Edge Of Evil by J. A. Jance Read Free Book Online Page A

“I’ll throw a few things in the car and head out. It won’t take that long. It’s only five hundred miles. I can be there in under eight hours.”
    “But I just told you,” Bob objected, “no one has any idea when the services will be. It might be the end of this week or even the first of next.”
    “Doesn’t matter,” Ali told him. “I’m not working, remember? I’m free as a bird, and since I have my own place there, I can stay as long as I like. Paul’s out of town anyway. He won’t mind.”
    “All right, then,” her father said. “If that’s what you want to do, I’ll go up to your place and check things out—make sure the heat’s on and none of the pipes are frozen. I did that the other morning—checked the pipes—so they should be fine. Do you want me to put a few groceries in the fridge?”
    “Thanks, Pop,” she said. “For the pipes and the heat, but don’t worry about food. I’ll probably be spending a lot of time up in Flag. When I’m not there, I’m sure I’ll be able to scrounge enough Sugarloaf grub from you and Mom to keep from starving.”
    “Okay,” Bob said dubiously, “but you drive carefully. And call once you get here.”
    “It’ll be too late,” Ali objected. “It’ll wake Mom.”
    Edie Larson rose every day at four A.M . and walked from their little apartment at the back of the lot to her kitchen in the restaurant that fronted on the highway. That’s what it took to have the sweet rolls up and ready to go when the first early-bird Sugarloaf breakfast customers came through the door at six.
    “Call on my cell phone,” he said. “I’ll keep it with me out in the living room. Once Edie turns off her hearing aid, she can’t hear a thing. She’s deaf as a post.”
    “All right,” Ali agreed. “I’ll let you know when I get there.”
    Just then the back door slammed open and shut. “Mom?” Chris called from the kitchen. “Are you here?”
    “Gotta go, Dad,” Ali told her father. “See you tomorrow.” Then to Chris she added, “In here. In the family room.”
    He came as far as the doorway, munching on a fistful of Elvira Jimenez’s freshly baked cookies that he’d pilfered off the counter. Chris stopped cold as soon as he caught a glimpse of his mother’s stricken face.
    “Reenie’s dead, isn’t she,” Chris said.
    Ali nodded wordlessly.
    “What happened?”
    “She went off Schnebly Hill Road sometime over the weekend. They didn’t find her until a few hours ago. I just got off the phone with Grandpa. I told him I’ll come home to Sedona as soon as I can load things into the car.”
    “I’ll go with you,” Chris offered at once. “It’s a long trip. I can help drive.”
    “But you have school,” Ali objected.
    “Not really,” Chris said. “It’s the end of the quarter. I have one class tomorrow and two on Wednesday. Then I don’t have anything more until finals. The first one isn’t until next Monday. If I talk to my professors and tell them what’s happened, it won’t be a big deal.”
    “You’re sure?” Ali asked.
    “I’m sure,” Chris said.
    She stood up, went over to her son, and allowed herself to sink into the comforting grip of one of his weight-lifting-powered bear hugs.
    “Thanks, Chris,” she said. “Thank you so much.”
    The tears came then, and she let them. Having someone hold her as she cried made all the difference.

Chapter 4
    As Ali and Chris finished loading the Cayenne, Chris paused next to the ski rack. “Should I bring ’em?” he asked.
    Ali shrugged. “Why not? After that big storm, I’m sure there’s plenty of new snow up at Flagstaff, and you know how much Gramps loves to ski, especially with you.”
    “Are you sure? I mean, with Reenie and everything…”
    Ali nodded. “Reenie’s my problem, not Dad’s. Besides, remember how he was when Aunt Evie died? Practically useless. We’ll be better off with him skiing than we will be with him under hand and foot twenty-four