Conard County Revenge

by Rachel Lee

  “I guess they never thought the entire building could be the scene.”

  “I need to find out who was the scene commander. Someone needs a talking-to.”

  “Probably a simple oversight,” she said grimly. “Otherwise everyone did a spectacular job. I shouldn’t be so angry. Besides, they clearly had a good guard set on the gymnasium, and there are still guys watching the blast area both inside and outside. Sorry.” Then again, she said disbelievingly, “Keys?”

  “Sometimes the small oversights can really get to you.”

  “And cause huge problems.”

  He waited, admiring her restraint. He wouldn’t have blamed her for giving in to at least a small explosion of ire. She was right, the entire school should have been locked down, but he wasn’t accustomed to actually working crime scenes of any kind, and it had never crossed his mind that maybe it wasn’t a good thing that administrators were still able to get to their offices. After all, he’d gone in and asked for use of the tarps and the gym.

  Darcy had probably thought he’d passed some kind of gatekeeper to do that. Instead he’d walked in as easily as if he were going to teach a class. Admittedly, there’d been a deputy at the door, but he hadn’t been restricted.

  But maybe that’s because the deputies keeping watch pretty much knew everyone who should be able to access the school. Maybe they figured that going to talk to someone in administration was a necessary access.

  It had been, but it shouldn’t have been so easy.

  “I wonder how contaminated the scene is now,” Darcy said quietly. “My fault. I should have noticed when you led me inside to show me the wall of the shop. It should have occurred to me that I needed to check if there was a lockdown on the building.”

  “Why would you imagine there wasn’t? First, that end of the building was locked down. Remember? Tape and two deputies. It’s not like the inside of the building was crawling with gawkers. Besides, we were really concerned about the structural integrity. We didn’t want anyone in there unnecessarily. So the lockdown wasn’t perfect, but it was good enough.”

  “Until tonight.”

  Well, yeah, he thought. Until tonight.

  She faced him. “You need to know something. I’ve worked on a number of these cases but I’ve never been the lead on one. Now I’m out here on my own and I just made a potentially critical error. I wonder how many others I’ll make.”

  Man, that must have been hard for her to say. She hardly knew him. He hesitated, wishing he dared to clasp her shoulder reassuringly but concerned about his roiled up feelings. Touching this woman might remind him of just how desirable he found her. Some lines were better not crossed.

  He spoke, determined to keep this professional. “I don’t think you’ve made a critical error. Part of what you’re dealing with here is that darn near everyone knows everyone else. Maybe we aren’t being as careful as we should be since everyone is familiar, but we ought to be more cautious. Anyway, I don’t think you made any unjustified assumptions. I think we were a little more lax than you imagined. And I doubt there was a critical error, certainly not on your part.”

  “I guess we’ll find out.” She looked out over the area away from the school.

  “I did want to ask you, though. No criticism intended. But does the ATF usually send only one agent?”

  “Depends on what’s going on, what local resources are available and how many we have tied up. We don’t have any slack right now. I was pulled off another case to come here. I guess everyone was thinking it was probably some kind of accident.”

  “Is ANFO ever an accident?”

  She surprised him. “Believe it or not, it does happen. It’s like anything else. A bomb is next to impossible to make deliberately, then a factory worker inadvertently spills something while smoking an illicit cigarette and kaboom.” She sighed. “You’ve read about it in the papers. Usually involving a chemical plant. So yeah, it happens, and that’s kind of what I was expecting to find here, but I’m not going to make that assumption without proof. And now that I’m here, I’m pretty sure this was deliberate, however sloppy.”

  He nodded. “Tonight I wish I hadn’t quit smoking.”

  That brought her face around to eye him. “You used to smoke?”

  “Yeah, in college. I quit, obviously, but right now I wish I hadn’t.”

  “I get you.” Then she shrugged. “Okay, so we go out to the Castor place, upset his family, going over every square inch inside and out, and hopefully by tomorrow night we’ve cleared him. I’m going to take one extended look out there, turn it over to the locals, then come back here. I need to go into that gym and start looking for any sign of a detonator. That might be our only clue to the perp. Everything else is off-the-shelf. Your sheriff hasn’t found record of a detonator being sold?”

  “I’m sure he has. We’ve got all kinds of uses for them in this state. Checking them out is going to take time, especially when we don’t know exactly what we’re looking for. But if he finds anything suspicious, you’ll be the first to know. Not me.”

  “Yeah.” She rubbed her eyes. “Okay. I need to make a quick sweep through the Castor homestead. Look for things that could have been used to make this bomb.”

  “You’ll find them. Bags of fertilizer. Fuel for tractors. Pieces of pipe for repairs.”

  She eyed him again. “Just about any ranch around here, right?”

  He nodded, hating how tired she suddenly looked.

  “Well, we’ve got to keep our eyes out for any indication that he might have been able to measure quantities carefully. That’ll be the important thing. He might have the ingredients, but putting them together takes real care to make a bomb.”

  Alex agreed. “Unless it’s a chemical plant.”

  He was happy to hear a small laugh escape her. “Yeah,” she said. “But this was a reasonably controlled and directed blast. Not an accident. Sorry, Alex.”

