Seth sat on the front steps of Everest’s hillside home. A stream of police officers moved past him on their way in and out of the door. Seth did his best to stay out of the way. He watched Ava, Bob, and a forensics team from the Colorado Bureau of Investigations unload their gear, get dressed in clean suits, and take over the scene. Ava touched his shoulder as she walked by, and he squeezed her hand.
He had been the first person at the scene. The person who’d called in the murder. He had a key to the house and a long and complicated history with the jovial Scot.
He was both a suspect and a victim, rolled into one Seth O’Malley. He dropped his head to his knees and longed for a cigarette or maybe a bottle of Jack Daniels with a cocaine and marijuana chaser. He looked up when someone said his name. He waved and dropped his head to review the last few hours.
He’d tried to call Everest from home. When he couldn’t reach him, Seth dressed and drove to Everest’s home in Golden. He’d known Everest was dead the moment he stepped through the front door. While he’d promised Ava he wouldn’t look, he couldn’t bear the images flashing through his own mind.
He wished he had kept his promise.
Seth had followed the smell of blood. He found Everest’s naked body laid out on top of the grand piano in the living room. His friend was lying on his side, facing the window. His head was turned back so it was visible from the entrance of the room, visible to Seth when he came to check on his friend. Everest was missing an eye. A flap of his jaw was peeled away, showing his clenched teeth. Seth knew those teeth guarded a severed tongue. The wounds were dry. His body seemed drained of blood. A circular patch of skin was missing from the center of his forehead.
Seth had closed his eyes in the hopes he was having a nightmare.
When he opened them, Everest was still dead, still mutilated, and still lying on top of the piano Seth had bought the young family when they had moved to Colorado.
He had called 911 emergency and gone out to the driveway to wait for the Golden Police Department to show up. He let them in, gave them his key, and sat down on the steps.
The responding uniformed police officers threw up after seeing Everest. In a matter of minutes, the neighborhood was filled with official vehicles. Flashing lights from every direction made Seth slightly dizzy each time he looked up. The Chief of Police arrived fifteen minutes after Seth’s 911 call. He went into the home and popped right back out.
“CBI?” the Chief said to Seth.
“I would,” Seth said.
The Chief nodded and pulled his team out. The uniformed officers set up a perimeter around the house and waited. The CBI had just arrived.
“O’Malley.” A uniformed police officer appeared in front of him. “There’s someone to see you.”
Seth looked up and squinted at the young man.
“End of the driveway, sir,” he said.
Seth gave a quick nod and got up.
“And don’t go nowhere,” the uniformed officer said. “I’m s’posed to tell you that the agent in charge wants to talk to you.”
Seth raised his eyebrows in understanding.
“Any idea who’s waiting for me?” Seth asked.
“Some woman,” the uniformed officer said. “Middle-aged. We frisked her. She’s carrying one of those USB drives, that’s all.”
“Reporter?”
“Not unless they’re hiring ex-cops as reporters,” the uniformed officer said.
“Ex-cop? From where?”
“She didn’t say,” the uniformed officer said. “I can tell. I’m Irish, grew up in Boston, so you know I grew up cop. Can see them a mile away.”
Seth walked down to the end of the long driveway. The Golden Police had set up a row of plastic sawhorses to barricade the driveway. As he walked, Everest’s voice echoed in his ears.
“What do I care if something happens to me?” Less than two days ago, Everest had waved off Seth’s concerns. Seth worried that something could happen to Everest in the cold, dark Colorado nights. Everest would hear nothing of it. “Joanne’s been gone some five years now. The kids are settled, with bairn of their own. I’m retired from NREL. They have me come in only every once in a while when they want to show off the relics. No, O’Malley, if it happens, it’s my time, and about time, I’d say.”
“You still have the . . .” Seth pointed to his mouth.
“I do,” Everest said.
Seth went to the end of the drive and found the uniformed police officer who was managing the flow of people in and out of the scene.
