Burnt River

by Karin Salvalaggio

  “Fair enough.”

  “There’s the militia angle that still needs looking into.”

  “With such a surge in memberships in those groups over the last few years, I don’t even know where to begin.”

  “The state’s database should tell us who’s active in the area. Anything on Patricia Dune? She may have learned something we can use.”

  “Nothing yet.”

  Macy looked around expectantly. “Where’s Lana Clark? I’m beginning to think she doesn’t exist.”

  “She’s waiting for us over at The Whitefish. I figured she could walk us through everything that happened.”

  “Oh, by the way, I spoke to the therapist in Collier. She confirmed that she met with John Dalton six times.”

  “Is she willing to talk to us?”

  “Yes, but she won’t compromise patient-doctor confidentiality.”

  “What good is that, then?”

  “She’s willing to discuss John’s general state of mind. She’s assuming we’ll be discreet.”

  “Well, at least we know why he was seeing her in the first place. Once she realizes that, maybe she’ll loosen up.”

  “That’s what I’m hoping.” She gathered her things. “I’ll head over to Collier tomorrow morning. You feel like coming along?”

  “Providing everything is under control here, I don’t see why not.”

  “What’s your opinion on what Annie was telling John about his father?”

  “I’m with Dylan on that one. I don’t believe it.”

  “Why do you suppose John thought it was a possibility?”

  He followed Macy out the door. “I wish I knew.”

  * * *

  Macy stood in the entrance to The Whitefish and waited for her eyes to adjust. It wasn’t much more than a cave carved out of cinder block. A horseshoe-shaped bar was set toward the back of the room. Dimly lit booths ran along the sides. Everything was clad in darkly stained pine and smelled of stale beer and sweat. In the middle of this sat a young woman with skin so pale it glowed. She wore a flowered sundress and heavily tooled cowboy boots that had never been near a horse. A patrol officer hovered close to her, one hand resting on the back of her chair. Aiden cleared his throat and when the officer turned toward them he had a grin on his face. The smile quickly faded.

  “Dean, I think you’ve had enough time with Lana for one day. I need you to head over to Waldo Canyon. They found a burnt-out vehicle. Go see if you can get a registration number off it.”

  Macy couldn’t help but notice that Lana Clark was beautiful. It was midsummer, yet she didn’t have a single freckle, mole, or blemish. She wore deep red lipstick, and thick lashes framed her acid blue eyes. Auburn hair was piled on top of her head in a complicated series of knots. Macy took the vacant seat across from Lana and held out her hand.

  “Lana, I’m Detective Macy Greeley. I apologize if we’ve kept you waiting.”

  “It’s no trouble,” she said, sniffing into a wadded-up tissue. Her voice was husky and low and she spoke with an accent that was difficult to pin down. “I’m not sure how I can help though. I already told Aiden everything I know.”

  Macy opened her notebook. “That’s what I’m here to find out. Would you like something to drink or eat before we get started?”

  “No, thank you, we stopped for something on the way back into town.” She clutched her hands between her legs and swiveled toward Aiden, who had positioned himself on a barstool. “I wouldn’t mind something stronger, though. Is that allowed?”

  “Lana, you need to have a clear head.”

  “It would calm me down.”

  Macy thought a drink would be very welcome, but knew it would have to wait until later, when she planned on having a very large glass of red wine. She looked up and Lana was staring at her.

  “Lana, once we’re finished here you can drink all you want, but right now I need you to focus. As far as we know, you were the last person to see John Dalton alive.”

  “But I was inside when the gun went off. I didn’t have anything to do with it.”

  “I want you to walk me through what happened. Nothing more, nothing less.”

  “Me and the manager, Jean, were cashing out. We thought it was a car backfiring, but then Marty raised his head off the bar for the first time in about a week and announced it was gunfire. He was in Vietnam so I guess he knew what he was talking about after all. At the time we thought he was full of shit, so we ignored him.”

  “How long after that did you find the body?”

  “Maybe fifteen minutes. Jean came running in and yelled at me to call the police.”

  “Did you go outside?”

  “I wanted to, but Jean told me to stay where I was.” She pressed the tissue to her eyes. “I didn’t know it was John. Jean wouldn’t tell me anything.”

  “Were you expecting John last night?”

  “We hadn’t made any plans, if that’s what you mean. In fact, I was kinda surprised to see him at all. He’d been pretty distant in the past couple of weeks.”

  “How serious were you about the relationship?”

  “I was as serious as I needed to be. He’d changed his mind so many times about what he wanted, I’d given up on trying to get it right.”

  “How do you mean?”

  “Just like last night. He shows up out of the blue and expects me to act like everything was cool between us.”

  “And how did you act?”

  “I acted like everything was okay. No matter how much of a dick he was being, there was no way I was going to let him know how much it hurt.”

  “So you thought John was being a dick?”

  “Yeah, news flash—Mr. Holier-Than-Thou Dalton could be a bit of an asshole.” She paused. “I don’t think he meant to. He had his life all planned out. He didn’t know how to fit me into the puzzle. I was worried what his parents would think of me. I think he was as well.”

