“I’ll keep that in mind, Eric.” Cindy laughed. “Do you mind helping me out, Tandy?”

Tandy looked down, then up. “Hey, it’d be my pleasure. I’m impressed.”

Cindy studied Tandy’s face. She really did look impressed. Impressed and mean.

27

Marge tossed the magazine in the passenger seat of the Beemer and was ready to start the car. But Tandy wasn’t walking toward her Audi. Instead, she was chatting animatedly with a redhead, the two women crossing the street in the direction of the juice bar. Quickly, Marge picked up her binoculars and began focusing on the moving figures. Then her hands began to shake. In shock, she lowered the glasses to her lap and tried to unscramble her thoughts.

If Marge didn’t intercede, Pete would strangle her as well as Cindy. But if she did intercede, it would blow the tail, putting Tandy wise to their suspicions. But Tandy was being watched as a suspect in a kidnapping/murder; she could be dangerous. How could Marge, in good conscience, allow Cindy to remain in the presence of this woman?

Of course, she and Decker had no evidence that pointed to Tandy’s involvement. But Roberts was a nutcase. Marge knew that by letting Cindy proceed, she could be endangering the teenager’s life.

Marge swore out loud. Decker’s kid must have gotten a taste of excitement, and the adrenaline had kicked in. Teenagers—pains in the butt. The shy ones got eaten alive, and the bold ones believed they were immortal. Pete wouldn’t be the only one who’d have a few choice words to say to Cindy. What to do! What to do!

The girls had gone inside the juice bar. Marge could either put a stop to it now or wait. Again Marge cursed, trying to be rational and careful at the same time. After a minute of conflict, pros and cons competing for brain space, Marge finally decided to cool her heels. She could see the entrance to the bar as well as the Audi. Tandy couldn’t escape without Marge detecting her getaway.

Let the ladies have their chat. Afterward, when they went their separate ways, when Marge was calm, she would have a long, long talk with Cindy.

But the decision gnawed at her gut. What if Tandy went crazy?

Marge could see the screaming headlines: mass murder in juice bar: people die as cop looks on. Subtitle: Victim daughter of cop’s partner.

Forced to resign in humiliation, Marge would spend the rest of her life as a security guard in a mall—guarding teenagers!

She shook exaggeration from her thoughts. Passing seconds seemed like hours. Eyes darting back and forth, Marge felt the tension of every muscle in her body. She thought, Why should Pete have the honor of killing Cindy? The pleasure should be exclusively hers.