A grin split Duane’s face. “Sure Buck. You want them to get the originals or copies?”
“Copies,” Buck said looking at the bodies. “It’s still chain of evidence data. I have a strange feeling that anything that points to saying it was self-defense is going to get lost. I want you to ease away, but make sure you have all the evidence.”
“You got it boss,” Duane said walking away. “I was first on scene, so Brad over there has only been copying my notes. Everything but the bodies has been bagged and tagged, including what was in their pockets and vehicles.”
“Duane, make sure you get copies of their phones’ data, I’m sure they will be able to get those.”
“Oh yeah,” Duane grinned. “I’ll even get a download on that laptop out of their SUV.”
Buck watched Duane trot over to his SUV, close the back hatch and then jump in. “Where’s Duane going?” Brad yelled out, standing on the other side of the crime scene.
“Running an errand for me,” Buck said walking under the tape. “Cover the bodies till the feds get here, Brad.”
Brad grabbed the sheets and went over to the bodies as Buck went over to stand with Cory who was talking with two other deputies while another deputy photographed an area near the stream. Buck stopped and looked, realizing it was where heavy equipment had crossed because logs were in the stream. “What’s he doing?” Buck asked, walking up to the group.
“He’s photographing the infractions the feds were coming out for,” one of them said and Cory turned to Buck.
“Duane told him to get pictures and Brett is up the valley with some of the crime scene guys, photographing other infractions,” Cory said in a low voice as Brad ran up.
“Sheriff, you need to call Duane back. He has the evidence in the back of his Suburban.” Brad said panting.
“Like I said, Duane is running an errand for me. He’ll be back,” Buck said.
Brad shook his head, “The feds are going to want that evidence here.”
“Hey, I don’t give a shit, they don’t sign my paycheck. The citizens of Bonner County do, Brad. Now, go bother someone else,” Buck snapped and Brad trotted over to several state troopers talking.
Looking at the two deputies Cory was talking to, Buck stepped over and spoke in a low voice. “You two, go to the rest of our guys and tell them to change out the cards on their cameras now. I want those back at the station. Don’t use your radios, and tell them not to make a big scene about changing those cards. I don’t want the world to know. Now casually go and tell them.”
The two deputies nodded and walked off as Cory stepped closer to the sheriff. “Sir, I talked to those troopers over there and both of them knew Wayne,” he said timidly. “They both said they weren’t surprised he got shot. It seems Wayne wasn’t one to not tell people he didn’t like Mr. Anderson.”
“Son,” Buck said looking at Cory. “I know you’re only twenty-two, but I’m sure you’ve heard.”
“Yes sir, my dad told me,” Cory said glancing at the troopers. “They said they didn’t like Wayne getting shot, but weren’t surprised.”
“Start your rig up,” Buck said walking over to the SUV. “I’m freezing and I’m going to catch a nap till the feds get here and throw me off this mountain. Wake me when they pass the roadblock at the bottom.”
“Yes sir,” Cory said running past him to the SUV.
Feeling like he’d just dozed off, Buck opened his eyes as Cory shook him. “Sir, they just passed the roadblock,” Cory said when Buck cracked his eyes open.
Blinking his eyes, Buck looked at the clock on the dash and saw it was just past eight. “Cory, you wouldn’t have any more coffee, would you?”
“Yes sir, three thermoses full,” Cory grinned.
“If you don’t mind, would you get me a cup before I get pissed off?”
“Yes sir,” Cory said reaching in the back seat. “Sheriff, I put the cards from the cameras on the console.”
Looking down at the console, Buck saw a stack of small memory cards. He grabbed them and put them in his pocket as Cory handed over a full coffee cup. “Good man,” Buck said taking a sip. He pulled out his phone and made a few calls, then climbed out.
He saw the crime scene crew talking with a few of his deputies. “Crime scene, you’re relieved. Head on to the station and start your reports,” Buck said and they moved off climbing in several vehicles. The other deputies looked at him, hoping Buck would send them down the mountain. “The rest of you are staying with me. We will be leaving soon enough.”
