Red knife

THIRTY-TWO

Lucinda Kingbird knew the man who stood on her porch in the shade of the early afternoon, although she could not remember his name. There was a title that went with it, something military. He had been at Alejandro’s home after she discovered the bodies that horrible Sunday morning.

“Yes?” She held Misty to her shoulder, gently patting to bring up a burp. She did not open the screen door.

“Ms. Kingbird, I’m Captain Ed Larson, from the sheriff’s department. We met the morning your son was killed.”

“I remember.”

“I’d like to speak with your husband. Is he home?”

“No.”

“I stopped by his shop, but it was closed. Do you know where he is?”

“He’s away.”

“Away? Out of town, you mean?”

“I think so, yes.”

“You think so?” The policeman looked puzzled. “When did he leave?”

“Last night.”

“What time?”

“I do not know. I was sleeping.”

“Do you have any idea where your husband was last night around ten thirty?”

“Why are you asking these questions?”

“Ms. Kingbird, last night at approximately ten thirty, Buck Reinhardt was murdered.”

“ Madre de Dios,” Lucinda said involuntarily. She looked at the policeman. “You are here because you think Will did this thing?”

“We don’t know who did it, Ms. Kingbird. As part of our investigation, we need to know the whereabouts of anyone who might have reason to have wanted Mr. Reinhardt dead. Do you see?”

“Yes. You think that because people say this Buck Reinhardt killed my Alejandro and Rayette that we would want him dead. That is ridiculous.”

“Nonetheless, Ms. Kingbird, we need to check. So, you have no idea where your husband was at ten thirty last night?”

“We buried my son and daughter-in-law yesterday. It was a very hard day for us. We were tired. I went to bed here. My husband, I suspect, went to bed at his shop.”

“And then left town without telling you?” When Lucinda didn’t reply, he went on, “Do you expect your husband home soon?”

“Later today perhaps. Maybe tomorrow. How was this man killed?”

“He was shot in the parking lot of a bar. A high-caliber rifle was used. It would save your husband and me a lot of trouble if you’d have him give me a call when he returns.”

He pulled a card from his wallet and held it out. Lucinda opened the screen door and took it.

“How’s the baby doing?” the policeman asked, finally smiling.

“She is fine and beautiful,” Lucinda replied, forcing a smile in return.

She watched the policeman leave, then she closed the door and dressed Misty for a trip outside. She went to the bedroom, opened the top dresser drawer, and from the small cedar box took the extra set of keys for the Gun Sight.

By the time she reached Will’s shop, Misty was asleep in her car seat. Lucinda lifted her out carefully and the baby didn’t wake. She punched in the code to disengage the alarm, then opened the back room. She hurried to a tall rifle case that stood against the west wall and used one of the keys to unlock it. When she opened the door, she was confronted with a rack of what she knew were heavy-caliber rifles, her husband’s private collection. There was an empty slot where a rifle was missing. Lucinda thought about the three weapons she’d seen laid out on Will’s work table a couple of days before, and she realized the Dragunov was gone.

“Oh, Will, Will,” she whispered, her heart full of despair. “What have you done?”