“All I can say is she’s in the middle of a serial-arsonist case, you know,” Bram said. “So I’m actually not surprised.”

I frowned at Bram. All I can say meant there was more to be said. You know meant a sensitive topic. Actually was an unnecessary word, usually for comparing two or more items. What was he holding back?

No one else seemed to notice Bram’s evasion of the question.

Angie indicated the drawing of the older woman. “So we still don’t know if this is Shadow Woman’s self-portrait, but it seems like a good guess.”

I lifted the sketch. Julia, the clerk at the store, had said something was wrong with Mae’s face. This drawing showed a woman in deep shadow, with a small chin, short nose, thin upper lip, and flattened midface. I passed the sketch to Grace.

“Whoever this is, she looks like she has fetal alcohol spectrum disorder.” Grace gave the drawing to Dee Dee. “That might explain her lifestyle. And her nickname of Shadow Woman. FASD can cause a whole range of difficulties throughout life. Antisocial behavior, mood swings, poor judgment are just a few of the problems.”

“Julia mentioned her anger issues,” I said slowly. “She left her dogs and mule to fend for themselves, then wrote a check that bounced.”

Dee Dee took the sketch from me and placed it on the table, then covered the public side of her face with her hand, displaying her private emotions. Shadow Woman’s eyes twinkled and the corner of her mouth curved slightly upward. “I see happiness. A sense of humor.”

“Why would she hide that?” Grace said.

We silently contemplated the question.

“She would have been looking in a mirror when she drew herself. This side is what she is concealing.” I placed my hand over the other side. The woman’s iris looked small in the white of her eye. Her mouth was slightly open, the skin taut against her cheek. It was the look of absolute terror.

Chapter 12

The drawing of Sheriff Turner bothered Bram more than he wanted to say. She’d never mentioned a word about knowing Shadow Woman when she’d ordered him to shoot her dogs. And neither Sam nor his chief had asked him to look into her bounced check. Under Idaho law, if Shadow Woman were convicted of false pretenses, she could spend up to three years in prison and be fined as much as fifty thousand dollars.

The dogs yipped, followed immediately by the earth trembling.

Bram checked the time. The supply wagon would be leaving soon and he needed to get the water sample to the lab. He could delay Liam for a little bit, but if he waited too long, the road wouldn’t be safe. “Angie, would you wait for me in Roy’s office? I’ll be right there.”

She nodded.