Several nodded as others stomped their feet in the snow, trying to stay warm. It wasn’t long before a line of SUVs pulled into the valley. “The circus is here,” Buck said and several of his deputies laughed. Buck stopped counting after seven and more were still turning in. “How many people does it take for the feds to process a crime scene?”
“Sheriff, Timmy is manning the roadblock and called me saying another ten SUVs, a bunch of vans and one RV with Homeland painted on the side are headed toward Lamb Creek,” one of the deputies said.
“Whew,” Buck said with his eyes getting big. “Alright boys, they now outnumber us, but none of you better act like a pussy.”
Several of the deputies snickered looking at the lone female deputy. “My dick is bigger than any of yours,” she said.
“Leave Maggie alone before she pulls it out and shames us all,” Buck said as the feds started climbing out and Buck shook his head; most were wearing suits. Brad ran over like a kid seeing a group of rock stars. It wasn’t long before Brad moved over to one man, and Buck knew he was the one in charge from Brad’s reaction. When Brad pointed over at him, Buck turned his coffee cup up, grimacing from the heat.
As the man walked over with an entourage, Buck’s first impression was that he didn’t like him. “Sheriff Joey Harper,” the man said and held up an ID. “Special Agent in Charge Timothy Burrows, FBI.”
“Agent Burrows,” Buck said tilting his head and thought he recognized one of the faces in Burrows entourage, and he didn’t like that.
“I’m told your lead investigator has left the scene with the bagged evidence,” Timothy said putting his ID away.
“He’s running an errand for me,” Buck said reaching back to put the coffee cup on Cory’s SUV.
“I’m afraid I need you to tell him to return to the scene immediately.”
“I don’t take orders Agent Burrows, and my men only follow my orders,” Buck said turning around ready for the pissing match, glad he had talked to Stanley.
“Sorry sheriff, but you’re mistaken. We are commandeering your men here to hold the crime scene and my team in town will be requiring more for the search for the fugitive.”
“Oh no Agent Burrows, it’s you who are mistaken. You can’t commandeer any of my men without my approval and I don’t have to give it unless ordered to do so by the governor. I’ve called him and he has no intention of doing that,” Buck said with a grin.
Burrows frowned, “I would think you would want to do whatever was necessary to catch a cop killer.”
“I’ve interviewed the witnesses and looked over the crime scene. It looks like your boys came here for an execution.”
“Those men were professionals,” Burrows spat out. “They didn’t deserve to be shot.”
“So if it would’ve gone the other way and we were standing over Joshua Anderson’s body, you would believe they were justified?”
“Of course,” Burrows growled.
“I rest my case,” Buck said. “After my errand, I’ll send my investigator over with the evidence.”
“Very well,” Burrows said narrowing his eyes. “I’m afraid you’re on federal property and I must ask you to leave.”
“Just waiting on you to get your ass here,” Buck said glancing at his deputies and nodding. “Agent Burrows, just to let you know, the sheriff’s department has declared the house of Sonya Anderson a crime scene, and you are barred from it. We will be happy to share evidence with you, of course.”
Burrows turned and motioned one of the others closer and whispered to him. “Sheriff, where is all the equipment that was here?” the man he’d recognized in the entourage asked.
“And you are?” Buck asked.
“Ronald Gifford, Regional Forester,” he said and Buck realized he had seen him on TV.
Shrugging, Buck said. “Have no idea, the only thing here are those two logging trailers.”
“That’s over a million dollars of equipment and you don’t know?!” Ronald shouted.
“Ronald, you’re raising your voice to the sheriff of Bonner County, and I can take that as a threat to a police officer,” Buck said and his deputies moved over toward him.
Ronald looked at the other men around him and none were offering any help. “I’m sorry, but that’s a lot of equipment,” he finally said.
“Well, it doesn’t belong to the Forestry Service, so I don’t see your concern. It belonged to a private business.”
Lifting his arm, Ronald glanced at his watch. “It will be in half an hour, and I want it found.”
