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“Which is why I don’t want you stumbling and dropping it.”
She narrows her eyes, and then hands it over. “Fine. Be careful.”
“Always.”
He takes off to get the cart, as April and I continue on.
“I’m sorry this isn’t quite the arrival you expected,” I say.
“That’s not your fault.” She adjusts Anders’s backpack. “Before I left, Kenny pointed out that you are probably already upset over what seems an inauspicious beginning, and that I will not help by calling attention to that. He also said I may even be making you feel as if you are somehow to blame. I think itis obvious that I could hardly hold you responsible for crimes that occurred before you arrived, but in the event he is correct, I will clarify that the person I actually blame is Yolanda for not allowing you on-site during construction. She has a poor grasp of the forest’s dangers.”
I clear my throat as a figure appears at the end of the path. “Yolanda,” I call, alerting my sister to her presence. “This is my sister, April.”
Yolanda strides down the path, and the two women size each other up in a glance.
“You’re the neurosurgeon,” Yolanda says.
“And you’re the woman who allowed—”
I cough, cutting April off, but Yolanda doesn’t seem to have heard. Her gaze has gone behind us. There’s one split second where she stares—just stares—but that’s gone in a blink as her eyes narrow.
“You’re not my pilot,” she says.
“No, I am not,” Anders calls as he pulls the cart to us. He catches up and extends a hand to Yolanda. “Will Anders.”
“Thedeputy? What the hell are you doing here?”
Anders only arches a brow, in the mildest look of reproach. Then he answers, his voice calm, even light. “With everything going on, it seems like you could more law enforcement, at least temporarily. More importantly, I am here to assist April.”
“Are you a doctor, too?”
“No,” he says. “But I played one in the army.”
Her eyes narrow more, as if he’s mocking her.
“Let’s do the background check,” he says. “Premed in college. Decided to join the army instead. Trained as a medic there. Did some medic work before being moved to policing. And before you presume that means I flunked out as a medic, no, I did not. The army recognized that I had more valuableskills as an MP. My specialty is conflict resolution, which is gold when dealing with frustrated soldiers. I get the feeling that might also be my most valuable skill here right now.” His gaze flits to me. “Just a hunch.”
I roll my eyes where only he can see it.
“Also,” he says, “because Casey is shit at defending herself—or avoiding blame of any kind—let me clarify that she had no idea I was coming.”
“That is true,” April says. “I asked him to join me for his medical skills.”
“If I’d known Will was back,” I say, “I’d have asked him to come along myself. Now, can we get to the patient, please?”
When Yolanda hesitates, Anders turns to her. “I’m sure this has been a pain in the ass. You’re on a tight schedule, and this has taken your attention away from that. But I can assure you that between the four of us, we have everything covered. If you have time later today, I can update you on the patient’s condition and the investigation. Maybe over lunch? If that works?”
“I don’t stop for lunch.”
“I won’t need you to. I can talk while you’re working. Or we can choose a better time.”
“Noon,” she says as she walks away. “I’ll be supervising work on the commissary.”
I update Anders and April on Bruno’s condition, and then we’re in the clinic, where they can see him firsthand. I work on unpacking what April has brought while Anders prepares Bruno for a more thorough assessment and April looks through the boxed equipment. A couple of things she brought are alreadyhere—she wasn’t taking that chance—and I help her set up. Then my services are no longer required.
I’m at loose ends then. While there are a few things I could do, my focus has shifted to Penny. There’s no sense further investigating Bruno’s situation or the dead woman before April has had a chance to look at both. Penny is still missing.
I find a crew member and ask her to show me where Penny sleeps. I should probably go to Yolanda, but that’s guaranteed to derail me. The crew member shows me Penny’s bunk and locker, which is unlocked, and then she heads back to work while I search.
