* * *
They sat in the front seat of Tyler’s Suburban, staring out at the people gathering in front of The Whitefish. Despite the heat, Dylan was shivering. He pulled his sweatshirt’s hood over his head and closed his eyes. Now that it was over he only wanted to sleep.
Tyler spoke through a cloud of cigarette smoke. “I don’t suppose you want to talk about what just happened in there.”
“I’ve got it under control.”
“No, you don’t. You’ve got some serious shit going on in your head. How long has this been going on?”
“I’m not sure. It started slowly and just got worse.”
“You taking anything for it?”
“Zoloft, Remeron, Xanax, morphine, prazosin … I could go on.”
“Shit, Dylan. Why didn’t you tell me?”
“It’s not something I like to tell.”
“You shouldn’t go through this kind of shit on your own.”
“I said that I have it under control.”
“Not from where I’m sitting.”
“It’s worse when I’m stressed.”
Tyler pointed his cigarette at the police station. “In a few minutes’ time they’re going to want to put you in a small room and interview you. Given your state of mind, you’ve got no business going through something like that. Aiden will understand. Just let me tell him what’s going on with you.”
“That won’t be necessary. I’m fine now.”
“Dylan, you’ve got to learn to accept help when it’s offered.”
“I don’t want to talk about it.”
“If you guys would just listen. I’m here for you.”
“What’s that? You think I’m not listening? I hear everything, Tyler. Everything.”
“Let’s just drop it.”
Dylan picked up Tyler’s lighter and flicked the flame on and off. “So, what do you think happened last night?”
“I don’t know. A robbery that went wrong?”
“That’s what I’m thinking.”
“John wouldn’t have gone down easily.”
“I was so pissed off at him this morning. I feel like shit. I should have been there for him.”
“Don’t be so hard on yourself. I’ve been having the same thoughts.”
Dylan rubbed his face. “We should go see Jeremy. Pay our respects.”
“Tomorrow will be soon enough. I imagine they’ve got their hands full today.”
“When was the last time you saw Annie?”
“Christ, Annie. I forgot about Annie. It’s been more than two years now.”
“A few months back, I went up to see Jeremy about a job and she came into the kitchen. She walked past him like he wasn’t there. She’s so thin now.”
“I hear she dresses like a witch.”
“I guess you could call it that.”
“Did she say anything?”
“She said plenty. It just didn’t make much sense.” Dylan lowered his voice. “She kept trying to touch me. It got a little awkward. Jeremy had to ask me to leave.”
“She’s crazy. She should be put away.”
“People might say I’m crazy too. You going to put me away?”
“Nah, it’s different with you. You’ve earned your crazy. After everything you’ve seen…”
“You’re fine. John was fine. Why me?”
“Well, for starters, we didn’t get shot up like you did. It makes a difference. You live with it every day. I respect you for keeping a lid on it. It’s tough.”
“It’s almost worse being back here. I worry too much about Ethan’s truck. Every time the phone rings I think it’s someone calling to say they’ve found his body. I really didn’t give it much thought until I came back.”
“It’s too quiet here,” said Tyler, stubbing out his latest cigarette. “Suddenly, there’s too much time to think. If we’re given time to imagine the worst, that’s just what we’ll do.”
“I can’t get my head around this. John should have outlived us all.”
“I suppose he must have gone to see Lana.”
“He told me he was going to drop her.”
Tyler raised his voice. “Well, he lied, didn’t he?”
“What do you suppose was going on with him?”
“Hard to say. A walk on the wild side, I guess.”
“Lana’s not that wild.”
“Yeah, tell me another one.”
“If you took the time to talk to her you’d realize she’s smart.”
“If she was smart she’d still be back in Georgia, not living here and working at that dive.”
“I don’t think she had much choice but to leave.”
“So she says. All I know is that John had a choice last night and he chose wrong. If he’d gone home or to Tanya’s place, he’d probably still be alive now.”
“You think Lana had something to do with it?”
“Maybe.”
“You’ll have to do better than maybe.”
Tyler’s phone rang. He looked at the screen before shutting it off. “It’s Aiden. Are you sure you’re ready for this?”
“Yeah, I’ll be fine.”
“Just so you know, I’m here for you. You need someone to talk to, you come to me.” He grabbed Dylan’s shoulder. “You hear me?”
Dylan reached for the door handle. “Yeah, I hear everything.”
6
Macy thought Dylan Reed was far too thin. He had birdlike wrists and cheekbones that looked sharp enough to cut glass. Unlike John Dalton, he didn’t look as if he’d ever been in the army. His brown hair fell across his face and an oversized hooded sweatshirt hung off his narrow shoulders. He unfolded from his seat like a jackknife and held out his hand. Macy introduced herself and he spoke softly, stating his name and telling her he’d do whatever he could to help.
He took his time easing into the chair, his lips hardening into a line once he was settled. Macy’s heart went out to him in ways she didn’t expect.
“You don’t look like you eat,” she said.