“There’s a woman asking for me?” Seth asked.
“Nice to meet you, sir.” The officer held his hand out for Seth to shake. “I’m a big fan.”
Seth shook the officer’s hand and smiled.
“Woman?”
“Yes, sir,” the uniformed officer said. “She’s over there by the trees. But don’t worry, sir. I’ve got your back.”
Seth smiled. The uniformed officer moved the barricade, and Seth walked into the street. He peered through the flashing lights at the back of the woman. She had the hood to her winter coat pulled up around her head. When he got close, she started walking up the street. He followed her for two blocks. She turned to her right and stopped at an economy rental car. She turned to look at him. For the briefest moment, he saw her face. She got in the driver’s seat, locked the door, and opened the passenger door. He got in. She drove out of the housing development.
“Any place we can get a cup of coffee?” she asked.
Seth laughed.
“What?” she asked.
“I haven’t talked to you in almost ten years, Martha,” Seth said. “And the first thing you think of is coffee?”
“No,” Martha Jessep laughed. “I know better than to talk to O’Malley when he’s low on coffee.”
Seth laughed. She glanced at him and smiled.
“There’s a gas station down the hill,” Seth said. “I’ll go in and get us a cup and some donuts.”
“And donuts,” Martha chuckled. “Never talk to O’Malley when he’s low on coffee or donuts.”
Seth smiled.
“We’ll go somewhere quiet to talk,” Seth said.
Martha nodded and drove to the gas station. Seth bought two cups of coffee and a couple packs of small donettes. He used the facilities before returning to the car. He gave her directions up the hill, around the curved mountain road, and past the high pastures to White Ranch Open Space. The parking lot was deserted, and she pulled in. Seth moved to get out.
“Stay in the car,” Martha said. “He could be here.”
Seth assessed his old friend. She was terrified. Coming to see him, she knew that she’d put herself at risk for mutilation. She had retired from the Butte Police Department to avoid just this scenario. Seth gave her a few minutes to collect herself.
He looked out at the wide-open field in front of him. The tall, yellow high mountain grass bent in the fall wind. He watched a rabbit scurry out from under a low bush and zip back under the cover.
Martha laughed and picked up her packet of donettes.
“How did you remember I like the chocolate ones?” Martha asked.
“I remember a lot about you,” Seth said.
She turned to him and they shared a look of remembrance for the cold nights they’d spent together while working on a case.
“Magic O’Malley,” she said in a suggestive tone, and he laughed. She laughed and added, “That was a long time ago.”
“Yes,” Seth said.
“You’re wearing a ring again,” Martha said.
“Got married earlier this year,” Seth said.
“Third time’s the charm?”
“Hey, Zsa Zsa Gabor has been married nine times,” Seth said. “I get a few more tries.”
Martha laughed.
“I remember Bonita,” Martha said. Seth nodded at the name of his second wife. “Went to the funeral. You caught that Saint Jude guy last year?”
Seth nodded. To change the subject, Seth added, “You’re wearing a ring as well.”
Martha smiled.
“Is he good to you?” Seth asked.
“She,” Martha said. “And yes, she’s good to me. She didn’t like that I was coming to see you, but she didn’t get in the way. Loves me too much.”
“We’re lucky,” Seth said.
“I heard you married some hottie,” Martha said. Seth laughed. “Same old O’Malley. How was the Queen of England?”
“Queenly,” Seth said.
Martha took a bite of her chocolate donette.
“God dammit, I love these things,” Martha said. “You’d better not tell Donna. She’ll kill me.”
“Not a word,” Seth said.
They drank their coffee and ate their donettes. For a few moments, the grim reason she was in town slipped away in their warm companionship.
“I heard Mitch’s son is off the streets,” Martha said.
“Living with Sandy,” Seth said. “His sister, Sissy, too. They’re blossoming.”
Martha nodded.
“Why are you here?” Seth asked.