Angels Fall

Reece shook her head. "It you're right. Say you're right and she was still alive that day. Why would she 
    stay with him? Voluntarily stay with him after he tried to kill her""
    "There's no telling what people will do. Hank, I'm running Reece back home. And maybe I'm wrong." Rick added as he took his hat off the hook, opened the door. "Maybe this has nothing to do with what you saw last month. But from your description, there's a good chance of it."
    "She hasn't been reported missing because she was with him, and he wouldn't report it. Or he hasn't."
    "Could be."
    She got in the car, let her head lean back. "I wish I knew it was the same woman. It would be a lot easier to just say yes, that's the one. Then it would be over for me; it would be finished."
    "You ought to put it out of your mind now at least for now. Let the police do their job."
    "I wish I could."
    When he pulled up at Joanie's, Reece glanced up and saw Brody just coming out her door. When he saw her in the radio car, he bolted down the steps. "What's going on? what's wrong?'
    He looked so worried, and she wasn't used to seeing worry on his face. Her insides wanted to shiver.
    "They found a woman's body, and I went to look at the photos from… I don't know it it was her. Her face was too ravaged. I don't think it was the woman I saw, but—"
    "She was found in the marsh, near Moose Ponds," Rick said as he got out the driver's side.
    "I'm just going to sit on the steps for a minute before I go back in. A little more air." Reece walked to the steps, sat down heavily.
    "Female victim," Rick said under his breath to Brody, "Long, dark hair. Evidence she was choked. Beaten, raped. Maybe drowned. Coroner's doing the autopsy about now. Kids found her. Naked, no ID, no clothes in the area."
    "Just found her?"
    "Yesterday. I got word today, got the crime scene photos."
    "Jesus Christ, Rick, how the hell did you expect Reece to ID a woman who's been soaking in the marsh for almost a goddamn month?"
    "Day or two," Rick corrected. "If Reece saw someone that day last month, and that woman walked or was earned away from the river still breathing, this could be her. I needed to see if Reece could identify her. She handled it pretty well. She's got some guts."
    "You should've called me first, let me bring her down." Brody frowned over at Reece. "You know damn well we're hooked up."
    "She wanted you with her, she could've called you. What the hell's in your hair?"
    "Shit." Brody raked his hands through it. "Paint. Did a little painting upstairs."

    "That so?" Rick lifted his eyebrows. "I guess you're more hooked up than I figured."
    "It's just fucking paint."
    Rick offered a toothy smile. "Nice, pretty blue. Back when Debbie and I  hooked up  , she had me fixing her porch, then picking up this or that at the market. Before I knew it, I was renting a tux and saying 'I do.' "
    "Screw you, Rick. It's paint."
    "Gotta start somewhere." He walked over to Reece, crouched so she didn't have to crane her neck to look up at him. "Are you going to be all right now?"
    "Yeah. I'll be all right. Thanks for bringing me back."
    "Just part of the service."
    "Sheriff?" she called as he headed back to the car. "You'll let me know as soon as she's identified?"
    "I will. You count on it. Take care of yourself now. You watch out if she tries to put an apron on you," he added to Brody.
    "Kiss my—"But Rick was already sliding into the car and shutting the door. As Reece pushed off the steps, Brody went back to her. "Come on, we'll get whatever else you need and take it to my place. Go for that drive or whatever."
    "No, I have to go back to work."
    "Joame's not going to fire you, for Christ's sake."
    "I need the work. I need the money. And I owe her an extra hour. I'll do better if I'm busy anyway. Rain check on the drive or whatever?"
    "Fine." He pulled her key out of his pocket, handed it to her. "You're locked up. I'll be at home if… I'll be at home."
    "Okay." Since he made no move, she did, and leaned in to kiss him. "Consider that a small down payment on the painting fee."
    "I thought I was being paid in food."
    "To start."

Chapter 19

    JOANIE ASKED no questions, and had given the stern word that she didn't want to hear any aimed in Reece's direction that didn't have to do with food.
    When the lunch crowd slowed, she watched Reece chop onions and celery. The girl might have had the speed and precision with a knife that a champion barrel racer had with a horse, but her mind wasn't