Free Fire - C. J. Box [96]
“None. I’ve never heard of anything like that in the park.”
Joe nodded. “There’s no oil or gas here, is there?”
“No. And if there was, nobody could drill for it anyway. Are you sure this connects anything?”
Joe shook his head. “I’m not sure about anything. But when I think about oil and gas, I think of Wyoming. That’s how the whole state is funded. Hoening made a reference to ‘something going on here with the resources that may deeply impact the State of Wyoming, especially your cash flow situation.’ Remember that? This new information could sort of go to that, and it might be what Cutler figured out and never got a chance to tell us.”
Demming nodded. “Let’s not forget, Joe, that we have no evidenceCutler was murdered. We’re assuming it but have nothingto go on. The forensic guys on the scene are describing it as an accident, that Cutler lost his footing checking on the thermal and fell in.”
Joe shook his head. “I don’t believe that. I saw how careful he was out there.”
“I agree. But we’ve got nothing. We’ve asked the FBI to take a look at what’s left of his body and . . . the pieces they could find. They’re FedExing it all to Virginia. Maybe we’ll find out he got hit in the head or shot or something. Until then, we can’t jump to conclusions.”
“I’ve already jumped.”
“So have I,” she sighed.
“What about Hérve and the message?” Joe asked.
“He checks out,” she said. “The message was left in his in-boxand he simply delivered it. There’s nothing to suggest he told anyone about the meeting, and he claims he never even looked at it. The investigator who interviewed him said he was clean.”
He told her what Layborn had said about the black SUV.
“I’m not surprised.”
“If we could find that car and who was driving it, we might get somewhere.”
“How do we do that now?” she asked.
“The surveillance tapes,” he said. “Doesn’t the Park Service get a shot of every vehicle and plate that enters at the gates? I’ve seen the cameras. We could look at the tapes for yesterday and see where the SUV came from. If we can’t find it, we can go back two days and find out where it came in. We might even get a picture of who was driving it.”
Her eyes widened with excitement. “That’s right.”
“So we need access to the tapes. Are they in the Pagoda?”
She frowned. “It’s not as simple as that, Joe. The tapes are on site at each entrance gate. They’re not compiled and sent to headquarters, and you can’t watch them at any central place. To see them, you’ve literally got to go to each entrance and downloadthe tapes from the day before and watch them there or bring it back. And if I remember correctly, we only keep a three-day record before the cameras record over the old tape.”
“Which means we’ve got to move on this,” Joe said.
Demming hesitated, and Joe felt suddenly guilty.
“You don’t have to do it,” he said. “You’ve been reassigned. You could really lose your job if you’re seen hanging out with the likes of me.”
“I’ll take the North and West entrances,” she said. “Don’t worry, I’ll be there as part of my patrol anyway. That gives you the South, Northeast, and East entrances. I think if you flash your badge and sweet-talk them, you’ll be able to download the tapes. But if they call in for permission, you’re sunk. We’re sunk.”
“I’m willing to try if you are.”
“I am,” she said.
What wasn’t said between them was the implication of them working independently, out of view of Layborn, Ashby, or Langston. Because, Joe thought, one or all of them knew more than they were letting on. Then something clicked into place: maybe McCann thought the exact same thing.
Joe wondered which one frightened McCann enough to make him request a transfer. It made sense now, Joe thought. McCann wanted to stay in very public protective custody so no one could silence him. His request for a transfer suggested that someone with access to the jail—someone on the inside—could get to him. He decided not to share this with Demming so as not to implicate her any further with her superiors.
“I know what you’re doing,” he said. “All I can say is that I appreciate