Free Fire - C. J. Box [118]
“That’s a first,” Simon said. “Like something out of a Westernmovie.”
“You get used to it out here,” Joe said, distracted, his mind racing with what he’d learned about EnerDyne and Clay McCann.
The old-fashioned black telephone sat ominously on the front desk, and as Joe approached it he tried not to think the worst. Maybe Judy had taken a bad turn, maybe she died. Maybe someone had gotten to her in Billings . . .
“Joe Pickett,” he said as he picked it up.
“Joe!” Lars sounded unexpectedly buoyed. “I’m damned glad they found you.”
“Me too. How’s she doing?”
“Much, much better. The doctor said a full recovery is pretty likely. I’m just so . . . happy.”
“Thank God,” Joe said, feeling weight he didn’t know was there lift off his shoulders.
The line was silent for a moment, and Joe thought perhaps the connection had been lost. Then Lars spoke softly. “I’ve reallygot to apologize to you. I said some bad things to you, and I’m sorry. Judy has been filling me in on what happened, how you stayed with her and made sure she got sent here so no more harm could come to her. I didn’t understand before. I’m just real damned sorry I said what I said.”
“Don’t worry about it,” Joe said, knowing how hard it was for a man like Lars to say those words. “Apology accepted. I’m just glad she’s doing all right.”
Lars said, “Better than all right. She’s sitting up, talking, eatingeven. Except for those damned tubes, she looks pretty good. Beautiful, even. Yes, she looks beautiful.”
Joe smiled. He could hear Judy’s voice in the background saying, “Oh, stop it, Lars.”
“She wants to talk with you,” Lars said. “That’s why I called and woke you up. Well, that and to apologize.”
“I was awake,” Joe said. “No problem.”
“Oh, one more thing. Judy says she gave you my truck to use.”
“Yes,” Joe said, not expecting what would come next.
“Keep it as long as you need it,” Lars said. “I don’t mind. We’ll be here another couple of days. I got one of my road crew guys to pick up Jake and Erin to bring them here.”
“Thank you. I’ll take good care of it.”
“Watch the transmission,” Lars said. “Sometimes it slips. I need to replace that pressure plate in the clutch—”
“Lars,” Judy said in the background.
“Okay, okay,” Lars said to Joe. “Here she is.”
Joe waited.
“Hey there.” Her voice sounded tired but strong.
“Welcome back,” Joe said. “I was worried.”
“I’m tough,” she said, which made Joe smile again. He was surrounded by tough, good women.
“When we were in the clinic,” Demming said, “you came into the room and asked me who the shooter was. I could hear you but I couldn’t talk.”
"Yes.”
“I can now. It was James Langston.”
“The chief ranger?” Joe was stunned, but it made sense now why Langston had been so interested in where Joe was staying while at the same time making a point not to meet with him.
“I saw him clearly. I thought he was there for backup, obviously.The dispatcher didn’t say who was coming, so I assumed. . .”
“Wow,” Joe said. “And you’ll testify to it?”
“Of course. But I still can’t believe it.”
“Neither can I,” Joe said, “but this thing is big. And it just got bigger.”
“What should we do?”
Joe looked around the empty lobby, trying to sort it out. Should she contact someone else with the information? If so, whom? Should he?
“I’m thinking,” he said. “Sometimes, it takes me a while.”
“I know it does,” she said, chiding him.
“First,” Joe said, “make sure you’re safe there. As long as you’re alive, you’re a threat to him and everyone he’s involved with, even though he thinks you’re dying. We’ve learned a lot in the last hour, Judy. None of it is good. Your life is still in danger, so call the Billings PD. If you have to, make up a story, but make sure they send some men to the hospital to stay outside your door. Make sure no one comes to visit you except your kids.”
“Okay . . .” she said, almost in a whisper. The giddiness she’d started the conversation with was gone.
“Make a deposition,