“There might be, now that you bring it up. I think she realizes now she may have gotten in a little over her head in some of this business. Like you warned me, she gets pretty riled up about things.”
“You can take that to the bank and cash it.” Dunn grinned with a shake of his head. “Always been her way.” He stopped at his car. “So, uh, like I said, I—”
“Those photos …” Hauck looked at him.
“Photos …?” Dunn stared back, playing dumb.
“I think you know what I’m talking about. From the ranger station the morning Trey Watkins was killed. Dani said you took them.”
“Well, I wouldn’t quite call it ‘took ’em,’” the chief snorted officiously. “They’re part of an investigation. I just can’t be showing them around.”
“So you’re opening an investigation? The Watkins family will be glad to hear that.”
“I merely meant that they’re part of the official record now. Police property. Depending on what we decide to do,” the chief said, backpedaling. “You used to be in this line of work. I figure you understand.”
“I do understand. Same way I understand you’re pretending you don’t know exactly what I’m talking about, and that your name didn’t come up in a curious way while we were up there …”
“My name …?” Dunn took out his key and clicked open his door. “It did?”
“By the same man whose car was in those photos you have in there.” Hauck looked at him directly.
The chief blinked, his runny eyes locked on Hauck, trying to convey the full measure of his authority. “I’m not exactly sure just what we’re talking about, Mr. Hauck.”
“Some bad things have happened, Chief, and a lot of them seem to find a path back to you. You and some really unfriendly people up there. I guess the only question is what we’re going to do about it now. Dani’s a good girl. You know that as well as anyone. I know you have feelings for her in some way. But I also know …”
“You also know what, Mr. Hauck?” Dunn took off his hat and stared at him hard now.
“I also know you seem to be a man who’s willing do what he has to do, when it all comes down to it.”
“When what comes down? I’m not sure I catch your meaning.”
“What inevitably will, Chief Dunn. What always does when people get in over their head.”
Dunn nodded, twisting his mouth, and ran his hand along the close-cropped sides of his scalp. “I’m thinking there’s a threat in there somewhere. Which is a crime, as you likely know. If you weren’t Dani’s godfather and I wasn’t late for this meeting …”
“No threat,” Hauck said, “there.” He put his hand on the driver’s door. “Here’s the threat, and I want it to sink in carefully before you take whatever your next step is in this mess. One you’ll likely not be able to walk back from.”
“You’re treading a very narrow line here, mister”—Wade stared at him—“whatever résumé you come with.”
“Anything happens to that girl,” Hauck said, “either by you, or by someone connected to you, even someone I just may think is connected to you … Say, someone who just might show up in town, kind of like what happened to that Watkins boy last week, and she has a similar accident on the river, or maybe doesn’t show up for work one day and simply disappears. Or even if she just slips on the ice during ski season and chips a nail. You hear me, Chief, a single hair on that kid’s head is out of place …”
“And what?” The chief chuffed back a smile. “You’ll hold me responsible?”
“Oh, I won’t hold you responsible …” Hauck kept an arm on the car door, blocking his way. “I’ll come back out here and I’ll kill you. Myself. I’ll put that fancy gun you carry around in your mouth and blow the back of your head into a hundred pieces. And you can take that one to the bank and cash it. Just so we understand. And any time you feel like arresting me, Chief, for threatening a police representative … you be my guest. There’s a lot of things that don’t look so kosher out here that if I was a sixty-year-old ex-drunk on his last job I wouldn’t want to be getting out.”
Dunn twitched. He blew a blast out of his nostrils, his last pretense of crusty resolve receding into a pallid nod. He put his hat back on. “I don’t think it’ll come to that,” he said. Hauck took his arm away and Dunn climbed into his car. “So where is she? Dani. Don’t get all riled up now. I just want to say hello and make sure she’s okay?”
“Maybe better left unsaid.” Hauck shut the door. “I hope that meeting goes well, Chief …”
Dunn just sat there for a moment. He sniffed into a smile Hauck couldn’t quite read. “I read up on what you’ve done. Back east. I know, maybe you’ve gone up against some bigger folk in the past, bigger than those oil boys up there. But let me tell you,” he said, his eyes twinkling, “I bet your last dollar you’ve never run up against none who want what they want with more resolve.”
“I’ll consider us both warned then,” Hauck said back.
“It’s been nice having you out here, Mr. Hauck.” Wade smiled and started the engine. “Not sure I’ll be seeing you again.” He pressed on the accelerator and the SUV roared to life.
“You never know …” Hauck slapped the door shut. “But next time I hope it’s for a foot of fresh powder.”
CHAPTER FIFTY-NINE
Around 6:30 P.M. Geoff came by and picked up Dani. She still wasn’t happy to leave, but she finally went, reluctantly, Blu trailing along. Geoff seemed like a good guy who genuinely cared about her. His said his friend’s house was empty for a week and Snowmass was twenty-five miles from Carbondale, and no one would have any idea she was there. He promised Hauck he wouldn’t mention it to anyone.