45

ARN SOMEHOW ENDURED THE RIDE back to Seattle to catch his flight with only one big bug stuck under his collar. When Sven dropped him off at the United terminal, he said, “you still have five hours before your flight leaves,” he winked. “I know where we could hook up with a couple babes.”

Arn shook his head and thanked the old man for the offer. And for the trip to Olympia. “I can get a lot done over my phone while I wait for my flight.”

“Suit yourself,” Sven said as he swung his leg over the bike. He situated his pillow with the hole in it under his butt and settled down. “I’d say see you next time, but—at your age—there might not be a next time,” and he roared off.

Arn entered the airport and made his way to the food court. He grabbed a Big Mac and

fries and picked a spot in the corner away from others and flipped open his phone. Ana Maria picked up on the first ring. “Tell me Beth was helpful?”

“Reluctantly at first,” Arn said. “But she gave me Pudgy’s name—Allen Randall. I need you to get with Sgt. Wagner. If he can cross reference that name with the Sheridan enlistment records, we can get a photo to pass around. Maybe we’ll get lucky and Pudgy will be in the surveillance videos.”

“Can’t do that,” Ana Maria said. “I’m off to the library to interview Ethan Ames. You’ll have to call Wagner yourself.”

“Thought you were interviewing him in his office?”

“He said there’s some construction started yesterday that’s so noisy we couldn’t hear one another. I didn’t want to go… just any place. The library has enough people around…”

Arn understood. Ana Maria was thinking self-preservation now, picking a meeting place with enough people that—if Doc or Jonah came near—she would have help. Or at least witnesses. “Keep me posted if you hear anything about Jonah or Doc. And watch your backside.”

Ana Maria hesitated. “I will.”

Arn detected something in Ana Maria’s voice that he had grown to recognize as concern. “What problems have you had since I’ve been gone?”

“None.”

“Bull,” Arn said. “Is it Doc Henry?”

“Doc Henry and Jonah Barb,” she said at last. “Oblanski still has had no luck finding either one. Danny woke up last thinking he heard someone at the front door and called the police, but they found no one. I gotta run and make a call before I meet with Ethan.”

“Call who?”

“Mary Ann from up in Custer,” Ana Maria said. “She says she just remembered some things she forgot before. I’ll keep you posted.”

Arn stuck his last fry into the tiny catchup cup as Gorilla Legs answered the phone. Arn could only describe her phone manners as a growl until, he identified himself. “Mr. Anderson,” she said, softening her voice. If that were even possible. “Whatever can I do for you?”

“I’d like to speak with Chief Oblanski.”

“He’s in an important meeting,” she said, “but I am certain he will wish to take your call. One moment.”

Willie Nelson sang with Ray Charles softly in the phone until Chief Oblanski came online. “Did you learn anything from Beth Randall?” he asked.

Arn explained that Beth had told him Pudgy’s proper name. “I had no luck calling Wagner. If you get hold of him, ask him to research Allen Randall’s enlistment records. If we can find a photo of Pudgy—.”

“You might be barking up the wrong tree there, pard’ner, if you’re still thinking this Pudgy might be your suspect.”

“How so?”

“Officers took a report this morning from Gold’s Gym. Winger had his truck broken into and a whole toolbox stolen right there in the parking lot.”

“How does that change the fact that Pudgy floated to the top of my suspect list?”

“I’ll tell you how,” Oblanski said. “Winger’s tools were engraved by a marking pen so he could identify them. Engraved S. H.”

Samantha Holder’s name popped into Arn’s mind until Oblanski said., “It’s for Winger’s name,” and Arn felt his heart sink. All this time, he had suspected Samantha of coldcocking him the night they were to meet, wielding a Craftsman wrench with her initials engraved. “Were they Craftsman?”

“They were,” Oblanski said. “S. H. Steven Hayes. I got one call into Wagner already trying to locate Winger. He’s got a meeting with Mike the Mauler when we find him. Now I have to run. I’m riding out with the deputies to meet with DCI. Some rancher found a dead body stuffed in his culvert.”

