The Woman in the Woods: A Charlie Parker Thriller: 16. From the No. 1 Bestselling Author of A Game of Ghosts by John Connolly

Author:John Connolly [Connolly, John]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Hodder & Stoughton
Published: 2018-04-04T16:00:00+00:00

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Parker called Maela Lombardi from his car, but both the cell and home numbers went straight to voice mail. He guessed that Molly Bow would probably have tried to contact Lombardi to let her know that she’d shared Lombardi’s details with him, which might be for the best. If Lombardi was involved in sheltering desperate women from violent men, it was possible her view of the male sex could qualify as somewhat jaded. Even in her present mood, Bow would be able to smooth the way.

Parker was traveling against the traffic for most of his journey, and only got snarled up when he reached the outskirts of Portland. He thought about leaving Lombardi until the following morning, as it was now dark and he didn’t want to disturb an elderly woman who might be about to settle down with a meal in front of her TV. Then he remembered that this was an elderly woman who was involved in an abuse victims’ equivalent of the Underground Railroad, and was therefore probably familiar with being roused from her chair at inconvenient moments. He tried Lombardi’s numbers for the fourth time, with the same result, before deciding to call Molly Bow as he crossed the Casco Bay Bridge to South Portland. There was always the chance that Bow had managed to get hold of Lombardi, who was now battening the hatches against him. If so, she was underestimating his persistence.

Bow sounded harried when she came to the phone, but it might have been a hangover from their earlier conversation.

‘One quick question,’ said Parker. ‘Have you been in touch with Maela Lombardi since we spoke?’

‘No. I mean, I tried, but I haven’t been able to make contact.’

‘I haven’t either.’

‘Where are you?’

‘South Portland. I’m on my way to Lombardi’s now.’

‘She usually answers her phone. It’s rarely off, for obvious reasons.’

‘If she was planning to leave town, who would she inform?’

A pause.

‘I can’t give you any more names. I shouldn’t have given you Maela’s.’

‘Fine, I understand.’ And Parker did, although he wished he didn’t. ‘I’ll take a look at the house and see what’s happening. But if I get back to you, be ready to make some calls. Just don’t go alarming anyone yet.’

Molly agreed. She didn’t have a whole lot of choice, and didn’t like not having a whole lot of choice. She was still letting Parker know this when he hung up, but by that point he’d gotten the message.

The Lombardi house on Orchard Road was dark when Parker arrived, and he saw no car in the drive. He rang the doorbell twice, just in case Lombardi was sleeping, before making a circuit of the property. All the doors and windows were locked, and nothing appeared to be disturbed when he shone his pocket flashlight inside.

He was about to call Molly Bow again when a neighbor began hovering in a yard across the street. Parker headed over and showed the woman his ID. She was in her forties, but with the kind of

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