Free Bones Never Lie by Kathy Reichs

daughter’s room. Recalls questioning about Lizzie’s use of email and the Net. That’s it.”
    “Where’s the laptop now?” I asked.
    “Pridmore got it back. Two years later used it to trade up to a newer model.”
    “Did you ask if Lizzie’s other files were saved first?”
    Barrow nodded. “They were. Pridmore copied the photos and Word docs to disk before wiping the drive for resale. Remembers a school report on ER nursing. The assignment was to research a career—that’s what the kid wanted to be. After reading it, she couldn’t bear to look at anything else.”
    “We should get those disks.”
    “I’ll give it a go.”
    “Any chance of tracking the laptop?”
    Barrow spread his palms in a “Who knows?” gesture.
    “Either no one paid attention to Ferrara’s report, or no one realized the significance of an eleven-year-old kid selectively clearing her own history,” Ryan said.
    “So Pomerleau may have been finding victims online as far back as 2009,” I said.
    “Let’s get through this.” Ryan flipped a page in the interview file.
    In the end, it wasn’t Pomerleau’s cyberstalking that changed Ryan’s mind about staying.
    It was the call that came in at half past nine.

CHAPTER 9
     
    RYAN AND I kept with it until well after seven. Uncovered nothing else of interest.
    As we were leaving, I suggested dinner. He agreed. With a remarkable lack of enthusiasm.
    We walked to the Epicentre, a two-story extravaganza of shops, theaters, bowling alleys, bars, and restaurants commanding an entire square block of uptown acreage.
    The place was packed. We decided on Mortimer’s. No reason except seating was immediately available.
    I ordered the Asian chicken wrap. Ryan chose the Panthers pita. His looked better than mine.
    When finished, we did our usual grab for the check. Our fingers brushed, and I felt heat sear my skin. Jerked my hand back.
Down, Brennan
.
It’s over.
    But I’d scored a rare victory. Ryan was definitely not on his game.
    We were exiting onto College Street when my phone vibrated to tell me I had voicemail. I pulled it from my purse, expecting a message from Slidell.
    Area code 828. I felt a zap of apprehension. Heatherhill Farm had called at eight-fifteen. I clicked on to listen. “Dr. Brennan. It’s Luna Finch. I thought you should know. Your mother—she didn’t come to dinner. When we checked her room, she wasn’t there. We’ve searched the house and grounds, will do so again, then move on to other parts of the facility. I’m sure it’s nothing, but if you know where she might have gone, could you please give us a ring? Thank you.”
    “Damn!” I hit redial. “Freakin’ damn!”
    Ryan had paused when I stopped walking. “Problem?”
    “I just need a minute to clear something up.”
    Far away in the mountains, Finch’s phone rang. Rang again.
    “Dr. Finch.”
    “It’s Temperance Brennan.” I turned my back, a not-so-subtle hint.
    Ryan moved off a few paces to allow me privacy. In the corner of my eye, I saw him shake free a cigarette and light it.
    “We found her. I’m sorry to have bothered you. But she failed to sign out. She’s never done that before.”
    “Where was she?”
    “In the computer center, on the floor of a carrel. She’d placed a cart across the entrance and hidden behind it. That’s why we didn’t see her on the first sweep.”
    “She has her own laptop.” This didn’t make sense. “Why go there?”
    “The Wi-Fi was down in River House. You know how it is in the mountains.”
    “She couldn’t wait until service was restored?”
    I heard a long sigh. “Daisy feels she is intentionally being kept offline.”
    “Was that the reason for the cart?”
    “I’m afraid so. She feels she’s being watched.”
    “She’s crashed since I saw her on Wednesday.”
    “No, actually, she’s seemed quite happy. A bit distracted, perhaps. Introspective. Like she has something on her mind.”
    “Where is she now?”
    “Taking a bath. I’m