Arn thought back to Bulldog. Had Danny brought in another of his old A.I.M. buddies to… talk with Doc Henry? If it was, Doc was becoming bolder. Less cautious in his killings. More likely now than he was when he worked an honest job to make his move on Ana Maria.

Arn dialed Ana Maria’s number. It went straight to voice mail and he called Danny. He answered the phone out of breath. “I hate to admit it, but it’s hard for this old man to hang a twelve-foot sheet of drywall on the ceiling without help.”

“Then take a break,” Arn said. He tossed the empty McDonald’s sack in the trash and talked as he walked. “I need you to get a message to Ana Maria.”

“Why not call her?”

“Because by now she’s turned her ringer off while she conducted her interview with Ethan at the library.” He told Danny about another dead body Oblanski was headed to. “You didn’t con one of your other A.I.M. pards into trying to take out Doc Henry?”

“I didn’t con Bulldog—.”

“Just tell me,” Arn pressed.

“No,” Danny said.

“Then it’s all the more reason she’s alerted. Just go on over there—.”

“Now you’re authorizing me to take the truck?”

“This is more important than you getting a ticket for no DL. Just slip her a note under the door at the library room’s she’s at telling her Doc’s about his work again, and suggest she get a police escort home.”

“She’s not gonna like you doting over her like this—.”

“Just do it,” Arn said. “Her safety might depend on it.”

“Ok,” Danny said. “I’ll clean up real quick and drive on over.”

—

Arn did his best not to worry about Ana Maria. He watched intently as men and women, families and single yuppies, walked—some ran—past him on their way to flights. Or missed flights altogether. Still, his thoughts returned to Ana Maria and the can of worms she might have opened with her coverage of the RSL and the veterans’ deaths. Since the years that Arn had known her, Ana Maria had developed a sense of where danger lurked. She had avoided many circumstances in her reporting that might have had disastrous consequences for others less astute. But he’d also known her to throw caution to the stiff Wyoming wind when she thought a hot story was to be had.

He watched in amusement the people walking by and thought there were just too many variables that he couldn’t get a grip on with these deaths. Jonah had been at the top of his suspect list with his radical zealots protesting at most of the VA facilities where the deaths had occurred

He had analyzed Samantha, also at VA centers, also traveling the area. But with Kane’s man finding her tools were just as she claimed—Snap-On—she had slid down the suspect list and slid down even farther when Oblanski’s officer took a report from Winger—aka Steven Hayes—of his tools of the brand that the attacker used against Arn.

And Pudgy. Allen Randall. Before his trip to interview Beth, Pudgy had been on the fringe—a weak enough suspect to be overshadowed by others—strong enough as a suspect to warrant Arn flying to Seattle and talking with Beth. Father Knows Best, Arn thought of the old television show. But in this case, Mother Knows Best. If Beth thought her son capable of murder, her instinct had told her what Pudgy might be capable of. Once Wagner obtained a photo of Allen Pudgy Randall and shared it with Kane to show to witnesses and compare with surveillance footage, Arn might have his killer.

Or not.

And amid all this was Doc Henry. There was no indication that he had anything to do with the deaths. Bulldog’s murder—more than likely—but not the veterans’ deaths. Doc wasn’t about killing and terrorizing strange men. He was about killing and terrorizing women, and for now, it seemed his obsession with Ana Maria had brought him to town.

As Arn thought, he didn’t know who he feared most going after Ana Maria—Doc Henry for his years of hatred, or Jonah Barb to silence her from exposing his RSL group. Danny called. “She wasn’t at the library,” he said. “She met with a nice-looking guy I’m guessing is Ethan Ames. They visited in a side room for over an hour and she left afterward.”

“With him?”

“No. The librarian says Ana Maria left a few minutes before the guy did. He hung around looking at psychology books for sale in the book room before leaving. I tried calling her phone, but she must have forgotten to put the ringer back on.”

“Dammit,” Arn said, “I told her a dozen times it’s not safe for her to keep her ringer off.”

“She’ll probably be home soon,” Danny said. “She knows I’m making her favorite tonight—Welsh Rarebit.”

“Ok,” Arn said. “Take side streets home. Last thing you need is a ticket.”

“You know it,” Danny said and hung up.