"I don't get it," Aaron said as Taylor hurried away. "What did I ever do to her?"
"Did you try to get her to take that drug, the Chill, at the party Friday night?"
Aaron was caught off guard, but only for a moment. "No way. I'm naturally high, man. Gotta go. And, hey, stay out of trouble, will ya?"
He used to think that Aaron's cockiness was a good trait in a quarterback, that it helped the team spirit. But now Will just figured Aaron was a jerk.
Taylor was the only one of his old friends who still accepted him. He was glad of that, but he wondered if Taylor might know something she wasn't telling him about Myra. After all, she and Myra had worked together last summer at Taylor's folks' ice cream shop, and one of the last things Myra had said to him was that she wanted to tell him something about last summer.
That afternoon, Will went to the computer room again on his study hour. He slipped into a cubicle and typed his entry code. His stomach knotted as he saw he had E-mail. He considered just ignoring the mail, but thought better of it.
He hit the enter key. There only was one letter.
YOU MUST HAVE BEEN REALLY MAD WHEN YOU FOUND OUT YOUR MOTHER'S BOYFRIEND WAS MESSING WITH MYRA WHILE YOU WERE GONE LAST SUMMER. IF YOU HAD ANY GUTS, YOU WOULD'VE KILLED HIM, NOT HER.
YOUR FANZ
"What?" he said aloud and reread the note. Burke. Tom Burke? No, it couldn't be.
"Hey, Will."
He jumped in his seat, spun around. Charlie Baines was standing behind him, peering at the monitor over his shoulder.
"Sorry, Will. I didn't mean to scare you. Did you get another letter from your mysterious correspondent?"
Will tapped the delete button, erasing the letter before Baines read it. The message had struck so deeply that he wasn't ready to share it with anyone. "Yeah. More of the same garbage."
Baines nodded. "I saw you come in and thought you'd like to know what I found out."
"Did you figure out who got my code?" Will asked, trying his best to sound casual.
"I narrowed it down to six people. Well, five really, because I'm one of them and I didn't do it," Charlie said with a grin. "You see, the sysops are the only ones who have access to the student codes besides the school administrators, and I don't think they'd be writing rhymes to you."
"Who're the others?"
Baines held out a piece of paper with five names on it. Will didn't know any of them, but noticed one of them had the initials C. R. Corey Ridder. "I've talked to every one of them. They all say they didn't do it, of course, and to tell you the truth, I believe them. None of them has anything to gain from harassing you."
Charlie pointed to the list. "These three had heard about Myra's disappearance, but didn't connect you with her." He moved his finger down the list. "This one knows who you are and actually went to one of the games this year, but he was in San Francisco at a computer convention over the weekend. He didn't get back until Monday afternoon."
"What about the other one—Ridder?"
Baines ran a hand through his mussed hair and smiled wryly. "Ridder lives in her own world. She's barely in contact with the other sysops, much less anyone else in this school. She's bright, real bright, but she's too focused, if you know what I mean."
Will shook his head. "I don't."
"What I'm saying is that I'm not even sure Ridder knows this school has a football team. In fact, earlier this fall I had a computer football game up on my screen and she asked me the dumbest questions about it, like what's a first down—that sort of stuff." He laughed. "So I don't think Corey is Fanz."
She probably wasn't the C. R. who had written him, either. "Thanks, Charlie."
"Sorry I can't be more helpful right now. But if I come up with anything else, I'll let you know."
Chapter Fifteen
Heading home from school, Will mulled over his latest E-mail from Fanz. It was probably just a sick joke, but whoever was playing it knew something about his home life. Fanz definitely knew about Burke and that Will had an uneasy relationship with him.
He pulled into the driveway of the house. His grandfather's Land Rover was gone, but his mother's Grand Cherokee was here. That didn't mean much, though, since she usually walked to her shop.
"Anyone here?" he called out as he stepped inside. "Dad?"
