Durango (24 page)

Of course not, Pat, Mitch said. Why would I do a thing like that? But listen to this, a couple of my colleagues here at our investigating company had to know what I was up to and it turns out the knives are out for this guy at least as much here as down there where you are.

About what? Carroll asked.

About his investment bank taking a lot of people to the cleaners, including a couple of the principals of my own company, on some kind of fast-buck derivative scheme. They collected big fees and the deal went south.

But Mitch, my boss is about to can me because somehow my story got out and another paper has it.

What other paper? Mitch said.

The
Rocky Mountain News
, Carroll said.

Wait a minute, Mitch said. Now this rings a bell. A guy down the hall helped me out with this case—your case—and he's got a girlfriend who's a reporter for that paper. Let me think about this. I had to tell him what was up to get his help doing some complicated financial tracking of our quarry. He's the guy who actually found Chandler here in town. I'll check with him, but it's within the realm of reason that he might have found this case interesting enough, particularly with Chandler's Colorado connections, to pass it on to his girlfriend. Get some brownie points, you might say. Come to think of it, that's got to be what happened.

Mitch, my notes, the draft of my story, all those papers, Carroll said. You didn't show them to him, did you?

Patrick, my friend, of course I did, Mitch said. He had to know what was going down to do his job, to help us out.

Mitch, is it possible he might have copied all that stuff and sent it to his girlfriend? Carroll asked in anguish.

In the dirty business of life, Mitch said, it is not only possible, I would have to say it is more than probable. Sorry, pal. If you get sacked, let me know. Maybe you can come work for us.

Patrick Carroll tapped lightly on Mrs. Farnsworth's door. Come in, she commanded. He told her about his conversation with Mitch. She said, I see. Alright, I want you to get in touch with this reporter in Denver. Appeal to her sense of journalistic collegiality, if she has any, and see what the
Rocky
's plans are. She will probably ask what our plans are, and you say that I haven't decided yet. That some unfairly damaged reputations are in jeopardy of further damage. Chances are she will scoff at that and say something like “news is news.” The
Rocky
will now think it owns the story and will not want to be scooped by us. Tell her we'll let her know in the next forty-eight hours and ask that they give us that time. I need to make a couple of phone calls.

50.

I've given it considerable thought, Sheridan said, and I've talked to Sammy about it, and I just don't think I'd feel comfortable there.

He was sitting at Caroline's kitchen table on Friday morning. She said, That's certainly understandable. All those folks, particularly Leonard and the Southern Utes, will be disappointed. But they have to understand.

What about you? he asked. Are you going down tomorrow morning?

I don't know yet, she said. I'm still trying to decide. It would be easier if you were going. But it is a historic moment for this place, for sure.

Caroline paused, then said, I got a call from Frances yesterday. She was very upset. It seems that, through some kind of comedy of errors, one of the Denver papers got Patrick Carroll's story about Russell, and she thinks they might run it. She was beside herself. I've never heard her so upset.

That's too bad, Sheridan said. I was kinda hoping she would keep it locked up and maybe the whole thing would go away.

That's what she wanted, I believe, Caroline said. But once it fell into the other paper's hands, it was out of her control. I guess at least for some people it's too juicy to pass up.

It's a strange world, missy, Sheridan said, one I still can't quite get used to. Nobody's got any privacy anymore. Everybody's business is everybody's business now. You'd think in a place like Durango that world would pass us by and leave us alone. But I guess it's too much to hope for.

I know, Daniel, it isn't fair. But I think the good news is that when everybody's business is everybody's business, maybe it goes away quicker. There is too much sensationalism and scandal to keep up with and pretty soon people either drown in it or go mad or just shrug it off. Mostly the latter, I think. If everything's a scandal, then nothing is a scandal. Most overused word in modern America.

