Peshlakai this morning. About what Peshlakai said.'
'Maybe at Mr. Denton's place. He said he had to see Denton about something. But he also said he was going out to the fort to see what he could find out,' Bernie said. 'And what did Hostiin Peshlakai tell you?'
'It's complicated,' Chee said. 'Let's find Leaphorn first.'
He called Denton's number. No, Mrs. Mendoza said, Leaphorn wasn't there and neither was Mr. Denton. 'I heard them talking on the telephone. I think Mr. Denton drove down into Gallup to meet him somewhere.'
'Let's go find Leaphorn at the fort,' Chee said. 'I'll tell you on the way out.'
'You sound nervous,' Bernie said.
'I am,' Chee said. 'From what Peshlakai told me, I think our Legendary Lieutenant is playing with fire.'
Chapter Twenty-Eight
« ^ »
As he rolled his truck through the grocery parking lot toward the exit, Leaphorn was analyzing his situation. It didn't seem reasonable to believe that Wiley Denton actually intended to kill him. However, there was a lot of circumstantial evidence that suggested otherwise. For one thing, he had given Denton a motive. Louisa had warned him that Denton was dangerous. He'd already known that. And yet Leaphorn unloaded on the man the very evidence Denton had already killed one man—and probably two—to protect. He had poked Denton's two sorest spots—his obsession to claim the Golden Calf, legendary or not, and his desperate love of his missing wife.
At this tense moment, Leaphorn was doubting his judgment on several things, but not on that. Denton dearly loved the girl who had been willing to marry him. Leaphorn had been a fool for love himself, had been there and done that, would never ever forget Emma. He crept through the parking-lot traffic, giving right-of-way to everyone, thinking about tactics.
'Move along,' Denton said, pushing the pistol against Leaphorn's side. 'Do a left turn out on Railroad Avenue.'
'You were going to tell me something I needed to know,' Leaphorn said. 'Remember? Called it a secret. That's how you got me to meet you.'
'We'll get to that when we get where we have some privacy.'
'Give me a hint,' Leaphorn said. 'Tell me what McKay told you about his back-up plan. No use to keep lying, is there?'
Denton snorted. 'You're not going to believe this, either.'
'Probably not,' Leaphorn said. 'Why not try me?' He stopped again and waved ahead a blue Chevy that was waiting for him to pass.
'All right,' Denton said. 'McKay said he had a love affair started with Linda, but she didn't want to leave me. So he made this bet with her. He took her to a little hut way back in the Zuni Mountains. Took her shoes away from her, and said he was going back to see me and tell me I could have her back along with his Golden Calf map for fifty thousand dollars.'
The Chevy drove past. The pickup behind Leaphorn honked.
'What else did he say?'
'He said he bet her I wouldn't pay to get her back.'
The pickup honked again. Leaphorn eased his truck forward.
'What'd you say to that?'
Denton's laugh had a bitter sound. 'Just like the court records show. Marvin McKay pulled out his pistol, and I shot the son of a bitch.'
Leaphorn was heading for the exit now, a bit above the legal pace. 'Didn't you believe him?'
'Of course not,' Denton said.
'How about now?'
'Well, maybe some of it. Do a left on Railroad.'
Leaphorn jammed down on the accelerator and made a tire-squealing right turn into a gap in the traffic. He felt the pistol barrel jamming into his ribs.
'Left,' Denton said. 'We're going the wrong way.'
'We're going the right way,' Leaphorn said. 'And I don't think you're going to shoot me because I think you still want me to find Linda for you.'
'Fat chance of that.' Denton said. But the pistol moved away from Leaphorn's ribs. 'What do you mean?'
'I mean, I think I know where she is, and I want to go there and find out. But first, I've got to make a telephone call.'
Denton laughed. 'Oh, come on, Leaphorn. You've been calling me a liar, but you never called me stupid before.'
'I call Lorenzo Perez; he calls the security man at Fort Wingate and tells him we've got business out in the bunker area and to let us in.'
'Fort Wingate?' Denton said. 'You said McKay was there the day I shot him, and he had a woman in his car. Right?'
Leaphorn nodded.
'Who's this Perez?'