No answer. Even though his father had planned to stay in a motel, Will's mother had insisted he move into one of the spare bedrooms. He wondered if his father and grandfather were out together. He had a hard time imagining what they would talk about.
He went downstairs to his room and found the card that Detective Olsen had given him. He decided he would tell her about the Fanz E-mail and see if she could sort it out. Maybe it was just a bystander trying to make his life even more difficult than it already was. But then again, it could be someone intricately connected to everything that had happened during the past few days, someone who thought there was no way Will or anyone else would catch him. That's what bothered him. Fanz didn't seem the least bit concerned about being detected.
He dialed the number. The dispatcher answered, then transferred the call. Suddenly Will realized he didn't have any of the letters, and he wasn't sure he could retrieve them, either. He should have printed them out. Especially the last one. What if Fanz was telling the truth about Burke?
"Detective Bureau," a man answered, then told him Olsen was out of the office. He wanted to take a message, but Will didn't know what to say. He hung up.
He walked upstairs and crossed the living room into the kitchen. He took out a can of Coke from the refrigerator, popped it open, and took a sip.
"Will!"
His throat constricted and the fizzy drink sprayed out of his nose. He coughed, wiped his mouth. "Tom, I didn't know you were here."
Burke stood near the picture window that spanned the wall of the dining area. He was staring out toward the slope on the opposite side of the valley. He turned and strolled toward Will. His hands were jammed into the pockets of his loose slacks. He wore a V-necked sweater, and as always his thick blond hair was perfectly arranged. He must have walked over from his apartment, but Will couldn't recall ever seeing him here when his mother wasn't home.
"I'm waiting for your mother. She asked me to go grocery shopping with her. Sounds like fun, huh?"
"Didn't you hear me when I came in?"
Burke mounted a stool along the counter that separated the kitchen from the dining area. "Sort of I was snoozing on the couch. You woke me up."
"Do you know where my father is?"
"Nope. I haven't seen him or Ed."
Will always felt vaguely uneasy when he was alone with Burke, and now, after the last note from Fanz, he felt wary and suspicious. "I'm going downstairs to study for a while."
"Wait a minute, Will." Burke slid off the stool and walked over to him. "Tell me what's been going on. Is there any news about Myra?"
For a moment, he was tempted to confront Burke about the notes, but decided against it. "Nothing that I know about."
"How's it going in school?"
Will shrugged. "Everybody either ignores me or acts as if nothing ever happened."
"It must be hard to keep your thoughts on your schoolwork."
Burke was being more chatty with him than he'd been in some time. "Actually, it helps me forget about all of this stuff for a while."
Burke laughed. "Escaping into your studies rather than away from them. That's a twist."
"Yeah."
Suddenly, Will recalled looking down at Burke from his grandfather's office window while Burke was talking to a couple of men outside the Ute City Banque. He mentioned it to Burke. "Were they friends of yours?"
Burke blinked several times. His features stiffened, and it seemed as if he were having a hard time forming words. "I don't remember talking to anyone outside the bar."
"One guy had a ponytail. The other one had a dark beard."
"Oh, wait a minute. Those guys. Sure, I gave them directions to the airport."
Will thought Burke was lying. "Well, I better get started on my homework." He headed for the stairs again. Burke followed him.
"Listen, I want you to know something. I don't have any problems with your father being here. I liked talking to him last night. He's an interesting man."
Will paused at the top of the stairs. "Good. I'm glad he's here."
"Will, there's something important I need to talk to you about. Now is as good a time as any."
He waited for Burke to continue."We don't get a chance to talk very often. I mean, just you and me. I know you don't think of me as a father and I can understand that. A stepfather for a teenager is almost always awkward."
"But you're not my stepfather."
Burke didn't answer, and suddenly Will knew that his mother and Burke were planning on getting married. The realization triggered something in him and the words burst from his throat. "Did you ever see Myra while I was gone?"
The air around him suddenly turned cold as Burke's icy stare held his gaze. "What are you talking about, Will?" His voice was low and soft. "The only times I ever saw her was when she was with you."
