Code 61 - Donald Harstad [146]
“Yeah,” I said. “We know.” I made a mental note to obtain a search warrant for Toby's computer. I knew Harry was thinking the same about Jessica at this end.
“So Toby told us that Edie was talking to the cops. That'd be you, I suppose,” she said, almost as an afterthought. “So Dan called him, and told him to stop Edie by … by putting the stake in her heart, and other stuff.” Another deep breath. “So, you guys told us today that he really did that. Right?”
“Right. Or, at least, some of it. He did the stake thing,” I said, “but he couldn't do the other stuff.” She opened her mouth to talk, and I held up my hand. “Just so there's no misunderstanding, I really didn't say that Edie was actually talking to us. I indicated that her body could tell the pathologist things. Toby just put his own spin on it.”
“Oh.” She considered that, and I got the impression she didn't believe me. “Well, whatever. Anyway, Toby also said that Huck was talking to you, and that he thought Melissa was about ready to give up everything.”
“Well,” I said, “that's not been the case.”
“He thinks it is,” said Tatiana, “I can tell you that. Toby told him, and he's just furious.”
“So?”
“I'm afraid that he's going to go back to the Mansion and hurt somebody.”
“Why would he go back there? The cops know all about the Mansion,” Hester said.
“Because they've been cultivated by him, just for that,” said Tatiana. “They're his, well, his disciples, you know? And his livestock, kind of, at the same time.”
“Look,” I said, “why don't you come with us to some place where we can get all this down, and you can—”
“Jesus Christ, you guys! I gotta get back,” she said. “If Jessica finds out I'm gone … ” Her eyes darted to her watch, again. “Maybe later? Maybe tonight sometime? You do believe me, don't you? God, Huck said you were pretty real people.”
“I believe you about everything that counts, that's for sure,” I said. “I believe that Dan's pissed, and I believe Toby's an idiot. And I believe we better get some people to that house.”
She started walking away very fast, almost skipping as she turned back to us. “I'll call you,” she said. “Later,” and she was gone.
We decided that we'd better get word to the people at the Mansion, just in case he was really headed back there. I sort of doubted it, frankly. Delusional doesn't necessarily equate with dumb.
I called the Nation County Sheriff's Department on Hester's phone. I asked Sally to get a message to Borman.
“Just a sec, I'll let you talk to him.”
“What?” I didn't want to do that, not until I could reach him, anyway. But I had no choice. “He's right in the back room,” she said. “Writing his reports.”
Borman came on the line a second later. “Hi.”
“I thought you were up around the Mansion?”
“No, we went up there, and everything's fine. I thought I better come back down and get writing on these reports.”
I could see why he'd want to do that, but I wasn't all too happy about it. I thought he was trying to avoid working overtime, as opposed to being eiffcient.
“Look, go back up and talk to them again, will you? We have indications that Peale was in Lake Geneva this morning, early. He left. He's driving one of Jessica Hunley's cars, but we don't know which one for sure. There's a good chance he may be on his way back to the Mansion. Tell them that. All of them.” I really tried for a friendly voice. Well, a normal one, anyway. He didn't know that I was aware he'd filed a grievance, and he'd figure out Lamar had told me if I mentioned it.
“Oh, okay. Sure. So, like, you're over in Lake Geneva, then?”
Well, it was a good guess, and there really wasn't a reason to keep it secret anymore, since we'd already talked to Jessica.
“Yeah, we're in Lake Geneva. We got a few interviews to do yet, and should be on the way back tomorrow sometime.”
“Oh. Rank has its privileges, huh?”
I couldn't tell from his voice whether he was kidding or being sarcastic. “It sure does. You might want to remember that.” I took a breath, and lightened back up.
“Keep all this to yourself, though. Just you and Lamar. No point