“Interesting.” He ate some more of his breakfast. “Were they hand-tied or store bought?”
“What?”
“The flies. If they were new and store bought, then maybe they mentioned to someone where they were going?”
“I’ll radio up and ask Ferg.”
We finished breakfast, and I asked Dorothy to fix up a usual for an occupant. She put it in one of the Styrofoam containers and handed it to me with a worn smile but with no questions. I tried to mend some fences. “I’ll probably be back for dinner.”
“I’ll set the name cards.”
We climbed the stairs behind the courthouse; the weather hadn’t changed, and I was beginning to think we’d gotten a reprieve. When we got back to the office, Lucian was gone, but Ruby was waiting for me. I handed her Bryan’s breakfast.
“His nose is shattered.”
“I’m feeling bad enough, you don’t have to add to it.”
“You’re not feeling anywhere near as bad as he is. They patched him up, but they say he’s going to have to go up to Billings to get it properly set.”
“Yes, ma’am.” I waited for more, but there wasn’t any. “Could you see if you can raise Ferg on the radio?”
She flipped the toggle switches on the console and reached for her headphones, holding one side up to her ear. “Why, you want to beat on him, too?”
I continued into my office with Henry close behind. He occupied the seat in front of my desk and was smiling. I sat in my chair. “So, you wanna be a deputy?”
He looked at the accumulated clutter on my desk and the general disorder of the place. I had to admit, it didn’t look all that inviting. “I think I might work better outside the framework.”
“Well, we do have a moral turpitude clause.”
The little red light on my phone began blinking, and I was starting to get an idea of how angry Ruby was with me; she never used the intercom, she always came to the door. I picked up the receiver and spoke cautiously, “Yep?”
“Ferg, line one.” And she was gone.
I hit it. “Ferg?” The connection wasn’t great, but I could hear him. “Where have you covered?”
Static for a while. “I started with Crazy Woman, middle fork of Clear Creek, and I’m headed up to Seven Brothers.”
“I’ve got a question for you. Were those flies hand-tied or store bought?”
“Store bought, definitely.” He paused. “I think they’re from the Sportshop.”
“That is good news. Thanks.” I hung up the phone and looked at Henry.
“Do you want me to go out to the Espers and see who shows?”
“They also serve who stand and wait.”
“Yes, but the pay is shit.” He looked around the office. “Have you got any books around here?”
“I think I’ve got a paperback copy of Crime and Punishment ”-I scouted out the bookshelves-“and I’ve got Lolita around here somewhere.”
“I will pick something up.”
As he left, Ruby appeared at the door, and I noticed he gave her a wide berth. “I need to talk to you.”
I did my best to look repentant, but I had the feeling contrition wasn’t suiting me. “Yes?”
“You need to talk to Bryan. I don’t think he fully understands why it is he’s here.”
I thought of all the things I had to do. “Okay.” She stayed there, leaning against the doorway and looking at me. “What?”
“You’re a sheriff. You’re supposed to stand against such things, not for them.” I made the mistake of smiling. “It’s not funny.” She was really angry now, the blue in her eyes was neon. “You could have called him in and talked to him, you could have fired him… There’s no end to the options that were open to you, but no, you waited, you planned, and you executed. Your actions were deliberate and with forethought.”
I waited, then sighed, and continued on toward my doom. “Are you through?”
“No, I’m not.” She was off the doorway in an instant and stood directly in front of my desk. She looked like she was about ten feet tall. “I’m thinking I should hand in my resignation.”
“Ruby, I’m sorry.” She glared at me, still not giving an inch. “I was sorry when I did it.” I leaned back in my chair, just trying to get a little distance between us. “I’m mortified. It makes me sick.” I sighed again, looking out my window to avoid those eyes. “How is he?”
“He looks horrible, both his eyes are black and his nose is… He has tubes in his nose.”
“Ruby, please…” I got up and went around the desk, but she backed away, and the response was ferocious.
“Don’t touch me.”
I went ahead and stepped forward, opening my arms and pulling her in. She didn’t struggle, and I wrapped her up. “I’m sorry. I really am sorry.” I could feel how thin and fragile she was; her shoulder blades stuck out like sparrow wings.
“I am so ashamed of you.”
“I know, I know.” I held her there for a while, just listening to her breathe.
“You know this could be misconstrued as sexual harassment?”
“I hope so… How’s Lucian doing?”
I felt her stiffen a little. “Don’t make your problems worse by asking.”
I let her go and held her out to look at her. “Yes, ma’am.” The bell on the front door sounded as somebody pushed it open; we both looked toward the doorway. “You see to that, I’ll go talk to Bryan.” I gave her a quick kiss on the forehead and headed for the holding cells. When I got there, he was lying on his bunk, the remains of breakfast sat on the floor beside him, and the door still hung open. I went in and sat on the opposite bunk again. “Didn’t like your breakfast?”
His arms were folded behind his head, but his face turned to me as I propped my Sorels up on the edge of his bed. “I’m just not hungry.”
“I’d take advantage of the good stuff, we switch over to potpies on the weekend.”
His attention returned to the ceiling. “I’m still going to be here over the weekend?”
“Unless I can find who’s killing your friends.” I waited for a moment, watching him. “Jacob Esper’s dead.” He didn’t move at first, but then his arms came up and covered his face. I officially took him off the list. “I guess Mr. Ferguson didn’t tell you.” I looked at him. “You and George ever go fishing?”
He thought. “Yeah, I mean we have.”
“Where?” He was aware of how important the answer might be, so he removed his arm and looked at me. “Anyplace special? A lake on the mountain he likes best?”
His eyes escaped mine and went to the floor. “Lost Twin, that’s his favorite.”
I was up and out of the cell before I remembered. “Bryan?”
He was already sitting up and looking at me. “Yes, sir?”
“You’re not in here because you did something wrong, you’re here because somebody is out there trying to do something to you, and I’m not going to let that happen.”
I blew through the cell door and rushed down the hall but pulled up short when I got to the front. He did look like hell, with the rolled-up cotton and tubes sticking out of his nostrils and the gauze bandage plastered across the bridge of his nose and his cheekbones underneath both black eyes. He was sitting on the edge of Ruby’s desk when I came in, and he started to get up, but I stopped him. “What’re you doing here?”
“I’m here to work, unless you fired me.”
His voice was thick and nasal; you could tell he was having trouble breathing. “Shouldn’t you be at the hospital or on your way to Billings?”
He stood, even though I put out a hand to stop him. “I’m here to work.”
“You think you can?”
He tried to stand up straighter. “I ain’t hurt that bad.”
I kept trying to see Lucian in him, that little glimmer of the old goat that would make him salvageable. Maybe
