John scanned the headlines on the three day old newspaper. Being out of touch with what was happening in the outside world didn’t sit well with him. It was like being on vacation with no news show to watch, picking up a newspaper just for the sake of something to read and playing catch-up. Not a sustainable long-term plan.
Sources at the White House will neither confirm nor deny last night’s events were, in fact, an assassination attempt on the President.
What?
The door swung open and Pat walked into the sheriff’s office. John took one look at his face, set the newspaper down and crooked his finger. Pat ambled over, his shoulders low. He dropped his backpack on the floor and John pulled him onto his lap. “What’s up, chuck?”
Pat’s lips twitched but it didn’t reach his eyes. “Did you just call me up-chuck?”
“How are you doing? How was school?”
“School was fine.”
Dotty was typing, headphones on. There hadn’t been any call-ins yet, even with his late night radio announcement. Apparently no one was coming forward. Palmer was at his desk, looking like he was working.
John looked at his son. It didn’t look like things were fine. But sometimes a man didn’t need his father to make a big deal about his feelings. At least, that was the way John’s dad had raised him. They just went out back and threw a ball until whatever was churning in John had worked itself out.
“Feel like going for a drive?”
Pat looked up, cautious. “Where to?”
“Well, Matthias did say you could come out to the ranch and see him. I need to go over there. So…you wanna come?”
“Awesome.” Pat grabbed his backpack and ran for the apartment stairs. “I’m gonna take a whiz before we go.”
Palmer chuckled.
“Hold down the fort, yeah?”
The deputy smiled but it wasn’t happiness there, it was something else.
“Dotty?”
The receptionist paused what she was doing and looked over. “Sheriff?”
“I’m headed out. Radio me if you need anything.”
“Sure thing.”
John stood and grabbed his jacket. It was probably just being somewhere new. He was going to have to get used to the people and the atmosphere and eventually it wouldn’t feel weird.
Pat ran back down in shorts and a t-shirt.
“You need a coat, don’t you?”
He looked at John like he doubted his sanity. “It’s warm out.”
John motioned to his computer. “Not according to the weather report.”
Dotty piped up. “The valley Sanctuary sits in actually won’t be on the weather. It’s below the elevation of the surrounding area so they don’t report it because no one lives here anyway. If you want accurate temperatures, listen to Hal. The mountains are almost at freezing, the snow on the tops is early. This morning Hal said fifty-eight and sunny.”
“Well I’ll be.” John hung his jacket on the back of his chair. “Maybe I should get me a thermometer.”
Dotty hissed. “Can’t. That would be transporting chemicals.”
“How does Hal do it?”
She grinned. “Claims he can smell the temperature.”
John chuckled. “Of course he can.”
Pat looked back and forth between him and Dotty, so John shook his head at his son. “Ready?”
**
The ranch consisted of a two-story house, a barn—which for some reason wasn’t red—and a big cabin all across the field from the landing pad. Without helicopter rotors to blow away the odor, the whole place smelled like cows. Bolton’s bright red diesel truck sat under an awning growing like an eyesore out of the side of the house.
Matthias emerged from the barn and strode to the Jeep with a coil of rope over his shoulder. He was smiling wide. John hesitated for a second. Why was everyone in this town so friendly? It wasn’t natural.
“What’s up, little dude?” Matthias bent to high-five Pat. “Wanna come see the horses?”
“Yeah!”
John put a hand on Pat’s arm. “Uh…” The horse at Dan’s farm had been taller than him. To Pat they’d be huge. Fully able to crush him.
Matthias had a knowing smile on his face. “I’ll be with him at all times. Pat will be fine with the horses. I’ll teach him how to be around them and be safe.”
Guess the secret was out. Apparently it was too much to ask Dan not to notice John’s reaction to the huge beast on Battle Night, or that Dan would keep the information to himself.
Pat did look really excited. “I guess it’s okay.” John glanced at Matthias. “Before you guys go, can I ask you something personal?” When Matthias shrugged, John said, “Is everything okay with Maria?”
A shadow crossed Matthias’s face, darkening his eyes. “What’s your concern?”
So the guy wasn’t going to give anything up. He was going to get John to spill what he knew first—which in itself spoke of having to be careful when talking about the subject of Maria. Maybe for years.
“I was just wondering if there’s anything about her situation I should know. She seems like she might be having a hard time.”
Pat had wandered off a few feet to pick rocks from the dirt. Matthias frowned. “She had post-partum depression pretty bad after the twins were born. I thought we were past that.”
“And Tom?”
“Tom is…” Matthias shrugged. “He’s just Tom. He does his job at the nursery, but he lives for Maria.”
“You’ll let me know if there’s anything I can do?”
“Sure. I’ll tell Mama. She’ll probably call a family meeting, which means you can expect to get an invite to dinner pretty soon. And she won’t take no for an answer.” Matthias grinned but it didn’t reach his eyes.
John glanced at Pat, who looked to be getting bored of finding rocks. “One more thing.” He trotted to his Jeep, got the file from the dash and pulled out the picture of the knife. “Do you recognize this?”
