Double Blind (28 page)

Martha thanked them and got into their car; Edgar hesitated.

‘What is it?” Sam asked.

“Something’s wrong. Dreadfully wrong, I fear.”

“The bones?

He sighed and nodded. His gaze turned to the east, toward Casa Grande. “I’d love to see the lab again. See what’s changed.”

“Burt won’t let you?” Sam said.

“Not if what I suspect is true.”

“What’s that?”

“I’d rather not say just yet. I need a little more information.”

Sam gently touched his arm. “You can trust me.”

Edgar smiled. “I know.”

“So?”

He hesitated as if considering what to say. Finally, he shook his head. “I fear Burt may have reopened the lab. Maybe doing animal studies.”

“And if so, these experiments would be illegal?”

“Very. But, as I said, I need more information to be sure.”

“And you think the lab might contain what you need?”

“Possibly.”

Sam looked toward the eastern peaks. “What if I can get inside? Take a look around. You could tell me what to search for.”

Edgar cocked his head slightly. The functional half of his brow wrinkled. “A little illegal, wouldn’t you say?”

Sam shrugged. “But, if I could get in, what would you like checked out?”

The Friday night crowd at Mama Rose’s was unusually noisy. It was as if the tension and fear and sadness of the past several days demanded release. The patrons ate too much, drank too much, talked too loud, and laughed too hardily.

Sam sat at a corner table with Alyss, Burt, Hollis, and Niki. They exchanged small talk through their meal. Sam said little, while Burt dominated the conversation. He did so with amazing aplomb, telling this story or that anecdote, always making everyone feel as though they were part of his monologues. Even though Sam felt uncomfortable after their disagreement that morning, she acted as though she was swept up in Burt’s tales, listening attentively and laughing with everyone else.

She had to admit he was smooth. Maybe slick was a better word.

Niki appeared cool and distracted throughout the meal. She ate little, said little, laughed rarely, and more than once Sam felt her gaze. But, when Sam looked back at her, Niki would quickly look down at her plate and move her food around with her fork.

What is it, Niki? Do you want to tell me something?

Burt ordered a round of Cognac for everyone. As they savored it, he leaned toward Sam and spoke softly. “I never did thank you for your help this morning.”

Sam cast him a quizzical look. Her memory of the morning’s events was more confrontation than cooperation.

“You defused a volatile situation,” he continued. “That was a very brave. Going into the mine like that.”

“I’m just glad it worked out,” Sam said.

“Thanks to you, it did.” Burt smiled. “Now, maybe the town can put this behind them.”

“If a jury convicts him,” Sam said,

“They will. I’d say the evidence against Billy is pretty solid.”

You’d like that wouldn’t you, Burt?

Sam smiled. “You never can tell what a jury will do.”

Burt took a sip of his cognac. “Around here, the courts are fairly straight forward. Judge Rhinehart doesn’t put up with any defense tricks. He’s a by-the-book kind of guy.”

Don came from the kitchen and seeing them, walked over. Sam silently prayed he had forgotten about the rabbit bones.

“What did you guys find out about those bones?” he asked.

Burt looked up. “What bones?”

Don told about his trip to Proctor’s Clinic and the strange bones the MacCorkell twins had found. He looked at Sam. “I bet Dr. Locke knew what they were.”

Sam felt heat rise in her face. Her tongue felt as if it were coated with paste. She took a sip of cognac.

Burt looked at her. “Edgar Locke? What’s this all about?”

Sam told of their visit with Will Proctor. “Dr. Locke was curious, so we took him over to Dr. Proctor’s office to see them.”

Burt’s brow furrowed slightly and he cast a glance at Hollis, and then said, “So, what were they?”

Sam shrugged. “Will Proctor felt they were from a rabbit. A large rabbit. Maybe with some kind of tumor or something.”

“Of the pituitary gland, I believe he said,” Alyss added.

“Interesting,” Burt said. “What about Edgar Locke? Did he agree with that?”

“Yeah,” Sam said. “Though he admitted he didn’t know much about rabbits.” Sam pushed a stray strand of hair from her face, parking it behind her ear.

Burt seemed to relax a bit. “What did you think of Dr. Locke?”

“He’s impressive,” Sam said.

“Yes, he is. And his stroke was a real blow. Not only to him and Martha personally but also to our research.”

“So the lab has been sitting idle all this time?” Sam asked.

