“You never went near Caleb Hough? Or his wife or son?”

“Never! I’m here because I had to try to tell Jennie I’m sorry!”

“In a nurse’s uniform—dressed up as a woman?”

“I am an actor!” Brian reminded him with wounded dignity.

“Whether you did or didn’t hurt anyone else, you almost killed Jennie and you assaulted Agent Everett. You’re in it deep, Brian, and when I get back, you’re going to tell me everything—step by step. Betty, get him out of here!”

He watched while Betty put Brian Highsmith in the backseat of her patrol car. Then, trying to get a grip on his anger, he walked back into the hospital. He called Newsome and told him what had happened, then called Logan to give him the latest and was glad to hear that Logan was nearly at the hospital. As soon as he’d finished that conversation, he phoned Jane.

“So that’s it?” she asked. “Brian—Brian Highsmith—knocked me out and put Jennie in a coma. And he claims he didn’t want to hurt anyone?”

“That’s his story.”

“And he started the whole thing by putting Sage McCormick’s skull on the wig stand?”

“He said he was trying to scare Valerie into sleeping with him when he became the hero who saved her. Apparently, I ruined that by showing up.”

“What about Jay Berman—and the corpse in the desert? Do you think Brian killed Caleb Hough?”

“He denies it—but as he just reminded me, he is an actor.”

“Well, there’s also the fact that two people went into the Hough house and attacked Jimmy and Zoe Hough,” Jane said.

“I’m going to talk to Jennie and the Hough family—calm them down, calm myself down.” He sighed. “I was pretty sure that Jennie was being paranoid. Once Logan gets here I’ll go back to talk to Brian.”

“Kelsey and I will hang around the theater,” she told him. “Mike Addison is breathing fire over the fact that we’ve ripped up his wall.” She was quiet for a minute. “You’ll want to see this letter. Kelsey mentioned it to Logan.”

When Sloan acknowledged it, she went on. “Trey Hardy managed to file down some metal tubing to make sure his note was preserved. He’d hoped somebody would find it if he was killed, and if so, see that his killers didn’t get to Sage.” She paused. “Or, in the event that it wasn’t found until later, I guess he wanted to set the record straight. About the gold heist. And about Sage.”

Sloan felt a little numb. He wasn’t used to being sentimental, but this did involve his family. Or, at any rate, an ancestor.

“Yeah, I’d like to see that note,” he finally told Jane, and realized his voice was a little husky. Maybe it meant something that Trey Hardy and Sage McCormick had stayed around as ghosts all these years—and were here to help out when he’d needed them.

“And while we’re at the theater, we’re not going to be destructive. We’re going to look for the obvious,” Jane assured him.

“Hey, did you make a likeness of our mummified corpse?” he asked.

“From the pictures I’ve seen, I’d say we definitely found Red Marston. I honestly believe he was trying to save Sage, too, and died for his efforts,” Jane said.

“Maybe. We know that Trey Hardy was gunned down in a conspiracy. And I’m guessing Sage and Red were killed because of possible interference—or because they might talk. Since Brendan Fogerty was in on it all along, the law never caught anyone. I suspect Caleb Hough discovered that the gold was still here. He brought Jay Berman in on it and then killed Berman. The only possible reason for all these murders is that someone found some part of that gold already—and means to keep it.”

“We’re going to start looking, Sloan.”

“Keep in touch. And be careful.”

“Of course.”

Sloan rang off and went back into the hospital. Jennie was still upset, but she was in bed again and she’d been given a sedative; she clung to Sloan when he walked inside the room. “You’re going to be okay now,” he said.

“I don’t feel right, Sloan. I don’t feel right. Brian! And I cared about that boy.”

“He claims he loves you, too, Jennie. That he never intended to hurt you.”

Jennie sniffed at that. “He’ll go to jail, won’t he?”

“That was a serious assault. Yes, I imagine he’ll do time.”

“What if I don’t press charges?”

“He attacked a federal agent, as well.” Sloan hesitated. “He might have murdered other people, too. We don’t really know the truth yet. We only know what he’s willing to admit.”

“Brian Highsmith,” Jennie said. “He played a villain, Sloan, and he was an atrocious flirt, but I always felt he was a good kid at heart.”

“He put you in a coma,” Sloan said.

“But I believe he didn’t mean to,” Jennie argued.

