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The clearing was filled with people—DHS agents I assumed. I led Driscoll and a phalanx of other agents to where I'd left Blue's body. He was dead. A couple of agents stayed to process that scene, while Driscoll and I headed on to where I'd pushed Henson over the cliff. Henson was still alive but injured. Two more of the agents stayed with Henson, while Driscoll led me on to a clearing where a helicopter awaited.
"Did you get Randerran's chopper?"
"It's been secured. I'm sorry about Agent Stafford. I know you were friends."
"I keep thinking this is all just a bad dream, and I'll wake up with Chance in New Mexico."
We were only in the helicopter a few minutes before we landed in a field beside a road lined with black SUVs. Driscoll got out and reached up to help me. He ushered me to one of the vehicles.
"Where are we headed?" I asked.
"The Spokane FBI office. We'll get you some food. It's going to take a while to go through everything. I'm sorry. I know you probably just want to go home. Is there anyone you want to call?"
"Yes."
"You can use my phone," he said, handing me a phone from the center console.
"I can't."
"It's OK. That's my personnel cell. Don't worry about it."
"No, I can't call him because he's on a bigfoot hunt in the Valles Caldera."
"Sorry. Why don't you just close your eyes and rest? I'll wake you, when we get to the office."
I was exhausted, but I didn't want to sleep. I wanted this to be a dream. Jim had died so suddenly. Maybe the medic got it wrong. Maybe he was just badly hurt. I needed Chance. I had no idea how to get through the next hour or the next day.
"Ms. Mason, wake up. We're at the office." I must have fallen asleep. Agent Driscoll was standing outside the passenger door waiting for me to get out. "Sorry," I said, stepping out of the vehicle.
XXX
"I'm sorry, Ms. Mason. We didn't have any Earl Grey tea, just regular," the young woman said as she set a cup of tea in front of me.
"Thank you," I said. I took a drink but didn't really taste it. They took my coat and left me sitting in a conference room. This young woman brought me a sandwich, and I asked her for a cup of tea.
I thought about calling Tom. Despite what happened between us, I knew he'd come to Spokane to support me, but what was I going to say to Laurie. I don't know how serious she was about Jim, but I couldn't imagine telling her that he died protecting me.
Agent Driscoll walked in with a cup of coffee. He was followed by a woman and a man he introduced at DHS agents that were part of the investigation. "Ms. Mason, I understand that you've been through quite an ordeal, but we need to hear your story from the beginning. Please tell us what happened in as much detail as possible. We'll be videotaping your statement. Please sign here," he said, pushing a piece of paper and a pen in front of me. "This says you agree to being recorded."
I signed the document and pushed it back. I understood that they needed to know what happened, but I couldn't seem to push a word out through my lips. "Could I get a glass of water?"
Driscoll stuck his head out the door and asked for water. When he came back to the table he pulled his chair closer to mine. "I can see how difficult this is for you. Are you sure there isn't someone I can call for you."
When the water arrived, I took a few sips. "It's funny. I would ask you to call Jim Stafford, but I guess that isn't going to happen anymore."
"We're sorry for your loss, Ms. Mason," the female agent said. "We're not sure where this all started. Can you help us with that?"
"It all relates to events from much earlier, but this thing with Randerran started a few days ago with the reading of Dr. Renee Bellamy's will in Little Rock." I heard Chance's voice in my head telling me to close my eyes. I leaned my head back, closed my eyes, and told my story. I asked for a break to go to the ladies room before I started on the events of that day. When I got a glimpse of myself in the mirror, it struck me that I still looked the same as I had when I left Chance's A-frame earlier in the day. I shouldn't look the same. I killed a man today, and Jim died. How can I still look the same?
I don't know how long I stood there just staring in the mirror. "Ms. Mason, are you OK?" It was the female agent. "We got worried about you, when you didn't come back.”
"I honestly don't know if I'll ever be OK again," I said.
"Would you like us to call a doctor for you? Maybe they can give you something to help you relax."
"Thanks, but we still have more to get through. I'm sure I'll fall apart at some point. We'd better get as much of this done as we can before that happens."
I followed her back to the conference room. "Sorry," I said, sliding into my chair again. By the time I finished, I could barely hold my head up.
"I'll drive you to your hotel," Driscoll said. "We'll do questions and clarifications in the morning."