Burt nodded. “Unfortunately.”

“Seems such a waste. Edgar said you and he had been doing some exciting research. I got the impression he misses it.”

“We all do. But, replacing Edgar Locke is no small feat.”

Hollis nodded in agreement. “He should have won that Nobel.”

Sam finished her Cognac. Burt motioned to Don to refill everyone’s glasses. Don made the round with the bottle, but when he came to Sam she waved him away with a smile. 

“I think you said before that you didn’t use animals in your projects,” Sam said.

Burt shook his head. “No.”

“So that funny bunny wasn’t an escapee from your lab?”

Burt laughed. Nervous or genuine? Sam couldn’t decide. “No, he wasn’t ours. I’m sure Edgar Locke told you the same thing.”

From the corner of her eye, she noticed Niki stiffen slightly. “Actually, I didn’t ask him. I just now thought about it.”

“We didn’t get involved with animal studies,” Hollis said. “That would have gotten the FDA and the SPCA and God knows who else involved.”

Niki stood, excused herself, and headed toward the ladies room. She glanced at Sam and then quickly looked away.

Sam stood. “Me, too.” She looked at Alyss. “Then, we should probably head home.” She gave Alyss a look that she hoped said, “Stay put and see that everyone else does, too.”

Sam entered the small restroom. Niki was putting on lipstick. Sam caught her eye in the mirror.

“I got the feeling the other day that you wanted to tell me something. About Burt?”

“I did. I told you to be careful.”

“Anything else?”

Niki turned and glanced past Sam toward the door. The lipstick tube slipped from her hand and clattered on the floor. When Niki picked it up, Sam noticed her fingers trembling.

Sam touched her arm. “Niki, there’s something going on here. Something I don’t entirely understand, but it revolves around Burt. And it could lead to an innocent man being railroaded into prison. Any idea what’s going on?”

The door to the single stall stood slightly ajar. Niki pushed it completely open and looked inside. She turned to Sam.

“I don’t know, but Hollis is wound up tighter than I’ve ever seen him. And he won’t talk to me about it.” Her eyes glistened. “He always tells me everything.” She sniffed back a tear. “Whatever it is, it’s bad.”

“And you have no idea what?”

Niki shook her head. She slipped the lipstick into her purse and snapped it closed.

Sam sighed and leaned against the sink. What were they up to? Why was getting rid of Billy so important?

“Burt’s lying,” Niki said suddenly.

“About what?”

“This research stuff you guys were talking about.” She glanced nervously at the entry door. “That lab’s been open for over a year. And they are using animals.”

“You’re sure?”

“I’ve been there. Seen them. Rabbits and mice anyway.”

“I see.”

Tears welled in Niki’s eyes. “You’ve got to help Hollis. He’s not like Burt.”

“What makes you think I can help?”

“You’re a cop. You’re smart. I can see that much.”

“Isn’t Hollis in this as deep as Burt?”

“Not even close.”

“I can’t promise anything, but you’ll have to tell me everything you know. Anything you can find out.”

Niki dabbed a tear from her eye.

“Who has been running the lab for them?” Sam asked.

The sound of a commode flushing came through the wall from the adjacent men’s room. Niki’s eyes widened. She shook her head.

“Who? It’s important.”

Niki turned toward the door. “I can’t”

Sam grabbed her arm. “Are you afraid of Burt?”

“No,” she said quickly. Too quickly.

“I think you are.”

Niki started to say something, but stopped. She pulled her arm from Sam’s grasp. “I can’t.” She pushed past Sam and out the door, colliding with Burt as he stepped from the men’s room.

*

Sam turned on to Main Street toward Alyss’ inn. She told her what Niki had said. Alyss apologized for not keeping Burt at the table.

“He got up right after you left. I couldn’t think of any way to keep him there short of faking a seizure.”

“It’s OK,” Sam said.

“Do you think he heard anything?”

“I don’t know. The walls are pretty thin.” She banged her fist against the steering wheel. “Damn it.” If he had, Niki could be in trouble and her inside source, such as it was, would evaporate.

After they returned home, Sam called the hospital to check on Billy. The nurse caring for him said he was doing well and sleeping at the moment. Sam told her to tell Billy she would stop by tomorrow and visit. She then called Edgar Locke and told him of her dinner conversation with Burt and of her encounter with Niki.