“Ask my friends, they’ll set you straight.”
“How bad is it?” she said, gesturing to his leg. He’d slung it out to the side like a piece of excess baggage.
“I’m lucky to have it, so I can’t complain.”
“I imagine it’s going to take some time to heal properly.”
“They tell me it’s as healed as it’s going to get.”
“You still seem to be in a lot of pain.”
“There are metal plates holding my leg together. They tell me I’ll always be in pain.”
Macy glanced down at her notes. “You enlisted with John?”
“Yeah, we went over to Billings together. I was still drunk from the night before, otherwise I don’t think I could have gone through with it.”
“Sounds like you’re the reluctant hero.”
“Really, it was John who wanted to join. I guess I came along for the ride.”
“Did you always follow John’s lead?”
“Pretty much.”
“What are you going to do now?”
He lowered his voice to a whisper. “I’ve got no idea.”
“How was John settling into life back here in Wilmington Creek? Having been away for so many years it must have been difficult to adjust to being home full time. It’s pretty quiet here compared to Afghanistan.”
“Compared to anywhere it would seem quiet here.”
“True.”
“I really have no idea if John was happy, whatever that means. I will say that he was focused. Aside from his girlfriend, Tanya, he seemed to pick up where he left off. He worked hard. He spent time with his family and friends. He was thinking of going into politics.”
“Tanya is his ex-girlfriend?”
“I wouldn’t say she was an ex. They’d been seeing each other again, but it wasn’t the same as before. They were both being very cautious.” He hesitated. “All things considered, Tanya’s been very patient. During his first tw
o deployments she stayed at Fort Benning, but the last time he was on leave he spent more time out with his friends than at home with her. She was lonely so she came back here.”
“Were there hard feelings?”
“I can’t speak for her, but John felt pretty shitty about how he behaved. He’d always fooled around, but this time she found out. Someone posted something on the Internet.”
“Did this have anything to do with Lana Clark?”
“Yeah, she’s the one John was seeing, although she wasn’t the one who rubbed it in Tanya’s face. I don’t think John knew what hit him when he met Lana. She’s smart in a way the girls around here aren’t. She’s lived a lot of places. Sees things differently. Meanwhile, Tanya is this girl from a small town. I don’t think John knew what he wanted. He’d be out partying with Lana on Saturday night but then he’d meet Tanya at church on Sunday morning. Those two women couldn’t be more different.”
“John had just had a big change in his life. It’s understandable that he’d be conflicted about how he wanted to spend the rest of it.”
“That’s what I thought, and to tell you the truth, I’d say Tanya was sympathetic to what he was going through. Lana less so. Lately I got the impression she could take it or leave it. I think she wanted more, but she wasn’t willing to play those sorts of games.”
“Where were you yesterday evening?”
“Tyler Locke’s house.”
“Who else was there?”
“It was only Chase Lane, Tyler, me, and John. We played some video games, drank beer. That sort of thing. It was going to be an early start so I left around eleven.”
“Were you the first to leave?”
“Yeah, but Chase was on his way out as well. He works for John’s family. The foreman up there doesn’t like it when you’re late.”
“I’ve met Wade Larkin. He’s kind of intimidating.”
“I spent a couple of summers working for him. Credit to him, he treated John the same as the rest of us. After working for Wade, basic training seemed easy.”
“Did John seem distracted last night?”
“I didn’t notice anything.”
“Was it normal for him to stop in at The Whitefish on his way home?”
“That’s probably a question for Lana.”
“Do you often go for early-morning rides?”
“Not as often as I’d like to.” He put his hand on his leg.
“Where’d you go this morning?”
“Up near Darby Lake.”
“Seems too hot to ride.”
“It was cold when I started out this morning.”
“What time was that?”
“Around five. I had to cover a lot of ground and I’m slower than I used to be.”
“Have you had difficulty adjusting to being back home?”
“I’m sure Aiden has told you all about my problems.”
“Actually, he hasn’t.”
“Well, that’s awkward.”
“So what are your problems, Mr. Reed?”
Dylan looked down at his hands. “When I came home from the VA hospital in Denver, I really couldn’t be on my own, so I moved in with my mom. She made the mistake of coming into my room to wake me up. Sometimes I get confused as to where I am. I don’t remember hitting her.”
“Is she okay?”
“Not really. She locks her bedroom door and tries her best not to jump every time I lift a finger.”
“That doesn’t sound good.”
“We’re working on it.”
“What were the other incidents?”
“Nothing major. A couple of fights. I got my ass kicked, so no harm done.”
“Did you have any issues with John?”
“No, we got on fine. Other than Tyler, John was the only person around here who really understood what I’ve been through.”
“I found a card in John’s wallet for a therapist in Collier. Do you know anything about that?”
“Yeah, I gave it to him. It’s a woman I see.”
“Why did John need a therapist? You said he seemed well adjusted.”
Dylan hesitated. “It doesn’t seem right sharing what he told me in confidence.”
