The Guilty - Jason Pinter [51]
The lobby was filled with framed documents that looked
a hundred years old, and a kiosk held a handful of county
maps and brochures for various tourist attractions. The night
manager wore an actual cowboy hat, and booked my room
with a sleepy smile. I studied the documents as I passed, and
could immediately tell that not only did Fort Sumner house
a great deal of history, it was damn proud of it. I grabbed a
handful of brochures, including a pamphlet for the Museum
of Outlaws and Lawmen. It opened at 9:00 a.m. I wanted to
be the first one there.
The rooms were like any typical hotel--brown drapes,
floral comforters, paintings of old men fishing and settled
lakes reflecting moonlight. My cell phone log had three
missed calls: two from the Gazette, one from Amanda.
I set my alarm for 7:30 a.m., remembering the time difference. Figured that would give me enough time to shower and
grab a quick bite.
My jeans felt like they were glued to my legs, so I peeled
them off, tossed them on top of my shirt. I checked myself out
in the mirror, patted my stomach. New York food had been
good to me.
I did fifty pushups and thirty crunches and then fell into
bed after my right triceps cramped up. I turned off the light
and closed my eyes, and then my phone rang. It read Amanda
Cell. I answered it.
The Guilty
153
"Hey."
"Hey yourself. How's the great outdoors?"
"I'm staying in a Super 8. And it does have a roof."
"Okay, how's the great Super 8?"
"Better than a Motel 6."
"Ooh, don't let Motel 6 hear that. So how was the flight?"
"Not too bad, actually left almost on time, which I don't
think has ever happened to me before. I have to be up early
tomorrow to get to the museum."
"Early bird gets the homicidal maniac's rifle, huh?"
"I think Socrates said that."
"So, you think there's a lead there?"
"Yeah, I do. You don't hang up on a question unless you've
got something to hide."
"Guess they won't be able to hide much when you show
up."
"That's the idea."
"Well, I'll let you get to sleep, Henry." I waited a moment
to hear if she would say anything else. I wanted to ask it, but
almost felt like by doing so I was ringing a bell that couldn't
be silenced. But I had to.
"Amanda? Are we okay?"
"Yeah..." she said, hesitantly. "Why would you even ask
that?" My stomach clenched.
"Just making sure. G'night, babe."
"Sleep well. Go get 'em tomorrow."
"I will. Night."
She hung up. I placed the phone on the nightstand and
closed my eyes. It was barely five minutes later when the
phone beeped again. Just once. I had a text message.
I opened the phone, clicked Text Messages. The message
was from Mya. It read: Im Sorry. ForGIve Me.
154
Jason Pinter
I stared at the phone for a moment, wondered what she
meant by it. Then it hit me, and I smiled.
As my eyes closed, I was glad to know Mya was finally
moving on with her life, offering the closure I'd needed for
so long.
24
I was dressed and ready to go by eight. Into my bag went a
tape recorder, pen and notepad, and the copies of the Winchester 1873 Xerox from Agnes Trimble. I bought a muffin
and slammed down a cup of coffee in the small motel dining
room. My worry about standing out was assuaged, seems
jeans and a T-shirt are common just about everywhere. The
manager, a short, cherry-cheeked woman named Marjorie,
inquired as to the purpose of my visit.
"I'm a history buff," I said.
"Ooh!" she squealed, nearly spilling the pot of coffee.
"Then you've definitely come to the right place. Are you
going to the Museum of Outlaws and Lawmen?"
"That's actually my first stop."
"Oh goodness, if you love history, you won't be able to get
enough of that place. My husband and I make a trip once a
month, and as soon as the kids are old enough we're buying
family passes. Jesse James, Annie Oakley, Pat Garrett, John
Tunstall, Billy the Kid, gosh, it's just enough to get a person
excited." She gave me a mischievous grin and leaned closer.
"Just don't be stealin' nothin'."
I eyed her, confused. "What do you mean?"
156
Jason Pinter
"Oh, let's just