  That surprised him. “I didn’t think it was an accident. I just don’t think it’s one of my students.”

  She nodded. “And we’re about to eliminate one of them. I hope.”

  Chapter 4

  The Castor family proved eager to comply with the search. Younger children were pulled out of bed and dressed to sit in the family van while the deputies and Darcy examined the house, the basement and the barn.

  Alex kept the family company, since he had no official purpose here, and tried to be reassuring. He listened to Jane Castor scold her son for poking his nose where it didn’t belong, but he had to admit he felt sympathy for Jack.

  The young man was extremely curious. Apart from being a nice kid, Alex had always noted his wide-ranging curiosity. He had to admit, however, he’d never dreamed Jack was interested in a career with ATF. But why would he mention it, given that he believed it to be impossible for him.

  Alex was less inclined to believe Jack couldn’t go to college. He could start here at the community college, and if he did well enough, a four-year school would snap him up. Unless Jack felt his family’s ranch was hanging around his neck like a lead weight, which was entirely possible.

  As for Darcy, he found her fascinating. Over ten years with ATF, this was her first lead, and she was out here all alone. Made him wonder if someone was trying to limit her advancement potential. This was an awful lot to ask of anyone.

  But maybe she was right. ATF had a limited number of agents, and right now most of them might be busy swarming over really big cases. A minor explosion all the way out here hardly seemed like a big deal... Unless something else happened.

  Then there was Darcy herself. She was doing a fine job, but her quickness to criticize herself was something he wasn’t used to. On the one hand, he really did believe it was natural for her to assume local authorities had locked down the whole building and taken away nonessential keys. On the other hand, who around here would d
o that without an obvious reason? And why should she even begin to suspect that matters around here might not always operate by the book?

  No need for her to be so hard on herself. The fact that she was self-critical told him a whole lot about her. Exacting. That would apply not only to herself but to the work she did. So maybe her being sent out here solo was a mark of her bosses’ belief in her. It was likely they thought she could tie the whole thing up into a bow by herself.

  He himself thought she could. He just wished she wasn’t so damn attractive. He didn’t need that kind of mess again, he didn’t trust the peace he’d finally made with himself and he knew how easily he could turn into poison. As for Darcy, she struck him as the type who never mixed business and pleasure. Very much career oriented.

  He smiled faintly, then turned to look into the van again, speaking to Jack. “What made you decide you wanted to be in the ATF?”

  The young man, who was holding his three-year-old sister on his lap while she slept against his shoulder, answered quietly, “I’m not sure exactly when I truly got interested. I told you about my friend’s grandfather. Somehow it just kept growing in me that it sounded like important work. I was maybe ten when I really started thinking about it. It hasn’t gone away, not that I’ll ever get the chance. So...” He shook his head a little. “It’s embarrassing to admit it, but when I heard there was a bombing at the school I got excited. A chance to see it all play out.”

  Alex nodded. “Don’t be embarrassed. I’m sure you weren’t the only one who got excited about it. It’s not an everyday thing around here. And since nobody was hurt, just an expensive hole in a building...well, I’m sure a lot of people are fascinated.”

  “And some are probably scared,” Jack said forthrightly. “Honestly, nobody can be sure there won’t be another one.”

  Alex leaned in a little. “Maybe not. So people are talking about another one?”

  “Everyone is. Most are wondering why anyone would do it in the first place, but if they did it once, why would they stop?”

  Alex was fairly certain that was the question Darcy kept dancing around although she hadn’t asked it outright. She mentioned the possibility of another bomb but if she was seriously concerned, she had yet to say so. “So how do you feel about it, Jack? Think there’ll be another?”

  “No.” His sister stirred and he lowered his voice again. “They’re hard to make from what I read, unless you have everything you need exactly right. The guy is probably thrilled he got one to work. But nobody’s heard anything about someone experimenting and setting off explosions.”

  “There’s an awful lot of open land out there.”

  “True. I guess it’s possible but nobody seems to have heard anything.”

  “You talk to a lot of people?”

  For the first time his mother, Jane Castor, spoke. “He talks to everyone, Mr. Jansen.”

  “Alex, please.”

  “Alex. I don’t know how much of it you get to see in the shop classroom, but Jack knows nearly everyone, and he’s always asking questions. Not rude questions, but he asks about their jobs, what exactly they do, what do they think about things. People seem to like it.”

  “I’m sure they do.” Everyone liked to be asked about themselves. Well, almost everyone. And nearly everyone’s favorite topic of discussion was themselves.

  He paused, then said, “Jack, I’m going to have to ask you to stay away from all this. Once Agent Eccles clears you, just stay away.”

  “But why? Once she knows I didn’t do it...”

  “Then you might be concealing evidence without even knowing it.”

  Jack’s mouth opened, then snapped closed. “The profile,” he said after a few seconds.

  “Exactly. She asked you if you’d noticed anyone else hanging around. We noticed you, but we wouldn’t have noticed anyone else because—”

  “I was a distraction.” Jack interrupted with understanding. “Okay, I’ll stay away if you can just let me know what’s going on.”

