She's Buried Deep by Georgia Wagner

Author:Georgia Wagner [Wagner, Georgia]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2022-10-06T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter 12

The guilt was secondary to the exhaustion now. It was late by the time they found themselves back at the local precinct, borrowing one of the interrogation rooms. Artemis' hand fluttered over her mouth, stifling a yawn. Even so, as she stood in the back of the interrogation room, her stomach tightened.

Another bout of guilt.

In her mind, she tried to picture the woman. The image of the way the panicked figure had hunched over Artemis' phone, like a moth seeking some form of light, was now burned in Artemis' brain.

What had happened to her?

She must have run off... That was it, wasn't it?

“Anything?” Artemis said suddenly, looking up as Forester joined her. Behind the tall man, down the hall, Artemis spotted where a couple of police officers were helping Wade to wrangle Jeb Arthur down the corridor.

The man was not coming quietly.

Shouts and threats and grunts of exertion—punctuating bids for freedom—accompanied the approaching suspect.

Forester, who'd already taken his turn escorting the prisoner, wiped a hand across a sweaty forehead. “Whew,” he muttered, jamming his foot against the door to keep it open for their new guest. Wade was suddenly knocked into the wall as Mr. Arthur flung himself backwards, pinning the FBI agent.

The two aiding officers yelled, grabbing at Jeb and pulling him away, while Wade shoved the suspect off him.

Forester didn't react. In a way, he almost looked bored as he surveyed the approaching scene; but then he turned, shooting a quick look at Artemis.

“Nothing found yet,” he said quietly, shaking his head. He tapped the radio on his holster. “They'll let us know the moment they find her.”

“What if they don't find her!” Artemis exclaimed. “She was so scared, Cameron! So scared.”

Another outburst down the hall prompted Forester to snort, remove his foot from the door jam and allow the interrogation room door to slowly close shut. He glanced at her now, quirking an eyebrow. “Are you all right?” he said slowly.

“N-no,” she snapped back, but then realizing her tone, she swallowed and tried again. “No... I'm not. I shouldn't have left her on the road.”

“You thought Wade and I were in danger. You came to help us. Can't fault that.”

“But... but what if...” Artemis trailed off, trying to think. Jeb Arthur was involved somehow. That much felt certain, didn't it? His phone number had been tattooed on Sierra's arm. The killer had used that phone number. He'd been sleeping in a barn next to a burnt-out house with a kidnapped woman trapped in the basement.

Jeb Arthur was involved.

But then what had happened to the woman from the basement?

Artemis couldn't help but fear something horrible.

“I saw that basement too,” Forester said, shaking his head. “I get it. Really. But if she bolted, that's on her. Not you.”

“How can you say that?”

“Because,” Forester said firmly, “you're going to have to learn fast on this job that you might be able to save some from murderers and bad guys. But you can't save anyone from themselves. That's their choice. She didn't trust you, or us, and ran.

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