"You never saw her last summer?"
Burke shook his head, looking puzzled. "Jeez, Will. Give me a break. Where did you come up with this?"
Will's throat tightened. He pushed past Burke and bolted toward the front door.
"Hey, wait!" Burke raced after him.
Will jerked open the door and nearly knocked over his mother, standing there with her keys in hand. "What's going on?" she asked.
Will sucked in a breath of air and a familiar scent of perfume. He didn't know what to say.
"I'll tell you, Marion," Burke said. "We've got a problem here."
She looked between the two of them.
"You're not going to believe what Will just laid on me."
"Let's go inside," she said and closed the door behind her.
They walked over to the kitchen counter. Marion put her purse down on a stool and turned to Will. "Okay, I'm waiting. What is it?"
He told them about the E-mail messages he'd been getting and described what the last two had said.
"Who's writing this stuff?" Marion demanded when Will had finished.
"I don't know. I've been trying to find out."
"I can see how you might be upset, but you don't really believe Tom was seeing Myra, do you?"
Will realized he'd been letting his imagination run wild. He shrugged, feeling foolish and embarrassed. "I guess not. No."
"I'm thirty-five, Will. If I'd been messing around with a sixteen-year-old this past summer, you know I'd be the first one the cops would be questioning. Hell, they'd be on my trail day and night."
"That's right," Marion said. "I don't know who's done this to you, Will, but I'd like to take the little jerk's computer and throw it off a mountain right after him."
Will nodded, regretting that he'd said anything about it. He didn't know what to think anymore.
Chapter Sixteen
Little Annie's Eating House in downtown Aspen was one of the few places left that wasn't chichi. (That was Ed Connors's term for pretentious, expensive dining.) The atmosphere was relaxed and casual. The place was dimly lit and noisy at times, with the kitchen activity spilling into the dining area, but the waiters and waitresses were friendly and the food was good. In Will's opinion, it was the best restaurant in town.
Will, his father, and grandfather found a table in the corner away from the kitchen and after several people had greeted Connors, a waitress left them menus. Lansa studied it, but Will and his grandfather already knew what they were going to order.
"I'm glad you've allowed me to take you out to dinner tonight, Pete. I know that when you and Marion were married, I acted like a horse's ass sometimes. Well, maybe more than sometimes. I wasn't a very good father-in-law."
Lansa put down his menu. "It's okay, Ed. I wasn't exactly expecting a warm welcome in those days."
"Well, I've learned a lot since then. I'd take you as a son-in-law any day over these rich Hollywood snobs who've destroyed this town."
"Thanks," Lansa said in a noncommittal tone.
"Dad, can you tell me now what you've been doing today?" Will asked, hoping to steer the conversation away from his grandfather's obsession.
"I went to Ashcroft earlier this morning and had a look around," Lansa said.
"What do you think?" Connors asked.
"Well, I can understand why Will hasn't been arrested. The scenario doesn't work. It's even more implausible than I'd imagined."
"What do you mean?" Will asked, feeling encouraged.
"The sheriff's got a big problem, and I think he knows it. Not only is the body missing, but so is the blood. If Myra was stabbed at Ashcroft, there would be more blood than what was found on the knife."
"What's that mean for Will?" Connors asked.
"It's the key to his innocence. If Myra wasn't killed in Ashcroft or in the surrounding fields, then she was killed either inside a vehicle or somewhere else. Will's Jeep is clean. Same with the minivan Myra was driving. It would mean that Will took Myra somewhere else, killed her there, then drove back to Ashcroft to dispose of the knife in a field where it would most likely be found, thus incriminating himself."
"Of course," Connors crowed, then lowered his voice. "It doesn't make any sense at all."
The waitress appeared with their drinks and they ordered their meals: steaks for Connors and Lansa, a cheeseburger and fries for Will.
Lansa sipped his soft drink and continued.
"It looks like the knife was planted. I think any decent detective would suspect the same thing."
Connors nodded. "Any ideas on where the body might be?"
