Nelson Demille - Wild fire

“I can’t say right now, but I want you to keep this to yourself.”

“That’s what they said. I would’ve called you, but I didn’t make too much of it at the time. Now, I’m thinking-”

“There’s nothing to be concerned about. Call me if this guy Putyov shows up or rebooks. I’ll see you later. Okay?”

“Okay. You have a good day.”

“You, too.” He hung up, glanced at me, and said, “Well, you heard all that.”

“I was very nice to her. Kate? Wasn’t I nice to Betty?”

No reply.

Schaeffer said, “I meant about Putyov canceling his flight.”

“Right. So, possibly he’s still at the lodge.”

“Yeah. He didn’t rebook.” He informed us, “These are small commuter airplanes, and the few flights we have are usually full. You can’t depend on running out to the airport and finding an empty seat.”

Schaeffer had a lot on his plate now, and a lot on his mind, but he had no idea what was going on beyond a homicide investigation. However, he knew something was going on at Custer Hill that interested the Feds and was not supposed to interest him.

We were approaching Route 56, and I said to Major Schaeffer, “Do us a favor and run us up to Potsdam.”

“Why?”

“We need to… actually, we’re trying to avoid Liam Griffith.”

“No kidding? What’s in it for me?”

“Well, then, just let us out on Route 56. We’ll hitchhike to Potsdam.”

“You might see a bear before you see a car.”

“Yeah? Well, I’m armed.”

“Don’t shoot the bears. I’ll take you.”

“Thanks.” I turned around to speak to Kate, but she looked a little frosty. I said to her, “I’ll buy you lunch in Potsdam.”

No reply.

Then, bigmouthed Schaeffer says, “Max is quite a looker. Funny, too.”

“Who? Oh, the Hertz person.” A little payback from the good major.

We were at the intersection of Route 56, and Schaeffer stopped the car, and asked, “Potsdam?”

I had a sense of déjá vu from when I was at this crossroads yesterday and made the decision to go see Harry at the Potsdam morgue rather than go as ordered to state police headquarters.

Now, we had to decide if we were going to face the music with Griffith before we got deeper into trouble, or go up to Potsdam and hide out.

Schaeffer asked again, “Which way?”

I glanced over my shoulder. “Kate? Potsdam or Liam?”

She replied, “Potsdam.”

Schaeffer turned right and headed north to Potsdam.

It’s tough enough working a homicide investigation when you’re out of your jurisdiction. It’s even tougher when you’re on the lam from the people you’re working for, and your partner is pissed at you, and your prime suspect is a buddy of some guys who work for the president.

How do I get myself into shit like this?

We chatted a bit about the case as we drove through the park preserve. When we got to South Colton, I asked Schaeffer, “Do you know Rudy who owns that gas station?”

“Yeah, I remember him from when I used to patrol this area. Why?”

“He’s Madox’s local rat.” I explained my brief association with Ratso Rudy.

Schaeffer nodded, and said, “This guy Madox has a lot more going on here than I realized. But as I said, he never caused us any trouble, and I don’t think he’s here that much. But from now on, I will keep closer tabs on him.”

I thought that there wasn’t going to be much more “from now on,” but I didn’t reply.

Schaeffer arrived at the same thought. “I guess he’s a murder suspect now.”

“Well, I think he is.”

“Do your colleagues in my headquarters think that?”

“I reported our suspicions to Tom Walsh in New York.”

“And what are you two doing in Potsdam?”

I replied, “Just taking a breather.”

“Yeah? Why don’t you go back to The Point?”

“Well, I think Mr. Griffith may be in our room using Kate’s makeup while he waits for us.”

“So, you’re on the run from your own people?”

“I wouldn’t put it quite like that.”

“No? How would you put it?”

“Let me think about that. Meanwhile, can we be assured that you won’t mention this to anyone?”

“Let me think about that.”

“Because, if we can’t count on your discretion, you may as well take us back to Ray Brook.”

“What’s in this for me?”

“You’d be doing the right thing.”

“When do I know that?”

“Oh… in about two days.”

“Yeah? So, you want me to commit a breach of professional responsibility and not mention to Griffith that I took you to the crime scene, and then to Potsdam?”

“Tell you what, Major. Ask him and the other FBI guys what this is all about. If they give you a straight answer, then send them to Potsdam to find us. Deal?”

“I think you’ll get the best of that deal. But okay. It’s a deal.”

“And I’m going to throw in the keys to my Hertz car, which you may want to move out of your parking lot on the off chance that the FBI practices good police procedure and goes through the lot looking for our rental car.” I gave him the keys and said, “There’s a picnic lunch from The Point in the backseat, and it’s yours.”

“This deal is getting better. What’s for lunch?”

“Probably snails. Also, if you want to cover your tracks a little with the FBI, you should call The Point and ask for us.”

Major Schaeffer observed, “You’d make a good fugitive.”

Actually, that’s what we were at the moment, but there was no reason to remind him of that.

We were on the outskirts of Potsdam now, and Schaeffer asked, “Where do you want to go?”

“Just drop us off at a subway station.”

I wasn’t sure if Major Schaeffer appreciated or got my humor, but he said, “I guess you need a car.”

“Good idea. Is there a rental place around here?”

“There’s an Enterprise.”

I waited for the rest of the list, but that seemed to be it.

We went through the center of town, then continued up Route 56, past the hospital where we’d seen Harry, and a few minutes later, we arrived at Enterprise Rent-A-Car.

Major Schaeffer parked near the rental office and said to us, “I don’t know why you want to avoid Griffith, or what kind of trouble you’re in. But if it wasn’t for the fact that you lost a friend and partner here, and that your colleagues are freezing me out, I wouldn’t be sticking my neck out for you.”

I replied, “We appreciate that. Your instincts are good.”

“Yeah? Well, I want you to prove to me that they are.”

“We’ll keep you informed.”

“That would be nice for a change.” He said to us, “Okay, I’m going to tell Griffith that I met you at the crime scene and that I delivered his message to you.”

I reminded him, “Get rid of our rental car.”

“Let me handle this, Detective.”

Kate said to Schaeffer, “Be assured, Major, that John and I will take responsibility for any problems this might cause you.”

“The only problem I have at the moment is hosting six Federal agents who are about to pull this case from me.”

I informed him, “There are more on the way.” Then I said, “Here’s the way I think Harry Muller was murdered.” I gave him my reconstruction of the murder as I thought it had probably happened. I concluded, “Look for signs that Harry may have been awake enough to kick the sides or roof of his camper.”

Major Schaeffer stayed silent awhile, then said, “It could have happened that way. But that doesn’t bring me any closer to finding the murderer or murderers.”

Actually, his prime suspect was still Bain Madox whether he wanted to believe that or not. I said, “Well, when you find a suspect, you can shake him up with that description of how it was done. It’s also good for your report.”