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Maureen was already at her desk when Dan got back to the office an hour later. “Good morning beautiful,” he said, as he leaned his elbows on her desk.
She gave him a skeptical look. “I see we have the charm working this morning. Sounds like you’re getting ready to ask another favor.” She peered past him. “And I don’t see any nice fat Chinook salmon either.”
Dan laughed and threw his hands up in the air. “Right on all counts—but the salmon’s coming, I promise. The wine too.”
She raised her eyebrows. “Guess I’ll give you the benefit of the doubt. So what’s the favor?”
He gave her the list of marinas. “Could you call these and see if a powerboat called White Lightning is tied up or anchored off any of them?”
She scanned the list. “Doesn’t look like too much of challenge. What do you want me to do if I locate it? Where are you going to be?”
“Right here.” Dan nodded towards the computers sitting idle on the empty desks in the room behind her. He knew Markleson had asked the detachment to put as many bodies out on the street as possible to try and find the source of the drug epidemic that was killing local kids. It looked as if they had cooperated.
“I’ve got to try and figure out which aquaculture company owns which fish farm, he said.”
She nodded. “Sounds like a fun way to spend the morning. I’ll let you know if I come up with anything.”
Dan started to walk away, but thought of something else and turned back.
“You’ve lived here for a long time haven’t you?”
“All my life,” she answered. “Same as Mark. We met in high school. Why?”
“You ever know some people called Halvorsen? They used to own a house up there on the hill. I think he was Scandinavian and she was English?”
“Karl and Penny Halvorsen? Sure. My mom used to visit Penny when she first got sick, although that was years ago now. Why?”
“I saw someone at their house a couple of days ago—a guy I think may be linked somehow to these missing men and maybe to the murders as well—but I can’t figure out what he was doing there. He’s off one of the yachts.”
“What did he look like?” Maureen asked. “I think their son inherited the house when Karl died and he looked a lot like his dad.” She turned back to her desk. “Too bad Victor wasn’t like Karl in other ways as well.”
Dan started to ask her what she meant but the phone rang and he had to wait while she handled the call.
“It sounds like you didn’t like Victor Halvorsen very much? Any particular reason?”
She was writing a message so he couldn’t see her face, but he could see her head nodding.
“Victor was a bully. Probably the meanest kid in school and not too bright. He was big, built like his dad, and he liked to pick on the little kids. Used to threaten them and steal their lunches. Mark said he took money from them too. I never saw that, but I wouldn’t be surprised. I did see him beat up a little kid once. Took his bike and threw it in the creek.”
“Sounds like a real jerk,” Dan said. “Was he blond like his dad?”
“Victor? Yes. Very. His hair was almost white—but I’m not sure whether he still owns the house. I haven’t seen him for a long time.” She glanced at Dan. “Does that sound like the man you saw?”
“No,” Dan answered. “That guy has dark hair—but there may have been someone else there.”