“I don’t think that’s a good idea,” Steel told him.
“You’ll get yourself killed, you old lunatic,” Virginia added, sticking close to his side.
“I’m going and that’s that,” Jed demanded.
“Then I’m going, too.”
There was no time for a fuss. “We’d better check out the pit. She might have hitched a ride there.” Steel grabbed Stella’s hand, pulling her along with him, leaving Jed and Virginia to follow as best they could. They did a better job than he expected keeping up, bickering all the way, although that died down as they struggled to match Steel’s pace. They had crossed the little bridge and were making their way uphill toward Steel’s truck when Steel caught sight of Lily Barnes hurrying away ahead of them.
“Hey,” he called out.
She stumbled, turned back, spotted them and took off running. Steel caught a flash of long hair and anguished eyes before she veered off the crowded road into the woods. Steel followed.
Footsteps behind him warned him someone else had joined the chase.
Stella.
He had no time to think about that, though. Lily had a head start, and she was darting among the trees like a frightened deer.
This time when he caught up, he was going to get some answers.
After standing around all day, running felt great. Stella had been jogging every morning for weeks and practicing for the agility test daily on the obstacle course Steel had built for her, too. For once she felt like she could hold her own.
Lily was racing ahead like the hounds of hell were after her. Steel was gaining on her, though, and Stella was gaining on him.
As she dodged and darted through the trees, her lungs beginning to burn, her legs pumping beneath her, Stella figured out a more direct shortcut to cut Lily off, veered off the path the other two had taken and set out cross-country over rougher terrain.
She jumped a fallen log, raced around a mass of blackberry bushes, scrambled up and over a rocky spit of land and jumped out in front of Lily.
Lily shrieked, then shrieked again as Steel caught up with her and grabbed her arm.
“Get off me! It’s not my fault! Don’t touch me!”
And Lily dissolved into tears.
Chapter Nine
“Where is Liz?” Steel demanded, keeping a firm grip on Lily’s arm. He didn’t want to scare the girl, and it pained him to keep questioning her when she was crying, but they needed answers.
“I don’t know,” Lily said through her sobs.
“Where is she?”
Stella intervened, stepping between the two of them. “My stepsister is missing,” she told Lily, who was still squirming in Steel’s grip. “We know she was seen with Lara several times. And we know Lara is your friend. What’s going on?”
“I can’t tell you,” Lily said.
Stella stiffened. Raised her eyebrows at Steel. Lily did know.
Steel took over. “You can’t tell us, but you know who she’s with?”
Lily didn’t want to meet his gaze.
They were wasting time, and Steel was ready to haul Lily to his truck and make her direct them to the killer, but as frustrated as he was, he could see that Lily was wavering, and he held himself in check.
“He’s going to hurt Liz,” Stella said calmly. “She’s only fifteen. Is that what you want?”
“No,” Lily wailed. “But if I tell—”
“If you tell, what?” she asked when Lily broke off. “He’ll come after you?”
“What do you care? You won’t believe me anyway, even if I do tell the truth!”
Stella pulled back in surprise.
Steel’s phone buzzed, and he automatically reached for it with his free hand.
“Lily, I swear I’ll believe you. Just tell me,” Stella urged.
“You won’t,” Lily said. “I know you won’t.”
“Steel here,” he said into the phone.
“Steel? It’s Marion.”
“Of course I will—Lily, just give us a chance,” Stella pleaded.
Lily turned her gaze to Steel.
Stella followed it in disbelief. “Steel?” she said. Her voice sliced through his distraction, and Steel felt a sick twist in his gut as he took in what was happening. Was Lily accusing him of the killings?
Would Stella believe her?
“You’d better get home right now!” Marion snapped in his ear. “Some guy in a red pickup drove up, broke into your trailer and lugged something in. Something heavy. What the hell are you involved in now?”
“Red pickup?” But he was still watching Lily’s accusing gaze. He couldn’t believe this. “How can I be the one who took Liz when I’m right here?” he snapped at the girl.
“Not you,” Lily said in desperation.
And Steel realized he’d interpreted Lily’s look all wrong. She wasn’t accusing him; she was beseeching him.
“She won’t believe me,” Lily repeated, pointing at Stella.
“A Ford F-250,” Marion said in his ear.
A red Ford? Did she mean…?
“She’s dating him,” Lily hissed.
“Dating?” Stella’s head snapped toward Lily. “You mean…?”
Steel cut the call, pocketed the phone, lifted up Lily and tossed her over his shoulder.
“Steel!” Stella pounded after him as he ran off toward his truck. “What are you—”
“I know where Liz is!”
At the truck Steel set Lily down, yanked open the back door of the extended cab and pushed her in. He nearly groaned when he saw Jed and Virginia already buckled in their seats.
Stella climbed in the front passenger seat as fast as she could. He got behind the wheel.
“Where is she?” Stella said when she’d caught her breath. “We need to call the sheriff. Tell him what’s happening.”
“Liz is at my trailer,” Steel said grimly. “And Eric Holden is setting me up—which means we’re on our own.”
Stella’s mind was still whirling from Lily’s confession. Eric had taken Liz? Had killed Sue—
She simply couldn’t wrap her thoughts around it. Eric had a temper, but she couldn’t imagine him luring girls like Sue to their deaths. He’d been a deputy for over twenty years—
Her thoughts tripped over each other. Over
