Desert Exposure Read Online Free PDF Page A

how does she look?”
    Pedro described her.
    “ íEso es ! Red hair…the granddaughter…I will find her. I tell you before, I know this old man. I know the woman. This is not good. Call when you get here.”
    His cousin slammed the phone down, and Pedro winced. He sat still for a few seconds. Who’d have thought of anyone being on the usually deserted beach at five in the morning? He’d gotten the two men down from the attic, made them go outside to urinate, and to walk around to stretch their legs, and in the process of giving them coffee, the old guy had gasped. Did the granddaughter have proof of what he’d tried to hide?
    If she’d seen them, he’d have to get rid of her, and not just the roll of film in the camera. He touched his head wound gently. At least she wasn’t an undercover agent working with the DEA agent they were trying to flush out. The woman could be trying to find her grandfather. He knew all about family loyalty. Ricardo’s infected leg wound flashed through his thoughts. His brother couldn’t withstand another move. The bait shop was clean and dry, and it had the advantage of an attic, with a window. Also, it pleased him now that they’d let the old man live. They had one bartering tool should the woman alert the cops.
    They’d also stockpiled ammunition. They could fight it out. And in the meantime, to hell with his cousin, he’d develop the damn film.
    ****
    Rachel sat in the outside office of the PD and waited for Stanton to come back. She’d already called Debbie and reassured her that she was still alive, and safe. She’d repeated the entire story to Jack. Although she’d had to assure him many times that she felt fine, and finally convinced him to stay out of any investigations. Then she’d placed a call to Manuel. She was thankful she’d trained him as her back-up, and had even allowed him to open and close the bar a few times in recent months. There weren’t many employees at Cliffs who she totally trusted.
    Manuel didn’t pick up. Knowing he might be in the shower she waited five minutes, and then redialed. Neither he nor his roommate answered, but they worked the late shift, so they could be deeply asleep. This time she waited for the message to finish.
    “Manuel,” she said, when the machine gave a beep. “It’s Rachel.” She waited a second, thinking he might pick up. “Sorry to call so early. Let me know when you get this message, please. I got involved in an altercation down at the Salton Sea. I’m at the Indio PD giving a report. Everything’s fine, but you’ll have to open for me. Okay? I’ll make it up to you.”
    She turned off the cell, slipped it into her pocket, craned her neck, and peered down the long empty hallway. Stanton had said he’d only be a minute in locating the detective. She eyed the clock. Twenty minutes had come and gone. Tired, angry, and more than a little bit hungry, she nestled Ralph tighter into her lap and he snored noisily.
    Rachel stretched out her legs carefully, so as not to disturb the little guy, and caught sight of her wet, sand-covered sneakers. Both she and Ralph were a mess. The white fur of his belly had turned brown and scraggly, and he had sand stuck in his paws . She wondered if in all that anxiety and fear she’d started to smell. She never bothered to shower before going bird watching.
    I mean what would be the point ? She must stink. She grinned. The too-cute detective didn’t have a handle on well-groomed either. But even though he was grungy, and kind of on the lean side when he shed that leather jacket, he still seemed like a bit of a stiff shirt. All business, all career. Rachel shrugged. She tilted her head back resting it on the top of the hard chair and watched the lazy blades of the ceiling fan.
    There’d been a glimmer of light in his eyes when she’d shaken out her hair. Ah, who cares? He stinks anyway. Still, she hadn’t missed the little spark of interest. They’d both recognized it. Not that she