LITMIR.BIZ

       7

      Sheriff Bob Gage’s office was a neat, polished space. He had one notebook and one folder on his desk. His computer was on a table beside him. Behind him was a bank of file cabinets with family photos lined up across the top. Four smiling, dancing, sporting girls and boys.

      His assistant led Ren and Gary in.

      Bob stood up. ‘Hey, Ren,’ he said, giving her a light hug. ‘Gary.’ He shook his hand.

      ‘You’re back in action fairly quickly,’ said Ren.

      ‘Not much choice,’ said Bob. ‘Do you all know Tiny Gressett and Todd Austerval?’

      ‘We’ve met,’ said Gary, shaking their hands. ‘That’s very sad news about Jean.’

      ‘Thank you,’ said Gressett. ‘Finding it hard to take it all in.’

      ‘We said goodbye to her like she was just going on vacation,’ said Todd. He paused, then turned to Ren, waiting for an introduction.

      ‘Oh, hi,’ she said. ‘I’m Special Agent Ren Bryce with Safe Streets.’

      ‘Good to meet you,’ said Todd.

      ‘Ren?’ said Gressett. ‘That mean you can sing?’

      Ren smiled. It was awkward. ‘Nothing you’d want to listen to.’

      Gressett smiled and a remarkable amount of extra lines showed on his face.

      ‘I wanted to say I really am very sorry that we’re meeting under these circumstances,’ said Ren.

      Gressett paused. ‘Well, thank you. Jean was an outstanding agent … and a friend.’

      ‘I heard she was really something,’ said Ren. ‘I hadn’t met her, I haven’t been with Safe Streets that long –’

      ‘But she’s one of our best,’ said Gary. ‘Ren will be heading up the investigation here.’

      ‘Oh,’ said Gressett. ‘Being that you’re familiar with the area and all that.’ He smiled and laughed alone.

      ‘Nope, just being that I’m familiar with homicide investigation …’ And being patronized by men who aren’t.

      ‘Well, good for you,’ said Gressett.

      ‘Yes, sir,’ said Ren. Now can we please stop this bullshit?

      ‘Right, everyone,’ said Bob. ‘Sit down, make yourselves comfortable. Coffee?’

      Everyone nodded.

      ‘Let me run through what we got,’ he said. He placed a head-and-shoulders shot of Jean on the desk. ‘Jean Transom, thirty-nine, single, worked in Glenwood, lived in Rifle, so far last seen by Todd and Gressett here, Friday, January twelfth, five p.m. Body found on Quandary Peak, Tuesday, January twenty-third; possible GSW to the back or chest.’

      Ren looked down at the photo. There is something in your face that inspires trust. A friend of Ren’s called it a ‘Can-I-get-you-a-Kleenex?’ face.

      ‘OK,’ said Gary. ‘Colin Grabien in Safe Streets will be running through phone records – he should have something back for us tomorrow.’

      ‘I can go through Jean’s desk at Glenwood, talk to Agent Gressett about what she was working on,’ said Ren.

      ‘Next of kin I have down as Patrick Transom, Jean’s younger brother,’ said Bob. ‘We’ll have to take care of the notification before this shit gets out. Ren, I’d be afraid to say it to another woman, but I’d like you to come with me for that feminine … presence.’

      ‘Jesus. You have me down as feminine?’ said Ren.

      ‘There’s a higher heel on your shoes,’ said Bob.

      ‘We’ve met Patrick,’ said Gressett. ‘Maybe Todd and I should …’

      ‘Let’s leave Bob and Ren to take care of it,’ said Gary. ‘We don’t want to all descend on him.’

      Gressett slid forward on his seat. ‘Todd and I could –’

      ‘You’re too close,’ said Gary. Gary severed discussions; a quick, deep, cut – a special tone and a way of turning his head to focus on something else. ‘Bob, can you show us where we can work out of?’

      ‘Sure,’ said Bob. ‘We got an office cleared out there, computers set up, admin – you just let us know if there’s anything else you need.’

      ‘That’s great,’ said Gary.

      ‘Thanks,’ said Ren.

      ‘How many of your guys are coming down later?’ said Bob.

      ‘Three more from Safe Streets to join Ren for the duration of the investigation,’ said Gary. ‘And a bunch of agents who will be sent to us from any offices that can spare them.’

      ‘OK,’ said Bob, getting to his feet.

      They all moved out of the office into reception. Ren pulled on her jacket.

      ‘Listen, go a little easy on people,’ said Gary, lowering his voice, leaning into her.

      ‘Like who?’ said Ren.

      ‘Gressett.’

      ‘Sorry … but he was being an asshole.’

      ‘Yeah, but we just got here.’

      ‘I know, but –’

      ‘You were the one who flagged the newbie thing,’ said Gary.

      ‘I know. It just came out. But, like he wasn’t going to find out.’

      Gary let out a breath. ‘OK. Do you have everything you need for an overnight stay?’

      ‘Will I be doing the walk of shame tomorrow? Yes, sir.’

      Bob threw Ren his keys and told her to go ahead. Outside, powdery snow fell heavily. Ren walked quickly to the Explorer and got in the passenger side, slipping in the keys so she could listen to the radio. She skipped all the pre-tuned stations and tuned in her own.

       What kind of crap do you listen to, Bob?

      He came out five minutes later.

      ‘What is that crap?’ he said, turning off the radio. He started the engine. ‘Right, we’re taking a little detour to the hospital. You can meet Corpses Maximus, our County Coroner.’

      Denis Lasco was sitting forward in his bed with his back against three giant pillows. He was freshly showered and watching a DVD on a portable player. He pulled the earphones out when he saw Bob and Ren.

      ‘Lasco,’ said Bob, ‘I see your goddamn name in the paper every week, now this.’ He threw the Summit Daily News on to Lasco’s bed. ‘This is what the townsfolk will be having with their breakfast tomorrow morning. This time you’re not delivering the bad news, you are the bad news.’

      ‘Right, so I’m bad news as the victim of an avalanche,’ said Lasco. ‘A near-fatal blunt force trauma.’

      ‘This lovely lady is Special Agent Ren Bryce from the Rocky Mountain Safe Streets Task Force in Denver,’ said Bob. ‘And at least I don’t have to say that every day. She’ll be coming to talk to you – not right now, but I thought I’d have you guys meet.’

      ‘Well, nice to meet you,’ said Lasco.

      ‘You too,’ said Ren. ‘How are you doing?’

      Lasco shrugged, then winced. He picked up the paper.

      ‘See the nice shit I said about you,’ said Bob.

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