“The Agrarian!” she said with a laugh, “That’s what I’ve been looking for!”
“You like it?” He was smiling.
“I do, is it going to be in the paper tomorrow?” she asked.
“It will now.” There was a lull and Tyler could tell she was wondering if she should have called him or not. She’d gone to the trouble of ringing from a public phone after all.
“Do you have any of your insights into the case?” she asked but her voice was hesitant; this wasn’t what she’d wanted to ask.
“I’ve heard a few snippets here and there,” he said, “nothing I’d call a lead yet.” He let the silence hang there for a moment and then added, “Got some news on Danny Kercheck though.”
“What?” her voice now was clear but incredulous. “How? I haven’t even been able to find out anything about that.”
“You shouldn’t be looking into that anyway,” Tyler joked, “Won’t you get in trouble for that?”
“What did you find out?” she demanded, no messing in her tone.
“What’ll you give me for this information?” he asked. If she wanted to be a hardass about it, so could he. Sarah sighed from the other end of the line and there was no mistaking the depth of it.
“I’ve got nothing on anything, really, that’s the trouble at the minute.”
“To be fair, the ‘Agrarian’ case is only really underway now that there is a third victim.” He felt she would need some pepping up if he was going to get anything from her.
“Three is more than enough,” she said and then quickly added, “There’s a manhunt on for someone for the Baltimore murders right now.” Was this what she was giving him? He already knew about that.
“Carson Lemond,” he said.
“You know about it?” she started off sounding surprised but before the end of her sentence he could hear the acceptance- of course he already knew that. Baltimore was his town (his paper’s town anyway).
“Why don’t we meet up?” Tyler suggested. “The bar near your place?” Sarah didn’t answer immediately and he thrust in another reason for her, “I can feel something is going to happen with the killer soon.” She would know what killer he was talking about and would want to be close by if that happened. What she didn’t know, though, or at least he hoped she didn’t, was that Tyler felt he needed to be close to her to remain relevant to the killer.
“Okay,” she agreed and Tyler could feel her getting sucked back into his work once more.
“Tomorrow night, seven?” he suggested.
“Depends on how the manhunt is going,” she said.
“Are you going to be in Baltimore?”
“Probably.”
“Then call me on my cell, I’ll stay in the city until late after work tomorrow.”
“Do you know where Lemond is?” she asked and it wasn’t unreasonable considering the things he’d kept from her in the past- like tracking down Stanver before the police and FBI did.
“No, but I have been looking into it. If I find out I promise I’ll let you know,” he said.
“We need him down fast so I can concentrate on the ‘Agrarian’ again,” Sarah said.
“I’m surprised they lumped you with a manhunt while that case is ongoing,” Tyler said and it was true.
“All part of the job,” Sarah said with mock enthusiasm.
Tyler was thinking of leaving it at that, saying good night and hanging up, but the conversation felt unfinished, actually it felt like it had never really started. He didn’t understand why this would be.
“Don’t be too hard on yourself, Sarah. Before you know it Lemond and the Agrarian will be in jail and you’ll be on the case you want to be,” he said. Her being dejected wasn’t going to help her in her work. She had to be revved up and ready to fight and he knew it was still inside her waiting to vent out into the world.
“I certainly hope so,” she said. It wasn’t lively but it was a start.
“Spalding’s run will be over before the year is out,” Tyler said with an assurance he did not feel in the least. Sarah gave a half laugh and said,
“Nothing will be sorted before the year is out at this rate.”
“Don’t be like that,” Tyler cajoled, “Lemond will be caught in a few days and then the farmer killer will be a few days or weeks after that.” He didn’t add he thought this because the two of them would be working together again by then; that agreement could wait until they were face to face and he could read her better.
“I like you optimism,” she replied noncommittally.
“You just need a break in the case,” he said, knowing this was both true and also that it was something Sarah put a lot of stock in. “Each minute is a minute closer to the break,” he added sagaciously.
“You’re right,” Sarah answered after a short pause, and he could feel her confidence rising some, if only a little. It was a start and he would give her a more serious boost when they meet tomorrow evening.
“You know I’m right!” he laughed and felt now was the time to wrap up the call. Leave her more buoyant than he found her.
Chapter 8
SARAH WOULDN’T HAVE considered herself to be superstitious, but when she got to the bar that evening she was drawn to the table where she’d met Tyler before. That case had ended well after all, hadn’t it? Her logical mind did its level best to draw her to the bar and sit there but her body and subconscious worked as one and she caved in. There wasn’t any harm in sitting at the same table was there?
It was very late and on her way over, she’d assumed Tyler would be here before her as she’d beaten him to the place the last time despite his showing early. Danny Kercheck had joined them later on; who knew she’d been sitting right by someone under the direct influence