"I had a dream Monday night that Myra's body was in a cave," Will said.
Both men looked at him. "What else did you see?" his father asked.
He wanted to say that the dream had begun with the sensation of waking up and finding Masau in his room. But the kachinas were sacred to his father and speaking of one of them in such an offhand way might offend him. It wasn't the right time, not here with his grandfather present. But there was something else he could say.
"I saw John Wayne standing by the entrance of the cave."
"John Wayne!" Connors chortled. "He didn't kill her."
"But his initials are J. W.—Jerry Wharton. That's why I went to see him the next day."
"I don't know why you'd dream about John Wayne, but I don't think the idea about the initials is right," Lansa said.
"Why not?" Will asked.
"This afternoon I had a talk with Detective Olsen. She talked to Wharton after you left the ski resort. He's got a sound alibi. He went to a movie Thursday evening and three people were with him."
There was still something about Wharton that Will couldn't remember, but maybe it didn't matter now. If Jerry had been at a movie, he couldn't have killed Myra.
"Did Olsen say anything else helpful?" Connors asked.
"She's trying to link Myra's apparent murder to drugs, but she's having trouble figuring out how Myra fits in, unless she knew something about someone she wasn't supposed to know." Lansa leaned over the table toward Will. "Any ideas who that might be?"
Will shook his head. "If I knew who was sending the E-mail to me, it might help." His mother had already told Lansa and Connors about the cryptic messages. Burke had done his best to dispel any doubts about his innocence.
"The problem is that she's getting pressure from above to make an arrest."
"Our mayor is probably behind it," Connors said. "He hates negative publicity."
To Will, it looked like Olsen was looking for a way to arrest him and charge him with murder.
Their dinners came, and as they ate they avoided talking about Myra's disappearance or Will's predicament. When they were about to leave, Detective Olsen stepped through the doorway, accompanied by two men. They took a table near the rear. The place was crowded now and Olsen hadn't looked thei
r way. As they left, Will stole another glance at the men at Olsen's table. They looked familiar to Will, but at first he couldn't place them.
"Well, I'm going down to the Ute City Banque for a nightcap," Connors said as they paused outside. "I'm sure you two have plenty to talk about."
As soon as his grandfather mentioned the nightcap, Will recalled that he'd seen the two men outside the bar talking to Tom Burke. If they'd just been asking directions to the airport, as Burke claimed, they hadn't gotten around to leaving yet. And what were they doing with Olsen?
As they walked away, Will told his father about the two men and their apparent connection to Burke and Olsen. "It's a small town, Will. People bump into each other."
Will wasn't satisfied with that explanation, but he didn't say any more about it. As they continued on through downtown, Lansa occasionally peered into shops, but showed no interest in stopping at any of them. When Will pointed out his mother's clothing shop on Cooper Avenue, Lansa paused and looked at the window displays.
"Nice," he remarked as they walked on in the direction of City Market.
Half a block later, they reached a small plaza, and Lansa asked Will if he wanted an ice cream cone.
Will hesitated a moment. The espresso and ice cream bar was where Myra had worked part-time. "Sure."
When they entered the shop, Will saw Taylor Wong working behind the counter. Her parents owned the place, and Taylor worked here a couple of nights a week.
He greeted Taylor and introduced his father. "Nice to meet you, Mr. Lansa. I hope you're enjoying Aspen." There was a slight hitch in her voice as she realized he was probably here because of his concern for Will. She quickly asked what they would like.
As she prepared an espresso and a chocolate cone, Will thought about Jerry Wharton again. Jerry and Taylor. That was it. Myra had told him that Jerry had been going out with Taylor this past summer. There was something else, too. He thought back to an evening earlier in the fall when he and Myra had been on their way to a movie.
She'd said that Wharton had hung around the shop a lot with Claude Kirkpatrick. He'd been about to ask her what Kirkpatrick was doing there when she'd changed the subject and he'd forgotten about it. Now he wondered what Claude had been doing there.
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