Smiling, Buck turned and opened the door to the SUV. “Sorry Ronald. Your warrant said seizure of equipment at the shop and sale site. The trailers over there are here, so I guess you can seize them. You might get a few grand,” Buck said looking over his shoulder and Agent Burrows stepped up.
“Sheriff, the house you spoke of was the residence of one Joshua Anderson and is being seized by the IRS, so I must ask your men to leave.”
Laughing, Buck turned around. “No, Agent Burrows, the house in question doesn’t belong to Joshua Anderson, and the county prosecutor filed with a judge last night to block the seizure.”
“We’ll see about that,” he snapped.
“Oh, you can try, but even the attorney general agreed with the prosecutor. Now the shop belongs to Joshua, so you can have at it,” Buck said turning around climbing in the SUV.
“There is still a lot of equipment there,” Ronald said looking at several of the other men. “More so than here, I stopped by there after I left here on Monday.”
“Guess you haven’t been there recently,” Buck said with the door open as he pushed the button to lower the window. “Someone cleaned it out.”
In awe, Buck watched Ronald’s face change three different colors ending in purple. As Ronald opened his mouth, one of the men beside him grabbed his wrist. “I’m disappointed we don’t have your cooperation sheriff,” Agent Burrows almost growled.
Shutting his door, Buck looked at Burrows through the open window. “Oh, you do, Agent Burrows, as long as it’s law enforcement, not entrapment, deception of truth and falsification of evidence against an outstanding member of the community.”
“Good day, sheriff,” Burrows said and spun around, running into his entourage and shoving some of them out of the way.
“Agent Burrows, a word of advice,” Buck said rolling up the window. “Don’t wear a three-piece suit and dress shoes up in the mountains.” Next to Buck, Cory snickered as he put the SUV in gear. “Cory, let the guys lead us out.”
“Yes sir,” Cory said and called over the radio, telling the others he was going to follow. “Sir, you think they realize Maggie’s rig is pulling the trailer with the relay for radio and cellphone?”
“They will shortly,” Buck said as Cory followed them out. The other SUVs were pulling the powered construction lights, so Buck wasn’t leaving any county property in a federal investigation area.
Halfway back to the road, Buck grinned looking at the side of the road. “You keep all the gear in this search and rescue rig up to code?” he asked glancing over at Cory.
“Yes sir,” Cory said almost offended. All new officers had to start on the search and rescue patrol Suburbans. They had a ton of equipment in them that had to be inventoried weekly and inspected, so they got pushed to the lowest member of the department.
“Stop here, please,” Buck said grabbing his door handle. When Cory stopped, Buck got out, hitting the unlock button and walked to the back of the SUV, opening the hatch. Wondering what Buck was doing, Cory put the SUV in park and got out.
Walking up the embankment, Buck yanked the cord on the chainsaw he’d got from the rig. Anyone driving on back roads in the Northwest carried a chainsaw with them. Trees fell over on roads all the time and there was no going around them. Cory laughed as Buck walked up to a nice size pine, and knelt down revving the saw up.
It didn’t take long and soon the big tree fell down behind the SUV across the road and Cory was impressed with the speed Buck had done it. Shutting down the chainsaw, Buck walked back over, putting it back and strapping it down. “You’re damn right, this gear is good. That chain is so sharp, I swear it was cutting the tree an inch away,” Buck said closing the hatch.
Cory was laughing quietly as Buck headed back to the passenger door and climbed in. Seeing the sheriff was done, he climbed in and continued down the mountain. “That tree looked dangerous Cory. I didn’t want it falling on any vehicles that drove past. You know, they shake the ground and make the tree fall,” Buck said with a straight face.
“Yes sir, happens a lot,” Cory snorted.
Buck glanced over, “But just the same, let’s keep this between you and me.”
“Don’t know what you’re talking about, sir,” Cory snorted. “I only stopped so you could take a leak.”
“Good man,” Buck said looking out the front window. “Get me to the station in Sandpoint. Tell the others to stay near Lamb Creek, in case the feds try to muscle the captain.” His house was on Priest Lake just outside of Coolin, Idaho, just a few miles from Lamb Creek where Joshua lived. He had always wanted a house on that lake and he finally got one, then got elected sheriff, again, and had to find time to stay there now.
