it… used to be longer.
The death form was filled out on a typewriter, and signed by a Dr. Stephen Landis. Lucas scanned the routine report and asked, Is Dr. Landis still practicing here?
Oh, sure. Hes over at the clinic, right down the street to Main, take a left two blocks.
Marcy looked over Lucass arm: Heart attack?
Thats what it says.
You know, Sheriff Mason wouldve been a deputy back then; I bet he would know about it, the clerk said, reading the file upside down. She tapped a line on the file with her fingertip. This address isnt right in townits out at County Aso they would have been the law enforcement arm involved in a death.
We just talked to aChiefMason, Sherrill said. Theyre not the same guy?
Second cousins, though you could never tell, the clerk said. Sheriff John Masons grandparents on his fathers side, and Chief Bob Masons great-grandparents on his fathers and grandfathers side, are the same people, Chuck and Shirley Mason from Stephen.
Thank you, Lucas said. Where can we find the sheriffs office?
Down the hall all the way to the end.
As they left, Sherrill asked, Are Chuck and Shirley still alive?
Well, sure, the clerk said. Hale and hearty. Course, theyd be down in Arizona right now.
THE SHERIFF WAS OUT, THE RECEPTIONIST SAID, BUT IF it was a matter of importance, hed be happy to come right back. Lucas identified himself, and the receptionists eyebrows went up, and she punched a number in her telephone. A minute later, the phone rang, and she picked it up and said, without preamble, Therere some Minneapolis police officers here, looking for you.
The sheriff was a chunky, weathered man, going bald; he wore an open parka and was carrying a blaze- orange watch cap when he stepped into the office five minutes later.
You want to see me?
Yes, Lucas said. He introduced himself, produced his ID, and mentioned the death of George Lamb.
George Lamb? You mean about a hundred years ago, that George Lamb? The sheriffs voice picked up a hint of wariness.
Twenty-four years, said Lucas.
Come on back, the sheriff said. And to the receptionist: Ruth, go get Jimmy and tell him to come back too.
To Lucas: You folks want some coffee?
Thatd be fine, Lucas said. They were passing a coffeepotin a hallway nook, and Sherrill said, Ill get it. Sheriff? Sugar?
As the sheriff settled behind his desk, and Sherrill brought the coffee, Lucas said, Were sorta digging through the background on Lamb. The county clerk said you were around at the time, I dont know if youd remember it or not.
Yeah, I do. He used to be a mail carrier outa here, he had the rural route. Died of a heart attack. Whyre you looking into that? If I might ask?
Weve got a case going on in the Cities, woman just shot her husband, Lucas said. Shes charged second degree, but that could get dismissed as self-defense. Were looking into all the deaths that have been associated with her, and we found out that both her father and mother died young…
I know the woman, the sheriff said. Audrey. McDonald. Used to be Lamb. Been reading about the case in theStar-Tribune. What the heck is a chief of police doing way up here on a case like that?
Actually, uh, Marcy and I are friends, Lucas said, tipping his head toward Sherrill. We were both working the case, and we sorta wanted to get away for a weekend… and we were sorta curious about Lamb.
The sheriff glanced at Marcy and then back at Lucas, nodded as if everything was suddenly clear. I didnt take the first call on Lamb, but when we got word that somebody out there was dead, I came in, the sheriff said. He spun in his office chair, looking out of the office window toward the back of a line of Main Street stores. This was early in the morning. I mean real early, like four oclock. He was dressed in gray long johns, and he was laying on the kitchen floor. One of the girls had called usAudrey I think, the other one was still pretty youngand the two little girls had their mom out in the living room, and she was sitting on the couch all wailing away. And Lamb was deadern a mackerel. It was his practice to wake up in the morning by breaking a raw egg in a double-shot glass, thenpouring the glass full with rye, and drinking it down. We found him laying on the floor in a puddle of rye, with the egg all over his face. Took him off quick.
Egg and rye. Thatd open your eyes, all right, Sherrill said.
Spose, said the sheriff. Another man, tall, lean as a fence post, ten years older than the sheriff but with a full head of hair, propped himself in the office doorway.
You wanted me?
Yeah, Jimmy, come on in… The sheriff introduced Lucas and Sherrill and said, Theyre checking around about the time George Lamb died down there on A. You remember that?
Yeah. Long time ago. Dont quite see what youd be checking on. Dropped dead of a heart attack.
Was there anything unusual about the circumstances? Lucas asked. Something to make you wonder if it was moren a heart attack?
The sheriff shook his head, and Jimmy scratched his head and said, Well, no. Not really. The population up here is oldern averagenot much to hold the younger people anymoreso we see a lot of heart attacks. Probably once or twice a week we get a call, and a fair number of times, the victim is dead before the ambulance gets there. I probably seen a few hundred of them in my time, and… He shrugged. Soon as I saw him, I thought, Heart.
Shoot, Lucas said. How about the mother? Amelia?
The sheriff shook his head. They left here after George diedsold the place off and moved down to your territory, I think.
Really? Lucas shook his head ruefully. You know, I never asked. I just assumed… Lucas glanced at Marcy, then said to the sheriff, I didnt see a motel coming in. Is there a place we can stay?
The sheriff seemed to relax a half-inch. North out oftown a half-mile, theres the Sugar Beet Inn. Real clean place.
Good enough, Lucas said. They all stood up and Lucas shook with the sheriff and Marcy said, Thanks for the coffee.
And then they were outside and Lucas looked up at the building and said, Thats the goddamnedest thing, huh?
He seemed a little tense, Marcy said.
They oughta be a little tense, Lucas said. Theyre covering something up.
They were at the car, and Marcy looked at him over the roof: All right, you got me. How do you know theyre covering something up?
Because they both remembered the details of a heart attack twenty-four years ago. What he looked like lying on the floor. Gray long johns. The egg-and-rye thing…
I might have remembered that, the egg and rye. Cause its unusual.
Audreys name…
They could have remembered that from reading the paper.
Lucas shook his head: Why? She didnt change it until she married McDonald, eight years after her father died. You think they were tracking her?
Marcy nodded. All right. They remembered too much. What do we do next?
We go over and jack up the doctor.
You notice how Im being the nice little housewife and sweetie pie? Get the coffee, girl-talk about hair, let it pass when you hint to the good sheriff that were up here for a little whoopee?
Its making me nervous, Lucas said. The pressurell start to build. Sooner or later, youll explode.
That could happen, she said.
DR. STEPHEN LANDIS COULDNT SEE THEM UNTIL THE end of his patient day, at four oclock.
You can come right here to the clinic, the nurse said. Four oclock sharp. He has some patient visits to make out in town, starting at four-thirty, so youll have about twenty minutes.
