Wear Something Red
Page 21
Chapter 21
Harry Madsen let himself in through the gate.
Kelly waved at him, but immediately returned to her work when she saw the scowl on her new sheriff’s face.
“I’m sorry if I’m intruding,” Madsen said. “Kate told me what happened. I thought I’d come vouch for Craig. I will gladly post the bail if necessary.”
She didn’t tell him what she thought of his assurance of Harding’s character. The buzzing in her ears from the DGN was becoming a real pain. Madsen’s penchant for lingering was only making that pain worse.
“I’ll let him go if you tell me about Wiley and Nguyen.”
“You know I can’t do that yet.”
“So much for a smooth transition and professional cooperation,” she said and nodded to Kelly to get Harding.
Kelly almost tiptoed past her.
Once the door to the cells locked, she asked, “Why would the FBI ask you to stick around on the Wiley and Nguyen cases?”
“They didn’t.”
“Then why . . . ?”
“Mark Huard at the Attorney General’s office asked me to keep my hand in. He used to be a deputy here before becoming a lawyer. He thought I could be of some use because of my knowledge of Dominion, all its secrets and so forth.”
She remembered his excellent work with the statistics, the report on the increase in drug-related crimes and his workforce proposals.
“The FBI just agreed with Huard’s request. They don’t like it any more than Homeland does, however. Despite our surface cooperation, there is still jealousy and distrust there. Unfortunately, most of it comes from Mark’s office, I’m afraid.”
“And Nguyen?”
“He’s a friend.”
Colin Foster’s suggestion had been correct.
“But you have no official authority.”
“On Wiley, I do, if push comes to shove, on Nguyen, not if you insist. But I promise I will turn over to you anything I find on Albert. And I’m working to bring you in on Wiley, believe me. Mark can be one stubborn asshole sometimes. He says that’s part of his job description.”
“What if I talked to him?”
Harry grunted with genuine frustration. “To a wall.”
“All right, I’ll accept your concession on Nguyen as long as you keep your promise. But I do all the cop stuff.”
“I wouldn’t have it any other way.”
“Then, for the time being, I will consider you a special consultant to the Dominion Sheriff’s Department.”
Kelly brought Harding to them.
“The propeller is from a helicopter,” Madsen said to Harding. “I confirmed that with Niall.”
“What propeller?”
Harding said, “From the fire.”
Her face became hot. “There was a helicopter crash? Why wasn’t I told?”
“A model helicopter,” Harding said. “Harry found a propeller in the debris.”
“Niall owns a hobby store.” In response to the look on her face, Madsen said, “It’s probably just a toy left behind by the grandchildren. I was curious to see if it could be identified. Old dog stuff.”
Harding’s eyes twinkled the way they had when she arrested him. “And the finger?”
Her face became a red mask of what Shana called mom’s supernova-medusa look. It wouldn’t turn you to stone; it would melt you into a puddle of lava. “What finger?”
“We found two more finger bones, but no other human remains at the site yet.”
“No one told me about human remains at the fire.”
Harding said, “We’re telling you now.”
Madsen reached out to stop Harding from speaking. “Dr. Leaman only just confirmed that it was human. I was going to tell you.”
“If there are human remains, even a suspicion of human remains, I should have been called in Saturday.”
Harding said, “You weren’t the sheriff yet.”
“I don’t give a good goddamn that I wasn’t the sheriff yet. Everyone in Dominion knew I was here, including you two idiots.”
Kelly stepped forward in case she needed to intervene.
Harding and Madsen looked at each other like two boys caught holding slingshots near broken windows.
“You are absolutely right, Sheriff,” Harding said. “We were being idiots.”
“Were?” She glowered in turn at the three of them. She was the outsider. “I’m Sheriff now. I will not be left out of anything that even resembles a possible crime, got that? You will respect the office or so help me.”
“Joan,” Madsen said with his hands now up in appeasement, “that was not our intention.”
“Then where is the preliminary report? It wasn’t on my desk with all that other shit you left behind.”
Harding stepped closer to her. “That is my fault. It is my responsibility to write up the reports. I was waiting for Dr. Leaman’s official assessment.”
“You have it now.”
“The report will be emailed to you in the morning, I promise.”
“I can take you to the site tomorrow,” Madsen said.
“I know where it is. I will take a look for myself.”
“Then,” Madsen said, “if you will tell me what the bail is, I’ll post it and we will get out of your way.”
First Colter, then Jones, now Madsen; she was driving them all away. “Just get out of here. No one is going to press charges.”
Harding said, “See you Wednesday.”
“You’re going to that banquet?”
“I was invited, though Leo probably hopes I don’t come. I wouldn’t be surprised to see Billy and Bobby there, too. Colter rarely goes anywhere without them. I understand they make quite the handsome pair in tuxedos.”
Like giant, demented penguins look handsome. “I’m bringing my gun.”
At the edge of her vision she could just see her deputy smiling.
“I promise to behave myself.”
“You’re a great one for making promises, aren’t you?”
“If you don’t trust me, you can frisk me before I go in.”
Now Kelly was covering her mouth and looking away.
“I thought I told you two to leave.”
Kelly escorted them out. When she returned, she said, “You made Colter pay bail.”
“Yes I did.”
“Sheriff, I volunteer to frisk Dr. Harding.”
“What do you know about those two?”
“Harry is a what-you-see-is-what-you-get man. I know he is uncomfortable about excluding you. He does respect the office and you. You should have heard him after you got the job. It is no exaggeration to think he believes you are like the second coming for Dominion. He knows this city and he knows where it should be going despite certain people trying to guide it a bit too much for their personal benefit. He knows this town needs you, Joan.”
“And Harding?”
“I don’t know him as well as I’d like to, but aside from being one big hunk of—”
“Trouble.”
“I know he served in the Army Medical Corps, but Harry and Kate would be the better ones to talk to about him.”
“That seems to be the way of it around here, doesn’t it?”
“Yes, ma’am, it is, pretty much like everywhere. My advice to you, if you really don’t want to be left out, and if you want to be as good for Dominion as Harry and I believe you will be, is to start using that network to your advantage.”
“I intend to.”
“I will help you in every way I can, ma’am, and if you give them the chance, so will Kate, Susan and Harry.”
“I see where your allegiance lies.”
“It doesn’t interfere with my job, if that’s your concern.”
“I didn’t think it would. What about Harding? What about the other side?” Mattie was on the other side.
“Everyone here has their own perspective on the future of Dominion. It will be up to you to filter all of them to best suit your needs.”
“You are a lot smarter than I was at your age.”
“Go home, Sheriff. I’ll lock up.”
“I just have to make a call first.”
She returned to her office. It was 7:38 pm. She sent an email to Colin Foster to get all the information he could on Colter and Harding. Then she called Shana’s cell phone number.
“If this is Ian,” Shana said, “I told you not to call me until Saturday.”
“This is your mother, who is going to have Ian arrested and sent to Cascade Correctional Institute. I’m on my way home.”
“How did your first day go?”
“I arrested a veterinarian. I alienated Mayor Comb-over, the former sheriff and Morton Colter. Oh, yeah, and I also arrested those twins.”
“I picked up two pieces of cake at Petersons. Sounds like you’ve earned yours.”
“You are my treasure.”
“Does that mean I can have Ian?”
“When you’re nineteen.”
“That’s way past his best before date. Thanks for nothing.”