He drank his coffee and thought. Well, if those Denver newspaper folks were to ask my opinion, and for all I know they'll try, I'd just tell 'em to publish and be damned. Nothing I can do about it anyway. He took her hand. But I'd just as soon they left you alone. You've suffered enough because of me.

No, Daniel, don't say that. You haven't caused me any suffering, she said, quite the contrary. You and your way of life, Red and Toby, your ranch, your lake, your cougar—she laughed—even your damned finortens, are a blessing to me. I've never been happier and more contented in my life.

Well, then, he said, I tell you what. Come up to the place tonight and I'll cook up two of the biggest, most beautiful trout you ever saw. Brought them down the last time I was in the high country. I went downtown to the bookstore yesterday and got some maps and travel stuff about Mexico, and we'll finish off that tequila and plan our trip. What do you say?

I say that would be perfect, Caroline said. I had planned to bake a chocolate pie today. Would it be okay if I brought it along? You do like chocolate, don't you?

Hate it, he said. You'd better bring two.

51.

At the site of the proposed Ridges Basin Dam, several miles south of Durango toward the boundary of the Southern Ute reservation, the Durango High School band was warming up its repertoire of Souza marches for the big ground-breaking ceremony the following morning.

A makeshift speaking platform for the dignitaries was being hammered together. Every half hour or so, a city official showed up to order it extended a few more feet. By now the attendee list included both US senators from Colorado, the Fourth District congressman, the mayor and city council of Durango, the La Plata County Commission, the chairmen of the Southern Ute and Ute Mountain Ute Tribes, the deputy director of the Bureau of Reclamation and a special assistant to the Secretary of the Interior from Washington, and a passel of water big shots from Denver.

The mayor of Durango had assumed the position of master of ceremonies and was agonizing about the number and length of the speeches. The politicians would, of course, each have to speak. But they were all politicians.

Behind the scenes, the real organization was being carried out by Sam Maynard, who had issued most of the invitations and followed up to insure attendance of the most important figures. It had not been difficult. He kept repeating the Kennedy saying about victory having a thousand fathers and laughed every time he did.

Sam Maynard had called Dan Sheridan the day before. He said, It would be great if you'd be here for this, Dan.

Sheridan had demurred, talked about a couple of calves that were sickly, and mentioned the forecast of a storm in the high country.

Sam said, I've been checking with the weather service about every hour. You're right about the high country, up in the Weminuche and the Needles, but it's supposed to keep north and east of Durango. We're supposed to have sunshine, at least in the morning, so I think it'll be okay. I hope you'll think about being here.

Well, Sam, Sheridan said, I do appreciate it. And I'll give it some thought. But if I do get down there, we got to have an understanding. No platform, no introduction, no speech. You may just see me toward the back of the crowd. I'll be the tall, ugly guy. Arrive late and leave early.

Better than nothing, Daniel, Sam said. Though my sense of justice tells me we ought to hang a big medal around your neck for this. And Mr. Cloud agrees.

You try to hang a medal around my neck anytime soon, Mr. Maynard, Sheridan said, and I'll hang something a lot less pleasant around yours.

Sam laughed and said, See you tomorrow. He stayed an hour or two longer to supervise the location of the Stars and Stripes and the blue and white Colorado flag with the big red and yellow
C
in the middle. And he watched as the red, white, and blue bunting was strung around the platform and speakers' stand.

Then Sam Maynard returned to his office to complete his list of calls and confirmations. He had worked on this project nearly all of his life. Throughout those thirty-some years, he had often thought it would never happen, that it was a pipe dream, that his beloved Utes would never get their water, in more recent times that hotheads in Durango might take to shooting it out. But here it was, and he found it difficult to believe. Tomorrow morning shovels were actually going to be put into the earth. Dirt would be moved along the banks of the Animas. He slapped his desk in happiness and said to himself, By God, this is actually—finally—going to happen.

52.