“What do you think Burt’s up to?” Sam asked.

She heard Edgar’s sigh over the phone. “I don’t know,” he said. “But, tomorrow I’m going to make a few calls to some former colleagues and see what I can find out.”

“Would they know?” Sam asked.

“The research community is fairly close knit. With a very active grapevine.”

“OK,” Sam said. “Tonight, I’m going to go see if there are any more bones, and if I can get into the lab, I will. As we discussed.”

‘Tonight?”

“Tomorrow may be too late. Now that Burt’s aware that we know about the bones, if there is anything in the lab, he might hide it or destroy it. I’ll try to get the things you wanted and I’ll call or come by as soon as I do.”

She hung up and then called Nathan and discovered he would be tied up in Port Angeles until Sunday afternoon. He would then fly to Denver, spend the night, and catch a puddle jumper to Montrose first thing Monday morning and drive down to Gold Creek from there.

After she hung up, she walked out to the porch and sat in the rocker, facing the swing where Alyss sat.

“What’s this all about?” Alyss asked.

A moth fluttered around the porch light, its wings tapping against the glass shade, its magnified shadow dancing over them. Sam watched it for a moment.

“Burt and Wade are trying to frame Billy.” Sam leaned forward, resting her elbows on her knees. “And now, it looks like someone’s been doing animal research at that lab and Burt lied about it. Edgar thought so and Niki just confirmed it.”

Alyss shifted in the swing, sitting more upright, looking at Sam. “And these two things...the murders...the lab...are connected how?”

“They’re not. At least not that I see.”

“But…?”

“Any cop will tell you that when a lot of strange things occur around a case, they’re usually related. Connecting all the dots is the tough part. So, Burt’s reopening the lab and his attempts to frame Billy could be notes of the same song.”

“I see.”

Sam rocked back and watched the moth for a moment. It ricocheted off the light and bounced against the wall. Part of her felt like she was doing the same. Attracted to solving a mystery, but only able to flap her wings against unforgiving obstacles. Maybe she should fly to Washington and meet Nathan and leave all this behind.

“What is it?” Alyss asked.

“Just thinking.”

“Thinking, or regretting getting involved in this?”

Sam offered a weak smile. Alyss knew her too well. “Too late now. It’s got me and I don’t know how to throw the hook.” She stood. “I’ve got to get dressed for my B and E.”

“And I can’t talk you out of this stupidity?”

“No.”

“Then, what can I do to help?”

Sam pulled on black stretch pants, a black long-sleeved shirt, and a Navy-blue knit ski cap Alyss had given her, stuffing her hair underneath. After lacing her running shoes, she stuffed her fanny pack with a flashlight, screwdriver, plastic trash bag, Polaroid camera, and her .25 Berretta. She chugged a glass of water, hurried out the door, and climbed into the back seat of Alyss’ car. Shelby sat up front with her mother.

“You don’t have to do this,” Sam said.

“I’m just the driver.”

“This is like so cool,” Shelby said. “I feel like a Green Beret or a Navy Seal or something.”

“Cool your fins, minnow,” Alyss said. “We’re just dropping Sam over by Silver Creek and then us Seals are going back home and locking the doors.”

The drive was short, less than a mile, but it bypassed open fields, crossed over both Gold and Silver Creeks, and deposited Sam at the gated fence that marked the boundary of Casa Grande. As soon as the car stopped, Sam jumped out.

“I’ll see you back at the house in a couple of hours.”

“Be careful,” Alyss said.

“I will.”

Sam slipped through the barbed wire fence and ran up the path that the MacCorkell twins had used. She heard Alyss make a U-turn and head back toward home.

You’re on your own now. Don’t fuck this up.

The path hugged the creek, protected by the regiment of aspens that flourished along each bank. After ten minutes of running at a steady pace, the lights of Burt’s mansion came into view, twinkling through the trees a half a mile to her left and up the slope. She ran on, confident that no one would see her in the darkness. Soon, she came to where the creek began its swing to the right. She stopped. According to Edgar, the lab should be nearby, just across the creek.

She used two large stones to avoid the water. As she climbed the far bank, the lab loomed before her. In the soft moonlight, it looked dark, even sinister. She guessed it was at least 100 feet by 50 feet, probably more, and had a flat metal roof. The wall that faced her was plain, cinder block, with two horizontal rectangular windows near the roofline.