Page 93 of Nash Falls

“Rolf, you okay?”

“No, I’m not.”

“What’s wrong?”

“It’s Billy Adams.”

“Billy? What about him? I talked to him late last night. He was fine.”

“Not anymore. He’s dead.”

Nash staggered back. “What! How?”

“Apparently he lost control of his car and it went off the road and flipped. He died instantly, they said.”

“Where?”

“About three miles west of here. Funny, because that’s not on his way home.”

But it is on the way to the nearest police station, Nash thought.

Rolf looked like he might cry. “So pointless, right?”

“Yes,” said Nash. He was actually thinking that Billy Adams’s death had no doubt contained several elements, but beingpointlesswas not one of them.

CHAPTER

46

YOU NEED TO GO TOthe police with that info, Walter,” said Shock.

Nash was back at his home and had called Shock about Adams’s death.

“If the cops were fake, and it looks like they were, the killers were tyin’ up loose ends by takin’ out the one dude who could ID them.”

“Okay, Shock, I called the detective last night and left a message but he never called back. I’ll try again.” Then he blurted out, “I wish to God I’d told Billy to go straight to the police yesterday.”

Nash clicked off and phoned Ramos, leaving another message for the man. He then went upstairs to check on Judith.

She was no longer in Maggie’s room. Nash heard the water running and poked his head in to see Judith in the shower. She glanced up at him, embarrassed.

“I’m… sorry, Walter. I know I was… this morning. I…”

“Just shower, you’ll feel better. And you must be hungry. Can I make you something?”

“No, I’m… I’ll eat later. I’m going to go for a walk. I need some… air.”

“Okay.”

“Walter, if Maggie has been kidnapped, we can pay to get her home safe, right?”

“I’ll sell everything we have to get her back, Judith.”

Nash left her and was halfway downstairs when Ramos called him back.

“Sorry I missed you last night and this morning, Mr. Nash. I’ve been running around on a bunch of things and time got away from me.”

Nash explained what Billy Adams had told him about the 911 call.