Ignacio said.
“Well - ” The farmer glowered around the motley collection of campers and trailers, as though trying to spot the culprit. “I guess that will be okay. But if this ever happens again - “
“I assure you it won’t happen again.”
“It sure as hell better not,” said the farmer, “or next time I bring the sheriff with me.”
He started to walk away, but turned back as though he were not yet satisfied. “It’s bad enough to lose the calf, but the way it was done - Jesus. All ripped apart. What kind of a man would kill an animal that way?”
Ignacio had no answer, and the farmer clumped off toward the trail that led through the woods. At the edge of the trees he turned and whistled sharply. The dog broke off its investigation of the trailers and followed the man.
Ignacio remained standing where he was. He turned his head and stared long at the trailer where Marcia and Roy stood watching.
“He knows,” Roy whispered.
“Of course he knows,” said Marcia, “but he would never dare to act against us.”
“Maybe not, but we shouldn’t push him too far. I’ll go out and tell him we’re leaving.”
“As you wish,” Marcia said indifferently. “I’ll gather the things we will want to take with us.”
When Roy dressed and went out, he found Ignacio sitting on the rear step of the camper where he lived with his wife and small daughter. The gypsy’s face darkened as Roy approached.
Roy spoke awkwardly. “Ignacio, I - I wanted to tell you we are leaving.”
“Leaving?” The gypsy could not keep the eagerness out of his voice. “For good?”
“Yes. You’ve been very kind letting us stay with you while Marcia was - ill. I’m grateful.”
“You owe me nothing.”
“She is better now, so well be on our way.”
Ignacio nodded gravely. He offered no words of regret at their leaving. Roy knew well why they had been allowed to stay, and Ignacio was not a man to waste false words of farewell.
“Goodbye,” Roy said.
The gypsy studied him, the black eyes nearly hidden beneath the tangled brows.
“God help you,” he said.
Chapter 8
KARYN STEPPED OUT of the elevator in the Seattle Sheraton Hotel, feeling highly pleased with herself. She had a job. At least she would have, starting next month - coordinating the new hotel’s banquet facilities. It would be good to feel useful again.
Over the past several weeks there had been several discussions with David, who did not fully approve of her going back to work. Finally, though, he said he would not object if that was what she really wanted. Dr. Goetz thought it was a good idea, and he had helped convince David. She had arranged to work only twenty hours a week, and would have afternoons and evenings free for her family.
This morning she had been so excited about the job interview that she skipped breakfast. Now she was hungry. The hotel’s coffee shop opened off the lobby, and Karyn went in. It was eleven o’clock, in between coffee-breakers and the lunch crowd, so the room was nearly empty. Karyn took a table near the window and ordered shrimp salad, boysen-berry pie, and coffee. As she waited for the waitress to come back with the order, Karyn began to feel uneasy. At first it was nothing she could define, just a prickling of the skin and a sort of chill down her back. Then she knew what it was. Someone was watching her.
Karyn tried to shrug off the feeling. It was nerves, of course. The excitement of getting a job. Just sit still, she thought, and it will go away.
But it did not go away. Instead, the feeling of being watched grew stronger and more oppressive. The waitress brought her food and gave her an odd look.
Even though Karyn knew it was foolishness, the desire to turn around became too strong to resist. As casually as she could manage, Karyn turned in her chair and surveyed one by one the other customers. There was a haggard young mother trying to keep a pair of little boys in their chairs. A young man with an Army