but he had never done that before, and he might make people suspicious by his nervousness. And, of course, his California driver’s license would give him away, if he had to show it.
The inside of the Falcon wasn’t as large as that of his Fairlane. He had been uncomfortable and cold while trying to sleep, even wearing his jacket. His stomach had growled all night, since he hadn’t eaten much yesterday.
Now he was thawing out at a cafe with plenty of hot coffee and good food. Trying to figure out what to do next. He was determined to kill Gary. Gary wouldn’t be his first. Killing Gary wouldn’t make much difference in what would happen to him. It might be his last grand gesture. If he couldn’t have Penny, Gary couldn’t either.
He wondered whether he would have a problem getting into Yellowstone. He had to pay an entrance fee; that was no problem. The Park Service employees might be on the lookout for the stolen car, but if they were looking for the plates that were on the car when he had taken it, they wouldn’t find them. They might also have a description of him. What could he do about that?
The day was warming up. He took off his jacket and put it in the trunk. Underneath he was wearing a sweatshirt that the police hadn’t seen. He bought a pair of sunglasses and put them on. He also bought a cheap version of a cowboy hat. The kind they sold to souvenir hunters. Really cheap. Made of straw, or something like that. He had left a baseball cap in his car, but this hat would help him blend in with the local population.
He had also left some of his clothes and the pictures of Penny in his car. He hadn’t even remembered to bring the treasured pictures. Damn it. Actually, once he took the new car, he didn’t have time to stop and retrieve anything from his own car. Well, seeing her again would make up for not having the pictures.
Confident now that he wouldn’t have any trouble getting into Yellowstone, he drove south toward Wyoming.
Gary placed his eye up to the viewfinder and focused on the herd of Rocky Mountain Bighorn Sheep. As a ram with large curling horns came into profile, he fired away. He and Penny had been following the sheep up the Mt. Washburn trail.
Mt. Washburn was a ten thousand footer, and it was highly unlikely that Alfred would hike up here, even if he found their car at the trailhead. His recent history at Sperry Chalet told Gary that. They were about as safe on the mountain as they would be anywhere.
Gary loved this kind of outdoor adventure. Sure it was windy, but that was part of the fun. Penny seemed to like it, too. She certainly enjoyed seeing all the animals they had spotted today, including moose, elk, bears, antelope, horses, chipmunks, and now sheep.
As they approached the peak, Gary saw a fire tower on top. They could climb that and get a good view of Yellowstone. When they went back down the mountain, they would have to keep a sharp eye out for Alfred. Gary had vowed to protect Penny, and he would do it.
Everybody who visited Yellowstone went to see Old Faithful. The geyser that erupted regularly day and night had achieved fame throughout the world. As predictable as a Disneyland ride, the fact that nature and not man had created it made it better than the mouse kingdom.
Everybody included Penny and Gary. They had presumably been sightseeing in the park since this morning. They planned to be here for several days. They would get to Old Faithful tomorrow, or the next day at the latest.
Alfred would be there waiting for them. He had a new resolve. He couldn’t do anything worse than he had already done. He wouldn’t have been forced into killing that man if Gary hadn’t enslaved Penny. Circumstances had made Alfred the way he was. It wasn’t his fault. He deserved revenge. He would see that Gary got his just desserts.
He hadn’t had any trouble getting into Yellowstone. It had been ridiculously easy. The Park Service employee had barely glanced at him as he paid the entrance fee. Maybe the police weren’t looking for him. Maybe he had made a mountain out of a clump of dirt. Nothing tied him to the murder. There were no witnesses. The only person who could connect him with the gun was the pawnshop manager, but the gun wouldn’t be found for years, if ever.
He was home free. Free to take care of Gary. He watched for Gary’s Volkswagen as he drove south toward Old Faithful. If he spotted it, fine. If not, the day of reckoning would come at the geyser.
CHAPTER 18
The coffee shop was rustic, with wooden benches in the booths. Gary and Penny arrived about a quarter to six, because Penny hated to be late for anything. The sound of a dozen conversations kept the noise level high enough so that they would be able to talk without anybody overhearing.
Rather than sit and wait for Detective Landon, they ordered dinner. Exhausted after a day of sightseeing and hiking, they didn’t have enough energy to cook dinner at the campground.
At least they hadn’t seen Alfred. With any luck, he would be arrested, and the danger would end. Penny certainly hoped so. During the day she had racked her brain, trying to remember whether she had ever led Alfred on. She had been friendly to him, but she had been friendly to everybody at her high school, even the students the snobs ignored. She felt that all human beings deserved fair treatment.
She and Emily had also been friendly to Darren, the janitor at Fenwick High School, and he had killed Emily. Friendship apparently wasn’t any guarantee that the friend wouldn’t turn on you.
Why Alfred would think she had a special interest in him she didn’t know. He had never given any indication of having a crush on her, but apparently he had taken her picture out of the class yearbook and carried it around with him. Plus other pictures. She wondered what other pictures he had. Was it her fault that he was infatuated with her?
“Are you Penny Blanchard?”
Penny started. She had seen the young man come into the coffee shop, but he was too young and preppy to be a detective, with his cable-knit sweater over a button-down shirt. She had pegged him for a college student. She wasn’t used to answering to her new last name, and it took a couple of seconds before she realized that he was speaking to her.
She looked up at his freckled face under reddish hair and said, “Yes, I’m Penny.”
“I’m Detective Landon.” He offered his hand. “You look just like your picture.”
She shook his hand and said, “How do you do? This is my husband, Gary.”
“Don’t stand up,” Detective Landon said as Gary made an effort to unwedge himself from his booth seat.
They reached out and shook hands and murmured greetings to each other. Gary moved over to give the detective room to sit down beside him. He was carrying a briefcase that he placed on the floor.
At that moment the waitress brought their salads.
“We were hungry, so we ordered dinner,” Gary said. “Would you like something to eat?”
“No thanks,” Detective Landon said quickly. “Maybe a cup of coffee.”
The waitress nodded and scurried away.
“Did you find Alfred?” Penny asked.
The detective shook his head. “Haven’t seen hide nor hair of him. No word that he’s come into the park, but I’d still be careful if I were you two.”
“Why did he kill the man in the grocery store?”
“Probably because he needed money. He got several hundred dollars.”
“But killing him. I didn’t think he was violent.”
“The clerk had a gun, although he didn’t get a chance to fire it.”
