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I pulled out of the library lot, heading for my next destination. By the time I finished telling him about my conversation with Ivy Short, I’d parked near the Sherman Western Frontier Life Museum.
“...I’ll see about figuring out who this Sam is, but for right now, I’ve just arrived at the history museum to see if Clara’s got anything.”
“Okay.” But he didn’t end the call. Even when we both went to silence.
“Something else on your mind, Mike?”
“You heard what she said — they’re not really dating?” He meant Jennifer. “That’s because the guy’s a leech. Just hanging around her for what he can get.”
“You mean reflected glory from her brilliance?” I asked hopefully.
“Not entirely,” he grumbled.
“You think she’s serious about him? Or that he’s a danger to—”
“Nah. Nothing like that. I just didn’t like the guy. And she knew it and tore into me.” He cursed. “Gotta go. Meeting’s starting. Talk to you later.”
CHAPTER SEVEN
Curator Clara Atwood was not happy to see me.
“I’m really busy, Elizabeth, with all I have to do to get ready for our expanded spring hours and working on the Teague so-called collection to open the first few properties by the end of summer. Even opening it in a limited way to start, it’s a herculean task.”
In a surprise move orchestrated by Mrs. P last year, Russell Teague’s will left his extensive Wyoming property to the museum. It included a jumble of western historical buildings, artifacts, and memorabilia.
“I thought you had funds to hire additional help for that.”
“A lot of good that does me. Because I still have to find the right people, then have the time to hire and train them and—”
Mike and I knew how she felt.
“—now with Keefe dead, I don’t even have his strong back to move things — God, that was awful. I didn’t mean that’s the only reason... I’m really sorry he’s dead. For his sake, not only the museum’s. At the same time, it’s so crazy busy... I really can’t chat—”
I cut her off before she could close me off. “It’s about Keefer Dobey that I’m here. You know he was murdered? Shot three times in the head. And—”
A grimace scrunched her face. “Awful. Can’t believe anybody would do that to Keefe. Completely sweet guy. It’s beyond a shame.”
“I just want to know if he ever came here and asked—”
“Ever came here? He was here all the time. Yes, helping moving Teague’s things around for us to look at box by box. Incredibly helpful, but also questions, always questions.”
I had the oddest feeling she wasn’t talking solely about Keefe with that last part. But journalists can’t have thin skins about hints that they should go away. Or they’d constantly be turning their backs on sources, on stories.
“Ivy Short at the library said he was interested in outlaws from the Wild West era.”
“Obsessed more than interested.”
“What about? Specifically. There must have been a particular aspect of Wild West outlawdom he wanted to know about.”
Yes, I had what Ivy said and Brenda before that. I wanted Clara’s take, untainted by what she thought I already knew.
“Aspect? What do you think with outlaws? Wasn’t Sunday School meetings. Robberies,” she said impatiently. “He hounded me with questions about robberies.”
“Bank robberies or train robberies or another kind? All outlaws? Or a specific group? Or person? A specific time? Or a geographic—?”
“Really, Elizabeth—”
“Clara. If you take a minute to think about it and give me an answer, I’ll be gone much more quickly than if I have to drag it out of you word by word.”
