Free Fire - C. J. Box [110]
“Uh-oh,” Joe said.
“Uh-oh is right.”
“Poor Bud,” Joe said.
“What’s wrong with our parents, anyway?” Marybeth asked rhetorically. “Is it because they’re of that generation?”
“I believe so,” Joe said. “The first of the Baby Boomers. It’s all about them.”
“Poor us,” Marybeth said. “We have to put up with those people for a lot more years.”
Joe beamed with pride as Sheridan and Lucy assembled their fly rods, tied on tippet, selected their own flies, and marched toward the headwaters of the Gibbon River. He could tell by the set of Sheridan’s jaw that she was determined to outfish her little sister.
“Stay in sight,” Marybeth called after them. She’d found a flat grassy spot near the pullout to spread a blanket. There was a bottle of wine in the cooler.
“If you catch some fish,” Joe said, “don’t keep more than two each for dinner. Release any more than that like I showed you.”
“That won’t be a problem for Lucy,” Sheridan said over her shoulder, “since she won’t catch anything.”
“But I still get points for looking cute,” Lucy said, throwing a dazzling smile over her shoulder at Joe, “which won’t be something Sheridan has to worry about.”
“She’s right, you know,” Joe said.
“Aaaauuugh!” Sheridan howled.
Nate parked his Jeep behind the van as Joe pulled the cork out of the bottle of wine.
“I guess we need another glass,” Marybeth said.
“And look,” Joe said, feigning sarcasm, “you just happen to have three. How convenient.”
Marybeth shot a sly glance at him. “I always have an extra.”
“Just in case Nate shows up, I know.”
“It doesn’t have to be Nate.”
“But he’s the only one who shows up,” Joe said, pouring.
“True.”
Joe warmed with the realization that Marybeth now felt comfortable joking about her obvious but now harmless attractionto Nate. They were long past all of that, Joe hoped.
“Good timing on my part!” Nate said, coming down the hill. The fact that he wore his shoulder holster jolted Joe back into the situation he was in. For a moment, while he watched his daughters walk through the grass toward the stream and his wife unfurl the blanket and unpack the wine, he’d forgotten.
Marybeth listened carefully as Joe filled Nate in on what had happened since they’d last talked. Nate was particularlyinterested in the flamers and asked Joe to describe them more than once. As Joe did, Nate nodded, rubbing his chin, looking inscrutable.
“It seems like it’s coming to a head of some kind,” Nate said. “Whoever they are decided to go after you and Demming on the same night. You must have hit a nerve.”
Joe nodded. “It had to be the videotapes.”
“Have you looked at them?”
“I haven’t had a chance,” Joe said. “I’ve got three entrances. I may have something worthwhile there, but as I said, Demminghad the other two entrances and her computer is missing.”
“We’ll need to take a look,” Nate said.
“Yup.”
“I’ve got something too.”
Joe and Marybeth looked over the rims of their glasses at him.
“Cutler was holding out on you.”
“Meaning what?”
“Olig was a Geyser Gazer. He and Cutler were best friends and colleagues, and apparently Olig went along on most of Cutler’s forays into the thermal areas. Hoening only went along a couple of times.”
Joe was puzzled. “Why didn’t Cutler tell us that?”
“Two reasons,” Nate said. “One, he and Olig figured somethingout that could result in murder. Two, Cutler knew where Olig was hiding all along. I think Cutler was about to tell you both things when we went to meet with him but never got the chance. My guess is Olig is still here.”
“Where?” Joe asked.
“Guess.”
“The Old Faithful Inn.”
“Right,” Nate said. “Remember how I told you about all the secret rooms and hallways in that building? The ones that were designed for who knows what? They’ve all been sealed off, but that doesn’t mean someone couldn’t live there if the manager showed him how and gave him permission.”
“But it’s closed,” Joe said.
“Officially, yes,” Nate said,