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Malloy added, “And an animal attack would have left traces. There were none.”
Reel pointed to the cabin. “Then let’s see what we can find inside here.”
The cabin had only three rooms. An open front space that held the kitchen and a sitting area in front of the stone fireplace, a bathroom, and a single bedroom. They found Blue Man’s luggage, clothes on hangers in the bedroom closet, a toiletry bag in the bathroom, and some food and drinks in the fridge. His fishing gear was neatly stacked on a side table in the front room.
“Bed was slept in,” said Malloy, pointing to the covers in disarray. “Don’t know if he went off in his pajamas or some other clothes. We did find a gun. Glock ten-mil. It hadn’t been fired. It was in the nightstand next to the bed. We bagged and tagged it as evidence. It’s back at the station.” She looked at both Robie and Reel to see if they wanted to comment on this news.
Robie said, “How about his phone? Laptop?”
“We didn’t find either. And we couldn’t find his phone number, so we couldn’t check to see if the phone is on. We can trace it that way, unless someone’s taken out the chip.”
“It’s not on,” answered Reel.
“So you already checked on that?” said Malloy. Her voice held a bit of an accusatory tone.
“Yes,” said Reel, as she glanced around the room. “So the state police were called in?”
“And then the FBI, in case it was a kidnapping. Funny, when the Feds were called in, that’s when we heard from some folks in DC. Maybe your folks.”
“Nothing funny about it,” replied Robie, though he didn’t elaborate. “No sightings? No other strangers around here?”
“Not that we could connect to Mr. Walton,” said Malloy.
“So he just vanished,” said Reel. “From a place this isolated. Unless he went somewhere on his own, we have to assume that someone came and took him away.” She looked at Malloy. “Any ideas on that? You have any criminal elements around here?”
“Every place in America has criminal elements.”
“You have any that are unique or obvious?”
She glanced at Bender before answering. “This place is isolated. Some folks like that isolation for good reasons, you know, get off the beaten path, off the grid.”
“And other folks?” asked Robie.
Bender said, “They come here because they can more or less do what they want. I don’t mean break the law necessarily, you know, but live their lives how they want.”
“What exactly does that mean?” asked Reel.
Malloy said, “That means they can build communities with like-minded people.”
“And what sort of communities would those be?” asked Reel.
“Most are innocuous. Some not so much.”
Robie said, “Care to elaborate?”
“I’m talking about people who don’t want to live in the mainstream. They have their own rules, don’t get in trouble, and they keep to themselves,” said Malloy.
“I’m more interested in the ones that don’t keep to themselves, that get in trouble and maybe kidnap people,” said Reel.
Bender shot a glance at Malloy.
She said quietly, “I can’t say we don’t have any of those.”
Chapter
10
“I DON’T LIKE getting played,” said Reel.
Robie sat across from Reel in the front seat of their Yukon. She had pulled off the road after they had left Malloy and Bender.
He looked at her. “Meaning?”
“Meaning Malloy was being less than forthcoming about bad elements being here. She gave no specifics.”
“It was clear she was fudging her answer.”
“So why’d you ask what I meant?” she barked, staring at him.
“Because I like things to be absolutely precise, so there’s no misunderstanding,” he shot back.
She put the truck in gear and drove on into town.
They had reservations at the only hotel in Grand. It was at the end of the main street, a surprisingly modern-looking structure with clean lines and an inviting entrance.
As they hauled their bags in Robie commented on this incongruity in the poor, isolated town.
Reel said, “Tourism. It’s all about dollars. I can’t imagine they have much more to live on.”
The young woman at the front desk kept giving them curious glances.
“I see that you don’t have a departure date,” the woman said.
“When we know, you’ll know,” said Reel.
“Will you need help with your bags?” she asked.
“No,” said Reel curtly.
“And just to confirm, it’s two rooms?”
“Absolutely,” said Reel, just as curtly.
They went to their rooms on the second floor, which were next to each other, with one interconnecting door. The rooms were nicely if a bit fussily furnished, like the designer wanted to see how much stuff could be crammed into each. Robie and Reel unpacked and met back down in the lobby.
“What now?” asked Reel.
“You hungry?”
“No.”
“Then maybe we look around and find people to ask questions about Blue Man.”
She looked uncomfortable with this suggestion.
“What’s the problem?” asked Robie.
“I work much better behind a scope than a badge.”
“Well, now we work behind both, apparently. Actually I hope it’s more badge than scope.”
They walked outside. Reel noticed the group of people staring at them from down the street.
Four men and one woman. They all looked as rugged as the Eastern Plains.
And they each carried guns in holsters. One of the men also had a long gun on a strap over his shoulder. It was a Remington 700 with a scope on the Picatinny rail.
“Forgot Colorado was an open-carry state,” said Reel.
Robie said, “Legal pot and lots of guns. Like chocolate and peanut butter.”
“You mean oil and water.”
“You think they might know anything?”
“We won’t know until we ask.”
They moved in that direction and both watched as the group stiffened on their approach. Hands flicked closer to weapons.
Robie’s and Reel’s pistols were concealed under their jackets. They kept their hands at their sides. Yet if the time came, their gun pulls still would be faster than the opposition’s. Practicing the motion thousands of times tended to give one the edge on deploying and firing one’s weapons.
