“What about Eugene Fries?”
“Never heard of him.”
“Fries was a concession-stand worker at the Speedway in 1998.”
“That narrows it to a couple hundred people.”
Galimore rejoined us. Again apologized for the interruption.
I let him take over.
“Talk about Cindi Gamble.”
Bogan screwed his lips to one side and shook his head.
“You didn’t like her?”
“Wasn’t much to like or dislike. The word I’d use is ‘ordinary.’ But she had some crazy-ass ideas.”
“Such as?”
“The little girl wanted to drive NASCAR.”
“Why was that crazy?”
“Cindi Gamble was as likely to drive NASCAR as I am to swim naked with Julia Roberts.”
“She did well with Bandoleros.”
Bogan snorted derisively. “I saw a couple of those races. That gal couldn’t steer her way around a toilet bowl. Cale could outdrive her any day of the week.”
Daytona chose that moment to stroll in and jump onto Bogan’s lap.
“Look, I don’t mean to be rude. But I’ve got bougainvillea needs fertilizing.”
I looked at Galimore. He nodded.
I hit Bogan with my standard closer. “What do you think happened back in ’ninety-eight?”
Bogan shrugged.
“At the time, did you agree with the task force finding?”
“Who was I to disagree?”
“Do you still accept it?”
Bogan stroked Daytona for a while before answering.
“All those years, I kept waiting for a call, a letter, a telegram, anything to let me know that my son was alive. Every time I returned to this house, I checked the answering machine. Every time the mail arrived, I looked for Cale’s handwriting. It became an obsession. Pointless, but I couldn’t help myself. Then one day I stopped.”
Bogan drew air into his nose, slowly released it. Then he looked me straight in the eye.
“I don’t know what happened back then. Cale took off to marry his girlfriend? Went into hiding? Got himself killed? You tell me. I gave up trying to figure it out.”
“Herbert Hoover?”
Galimore and I were back in the car.
“I thought Bogan was going all Archie Bunker,” I said.
“You’re far too young to remember
“Save the enchantment for Reta.”
“You think Bogan’s a racist?”
“Did you hear how he pronounced ‘diversification,’ as though it were a dirty word?” I hooked quotation marks in the air. “‘Back in the day everyone knew whose sport it was.’ Give me a break.”
“The man likes cats.”
“A point in his favor. I also think Bogan’s a homophobe.” More quote marks. “‘Men were men’? Did the dolt really say that?”
“The line was good enough for Archie and Edith.”
“I know there are rumors, but has anyone in NASCAR actually come out?”
“Evan Darling. He’s a Grand-Am driver. But most stay deep in the closet.”
“If Bogan’s attitude is typical, I can see why.”
“There’s a growing fan base among the gay community. Quite a few websites. Gaytona.com. Queers4Gears.com. GayWheels.com.”
“Who knew?”
“You talked to Bogan more than I did. What was your take?”
“His grief over losing Cale seemed genuine. But his view of Cindi Gamble doesn’t square with what I’ve heard from others.”