There seemed to be no arguing with her; she was still charmed by Brian.

They were both startled when they heard a sound of disgust from the doorway. Sloan saw that Zoe Hough was standing there.

“How could you say such a thing?” she demanded. “That man is a killer!”

“Zoe,” Sloan said, rising to walk over to her where she stood in the doorway. “Zoe, we don’t—”

“He crept in here dressed like a nurse! He could’ve come and killed Jimmy or me!” Zoe said, obviously shaken.

“Zoe, he admits to what he did as far as Jennie and Jane are concerned, but denies killing anyone,” Sloan told her.

“But he came into the hospital!”

“Zoe, we think that whoever killed your husband also attacked you,” Sloan said. “Do you remember anything about him? The sound of his voice? Any details at all?”

“Well, of course I remember him! I’ve seen him perform.”

“I meant on the day you were attacked,” Sloan said.

Zoe swallowed hard. “I was attacked by a woman. I think. I mean, it’s hard to be sure, but there was something about the scent...like perfume.”

Bingo. This aligned with what Jimmy had said. It was also the first time Zoe had recalled that particular detail.

Sloan was glad when Jimmy appeared behind her, holding her shoulders. “Mom, come on, you’re going to upset Jennie.” He looked at Sloan. “He’s not the man who attacked me.”

“How do you know?” Zoe asked aggressively.

“I just do,” Jimmy said. “I would know.... I feel I’d know. I wasn’t completely out at any time. I’m sure I’d recognize a voice if...if I heard it right now.”

Sloan was glad to see Logan as he came around the bend in the hallway. He was wearing a tailored denim shirt and jeans and an air of authority that suited him well. He approached Sloan and the small group in the hallway with a query in his eyes.

“I’m heading back to the office,” Sloan told him.

“You can’t leave us! Even with an officer in the hall,” Zoe protested.

“It’s all right, Mrs. Hough. I’ll be here with you,” Logan said. “I promise you I’ll see to your safety and that of your son. So will the officer in the hall. The sheriff has work to do.”

“This man—he’s going to watch all of us?” Jennie asked.

“Yes, ma’am, I’ll be here. With all of you,” Logan assured her.

Sloan tipped his hat to Logan, smiling—and grateful that Jane had called her Krewe and that Logan had come.

“We’ll find the truth.” He met Zoe’s eyes. “I guarantee it.”

“Now, don’t you hurt that boy!” Jennie called as he turned to leave.

“No torture, Jennie. I promise,” Sloan said, making an effort not to smile.

At last he was out the door. He called the office and Scotty, the night desk deputy, picked up.

“I’ll be there in about ten minutes,” Sloan told him.

“Okay,” Scotty said. And then, “Why? What’s up?”

“To interrogate Brian Highsmith. He’s there, right?”

“No. In fact, no one’s here. I came into an empty office, which was pretty surprising, but I chalked it up to the end of Silverfest. There was a note from Betty saying she’d had to run out. But she isn’t here now.”

“Call in our troops. Tell them to start looking for Betty’s patrol car. She left the hospital with Highsmith. Find her car. Find Betty—and Highsmith!” he said. “I’m on it myself—”

He broke off, swearing. He was still about a mile from Main Street in Old Town.

And there was Betty’s car, run off the road.

He pulled his own car to the side and wrenched open the door. There was no sign of Betty in or near the patrol car.

Nor was Brian Highsmith in back.

A trail of blood trickled through the sand. Sloan followed it, his heart pounding, until it disappeared.

15

Silverfest had quieted down. There were still a number of vendors around and Desert Diamonds seemed to be doing a decent business, along with the saloon and the spa. There was a group heading out for a night ride, Jane noticed, but Heidi wasn’t leading it—two young men of about college age seemed to be doing it. The haunted hayride was getting ready to roll, as well.

Jane saw Henri Coque in front of the Gilded Lily, out on the street giving a lecture on the history of the theater in the United States, while Cy Tyburn and Valerie Mystro—dressed in hero and heroine attire—were chatting with people on the street. She didn’t see Alice anywhere...and she wondered if any of them knew that Brian had been arrested.

“Best time ever to sneak in,” Jane told Kelsey.

The bar and restaurant had yet to open. There weren’t even any kitchen workers in the old theater; there was nothing but dead silence when Kelsey and Jane walked in.