Silent Witness (18 page)

Suddenly there was nothing but the sound of the train, the blast of air as the cars rushed by and the feeling that she was floating, her feet not quite, on the ground. Josie Bates grabbed for the railing and tried to hold on but her fingers slipped off. An arm clamped around her waist, knocking the breath out of her and Josie heard someone growl:

''What the hell do you think you're doing?''

Archer sat in the jeep. His chin buried in the collar of his jacket, his hands stuck deep into the pockets. The front seat was reclined and the heels of his shoes were on the dash. A flat-white shine came from the incandescent industrial lighting that pocked the parking lot. The night was just beginning and it ticked Archer off royally that he was sitting in the car like a kid waiting for his parents to come fetch him. Dropping his feet he sat up straight, took his hands out of his pockets and cocked one arm on the door. He stayed that way for a second. In the next he threw open the door, got out of the Jeep and checked out his friend at the gate. The guard was still there.

Idiot.

Archer flipped the door shut. The damn thing sounded tinny compared to the Hummer and it just made Archer all that more irritated. He rested his leg against the fender. It would have been a good time for a cigarette if he still smoked. It was a better time for an idea and he just happened to have one.

Casually Archer moved around the car, snapping the rag top into place, making sure the guard saw him. He paced the length of the Jeep, feigning boredom. Archer ambled up Aisle E, checked out the cars, stretched his legs, passed the time. He turned at the end and walked back again, hands in his pockets like a good boy. Archer was within six cars lengths of the Jeep when he saw his opening. The guard at the gate had lost interest in him. A woman with three children had a question; the rent-a-cop had a long-winded answer.

Well and good.

Archer's timing was impeccable as he slipped between two cars and ended up on Aisle D. His pace didn't change, he didn't look over his shoulder to see if the guy at the gate had caught on. Archer was cool and it would take a better man than that imbecile to figure out that he was not in the same place he had been a moment before.

One more time Archer walked the length of the parking aisle, turned to walk back and saw his mark. A van filled with people had just pulled into a space on Aisle C. A casual glance assured him he was not on the guard's radar. Archer made the pass between two mini-vans and landed himself on the next aisle. He was a knight and Pacific Park's parking lot was his chess board: two over and one down, one down and two over. Archer moved methodically, keeping his mind on checkmate, knowing the guard at the employee gate would assume he had climbed back into the car to keep warm. At least that's what Archer was counting on as he looked inside his wallet, puzzling over it just long enough for five kids and two adults to pile out of the van next to him. Chatting and talking, joking and laughing they all headed for the park entrance.

Archer fell into step with them. He knew not to walk ahead or lag too far back. He knew enough to turn his head and smile and look interested in one of the kids like he knew him from way back. Archer also knew enough to back off when said kid looked like he was getting nervous about the big guy with all the bruises hanging a little too close. At the right time Archer broke ranks and was absorbed by the larger crowd congregating near the main entrance. There were enough of them to hide a herd of Archers.

During the next three minutes he waited in line politely, flashed his auto club card, handed over two twenties and been welcomed with a discount admission to Pacific Park.

Archer was in and he was damn well going to stay until he had what he wanted.

CHAPTER 17

''Stunts like that can get you killed. Or haven't you heard that Pacific Park has a problem with people dying because they do stupid things.''

Roger McEntyre let go of Josie Baylor-Bates and stood back. It wasn't far enough. McEntyre was like a wall. Josie couldn't go through him; he wouldn't let her go around. She waited for his signal. It came as he turned and cast her a sidelong look that said he expected her to fall in.

''I wasn't that close,'' Josie objected, wanting some conversation to keep from feeling as if he was leading her to the gallows. ''I wasn't going to get hurt unless you count windburn.''

''I didn't know you were an expert on what constitutes a danger in a theme park.'' Roger turned sideways and held out an arm. Josie hesitated, half expecting a trick. Finally she walked ahead, pushing through the migrating mass of people. Roger followed. When she came out on the other side she was alone, surrounded by the crowd but not a part of it.