“I need to understand his state of mind. If he was struggling with adjusting to civilian life I’d like to know.”
“It was nothing like that. This was about family. The stress of living with his mom was really starting to get to him. She was telling him some shit about Jeremy not being his real father. Apparently she was pretty convincing. The poor guy felt guilty for even thinking it might be true. Hence the therapist.”
“Did his mother say who this man was?”
“Not that I know of. At some point John decided to drop it.”
“Did his sister know?”
“He asked me never to speak to Jessie about it.”
“Do you think it could be true?”
He shook his head slowly. “I always told him it was his mother’s illness talking. If you spent any time with Jeremy and John you could see they were father and son.”
“And you’re sure Jessie never knew about it?”
“She’s never mentioned it. I was a little surprised John was so worried about her finding out. Given how difficult her relationship is with Jeremy, I imagine she’d have been relieved to learn there was a possibility they weren’t related.”
“That bad?”
“She hasn’t made it easy for him.”
“Can you think of anyone who would want to hurt John?”
Dylan sat quietly for a few moments. “There’s the usual shit that goes on when we’re out. Maybe it’s been a little worse lately, but I can’t think of any particular time when John has caused offense. Compared to Tyler and me, he’s pretty tame.”
“Could John have been seeing someone who was married or in a relationship?”
“That would have been hard to pull off without Tyler and me finding out.”
“You’d be surprised at what people keep hidden.”
“That’s not the John I know.”
“But John may have changed.”
“I suppose so.”
Macy put her notes aside. “Thank you for coming in. It may not seem like it, but you’ve been very helpful.”
“I wish I could do more.”
Macy shook Dylan’s hand. “Please contact myself or Police Chief Marsh if you think of anything else that may be helpful in our investigation.”
* * *
Tyler Locke rocked his chair on its back legs and stared at Macy. Jumbled with third-degree burns, ruined tattoos ran down his arms, and his scalp was pocked with shrapnel wounds. She fought the desire to look away. Unlike Dylan, Tyler challenged her with every word and gesture. Every time he moved, she flinched.
Macy got up and went over to the window.
“Do you mind if I open this? It’s a bit stuffy in here.”
Tyler leveled his gaze at her. “Suit yourself. It’s your show.”
“Well, it’s mine for now.”
She pulled up the blinds and the room brightened, but the window was jammed shut. She tugged at the latch a couple of times and it didn’t budge. She didn’t hear Tyler get up from his chair. One second he was sitting and the next he was right next to her. She jumped and this time he noticed.
“Here, let me try,” he said.
Once she was seated Macy put her hands on her lap so he couldn’t see that they were shaking. She nodded her approval when he managed to force the window open.
“Thank you, that’s better.”
Tyler stayed where he was, his eyes fixed on something outside. “I hate air-conditioning. The hum drives me mad.”
“I suspect there’s not much air-conditioning in Afghanistan.”
“You’d be surprised.”
“Maybe you should enlighten me.”
He returned to the table. “Maybe another time.”
“What can you tell me about John’s experience over there? I understand you w
ere in the same unit.”
“I suppose you want the Reader’s Digest version like everyone else?”
“John was one of your best friends. You and Dylan were closer to him than anyone. I need to know if there might be a connection between his military service and his death here in Wilmington Creek. If he was struggling, I need to know it. It’s important to understand his state of mind. He may have been doing things he shouldn’t have been doing, putting himself in danger unnecessarily.”
“I know what you mean, but I don’t think John had it in him. Don’t get me wrong, in the beginning John was as ready to mix it up as anyone.”
“And in the end?”
Tyler hesitated. “In the end, John lost his nerve. He’d been solid since day one and then he was scared shitless every time he left the compound. I guess we all have our tipping point.”
“What do you suppose changed?”
He rubbed a palm across his peppered scalp. “He saw what happened to me, and we lost a few other guys. I guess he decided his number was up. We’re all pretty superstitious but in that last month John took it to another level. There were all these little rituals he had to perform before he went out on patrol. He’d try to hide it, but I saw what was going on. And then one night, it wasn’t enough. I had to really push to get him in the Humvee.”
“So he came home.”
“No. I kept him going. Nothing was ever put in his record. There was never a mark against him. Last summer he had an option to continue on, but he took an honorable discharge instead. No shame in that.”
“Then why are you telling me?”
“Because last night he was doing the kind of shit he used to do before he was going out on patrol. To tell you the truth, I don’t even think he realized it.”
“Could he have been doing it all along? You’ve only been on leave for a few weeks.”
“I was worried how he was adjusting so I was keeping a close eye on him. I’m telling you now. He was different last night. Dylan might have noticed too, but he left a good hour before John, so he didn’t see it.”
“Did you say something to John?”
“I tried to, but Connor was hanging all over him so I didn’t get a chance.”
Macy looked at her notes. “Who’s Connor?”
“I was looking after my nephew last night. He stays over sometimes when I’m in town. He idolizes John. This is gonna break his heart.”
Burnt River Page 6