  “Later,” Alex said firmly. “We don’t discuss ongoing investigations. You know that.”

  “He’s watched enough TV that he ought to,” Jane said drily.

  “Okay,” Jack said. “But I want to help!”

  “Do us a favor,” Alex said. “Don’t get yourself into any more trouble. Someone out there is a bomber. You don’t want to come to his attention. Not in any way.”

  He heard Jane draw a sharp breath, saw Jack’s eyes widen. “Okay,” the young man said again. “Okay. I’ll hunker down.”

  A half hour later, Darcy came striding up. “The house is clear, Mr. and Mrs. Castor. You can take the children back to bed. Thank you so much for your cooperation. But we’ll be poking around the outbuildings for a while. Just ignore us.”

  Then she looked at Jack. “A few words with you, please.”

  Jack turned his sister over to his mother and climbed out of the van. The rest of the family drove closer to the house, then began to go inside, three sleepy youngsters complaining a bit.

  Alex felt a bit of amusement as Jack squared his shoulders, ready for a dressing-down.

  Instead, Darcy smiled. “Nothing obvious to link you to the bomb. The search will continue awhile, but I’m inclined to think you’re in the clear.”

  “Thank you,” Jack said soberly.

  “Do you understand what happened here?”

  “Mr. Jansen explained to me. I not only made myself look guilty, but I might have distracted you from a real suspect.”

  “That’s true. You were fitting a profile too obviously to be ignored. Someone else might not have fitted as well but because of you...” She shrugged. “But I don’t need to repeat what I think you’ve already understood. You seem like a bright young man.”

  “Not bright enough,” Jack said, his voice low.

  “Blame it on your age. And your curiosity about what we were doing. Neither is a crime. But, Jack, you need to stay back. Far back. Let us do our jobs. Keep yourself clear of the whole mess. There’s really nothing you can do to help and if you manage to draw the wrong person’s attention your way, that could turn out very badly. Okay?”

  He nodded. “But if I happen to hear something...”

  Darcy tilted her head, studying him. “Tell me you’re not going to try to play detective now.”

  Jack just shook his head.

  “Good. If you happen to hear something of interest, that’s fine. Tell me. But don’t be asking questions. Not of anyone. Maybe you’re not afraid—God knows, few seventeen-year-olds know what fear is—but if you ask questions you might make the bomber very nervous. He might be scared away before we can catch him. Got it?”

  Jack’s head jerked up. “I didn’t think of that.”

  “Of course not. You’ve rattled the bars quite enough. Now what I need most from you is for you to lie low and stay away.”

  “I will,” Jackson said seriously. “I didn’t mean to mess everything up.”

  “So as far as I know, you haven’t messed up anything except a few people’s otherwise quiet night. Let’s keep it that way.”

  Jackson walked away and Alex watched Darcy push her hair back from her face where it had fallen loose. “Tired?” he asked.

  “Frustrated more than anything. I think Jack just saw a side of this job he’d have preferred not to. Anyway, I’d kill for some coffee and something to eat. Then it’s back to work.”

  He glanced at his watch and was surprised to see how much time had passed. “It’s nearly eleven. How about getting back to work in the morning? You must need sleep like everyone else on the planet.”

  “Right now I’m too frustrated to sleep.” She paused, and then even in the dim light of the stars he could see the rueful expression appear on her face. “It’s too early in this case for me to get frustrated.”

  “Oh, I don�
��t know,” he said. “You just took a trip down a pointless rabbit hole because some kid couldn’t mind his own business.”

  She laughed then, and he could see her entire body relax. “I’ve been down rabbit holes before and probably will again. Nature of the job. Let me drop you off at your place.”

  “And then?” he asked as they started walking toward his car. “You’ll go back to the gym? Or back to the motel and stare at the water stains on the ceiling?”

  “How’d you know about those water stains?”

  “I stayed there once, when I first moved here. Come on. I can at least make you that coffee. Maybe I’ll even reveal some of my deep dark secrets just to distract you.”

  She stopped and faced him. “Alex? Don’t use your secrets to divert me. Everyone has private places, and they shouldn’t be shared lightly.”

  Then she resumed her walk to the truck. After a moment, he followed. She might think of herself as a scientist, but she’d just proven she understood human nature pretty well.

  Remarkable woman.

  * * *

  Darcy knew she was growing tired. Very tired. It was silly of her to think she could press through without getting at least some sleep. The urge to get to the root of this bombing was strong; she hated the idea of taking even a few hours off, but she knew the reason the drive was growing in her.

  There was going to be another bombing. She couldn’t have written it in a report. She had no actual information to substantiate it, but something in her gut... Instinct was speaking. The bomber wasn’t done yet.

  Her thought that the bomber might be learning as much as she was struck her as highly likely. Yes, his first obvious attempt had worked, but it hadn’t worked perfectly. Too much fuel oil had spilled possibly exposing the bomber to danger himself. And maybe the results weren’t what he was hoping for in terms of the blast’s power.

  Worse, she could think of absolutely no good reason why someone would do this only once. Out in an empty field somewhere for a kick? Yeah, one might be enough. But to damage property this way?