Dead Silver

29

Before Gary left, he stepped firmly into sheriff mode and let us know what he expected of us, starting with Renee.

"Did you spend much time with Astrid and your father?" he asked her.

It took her a beat or two longer to answer than I would have thought.

"Not a whole lot, but some," she said. "It took a while for things to simmer down after he divorced my mom. There was a lot of anger. But then I started visiting here sometimes on holidays."

"Did you and Astrid get along?"

There came another measured pause.

"Yes. I mean, she wasn't really a warm person, and I was programmed to hate her at first. But she was nice to me, and fascinating because she seemed so glamorous. Expecially because I was such a mouse."

"Okay, here's what I'm getting at-and understand, this is still just speculation, all riding on that big 'if,'" Gary said. "First off, let's throw out any notion that her murder was random, or a crime of opportunity. He planned it carefully, and that tells me he had a strong reason. Finding that reason just might find him.

"So, Renee, I want you to remember everything you can about Astrid. Who she spent time with, quarrels or rough spots or if she seemed to be hiding something-every little detail you think of, even if it don't seem important. And, sorry to say this, but be careful to keep your father in mind. You might unconsciously tend toward leaving him out."

She looked uncomfortable and I understood why. The task would be emotionally bruising.

But she nodded and said, "I'll start making notes about it. And some things Hugh and I talked about last night, if you want."

"I'm glad for anything you can come up with. Now I need a word with you two gents."

He walked Madbird and me over to his car, hooked his thumbs in his belt, and eyed us with an authoritative stare.

"Being as how you're in on this, whether anybody likes it or not," he said, with the none-too-vague suggestion that he himself didn't, "you might do some quiet nosing around. If you run into anything, you will not act on it yourselves. You'll call me immediately, twenty-four seven."

He scribbled briefly on a notepad, then tore the sheet in halves and handed one to each of us-his office, cell, and home phone numbers.

"I'm not crazy about amateur help, but a lot of people will open up more to somebody who's not a cop," he said. "And you guys have impressed me with your talent for-let's call it 'disinformation.'"

That gave my pulse rate a boost. It wasn't anything that all three of us weren't well aware of, but I didn't like hearing him say it out loud.

But Madbird, unshaken, grinned. "'Disinformation.' I ain't heard that word since Nam."

Gary's face also creased in a smile, wolfish in its own way.

"It means pretty much the same thing now as it did then," he said.

After Gary left and Madbird took my truck with our tools to Split Rock, I went to the house to find Renee. She met me at the door as usual, but this time with a brittle politeness that radiated pique.

"So I'm open to the public, but you guys cozy up in private?" she said.

That had been Gary's decision, not mine, but I was still chagrined for not realizing that she was upset.

"We weren't talking behind your back, Renee. It didn't really have anything to do with you."

"This all has something to do with me. Why couldn't I hear it?"

That wasn't an easy question to field. Now wasn't the right moment to tell her about my criminal career, and I couldn't think of any partial explanations that didn't make me sound even worse than I'd been.

"Gary was reminding us that we owe him," I finally said. "And he can call in the marker anytime."

"Owe him for what?" she said, still skeptical, but with the edge fading.

I stepped closer to her, just enough so our forearms brushed.

"Maybe we could trade secrets later," I said. "When you're ready to tell me that one of yours."

She leaned against me lightly and spoke into my shoulder. "I'm getting there. It's a raw nerve, and Gary jammed his finger right on it, asking me to think about Astrid. Kind of spooky."

"Well, that's the issue right now. And let's face it, it's your issue."

"I know. Sorry I snapped at you. I started feeling outnumbered by you guys."

"I make a pretty good punching bag," I said. "I've got a lot of experience."

"Can I ask you to take me for another drive?" Her face was still pressed against me, her voice muffled.

I decided the deadbolts could wait. She was only going to be here one more night. If she had something on her mind, that came first.

"Sure, if we can use your car," I said. "Where to?"

"You live out in the country, right?"

"Yeah?"

"Is there a place we could shoot your pistol?"

Jesus, Mary, and Joseph.