“And …?”
“And he basically just laughed. He recommended I contact the state’s department of environmental affairs. Department of Violations and Policing, or some bureaucratic office like that. You can only imagine where that will get you.”
“Yeah.” Hauck grunted with frustration. “That’ll take two years.”
“He asked, just for argument’s sake, which company I was referring to, and I told him RMM.”
“That must have made him laugh even harder.”
“No, that made him go silent. For about a minute. Then he went into this speech that the energy trade is responsible for almost a third of the job growth in the state, and RMM a good portion of that. And that they’re tied in with half the politicians in the state and have built more in terms of infrastructure for the towns—new schools, parks, civic centers—than all the public money combined. He pretty much said in the current administration you’d have better luck taking on the NRA to cancel a gun show in Fort Collins than get an inquiry into RMM.”
“What about murder and bribery?” Hauck sighed sarcastically. “Aren’t those crimes?”
“I asked that. I had to be a little vague, Ty—I mean, I’m financial fraud, not Justice.”
“I understand.”
“But I said, just for argument’s sake, if, say, a capital felony had been committed, and it led back to an oil company in an attempt to cover up the improper granting of water rights, what would be the disposition of the state to look into that?”
“And he said …”
“He said that it isn’t actually up to the state. That it’s up to the local police authority and district attorney where the crime was committed. So then I said, what if they declined to act on it? What if it all fit under the heading of conflict of interest? Or more, like they were all under their thumb. And just to fill out the hypothetical, what if we were talking RMM …?”
Hauck was silent.
Naomi said, “That’s when he laughed again.”
“Yeah, the humor’s hard to miss.” Hauck took another chug of beer.
“Look, off the record, he said the best path would be to give this to the local press or TV and let them investigate it, until the local jurisdictions would be forced to respond to it. I’m sorry. You picked a big fish to fry here. Especially in this state. I wish I could have been of more help.”
“You did great, Naomi. It’s about what I expected. Thanks.”
“So what are you going to do now?”
“I really don’t know.”
“You’re going to go back there, aren’t you?”
“I don’t know.”
“Ty, you heard the reaction I got out there. No one wants to touch this. The proceeds mean too much to the state. What happened today … was this basically a way to tell you to stay clear?”
“Either that, or to kill me. Or Dani. It was hard to tell.”
“Ty, don’t joke. I’m honestly worried about you. That has to matter to you. I’m worried you’ll do something foolish and I’m going to hear about it on the evening news.”
“It does matter to me, Naomi.” He put down the beer bottle. “It’s just that, this does, too.”
“More than me telling you to back out …?”
Hauck stayed silent.
“I guess I get it,” she responded kind of dejectedly. “You know I’m not your wife. I’m not even sure if I’m your girlfriend. But I do have a stake in you, Ty. You have to acknowledge that.”
“I do acknowledge that, Naomi.” Hauck glanced at his watch. It was almost six P.M. “I know this is rotten timing, but I have something I have to do.”
“Stay safe, Ty …” He could hear she was frustrated. “Let me hear from you that you are.”
“I will.”
They hung up. Hauck didn’t like the manner in which they did. He took his car keys and knocked on Dani’s bedroom. “I’ll be back in a little while,” he said. “Geoff will be here in a couple of minutes. Don’t let anyone else in but him.”
“Where are you going?”
“I have to see someone about something.”
CHAPTER FIFTY-EIGHT
The police station had thinned out for the night shift when Wade Dunn finally stepped out the door.
He was dressed a khaki police shirt over jeans, a cowboy hat, and the same python boots he’d been wearing when Hauck had met him before. He chatted in the doorway with one of the officers on his staff, gave him a laugh and an amiable poke on the shoulder, then headed over to his vehicle, which was parked in the spot marked CHIEF.
Hauck went up to him.
Dunn’s demeanor changed—maybe surprised to see Hauck back and in front of him. Or maybe just rolling around in his head in a moment of panic exactly why Hauck was there. His eyes finally brightened in recognition.
“Hey …! Hauck, isn’t it? Dani’s godfather? I see you’re back.”
“That’s right.” Hauck stood in the way of the police chief and the green-and-white official SUV.
“Your trip over so soon? I heard she took you up to her friend’s funeral up outside Greeley. Not much to see up there but potato fields and a few oil wells. I’m afraid you didn’t get to see our state at its best.”
“I’d have to agree on that.” Hauck nodded. Dunn was either completely out of the loop or a ridiculously bad actor. Hauck figured the latter.
“Look ….” The chief glanced at his watch. “I’m afraid I have to be over in Glenwood in a couple of minutes. AA meeting. Not telling you anything everyone else here doesn’t know. I’m one of the hosts tonight.”
“I’ll walk you over to your car.”
“Car’s right here, actually. So how’s my girl? She was taking her friend’s death pretty hard.”
“She’s okay. She had a little run-in up there today.”
“Run-in? Anything I can do?”