings me back to why she would lie about it." Looking frustrated, he ran his hand through his hair. "The whole conversation with her was..."
"What?"
"Off. But don't ask me how, because I don't know. It just was. I asked a Harris County deputy sheriff to go by her place, ask her some questions and get a read on her, but she wasn't at home. I've tried calling her again s
everal times. No answer. Do you know where she's working now?"
"Last I heard she was freelancing from her house."
"Well, I want to talk to her again, first chance I get."
"You've been busy."
"I've been chasing my tail with nothing to show for it but a dead kid who was the light of his parents' life."
Urging him to let go of his guilt was pointless. She felt the same way. "As Dodge said, Oren upped his ante tonight. He has to be feeling the additional pressure."
"I hope. Stressed-out crooks get careless, make mistakes. My guess, he'll abandon that car soon if he hasn't already. Unless he's got a backup, he'll have to steal another. I'll be watching for reports of stolen vehicles. Also public transportation. Or," he said with a grim smile, "we might get lucky, and that Toyota will be stopped by a state trooper within the next five minutes, and Starks will come out with his hands in the air."
"I wouldn't bet on it."
"Me either."
She studied his profile for a moment and saw the fatigue in his face. "You're putting in long hours on this case."
"That's the job."
"What does your wife think of the overtime?"
He turned his head and looked at her.
Quickly she said, "I only ask because you seem to have been on the job since my 911 call."
"I won't go home except to shower and shave until we've got Oren Starks in custody."
"Where do you live?"
"On the lake. I've got a boat."
"Is your place near Mother's?"
He chuckled. "Hardly. That's the high-rent district. My house is half that size. Maybe less. The lot is only three quarters of an acre. It's nice, private, but nothing like your spread."
"It isn't mine. It's my mother's."
"Same as."
He waved to the reserve deputy as they turned in to the private lane. When they reached the house, he pulled around to the back.
Berry opened the passenger-side door. "Thanks for the ride." She could just as easily have ridden with her mother and Dodge. She hadn't answered many questions. Ski hadn't asked many, and what he'd asked, he could have done by telephone.
He got out when she did. She said, "You don't have to see me in."
"I'll feel better leaving you alone if I check the house."
"I won't be alone for long. Mother and Dodge are right behind us." She glanced toward the lake, where another deputy was stationed near the pier. "And with the two guards--"
"I'll feel better if I check."