Frances Farnsworth hung up the phone and began to type on her computer. She was writing an editorial, two editorials, for the morning paper. The first was a celebration of the commencement of the Animas–La Plata water project so important to southwestern Colorado. The second was a commentary on the Russell Chandler story that she had just been told by the managing editor of the
Rocky Mountain News
would run in its Sunday edition.

She completed the first, then picked up the phone. Caroline, she said, I'm calling to say that the Denver paper will have much, though not all, of the exposé on your former husband and his serpentine manipulations down here years ago. And apparently he's got himself in more financial hot water where he is now. The Denver paper is using the Colorado connection to anchor the longer story about financial mismanagement in high places. I'm writing an editorial for tomorrow that tries to put all this into some sort of historical—and, yes, moral—context. I have no choice but to let people around here know what's coming.

It can't be stopped? Caroline asked with heavy resignation.

Afraid not, my dear, Frances said. I'm not going to run the full story or even part of it. I'd already decided that. But the workings of my profession once more took charge of fortune and fate. The story will be out. It's messy stuff, especially since it involves your former husband. But the good news—as we occasionally say around here—is that it will make Daniel Sheridan look like a redeemed hero and the longtime victim of a real serpent.

I needn't tell you that he will like neither part of that, Caroline said. He's made it clear since all this came up that he's not anyone's victim and he doesn't need restoration.

This isn't for him, Frances said. It's for us. For Durango. It was a lie, and it has been a cancer in this community. And it did have to be dug out for the sake of everyone's future. I didn't want young Carroll to stir up this pot at the beginning. But he convinced me that it had to be done. And now, despite Daniel's uneasiness with the spotlight once again, it is the absolute best thing for Durango. I'm just glad I didn't end up having to do it—for the very reasons you've stated.

He will have to bear with it, Caroline said. And if anyone can, he can. He's the strongest man I've ever met. I'm seeing him tonight. Let me tell him what's going to happen.

Thank you for doing that, Frances said. I was not looking forward to the call. Do you think you can persuade him to come to the ground breaking tomorrow?

I might have before, Caroline said, but I seriously doubt it now. The
Rocky
will not be out until Sunday. But I gather you want your editorial out tomorrow.

Frances said, I do. The only way I can preempt the
Rocky
and forewarn everyone is to run the piece tomorrow.

Caroline said, I'll explain all this to Dan. He hasn't told you, but you must know how much he appreciates your understanding about all this.

I do know it, Frances said. But it is not his style to say so. She hesitated, then said, Do me a favor this evening. Maybe after your first drink. Say to him that he is a hero and he always will be so long as any of us are alive to remember his service to Durango and this area. But most of all he is a hero for holding his head up under very bad circumstances and for teaching all of us what character really is.

53.

The phone rang and Sheridan picked it up. Dan, it's Steve Ramsey. I hate to do this to you yet again. But we're putting some search parties together to bring down some kids from the Weminuche and I'm wondering if one of the teams could use your place again as a collection point?

Of course, Sheriff, Sheridan said, you're always welcome. Tell me what's going on.

Pretty much the usual, the sheriff said. Three kids from the college—new ones this year, I guess—got it in their heads to camp out in the high country and as usual didn't pay much attention to the weather. The weather service is forecasting the first big storm tonight and the people at Fort Lewis and their friends are scared these kids will get caught in it and get frozen.

It'd help to have an idea of where they might have got themselves to, Sheridan said.

We're pretty sure it's up near the Vallecito Basin. There's a trail along Johnson Creek up there, and they told their friends they were going to camp out at Columbine Lake, just west and a little south of Mount Hope.

I know it, Sheridan said. Who's coming up here?

A couple of my guys, a couple of US Forest Service rangers who know the area, and one or two of the local mountain rescue types. Another group is forming up at the north end of Vallecito Reservoir and will head north up that trail and come into the area from the east. And we've got a third group coming over from Pagosa Springs. They can use those four-wheelers part of the way after they leave their trucks.