''It's a movement pattern phenomena,'' McEntyre said as he joined her. ''People move in groups leaving an oasis of space now and again. We can track it, we can manipulate it with the right sounds and smells, the proper placement of an attraction. It keeps people from turning into human bumper cars.''

''So all this fun is a science,'' Josie noted.

''It's a talent of the creator of the park,'' McEntyre responded, ''enhanced by science and common sense.''

''I'm not sure I've seen the common sense part.''

''Your trick over there by the Perilous Peak? That's a nice little example of the lack of common sense.'' McEntyre pulled a thumb over his shoulder. Josie looked in that direction briefly but she kept walking.

''Maybe it wasn't the best example for the kids . . .''

''That's an understatement. Didn't your mother ever tell you there's a reason why fences are built?'

''My mother didn't believe in fences,'' Josie said.

''Mine did,'' McEntyre said casually. ''There is usually a good reason for them. They kept me out where I wasn't welcome, and in where I was. Fences protected me from things that could hurt me.''

McEntyre raised his hand slightly. The ice cream pavilion was deserted on this chilly night. Roger sat on one of the little, round, red stools. Four to each round yellow table. Josie sat on another. McEntyre didn't offer to pop for a cone. He just kept talking.

''So there's a reason we have fences around rides and there's a reason why they are posted in specific areas. For instance, let me tell you about that fence you were leaning over. You chose a particularly vulnerable point. The cars are traveling at forty-five miles an hour. The plan is to hit the dip smooth, shoot up into the loops and go on to the next rise. It's a lot of physics you don't necessarily need to understand. What you do need to know is that, once in a blue moon, the cars jump the tracks and where do you think they have the greatest probability of doing that?''

''As they come down that first slope?''

''The one where your head was sticking out? Why yes, you're right.''

Roger unbuttoned his jacket and drew it back. He put his hand on his hip. Josie saw the shine of a buckle, the deep mahogany color of the leather belt. He carried no weapon at his waist but Josie wouldn't swear he didn't have one somewhere. She looked at his face again.

''I'll take my chances,'' Josie said. ''According to you guys, there's no such thing as mechanical error, so I figure I'm pretty safe.''

''Then let's talk human error. You know what these people do any chance they get?'' McEntyre raised his brows, he touched his mustache and looked at all the people in the park as if they were not particularly held in high esteem. ''These people do stupid things. They lean the wrong way, they stand up, they throw stuff. You wouldn't believe the shit they think is funny. Once we had a kid who took a rock up on the Peak and threw it from the top to see which would hit the ground first, the car he was riding in or the rock. The rock landed on a baby stroller. Imagine that.''

Josie didn't want to hear what came next. He told her anyway.

''Luckily the mother had just picked the baby up because it was fussing. The woman was hysterical, the stroller was crushed and the kid on the ride was kindly asked never to come back to Pacific Park again. The parents sued us. They said since no one was hurt there was no reason to keep their precious little boy out of the park. That incident cost us a small fortune to defend. Luckily, common sense won the day. A judge agreed that kid didn't deserve to come back.''

''Okay,'' Josie propped her elbows on the table. ''I was wrong. Leaning over that fence wasn't the smartest thing in the world to do.''

''It wasn't even close,'' McEntyre said. He put a hand on the table. He didn't fidget. He was a very calm man. ''What were you looking for?''

''It's what I was looking at. There are two cameras pointed at the coaster. I think there was a third in the middle area,'' Josie informed him.

''Did you want your picture taken?''

Josie propped her elbows on the yellow table, rested her chin on one upturned hand and said:

''No, I want to know how many cameras were pointed at the Shock & Drop. We only have one tape. Where are the rest of the tapes, Mr. McEntyre?''

Josie swore she saw just the hint of a smile underneath the straw colored mustache. It might have been a trick of the light, though, because Roger McEntyre didn't seem particularly amused or interested in the question.

''We looked through all our old files and turned everything we had over to Mr. Cooper as soon as we had questions about the tape. That one is all I had in the archives.''

''So you're telling me there are multiple cameras on the Perilous Peak but there was only one camera on a ride as big as the Shock & Drop?'' Josie asked incredulously.

