“Did somebody tell you Haley did it? Or did she brag about doing it?”
“No. I just know Maria wouldn’t have done that. She doesn’t have a cell phone, but she’s not stupid. She’d know she couldn’t use it without getting caught, even if she would steal it—which she wouldn’t.”
“Does Haley Winters have a cell phone?”
“Please. She’s got every gadget a kid can have. She’s spoiled rotten. That’s just it. She knew nobody would suspect her because of that. See?”
“Oh, I see.”
“I just hope Maria’s not in trouble.”
“Tomorrow I’ll call somebody on the school board and check on it.”
Annie smiles. “Good. Thanks.”
Having rid herself of this psychological irritant, Annie returns her attention to the movie. I try to do the same, but I cannot. Something about her story has disturbed me, like a fish displacing sediment at the bottom of a pond. While Michael York leads Jenny Agutter down a long tubular corridor that reminds me of a gerbil cage, a blast of pure instinct hits me.
“Will you excuse me for a couple of minutes, Boo? I need to make a phone call.”
“Noooo. You’ll miss the movie. There’s no PAUSE button on this old TV.”
“I’ve seen this one enough times to know what happens.”
Annie folds her arms and pouts. “Well, how come you get to make calls if I don’t?”
For this question I have no answer she will accept. “I know it’s not fair, but it has to be this way for now. I’ll be as quick as I can, I promise.”
Out on the landing of the staircase, I speed-dial Walker Dennis, and he answers on the second ring.
“Make it fast,” he says. “I’m busy as hell, still out at Frogmore. Looks like it was precursor chemicals that blew. Definitely arson, though.”
“Nobody hurt this time?”
“Thank God.”
“Who owns that warehouse?”
“A front corporation, but Leo Spivey had a part interest.”
“Can you connect it to the other Eagles at all? The Knoxes maybe?”
“Tough to do with the courthouse closed. Why’d you call, Penn?”
“To save your ass, maybe.”
“What?”
“I’ve been thinking about the Eagles agreeing to come in for questioning tomorrow. Kaiser’s right. It makes no sense that they’d do that. Not while they’re safe in Texas. They know you lost two deputies today and you’ll be loaded for bear.”
“I don’t have time to second-guess those assholes.”
“You’d better make time, buddy. The Knoxes know I spent time with Brody Royal last night. And they know from Caitlin’s articles that Royal confessed some things before he died. They also know Caitlin and I spoke to Henry before he died, and Henry spoke to Morehouse before they killed him. Plus they’re scared of what Dad might know, because he was treating Viola at the end, and I could be in contact with him. Finally, they know I’m working with you. Bottom line, there’s no way they’re walking into your office tomorrow like steers to the slaughter.”
Walker barks an order to someone, then returns to our call. “I figure they’ll be lawyered up and ready to post bond on any charges I might make. They gotta be thinking I’ll be forced to show ’em my hand, maybe jump the gun on charges, like Kaiser’s worried about.”
“I don’t think that’s it.”
“Well, shit. What do you think?”
“I think they’re buying time while they hunt Dad down and push Mackiever out of his job. And I think Forrest has figured a way to take you out of the equation. If he can do that, the state police can take over the investigation. And Forrest might well be running the state police by tomorrow.”
“Take me out how? You mean kill me?”
“They could, but I’d bet it’s more subtle than that. Forrest may have some way of making you look incompetent, or even guilty of a crime. If he could do that, maybe someone in your department that’s loyal to him could be appointed in your place.”
“Yeah. I didn’t like the way Ozan was talking last night.”
“Exactly. I think they’re planning to sandbag you, buddy.”
“But how?”
“Well . . . I was watching a movie with my daughter, and she told me a story about something that happened at school. One girl framed another, purely out of meanness. If I were Forrest Knox, and I wanted you out of the way, that’s what I’d do.”
“Spill it, man.”
“Have you got a K-9 unit?”
“Sure, yeah. My cousin’s old dog.”
“Okay. If I were you, I’d get that dog and run him through my house, my yard, and any other property I owned, like a storage room or fish camp.”
The silence that follows this is absolute. “You think they’re gonna try to plant something on me?”
“They’re in the meth business, bud. And it sure would be an easy sell, wouldn’t it? A parish known to have meth problems turns out to have a sheriff that’s neck deep in the trade? Especially with the recent history in your department.” I pitch my voice like that of one of the old bench-sitters at the farming co-op. “‘Well, I reckon old Walker was always as dirty as the rest of ’em. It just took longer to smoke him out.’”
I can almost see Dennis snap to attention in the flame-streaked darkness over Frogmore. “Christ, Penn, I’m twenty miles from home, with nobody there but my wife and boy!”
“Take it easy, man. Just send a deputy you trust to watch your house, then head this way and pick up that drug dog.”
“I will,” he says, his voice tremulous. “Goddamn, this is a hell of a note.”
“You’re going to be okay, Walker. We’ve been a step behind these guys up till now, but maybe this time we’re one step ahead.”
“Are you home or what?”
“No comment. I’ve got my burn phone with me. Call if you find anything.”
“Count on it. Hey, should I take a deputy with me on the search? As a witness or something?”
“No.” My answer came out of instinct, not legal analysis.
“Well . . . you’re the lawyer. I’ll call you back.”
“I hope I’m wrong, Walker.”