The policeman shrugged noncommittally. “No family here. The body has already been taken away. See, the room is empty.”
Hunt peeked around the door. The room was already tidied up for the next occupant.
“Well, that’s a shame,” he said.
The policeman was still eyeing him. “This man was murdered. We are investigating who killed him.”
Leroy never blinked. “Really? Anybody get a good look at somebody else comin’ down the mountain?”
“No, too much fog but we are asking many questions about how this could have happened.” He paused and stared pointedly at Leroy. “Do not worry. We will find the killer.”
Leroy tipped his hat. “I surely wish you luck with that, officer. The world is a sorry place these days when a body can’t take a stroll up a mountain without findin’ a bulls-eye on his back.”
“The man was shot in the stomach.”
“My mistake.” Leroy turned on his heel. “Adios.”
***
Daniel was in the same state as when Leroy had left him—still twitchy and mumbling to himself. Hunt rolled his eyes, unlocked the driver’s side and climbed in.
“Well?” the scion demanded impatiently.
“The feller’s dead. At least that’s one loose end tied up.”
“Who was he?”
“Not a ghost, that’s for sure. Some tourist. The police already took his body away.”
“We have to find out who he was,” Daniel insisted.
Hunt rounded on him. “We’re gonna do no such thing. That cop inside was givin’ me the stink eye somethin’ fierce. I ain’t hangin’ around this town long enough for somebody to ID me. You got what you came for. Now we’re goin’ home.”
Without waiting for a reply, he revved the engine and pulled away from the curb. “Maybe we hurry, we can catch the next flight to Chicago. I got a hankerin’ for deep dish pizza.”
Chapter 46 – Asylum
Cassie made a vain attempt to sleep on the hard cot in her cell. Even if the bed had been comfortable, her anxiety about what was going to happen next would have kept her awake. Shortly after the guard brought her some breakfast which she couldn’t stomach, the waiting was over.
An officer unlocked the door and motioned for her to come out. She was led through the side entrance of the station where a car waited. In the back seat was Erik, dark circles under his eyes from a night as sleepless as hers had been.
“Am I ever glad to see you!” he exclaimed when she climbed in beside him.
The policeman wordlessly cuffed them together.
“Did anybody hurt you?” Erik asked in a low voice.
Cassie shook her head. “Not unless you count giving me a raging case of insomnia. How about you?”
Erik pointed to his swollen ankle. “They gave me an elastic bandage.”
“That’s more than I thought they’d do,” Cassie murmured sarcastically.
“Where are you taking us?” Erik demanded as the officer got behind the wheel.
“To see the superintendent.” He nosed the car into traffic.
Erik and Cassie exchanged concerned looks.
“I sure hope he believes our version of what happened.”
Erik didn’t reply. His eyes were wandering all over the back of the car, checking the roof, the windows, the door locks. Cassie guessed he was trying to figure an escape route in case things didn’t go well.
She leaned over to whisper in his hear. “We should at least talk to him before you try putting us on Spain’s Most Wanted list. Besides, we don’t know what happened to Griffin. Maybe we can find out where he is. If he’s still...” She trailed off, unable even to voice the words.
They travelled in silence as the policemen drove through the outskirts of town. Much to Cassie’s surprise, he kept on going. They were in the countryside now.
“What’s the superintendent doing way out here?” she asked suspiciously.
“He had other business. He said to take you to him.” The officer didn’t seem inclined to give any more details.
Cassie sighed and slumped back in the seat. “You don’t think this guy is taking us out into the country to execute us, do you?” she whispered to Erik and then laughed weakly.
He didn’t reply. His jaw was set.
“That was supposed to be a joke.” Cassie took his silence as an ominous sign.
About ten minutes later, the car approached a three-story building with white columns nestled in the foothills of the mountains. It was surrounded by a high fence and protected by a massive iron gate complete with a sentry.
“Oh, this can’t be good.” The pythia sat up straight and swallowed hard.
The gate swung open as the sentry motioned for the car to proceed.
The driveway was long and bordered by parks on either side. They passed massive trees, benches, and gravel walking paths. Cassie noted people in white coats guiding other people dressed in robes. “What is this place?” she asked her teammate in wonder.
“You got me, toots.” He gave a baffled shrug.
The car finally swung to a stop at the stairs in front of the building. Standing on the top step was a man in uniform. He wore a red jacket, white belt, and black trousers with a red stripe up the side. On his head was a red beret.
As the two suspects climbed out of the car and stood blinking in the bright sunlight, he came down the stairs to meet them. It wasn’t until he reached the bottom step that Cassie recognized him. “Iker!” she exclaimed.
Their friend, the sentinel, gave them a brief smile before instructing the officer to remove their handcuffs.
“I’m sorry for all the mystery. It was for your own protection.” He dismissed the driver who saluted, got in his car, and drove back the way he had come.
“Are you the Superintendent of Police?” Erik asked in amazement.
Iker nodded. “In Durango, yes.” He winked at Cassie. “It is what you would call my ‘day job.’”
“I take back everything I said about needing to find you a hobby,” Cassie said. “Clearly, you’ve got enough on your plate already.”
“I know you have many questions and I will answer them all, but first you must come this