  “Why’s that?”

  She shrugged. “I’m a complete unknown. Tanya comes from a good family. She’s local. They’ve known her forever.”

  “How long had you been seeing each other?”

  “On and off since I moved up here in March. We went out for a couple of months pretty steadily and he was already talking about marriage. It kind of freaked me out. John wanted a wife to live out on that ranch with him. Anyway, I told him I needed more time to think it through, but he didn’t seem to want to wait. He started seeing Tanya again. I began to think I was the person he came to when he was bored. Tell you the truth, I think he found life here a little too insular after having been away for so long, and no offense, but Tanya isn’t exactly worldly.”

  “Care to elaborate?”

  “John and I would talk about the world outside the valley. He wanted to get involved. Make a difference for war veterans. There are only a few people around here like that to talk to. It’s like the rest of the world doesn’t exist.”

  “The Flathead Valley is certainly a long way from Georgia.”

  “I’m not saying it was any better there. You can live in the middle of New York and not give a shit about the wider world. It’s a state of mind. John was different. I think his time in the army really opened his eyes.”

  “I understand you met John when he was stationed at Fort Benning. Did you come here to be with him?”

  “No, it wasn’t like that. People are saying that we were messing around, but all we did was go out a few times before he came back here for good. I met him and Dylan when they were doing basic training. Tyler was in charge of John’s platoon. We all kept in touch. When things got weird in Georgia, John suggested I come up here. He found me this job and a place to live.”

  “What happened in Georgia?”

  “An ex-boyfriend was harassing me, so I had to have a restraining order issued. There were a few incidents, but nothing could be proven so he was released after they’d questioned him. Things got worse after that.”

  “Moving two thousand miles a
way seems an extreme reaction.”

  “I was pretty freaked out, and no offense to you, Aiden, but the police there were useless.” She let out a nervous laugh. “They actually suggested I get a dog and then shrugged when I said I already had one. My car was vandalized and I know he was following me. Sometimes he’d call and just hang on the line not saying a word. One night he even set fire to my front porch.”

  “Is this when you left town?”

  “I managed to hang on another week but then he poisoned my dog. I couldn’t stay after that. I figured I was next. I was so upset I don’t even remember packing my stuff. I drove up here in late February. Wilmington Creek seemed so quaint.” Her voice broke. “John said it was the safest place in the world.”

  “Any chance your ex-boyfriend figured out where you live now?”

  “I’ve been careful about who I communicate with back home. I don’t give anyone my address, but I guess there’s always a way of finding out. My friends say Charlie dropped out of sight a couple of months after I left.”

  “No word from him since?”

  She blinked. “Nothing, it’s like he vanished.”

  “I’m going to need his full name.”

  “Charlie Lott.”

  “And you have no idea where we might find him?”

  “After I kicked him out he moved in with some friends. You can contact the case officer. He’ll tell you everything you need to know.”

  “I’ll do that.” Macy went through her notes. “Was Charlie friends with John as well?”

  “Yeah, we all used to hang out together. At one point he was giving John guitar lessons.”

  “Was he aware that you had formed a relationship with John?”

  “I don’t see how. Like I said, we really only went out in Georgia as friends.”

  “So were you pleased to see John last night?”

  “I had mixed feelings. I got the impression he expected me to be grateful.”

  “You sound bitter.”

  “More like disappointed. When I first started seeing John, he seemed like a really great guy. On our third date he took me to dinner and to see a live band.” She clasped her hands together and placed them under her chin. “He didn’t want to let go of my hand when he was driving. He couldn’t stop smiling. I really thought I meant something to him. Fast-forward five months and everything had changed.”

  “How so?”

  “Well, just like last night. I’m pretty sure he wanted to split up with me again. Do you know how many times we’ve done that? I really couldn’t go through it again.”

  “Are you sure that’s what he wanted to talk about?”

  “He didn’t say it outright, but that was what I was expecting. I told him to go around back and wait for me.”

  “Did you go meet him?”

  “No, I was really pissed off at the way he was treating me so I decided to leave him out there looking like a fool. Last laugh, so to speak.”

  “And now John is dead.”

  Lana looked down at her hands. “And no one is laughing.”

  “I want you to think carefully. Have you noticed anyone suspicious hanging out at the bar over the past couple of months?”

  “It’s mostly regulars here. We’re off the highway so we don’t get many people who are just passing through.”

  “Your manager mentioned that some guy named Nick has been harassing you.”

  “That was nothing.”

  “I’d rather be the one to decide that.”

  “Since the fires started we’ve had some guys from the crews coming in. Nick was one of them.”

  “The manager said he overheard him telling you that you should be grateful some men are still willing to pay for it. Apparently, he was very insistent.”

  Her cheeks reddened. “He seemed to think women who tend bar double as prostitutes. It’s nothing I haven’t come across before, but Jean happened to overhear it that time so he kicked Nick and his friend out. I don’t know his surname and I have no idea what the friend’s name was. He mostly just sat there and stared at me.”

  “Did this guy Nick know you were dating John?”

  “Never had the reason to tell him, but I guess he might have seen us together.”