Matthias studied it like it was one of those magic-eye pictures. Put your nose to the picture and draw back slowly to see the dinosaur. “Hunting knife.”
“You guys do that here?”
“It’s mostly taking a few older guys out over the land, sometimes we set up targets and they’ll wager on accuracy.”
“But it’s illegal to transport weapons into town.”
Matthias shrugged. “Talk to Bolton about that.”
“Any idea who this knife belongs to?”
“Can I help you?” Bolton marched across the grassy dirt straight toward them. “Sheriff.” The way he said it, the position wasn’t a good thing.
Bolton’s clothes weren’t cheap. But they were clearly working attire, and not just what he wore to look like a rancher. The guy was western through and through. John figured in another life he’d have been just as comfortable wearing an expensive suit sitting in an office—or wearing a bullet proof vest and carrying a shotgun, kicking in the target’s front door.
“Farrera.” John flashed the picture. Pat had perked up, looking a little awestruck at the sight of the big man. It wasn’t like he was that much bigger than John.
“Recognize this knife?”
Bolton’s eyes narrowed. “Hunting knife.”
“Which is kind of funny when you think about it.” Except not. “Since weapons can’t be transported into town and there’s no contact with the outside world that isn’t monitored. So not only did a murder take place because of this knife. It also begs the question as to whether or not I’m now investigating a possible breach of Sanctuary security as well.”
Two men strode out of the barn. One was Diego and both were dressed in what seemed to be the uniform around here—blue jeans and a western shirt with a cowboy hat and boots.
Matthias backed up toward Pat. “We’re gonna go see the horses.”
The three men crowded around John, so he dipped his chin to Diego and the other guy and then looked at Bolton. “Who in town has a knife like this?”
Bolton mashed his lips together. “It’s actually mine. All the weapons in town are here on the ranch; three knives, a shotgun and two rifles. No one else—so far as I know and that’s pretty conclusive—has a weapon. When people come here to hunt, weapons are loaned. That knife—” He motioned to the picture with his index finger. “—was lost two months ago on a hunt.”
“Faux hunting?”
“I guess you could call it that, since they weren’t going to kill anything.”
“They weren’t looking for deer?”
Diego flinched. “Deer?”
The guy beside him said, “Ain’t no deer in this town. They can’t get over the mountains.”
John frowned. “I saw one last night.”
Diego crossed himself.
Bolton rocked back on his boot heels and rolled his eyes. “The locals think seeing a deer is a sign. An omen that you’re about to die right here in death valley.”
“Good thing I don’t put much stock in omens.”
Bolton’s lips twitched. “Yeah, good thing.”
“Did Betty Collins see the deer?” He couldn’t keep the derision from his voice.
“A week ago.” The guy beside Diego looked suddenly energized, his eyes wide. “That’s how long it takes.”
Then John had better hurry up and solve this murder before he was offed too. He sighed. “Who went hunting with the knife?”
“The mayor and his buddies.” Bolton worked his jaw back and forth. “It was a two day hunt. They were to hike the designated areas on the map we gave them, camp overnight and return in three days. They lost points for not collecting what was at each checkpoint and not coming back with everything they took, even the trash. They were trying to beat Hal’s team’s score from the week before.”
“Seems like a lot of competitions go on around here, between this and Battle Night. Anything else I should know about?”
Bolton’s eyebrow lifted and he shook his head. “They need to blow off steam, that’s all. Otherwise they’re cooped up. And when people get stir crazy it’s never pretty.”
“I can imagine.”
“I’m guessing you can’t.” Bolton gritted his teeth. “A lot of bad stuff went on here back in the day. People not wanting to co-exist with others not of their…kind. Sam had it rough for a while, and that is an understatement.”
“How long have you been here?”
“Four years.” The rancher folded his arms, stretching the sleeves of his shirt in a way that made him look more like a wrestler than a rancher. “People have calmed down somewhat. Settled into the fact they’re going to be here for the rest of their lives most likely.”
“Death valley,” the guy beside Diego muttered.
Diego nodded, solemn.
John wasn’t interested in local spook stories, legends and whatever else the residents had thought up to make their lives less mundane. “I have something else I need to talk with you about.”
Bolton didn’t hesitate. He turned to the two guys. “Head on out, I’ll catch up.”
“Sure boss.” They strode toward the barn where Pat and Matthias were at the fence to the corral, feeding one of the smaller horses.
“Matthias will look out for him. He’s a good kid.”
John turned back to him. “How old is Matthias?”
“Twenty-six. The father—Olympia’s late husband—had family connections with a Venezuelan cartel, got in deep transporting smack. DEA busted him and he rolled over on the rest of the operation so the cartel came after his family.”
“He was killed?”
“No, he lived long enough to come here with them and continue to screw up their lives. He had a heart attack not long after but Matthias doesn’t talk about it. In fact, he won’t mention his father at all.”
“Then how do you know all this?”
Bolton shrugged one shoulder. “I know a lot of things.”
“Which brings me to another interesting point. Why is your entire file nothing but your name and some basic physiological details?”