He had a small apartment in Sandpoint that he and the wife stayed at when work was hectic, but he loved his house on the lake. It was just luck that he wasn’t there and was able to get to Ralph’s office in Priest River. When Ralph had got ahold of him, Buck had been getting ready to head to his house and do some serious fishing. Even though he only knew Ralph from parties, he knew Joshua very well and like many around here, called Joshua a good friend.
“Weren’t you going fishing sir?” Cory asked when they hit the highway.
“That’s what I would be doing right now,” Buck said, calling his wife to check on Sonya and William.
Chapter Six
As Buck was cutting down a dangerous tree, Ben was riding in the passenger seat of Barbara’s car. She came and picked him up from the sheriff’s station in Sandpoint. He had to admit, Ralph and his partners were great lawyers. Since he’d had to use lawyers a few times in his life, Ben should know.
Barbara looked over at him as they rode north from Sandpoint, not the way home. “Where are we going?” she asked.
“Pull over up here,” Ben said pointing at a small dirt road.
“Are you going to meet Joshua?” she asked with worry.
“Hell no,” Ben said as she pulled off the road. “I’m checking on something for him though.”
“Ben, you can’t fight the feds,” Barbara said as he opened his door.
Looking over at her, Ben started having second thoughts about Barbara. You don’t turn your back on a buddy. “I’m not fighting the feds, but he asked me to keep an eye on his family. They threatened to kill them Barbara. I was there and heard it with my own ears.”
“You have a family now,” she said with sad eyes.
“And if that was me, Joshua would be looking out for you and Sammy. You expect me not to keep an eye on his?”
Barbara forced a smile, “No and if you didn’t, I wouldn’t love you, but please be careful.”
“Don’t worry, I’ll be home this evening. I have to have someone keep an eye out on his mother and call me if they see something. This isn’t an outstanding member of the community, but he owes me a favor,” Ben said getting out. “If anyone asks, say I’m at Bonners Ferry drinking with some frien
ds.”
“Anyone that knows you will believe that,” Barbara laughed.
With a serious face, Ben stared at her. “Barbara, you have to believe what I just told you or they will know. You dropped me off here south of Colburn, and I got in a tan truck and headed north. You saw the guy driving the truck had long gray hair, but you didn’t know him.”
Closing her eyes, Barbara repeated what he said, then opened her eyes to look at him. “I will hon,” she smiled. “I’ve been bad a few times myself, I can do that.”
“I know, that’s why I love ya,” Ben grinned. “Tell Sammy I’ll help him fix his four-wheeler when I get home.”
Barbara leaned over puckering her lips and Ben kissed her. “He’ll be very happy about that,” she said getting back behind the steering wheel.
Shutting the door, he waited till she was out of sight before walking down the long driveway behind him that led to Joshua’s mother’s house. Mrs. Anderson was in her late eighties, but still sharp as a tack.
Ben smiled thinking about the interview with the police and was very glad he’d talked Gene into driving the loader over after the others were gone. Before they put the loader on the low boy trailer, Ben had climbed inside the grapple, laying down, and Gene extended the arm with Ben in the grapple over the three bodies and put the cops’ guns near the FBI guy’s hand, and in Wayne’s, and the Homeland guy’s hand. The damn arm on the loader was over thirty feet long and only Joshua’s prints were still in the snow.
“Can’t argue self-defense if they already had guns out,” Ben said with a smile but knew in his heart, those guys were going to shoot Joshua.
When they’d met at Gene’s after emptying the shop, Ben and Gene had convinced the others that the three already had pistols out. Chris was the only one that argued that Wayne was the only one who had his pistol out, but was finally convinced about the other two.
After Joshua had headed to his truck with Wayne following him, the crew had shut down the equipment to watch, and hearing the FBI and Homeland guys arguing, they started getting worried for Joshua. When the Homeland guy yelled at Joshua, Ben grabbed his ax and started to move toward the trucks.
Bonner Incident Page 10