“But you can write the profile and set it off to one side,” she continued. “You may have to revise it significantly, or it may be that it’s a stand-alone piece and the bigger story takes off in a different direction. But it will clear the table a bit.”
He nodded.
“So, get on it,” she ordered with a smile.
He laughed.
By the end of the day, he knew more about Pete Norton, a lot more. Most of it disturbing. He also knew more about constitutional sheriffs, Sandy Hook deniers, and the right-wing media and their fondness for conspiracy theories.
“Who believes this shit?” he exclaimed when Janet asked him how it was going.
“Millions,” she answered seriously. “Check their Facebook or Twitter followers.”
Mac did and was depressed. Americans are fools, he thought.
But the most important conversation was with Craig Anderson.
“So, you’re the man to talk to about these wilderness survival weekends,” Mac said. “You didn’t tell me about that when we talked.”
Anderson laughed. “Nope,” he said cheerfully. “Got a call from Sheriff Norton, saying I should include you next weekend if you called, though. You impressed him, sounds like.”
“Good or bad?” Mac asked.
Anderson laughed again. “Now that’s a good question isn’t it?” he observed.
“Can I bring my photog along?”
“That gal Norton was fuming about? We don’t include women, Mac. Not set up for it, to be honest,” he said more seriously. “And it really is a guy’s weekend away, you know?”
“She’s not there as a woman. She’s there as a news photog. And if you could see the pictures from the trip to Mount Vernon you’d see why she should go. Otherwise we only get the photos I take, and they’re mediocre at best compared to hers.”
Anderson was silent while he thought about it. “You willing to be her tent buddy? Or more accurately, is she willing for you to be her tent buddy?”
“I’ll ask to make sure, but yes,” Mac replied. He sent off a text message.
“Norton will hate it,” Anderson said with amusement. “Sure, let’s do it.”
“Norton going to be there?” Mac asked.
“Yeah, he’s going,” Anderson said. “And me. And our setup guy Ken Bryson. Don’t think you’ve met him. Ten clients not counting the two of you.”
Mac read Angie’s response: yes!!!
He grinned.
“Angie says she’s fine with the shared tent,” he told him.
“Be at my shop then at 5 p.m. on Friday. We’ll caravan from there.”
“Weapons?” Mac asked.
“Bring what you want,” he said. “We’ll have an assortment for people to try out as well.”
And didn’t that put the fear of stupid men with guns into his very soul? Mac thought.
“Tell me there won’t be drinking,” Mac said, because if you were designing a clusterfuck of epic proportions, of course you’d add booze.
Anderson laughed. “For what we charge those men? It’s a catered, top-of-the-line experience,” he said. “Of course, there will be drinking.”
“Then just remember I prefer Mountain Dew,” Mac said morosely.
Anderson laughed some more. “I look forward to this one,” he said. “Oh, by the way? Andy Malloy said he thought he’d sit it out.”
“Too bad,” Mac said. “Sorry I’ll miss him.”
Anderson was laughing so hard he couldn’t say goodbye when he hung up.
Angie was all but dancing by his desk, when Mac set his phone down. “I get to go? Really?” she exclaimed.
“Really you do,” Mac assured her, although it troubled him for some undefined reason. “So, we’ve got things to do. One, I’m taking you to a gun range. Tomorrow afternoon work?”
She nodded.
“Two, you got gear for a camping weekend? Clothes to hike in? All that?”
She nodded again.
“He said it’s a deluxe trip, so they must be hauling in the stuff,” Mac said. “But keep it to what you can carry, OK? And that includes camera equipment.”
“OK,” she said. “You’re worried.”
Mac nodded. “I am. And if we have to haul ass out of there, I don’t want to be burdened with a lot of stuff.” Although if they really had to haul ass, he’d leave all the stuff. Weapons and her camera — that’s all they really needed.
He wondered how far into the park did they go? Quite a long way, he thought, or Peabody would have mentioned the weapons fire. He frowned. Why hadn’t Peabody mentioned the weapons fire? It must be significant, if 10 men were going to play with guns. Either they went in farther than Mac would expect, or what? Weapons fire every other weekend didn’t bother Peabody?
He jotted down a note to call the woman at the museum and ask if there had been complaints about that. And that reminded him he needed to call the coroner.
“Mac?” Angie asked with amusement. “Your mind went somewhere? What else do I need to do to prepare?”
He considered her. She was young, healthy and had plenty of stamina last weekend, he thought. He doubted a bunch of desk jockeys were any more fit. “Could you hike five miles?” he asked.
“Sure,” she said with a shrug. “I used to like to hike and camp. Been a while, but I’m still fit enough.”
“Then you tell me,” Mac said. “You saw the terrain we’re facing. What do you think?”
Angie’s smile lit up her face, and Mac wasn’t sure what he’d done to deserve it.
“Rain gear,” she said promptly. “Are we providing our own sleeping bags and tent?”
He shook his head. “No, they’ll do that,” he said.
“OK,” she said. “Let me think about it then. We can talk more when we go shooting.” She started back toward her department. “Don’t forget to have Janet clear it for me!”
Mac watched her go with amusement. He sent off an update to Janet, including the reminder.
Then he shut down everything and headed to the gym. He needed a good workout.
The YMCA he used was nearly empty at 3:30 p.m. when he arrived. The one advantage to a workday that started early was that it ended early, Mac thought, as he changed. He’d have the gym mostly to himself for