“If you knew what was supposed to be in it, you’d know the answer to that.”
“That doesn’t really help.”
Bolton grinned. “Don’t suppose it does. But until your brother replies to my email and I’m certain you have the appropriate security clearance, I can’t tell you squat.”
“Did Sheriff Chandler know?”
“Nope.”
“Do I need to know?”
“Debatable. But I’ll read you in if you’re cleared.”
“Good enough.” John figured it had something to do with a federal agency. The guy looked sort of familiar, and he had that manner other agencies had. The fact it was four years ago might narrow it down. He’d have to call his brother or do a computer search when he got back to the office. There couldn’t be that many guys named Bolton in law enforcement, even with the different last name. The NSA might monitor usage from the library but John had a longer leash. With a guy like Bolton it just wasn’t worth flying blind, or waiting for Grant to decide.
Matthias and Pat walked over. John had one more question for Bolton. “Anything else I should know?”
The big man shrugged. “Just if you need anything you can call. I’ve got weapons I know how to use and sometimes extra backup doesn’t hurt, especially when you’re going up against a whole town.”
Bolton strode away, leaving the echo of his words ringing in John’s ears. He was going to face the whole town? Maybe the majority, if they persisted in telling him he should arrest Andra. But he hoped not.
Pat ran at him and John braced. “Dad, that was awesome!”
“I’m glad.” He looked at Matthias. “Thanks for showing him around.”
“We’ll have to get both of you out for a ride next time.”
John swallowed. “Uh…”
“Yeah, Dad!”
“Sure.” But it didn’t sound convincing, even to his ears.
John led his son to the Jeep and they drove back to town. “So you liked the horses?”
“Did you see them? They’re awesome.”
“So you said.” John smiled. “You like it here? School, the town, the people all that?”
Pat’s light dimmed. “Yeah, I like it.”
“But what?”
He looked out the passenger window.
“Do you miss your mom?”
Pat didn’t say anything.
“I can call her if you want. See what’s happening.”
Pat shrugged.
John studied his son. How was he supposed to know what was up with Pat? At his age, John had been all about baseball. His parents had been happily married. His brothers had beaten up on him relentlessly but they’d never ever let anyone else give him a hard time. He was navigating this without a map.
John puffed out his cheeks and let the breath go without any noise. Pat probably didn’t want to seem ungrateful for getting to spend time with his dad. What was with kids? One minute they were wide-eyed and innocent and then a teenager with an attitude emerged. The boy was eight for crying out loud.
“It’s okay if you miss your mom. I’m not going to get upset or mad.”
Pat kept staring out the window.
“I was gone for a long time. It might take us a while to get into a rhythm of you and me and how this is gonna work. But I’m willing to put the time in if you are.” He parked behind the office. “What do you say, Pat?”
When he turned from the window there was a sheen of tears in Pat’s eyes. “She hasn’t even emailed me back.”
John took hold of the side of Pat’s head where his neck met his shoulder. “That’s her loss. If she can’t see it then I feel sorry for her.” What was the point sugar coating the fact if she cared, she would’ve kept him?
“You were gone, too.”
“I was and I missed you every single day. I’m hoping I can make up for that by being here now. I’m going to be busy with this case but that doesn’t mean I’m not thinking about you, trying to figure out ways we can hang out. Okay?”
Pat sniffed and finally, he nodded. “Can I ride my bike?”
“So long as you stay close to Main Street. No exploring.” Pat nodded again. “Do you need money for a cupcake or something?”
Pat’s face brightened. “No, Frannie doesn’t take money. I can charge it to your account and then she’ll settle up with you later.”
“Okay then.”
Old west order of things in yet another aspect. John wondered what these people would do with smart phones and YouTube. Hal would probably have a heart attack if he heard what passed for music now. “Have fun, I’ll see you at dinner.”
Pat tumbled out of the Jeep and two minutes later he pedaled down the alley between the sheriff’s office and the laundry next door. The other side was a vacant store-front. John would have to find out if anyone lived in the apartment above. Maybe he could buy it, knock down the wall between and renovate his entire living space. It wouldn’t be long before either he or Pat chafed at each not having their own space. But that smacked of long-term, which had never been John’s strength. He’d have to decide whether they were going to stay here first.
John dialed Ellen’s number from the sat phone and it rang through to voicemail. “Ellen, its John. Call me. Better yet, email your son.”
He hung up. It was nicer than a lot of messages she’d left him over the years. Like evidently attracted like, since they both sucked at this parenting thing. Why did some people seem like they knew what they were doing? As if it was easy.
The office was quiet, which suited his frame of mind. He’d never had to worry about being personable on assignment. Criminals weren’t overly accustomed to people being polite to them. They seemed to notice common courtesy faster than just about any other sign you might not be one of them.
John unlocked the file cabinet and pulled open the drawer to get Andra’s file. That was one mystery he could solve quick enough. Then he’d be able to get everyone off her back and narrow down his suspect list…by one town resident.
He flipped through the paper files but it wasn’t there.
Andra’s file was gone.