Page 4 of Wild Escape

She sneered at me.

“I'll talk to the state’s attorney and see what I can do about the immunity.”

"The clock is ticking. The longer it takes you to find Dane and Brock, the higher the odds they get away. You gotta ask yourself, how bad do you want them?" Daphne shrugged. "I mean, they did kill a corrections officer. That's gotta be pretty high up there on the list. In the scheme of things, I’m nothing."

I leaned close and stared into those mischievous eyes. "Don't think I don't know what you're up to."

"What am I up to?" she said in as innocent a voice as she could summon.

"You want to get out of here, find the dagger, and escape before Dane gets it."

"If you get me a deal for full immunity, why would I want to risk my freedom? I wouldn't try to escape. I'll be on my best behavior, scout’s honor.”

"You're no scout. And $30 million is a lot of money."

She smirked.

“You want to tell me what makes that dagger worth $30 million dollars?”

She grinned. “Well, that’s a story. Get me out of here, and I’ll tell you.”

I pushed away from the table. "I'll see what I can do."

"Time is wasting," she replied.

I knocked on the door, and a guard buzzed us out. We stepped into the hall and rejoined the sheriff.

The look on his face told me exactly what he was thinking. "There's no way she's getting out of the pod."

"Without these two scumbags, she's going to walk eventually," I said.

"How long has she been in there?" JD asked.

"A week now. Bail was set at $500,000. I don’t think she’s got it.”

"Something tells me she's not cut out for the long haul."

"I don't care what she's cut out for," the sheriff grumbled. “I don't particularly want to see her back on the streets."

"Like she said, how bad do you want Dane and Brock?" I asked.

The sheriff’s face tightened. “Let’s put it this way. Those two dirtbags living the rest of their days as free men is not an option.”

“Well, then you better work something out.”

We left the station and headed back to the Avventura. We had no sooner pulled into the parking lot when the sheriff called. "I need you two nitwits to get to Taffy Beach."

"What is it now?”

3

We pulled into the lot at Taffy Beach, hopped out of the Porsche, and trudged across the sand. Teal waves crashed against the shore, and gulls drifted with the salty breeze. The sun hung low on the horizon. It was a nice evening. Couples had been out for a romantic stroll. A small crowd gawked at the horrific sight.

First responders swarmed. Deputies kept the curious onlookers at bay. Camera flashes bounced off the sand as Dietrich snapped photos.

JD and I pushed through the crowd and joined the sheriff as he looked on with a grim face. Brenda hovered over the remains as the foamy surf nipped at the body.

"Who is she?" I asked.