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Dodge placed his elbow on the edge of the table and cupped his mouth with his hand. For the next quarter hour, Caroline talked, pausing only occasionally to emphasize a point or to organize her thoughts. He listened without interrupting her. He would gladly have sat there looking into her face and listening to her voice until his vices caught up with him and his heart stopped.
But eventually, she paused and took a deep breath. "Around noon we had a brief meeting with the sheriff," she said. "Tom Drummond. He's a nice man. We're social friends. He's held the office for as long as anyone can remember. Berry talked through last night's event with him, although I think that meeting was more of a courtesy to me than anything. Tom's duties are basically administrative. He relies on Deputy Nyland for investigative work."
"Did you have a lawyer there during this meeting?"
"Yes. Last night, and again today."
"Good."
"He wasn't really necessary. Berry's under no suspicion. She hasn't deviated from her first account to Deputy Nyland."
"Do they believe her?"
The question took her aback. "Why wouldn't they?"
"Do they?"
"They seem to."
Dodge didn't comment. He asked, "So where do things stand now?"
"The official word is that Oren Starks is being sought for questioning, but Deputy Nyland secured a warrant for his arrest. As soon as I got the okay from him, I hired professionals to clean up the mess in the house. They're there now.
"I didn't want Berry to see those rooms again until everything was back to normal, so after our meeting at the courthouse, we went to lunch at the country club. Then I dropped her at the hospital. She wanted to check on her friend's condition. I came here to meet you."
She took her first sip of tea. It was no longer steaming. He watched her graceful hands, the way they handled the delicate cup and saucer. Her fingers were almost as translucent as the china. "That's everything up to the present."
Dodge waited for several seconds, then asked, "Does she know I'm here?"
Caroline shook her head.
"Does she know you called me?"
Another negative shake.
There were many unspoken questions on that subject hovering between them. For the moment it was better to let them hover. "This deputy. Nyland? Can he find his ass with both hands?"
She smiled. "Your vernacular is still colorful, I see."
"Sue me," he said, and she actually laughed. Music to his ears. Then her expression became serious again as she thoughtfully considered the answer to his question. In concentration, her forehead wrinkled just as he remembered. The lines were a little deeper.
"Tom speaks highly of him. He places a lot of trust in him."
"He would. Nyland's his deputy."
"From what little I've seen of him, he appears competent."
"What's he like?"
"Characteristically you mean? Serious. All business. Watchful. A man of few words. Even a bit brusque at times."
"I know a lot of button-up, by-the-book cops who've never solved a crime or found a fugitive," Dodge grumbled. "So, back to my original question."
"I don't know the level of his competency, Dodge," she replied with a trace of impatience. "That's partially why I called you."
He wanted to know what the other part of partiall
y was, but again he saved that conversation for later. If there was a later. That was still a big if. So far this seemed Mickey Mouse. A bullet, a loss of blood, but not the earth-shattering, calamitous event he'd expected when he packed his suitcase last night.
