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“She doesn’t strike me as the only one with safety concerns,” I said.

“I’m planning a sale of items from my collection,” said Triton. “Some of them are very valuable. These men will guarantee that all goes off without a hitch.”

The Native American woman had quickly left us to our conversation; at least, I could no longer see her. If she was listening, she wouldn’t learn anything because nobody here was telling the truth, or not all of it.

I turned my attention to the goon in the Alpha Industries jacket.

“Did you serve with Wyatt Riggins?” I asked.

His expression didn’t alter. He had the fixed smile of a dead clown.

“Did Riggins own the rake you stepped on, Mr. Parker?” Triton asked. “Through Zetta, I’m aware that you’ve been searching for him.”

“He was reluctant to be found,” I said. “Emphatically so.”

“Then perhaps you should leave him be, and Zetta too.”

“A lot of the people I look for don’t want to be found,” I said. “If I followed your advice, I’d never leave the house.”

“Given your current condition, that might be for the best,” said Triton. “When I see Zetta, I’ll tell her you were asking after her, but I really must be getting back to work.”

I’d kept my right hand in my trouser pocket throughout. It wasn’t as though I’d be much use anyway if Triton decided to have us thrown out. I had my finger on the call button of my cell phone, and now I pressed it. From somewhere inside the house, just before the door closed behind Mark Triton, I heard another cell phone ringing.

Zetta Nadeau’s cell phone.

CHAPTERLXXVII

The third of the recovered children, the girl taken from Devin Vaughn’s home, was consigned to the care of Blas Urrea’s people at a rendezvous point in Marriottsville, some twenty-eight miles west of Baltimore. La Señora had held the body in her arms, crooning to her in their common tongue, before surrendering her to a pair of Urrea’s underlings. They would reunite the girl with two of her siblings at a private terminal on the Patapsco River, there to await the arrival of the last of them before all four were returned to Mexico by sea. Seeley noted how the Mexicans deferred to la Señora and did their damnedest not to look at her directly. If they weren’t sure of who she was, they knew enough to be frightened of her.

Seeley had spoken with Urrea following Devin Vaughn’s death, and was now aware of certain facts that had been concealed from him. Urrea had called to congratulate Seeley on what he had achieved so far, and to confirm that a bonus payment would be made to his account.

“I need to know,” said Seeley.

“Know what?”

“About the woman.”

“Why?”

“Because if I know about her, I can quantify her, and if I can quantify her, she won’t disturb my dreams.”

“She came out of the mountain,” said Urrea. “With something inside her.”

SEELEY AND ACREMENT WATCHEDthe van containing the child drive away. La Señora did not follow its progress but kept her head lowered. Had she not been so withered, so parched within, Seeley might have thought she was crying.

“We may soon have to part ways,” said Acrement.

“Are you troubled?” Seeley asked.

“Troubled doesn’t even begin to cover it.”

“You aren’t alone. When the children are safe, I may be forced to make new arrangements. I feel the call of foreign climes.”

Behind them, the woman slid into the back of Seeley’s car and lay down.

“She acts like she’s their mother,” said Acrement, “but their mother must be long dead. Like them.” He tugged at his bottom lip. “Like—”

“Better not to reflect too hard on it,” said Seeley.