  “Anyone come in specifically asking about John?”

  “Aside from the usual snide remarks coming from Tanya’s friends, no one spoke to me directly about John except for Dylan. He’s a real sweetheart.”

  “I interviewed him this morning.”

  “It breaks my heart to see how low he is.”

  “What about Tyler?”

  She put her hands palm down on the table and took a deep breath. “God knows why, but Tyler hates me. As far as I know, I’ve not done a damn thing to cross the guy except go on a few dates with his friend.”

  “You said that your relationship with John had become on and off lately. Were you seeing anyone else?”

  “Is this really necessary?”

  “We’re interviewing a lot of people, Lana. If there’s something I need to know, I’d rather find out from you.”

  “But it’s none of your business. In fact it’s nobody’s business.”

  “If you withhold information that becomes important to the investigation later on, I could charge you with obstruction.”

  Lana looked up at Aiden. “No offense, but the opportunities around here are slim and few.”

  Macy tried again. “That doesn’t answer my question.”

  “I don’t want to get anyone into trouble.”

  “I take it he’s married.”

  “Four kids and another one on the way. He keeps saying he’s going to leave his wife but I ignore him. A guy who cheats on his wife. I’d have to be an idiot to believe him.”

  Macy frowned. “I need a name.”

  “You’ll be discreet?”

  “I’ll do my best.”

  “Bob Crawley.”

  Aiden finally spoke. “Shit, Lana. That’s wrong on so many levels.”

  “I never said I was a saint.”

  Macy tapped her notebook with her pen. “Have you ever known him to be jealous?”

  “To tell you the truth, he’s really mellow. Plus, he’s married. It would be out of line if he expected me to be faithful to him.”

  “She’s right about that,” said Aiden. “The guy is mellow.”

  “We’ll still need to know his whereabouts last night.” She circled his name a couple of times. “Lana, what is your take on how John was adjusting to civilian life? Would you say he was changed by his experiences in Afghanistan?”

  “You mean like Dylan?”

  Macy nodded.

  “As far as I could tell he seemed fine.”

  “Did he get on okay with his family?”

  Lana pursed her lips. “For the most part I’d say yes. He did seem to be at odds with his sister. I asked him about it and he just said it was nothing she’d done.”

  9

  Aiden held up his phone and apologized before taking the call. “It’s the officer I sent over to check on the house Patricia Dune is renting.”

  Macy reached across her empty dinner plate and poured another glass of wine. The headache was finally gone and a pleasant buzz was beginning to settle in. Her smile came quicker and the laughter that followed almost sounded genuine. She warned herself to slow down. Even though Aiden was becoming more entertaining as the evening went on, getting drunk would not be a good idea. She put her wine to one side and thought about what her mother had said over the phone when they spoke earlier. By the time Macy had managed to make the call, Luke was already asleep. Not that it mattered. It wasn’t like he could carry on a conversation. It was Ellen who always filled Macy in with all the details of his day. There’d been a doctor’s appointment, a trip to the local pool, and a visit from the neighbor’s cat. As long as Luke stayed perfectly still, it would come sit next to him.

  I’ve never seen him sit still for so long.

  Macy had laughed. Nice trick.
We should have that cat visit more often.

  Oh, I almost forgot. I have to drive up to Kalispell tomorrow to pick up a chair I’ve had restored. Can you meet us in the afternoon? There’s a park just across the street from where I’m going.

  I’ll try my best to get there. Do you have an address?

  Aiden placed his phone on the table and picked up his knife and fork.

  “Given the contents of her mailbox, it looks like Patricia Dune hasn’t been home for a few days. There’s no car in the garage and the lights are all off.”

  “She may have gone out of town.”

  “Hard to say at this point. Tomorrow we’ll try to track down someone at her university who can tell us where she may have gone.”

  Macy reached for her water glass. “The text message that was sent to Annie is a game changer. I’m struggling to see how John’s murder could have something to do with the local militias. This feels personal.”

  “I know what you mean, but the killer could have done it to throw us off.” He wiped his mouth with his napkin and took a sip of his beer.

  “They’re not usually that clever. Who else have we got on our list?”

  “Bob Crawley, for starters. He should be easy enough to sort out. I don’t feel like being discreet though.”

  “What does a girl like Lana see in a married man with four kids and another one on the way?”

  “You mean aside from his dot-com money?”

  Macy leaned in and whispered, “He’s loaded?”

  He lowered his voice even more. “Plus I hear he’s rather well endowed.”

  She fell back in the chair and laughed. “That’s funny.”

  “Well, it’s what the ladies around here are saying.”

  “Lana isn’t his first, then.”

  “Nor the last. I suspect he’s having too good a time to stop now.”

  “There’s also Tyler Locke and Dylan Reed.”

  “I think you’re reaching with them.”

  “Am I? Dylan is pretty messed up. Don’t get me wrong, I feel for the guy, but I’m not going to strike him off my list just yet. He has blackouts. And then there’s Tyler. I think I want to rattle his cage just as a matter of principle. Either of them could have followed John to The Whitefish.”