hotel and asking if he was in. I guess Cutler volunteers for the Park Service when he’s off-duty from Zephyr. He’s some kind of expert on geysers.They said his shift was over at ten and he was going out on geyser duty, so that confirmed it.”
“You didn’t identify yourself when you called?”
“No,” he said sarcastically, “I told them my name was Clay McCann, the infamous killer lawyer.” Despite the sunglasses, McCann could tell Toomer rolled his eyes as he spoke. Toomer said, “Are you going to question everything I say? What, do you think I’ve never done surveillance before? Do you think I’ve never carried out an investigation?”
“Sorry.”
Toomer grumbled and shook his head, then resumed his report.He outlined the tour Cutler had taken him on- the Upper Geyser Basin, the Firehole River, finally Biscuit Basin and SunburstHot Springs.
McCann felt himself go cold.
“What?” Toomer asked.
“They went to Sunburst? Why?”
“Damned if I know.” He shrugged. “They carried some equipment from the truck in there but I didn’t get out and follow them on foot. If I had, my cover would have been blown for sure, because that area is officially off limits. I waited until they got back to their vehicle, then followed them out.”
“How long were they there?”
“An hour, hour and a half.”
“But you didn’t see what they did at the hot springs?”
“I told you that already.”
McCann closed his eyes, felt his heart race.
“You want some water or something? A drink?” Toomer asked. “You look pale all of a sudden.”
“No, I’m fine.”
“Good, because I need some money for today.”
Trying to recover, McCann opened a desk drawer and pulled out a binder of blank checks.
“I’d prefer cash.”
“I don’t have cash.”
Finally, Toomer removed his sunglasses so he could glare at McCann. “I don’t want to go down to the bank and cash a check from you. The rumors would start to fly. You’re poison around this town, and I can’t be associated with you. Don’t you get that?”
McCann swallowed. “Yes. But I don’t have five hundred in cash.”
Toomer snorted. “You mean seven fifty. Don’t try to mess with me. We agreed on a hundred an hour.”
“If I don’t have five hundred in cash, I don’t have seven fifty either.”
“Get it by tomorrow. And make it eight hundred for my trouble.Plus the four thousand you owe me for weapons training. I’m tired of working for you for free.”
McCann pursed his lips and nodded in agreement, wonderingwhere he would get the money. What could he sell, fast? He’d hoped he could send Toomer away with a check and have some money in the bank from his partners by the time the ex-sherifftried to cash it.
“I’ll have it tomorrow,” McCann said.
“Good.”
Toomer just sat there, his eyes narrowing. “What’s the deal with Sunburst Hot Springs? When I said it I thought you were going to jump out of your chair. I thought this had to do with what happened down in Bechler.”
McCann said, “It does. Don’t worry about it. I didn’t hire you to answer your questions, Butch.”
“Why exactly did you hire me?”
“I think we’re through here,” McCann said. “I’ll get you your fee tomorrow.”
Toomer smiled a half-smile, put his sunglasses back on, and stood up and left without shaking McCann’s extended hand.
“Don’t mess with me, Clay,” he said as he shut the door.
Mccann’s insides were burbling. This thing was coming apart. He should have been out of the country by now, on an island,sipping a drink and being petted by a woman he’d yet to meet. Instead, it seemed like the sky itself was crushing down and the walls were tightening in on him like jaws of a vise. He wondered what Cutler had told Pickett and Demming.
He punched the button for the intercom.
“Sheila, get me Layton Barron’s home number in Denver.”
No response.
“Sheila?”
“What do you think I am,” she screeched.
Barron’s wife answered and McCann asked to speak to Layton. She covered the phone while she called to her husbandbut McCann could hear her through her fingers, which he imagined as bony but finely manicured.
Barron said, “Yes?” He didn’t sound pleased.
“You know who this is.”
“I can’t believe you called me at home.” His tone was angry, astonished. “I’m going to-”
“If you hang up on me, you’re going to spend the rest of your life in prison,” McCann said flatly. “Your bony- fingered wife will be alone with all of your treasure.”
Pause. Then: “Honey, I need to take this in my office. Will you please hang it up in a second?”
There were no pleasantries once Barron picked up his privatephone. “Look, I tried to call you back yesterday,” Barron said, sounding as if he were speaking through clenched teeth. “I tried that number you gave me three times. First it was busy, then it rang and rang. And how do you know about my wife?”
“Forget that,” McCann said.
“Then why are you calling me? How did you get my home number?”
“Forget that too,” McCann said. “I want you to shut up and listen for once.”
He could hear Barron take a breath. “Go ahead.”
“We may have trouble up here. A couple of investigators”- McCann glanced at the business cards and read off the names- “went to Sunburst today with Mark Cutler. They may be too stupid to put things together, but that’s getting too close for me.”
“Jesus,” Barron said softly.
“I want to get out of here,” McCann said. “I want you to live up to your end of the deal. I want my money,
“Clay, it’s not what you think. We’re not trying to screw you, not at all. The SEC’s been camped out in our building for three weeks. It has nothing to do with you at all, but I can’t move any money right now. They’re going over everything for the past four years. It’s a fucking nightmare.”
“You’re right,” McCann said, “this has nothing to do with me. I could care less about the SEC, or your company. I want my money. I did my part, you need to do yours.”
“Look,” Barron said, an edge of panic entering his voice, “I think they’ll be gone by the end of the week. I really do. We’re clean, I swear it. It’s just that some of our accounting looks a little,well,
“Not good enough,” McCann said. “I need it now. Tonight.”
“You have no idea what it’s like for me,” McCann said. “If Pickett and Demming start connecting the dots, I’m just sitting here.”
Yes, McCann thought, the panic in Barron’s voice was real. He’d cracked him.
“Listen to me,” McCann said, pressing, deciding to show his hole card, “if I don’t get my money, I’ll go to the FBI and sing in exchange for immunity. They’ll give it to me, I promise you. I’ve worked with them and they’d rather nail somebody high-level-somebody like Layton Barron of EnerDyne-than put me back in jail.”
“My God, you can’t be serious.”
