Blood Runs Cold

places where Colin Grabien has been rejected by women in a bar.’

Colin pointed toward the board. ‘Red: places where Ren Bryce has …’ He paused.

‘Not quick enough,’ said Ren. ‘Thanks for playing.’

‘Your hair,’ said Robbie. ‘What did you do? I loved your long hair.’

‘Hate to break it to you,’ said Ren. ‘But you’re not at the forefront of my mind when I’m in the hair salon … Actually, neither was getting a good hair cut …’

‘What were you thinking?’ said Colin.

‘Guys, come on,’ said Gary. ‘The red pins here represent our random robbers – a mixed bunch of amateurs.’

‘So they’ve all been caught, obviously …’ said Ren, smiling.

‘Our Glenwood visitor appears to be mocking us,’ said Cliff. ‘Perhaps she feels that, without her, we are nothing.’

Ren nodded.

‘And to continue,’ said Gary. ‘The green pins represent the Val Pando crew. To recap – the first was Arvada, the second here in Denver on Colfax …’ The rest were off I-70 heading west.’ He moved his finger along the map. ‘In order of geographical location, east–west: Idaho Springs, Georgetown, Silver Plume, Grand Junction. But as we know, the robberies weren’t carried out in that particular order.’

‘Because that wouldn’t be very smart,’ said Ren. ‘So – six green pins since this all started back in January.’

‘It was bam, bam, bam at the start and now it’s slowed,’ said Robbie.

‘Excuse me for a moment,’ said Gary, checking his pager and walking out the door.

‘Why are you here?’ said Colin.

‘Because Gary asked me to be here,’ said Ren.

‘Secret meetings,’ said Robbie.

‘Oh, please,’ said Ren. ‘And it’s not exactly secret, is it? Like Colin is secretly insecure because his adolescence was Superbad …’

Colin’s eyes went to slits.

‘What do you mean, “super bad”?’ said Cliff.

‘It’s a movie,’ said Robbie.

‘Featuring the hilarious tale of an endless search by three teenage boys to get laid,’ said Ren. ‘Endless …’

‘Yeah, we all know what you were in high school,’ said Colin. ‘The –’

‘– one who would have sat with you in the lunch room if she had only known your pain,’ said Ren. ‘OK … gotta go.’

‘Are you coming out with us later?’ said Robbie.

‘I don’t live here any more, remember?’ said Ren.

‘We need you, man.’

‘I need you guys,’ said Ren.

‘Come on. What did you do?’ said Robbie.

‘What? To be banished from the kingdom? I ate a poison apple.’

‘You talk a lot of crap,’ said Colin.

‘I didn’t do anything,’ said Ren. ‘Jean had to be replaced.’

Robbie looked at her. ‘Yeah, but by you?’

‘Look, I’m tired of talking about it,’ said Ren. ‘I will be back here. I’m sure. Soon.’

Halfway to Glenwood, Ren wondered if it all fell apart, could she work as a bus driver for the Colorado Mountain Express. Each time she met with Gary, she hoped he would bring out champagne and cake and tell her she was coming back. She would drive the two hours from Denver to Glenwood thinking how great it would be to be back at her desk firing rubber bands at Robbie or humiliating Colin Grabien at the firing range. She wanted to see Cliff’s sweet face in the morning and get hugs from him when he left in the evening. She sang along to her iPod; her mournful, missing-you playlist.

Gary was teaching her something. But she was getting tired of showing up for class. He still wanted her opinion, he still needed her opinion. And he gives nothing back.

Her cellphone rang. She punched the button to answer it. The Jeep swerved a little.

‘Mistress Bryce?’

‘High Sheriff Gage?’ said Ren.

‘What shit are you listening to now?’ said Bob.

‘“I Ain’t Missin’ You At All”,’ she sang, turning off the music. She paused. ‘And it’s not shit. Everyone loves that song.’

‘OK, OK,’ said Bob. ‘Maybe it’s just hard to sing …’

‘I ain’t missin’ you at all,’ she sang again.

‘Well, you won’t have to for much longer.’

‘Why?’

‘We found a body on Quandary Peak.’

‘Another –’

‘No. We found Jean Transom.’

48

When May had come and gone and June had brought snow across Summit County, Ren thought Jean Transom’s body would never show. And when the sun blazed in July and still didn’t draw the body from the melting snow, Ren figured it had been thrown down a mineshaft – that Misty the dog had located Jean Transom on that snowy slope the night of the avalanche and given someone the chance to bury her again.

‘I don’t believe it,’ said Ren. ‘Where?

‘Where we expected,’ said Bob. ‘Up on Quandary.

‘How do you know it was her?

‘Her clothes, her hair, her watch, her ankle holster – which was empty,’ said Bob.

The air-conditioning was on high in the Jeep and the outside temperature was rising.

‘Not the best conditions,’ said Bob.

‘No,’ said Ren. ‘But at least we’ve got her.’

‘What’s your position on the case now?’ said Bob.

‘Your guess is as good as mine.’ She paused. ‘Gary Dettling got paged when I was at Safe Streets – was that you?’

‘No. I asked Mike to.’

‘Well, Gary’s been informed and he still let me leave. It’s not like he called me in to let me know. I mean, I’m still coming to the scene – Glenwood Springs is the closest RA. Gressett and Todd will be there. Whether I have any more involvement than that, who knows.’ She heard beeps on her phone. ‘Bob, looks like I’m just about to find out. That’s Gary on the other line. See you in a little while.’

‘Ren, hey,’ said Gary.

‘Hey.’

‘Jean Transom’s body’s been found on Quandary.’

‘Oh my God. Really?”

‘Yes.’

‘That’s good news, I guess.’

‘I know – doesn’t feel that way.’

‘ I’ll let Todd and Gressett know.’

‘Ren?’