Roger shrugged and stood up. He buttoned his coat. People had changed their mind and suddenly ice cream was very popular. The man didn't like crowds. They were walking again.

''That was then, this is now. It was an older attraction so I don't know how many camera's were on it. The roller coaster is newer, we've put more money into it and the footprint is three times that of the Shock & Drop. Three cameras are not excessive. If you'd like me to arrange a meeting with our park planning engineer so he can explain the ratio to you, I'll be happy to do that.''

''I'll just bet you'd be tickled pink to do that,'' Josie said amiably.

He was giving her the company line but confrontation would accomplish nothing. Josie would wait until she had something more to work with and hopefully she'd have that in time for the preliminary hearing. They walked toward the back lot where Jude and his team were still working.

''Why didn't the park get the Shock & Drop up and running again if there wasn't a mechanical problem?'' Josie asked.

''Why are you reaching for straws?'' Roger shot back. Then he saw that she was not going to let it go. He sighed. ''That attraction was due to be phased out so it was no problem to shut it down in anticipation of Tim Wren's mother filing against us. When she didn't, we just kept it out of commission. The plan is documented. I'm sure Mr. Getts has that information.''

''And you know that Mr. Getts didn't get all the documentation he asked for.''

''I heard that was a problem. There's a high turnover in our administrative staff. It's hard to find good help these days.'' Roger lied straight-faced. ''I'll check it out.''

Josie stayed quiet for a minute, admiring Roger McEntyre. She recognized the tone, the walk, the posture. She recognized him. He had seen service and that meant he was a good soldier. His loyalty was to this place. Josie talked to him plain the way her father had spoken to her.

''Just so you know, I don't believe a word you say. I won't believe the engineering reports. I'll take very piece of information you feed me and rip it apart piece by piece until I understand exactly what went on here. I'll look for information you don't want me to have. I'll talk to people you don't want me to talk to.''

''I'd do the same thing.'' His eyes glittered sharp and dark. He saw everything around him, what was going on past him and things so close they would blur for anyone else. ''Do what you have to do. You're not going to find what you're looking for here. And, just so you know, you can't count on me being around to pull you back if you ever get in trouble again. Not here. Not anywhere.''

''I figured as much,'' Josie said, here eyes never leaving his even when he moved a step closer and lowered his voice a tick.

''And if you make too much trouble, I'll have a restraining order issued against you and everyone you've ever said hello to.''

Josie inclined her head.

''I can live with that, but if you know something, if you're covering up, you'll be an accessory to wrongful death when I file. . .''

Josie didn't finish her sentence. Roger's phone rang, he whipped it out of his pocket and walked away. Josie moved close enough to hear him say ''I got it covered.''

''What's going on?'' Josie asked but McEntyre was already headed out. Josie tried to stop him. A hand on the arm. A question thrown his way.

''There's a disturbance on the east side of the park. It's nothing that concerns you.''

''Hey boss, we've got a red code.'' A man in plain clothes was on the run past Josie and Roger. He paused, waiting to see if Roger needed assistance.

''I'm there.'' Roger yanked his arm away from Josie. She took a few steps forward and called after him.

''What's going on out there, McEntyre?''

Roger ignored her as he looked over his shoulder and spotted another man to his left. Josie jogged a few steps. She heard him give the order.

''It's Eric. Go. Fast.'' Roger's head whipped back to Josie one last time. He was angry to find her so close. He pointed. He gave an order. ''Finish up, get out and stay out.''

With that he was gone. Josie sprinted inside where Jude's team worked on the Shock & Drop.

''Jude,'' she hollered. ''I'm going to the east side. Don't wait. Call me later.''

Jude's head popped up but Josie was already gone, running through the crowds without a care for the stares as she passed, carrying with her an awful feeling that whatever was going down would be a hell of a lot worse if she didn't get there fast.

Jude rushed to the hangar entrance. He could just make out Josie's head as she bobbed and weaved through the crush of people. Colin Wren came up beside him, silent as a ghost.