A few seconds later he slid his glasses back onto his nose and looked up. “Mrs. Braden, do you have any information at all about the whereabouts of Alena Savard?”

“I’m sorry,” Victoria said. “I sincerely hope you find her.”

Polchak stood up and started for the door—then stopped and looked back at the dog. “Trygg—come!”

The dog looked up at him but didn’t obey. Nick walked over to the dog, hooked a finger under her collar, and pulled; only then did the dog rise to its feet and follow.

“Not a very obedient animal,” Victoria said.

“She’s a female—they can be unpredictable. Sorry to bother you all. I’ll be going now.”

“Wait,” the senator called after him. “The Patriot Center—the investigation— what happens now?”

“Ask your wife,” Nick said. “The two of you will have to work that out together.”

Nick let himself out.

They watched until the door shut behind him.

“What a nutcase,” Chris said. “If you ask me, he’s—”

“Get out,” Braden commanded.

Chris got up and left without any further word, leaving the senator and his wife staring at one another across the empty room.

38

38

The minute the truck was out of sight of the house, Nick pulled off the road and turned off his headlights. He slumped forward and rested his head on the steering wheel. His mind scrambled, trying to formulate his next logical move—but a terrible realization kept creeping in, crowding out his other thoughts: The dog was lying down.

Alena was already dead.

Adrenaline flooded his system; his entire body trembled and he felt like vomiting.

Trygg was lying at Riddick’s feet—that was her alert. She detected the odor of death on Riddick’s hands or shoes or clothing. Riddick admitted that he was out earlier this evening; he said he had an errand to run, an errand that the Bradens seemed to know nothing about. But wait a minute: Only the senator asked about Riddick’s absence, not Victoria—did she know where he went? Apparently the senator knows nothing about the scrapbook and his wife’s true identity; maybe she thought she could keep it that way. Maybe it’s not just Mommy’s little secret anymore—maybe it’s her daughter’s too now, and maybe Riddick is helping her keep it. But would Victoria be willing to go as far as her mother did?

Nick twisted around and looked back through the rear window into the camper shell; he saw Trygg balancing on three legs in the center of the truck bed, staring back at him. He looked at the dog, and for the first time Nick thought he could read the meaning in the animal’s doleful eyes. It was as if she was saying, “Where are we going? That was the guy back there.”

“I know,” Nick said aloud, “and we’ll go back for him—I promise.”