Page 62 of Silent Ridge

“No,” I say too forcefully. She is being kind and I sound like the bride of Frankenstein. I know I should tell her everything I can so she can protect herself. But I think if I find Rader and end him, this will all go away.

“I’ll be okay.” I manage to croak out the words. “We have work to do. I’ll get some rest before your swearing-in ceremony. I promise.” If Rader doesn’t kill me first.

I go to the sink and wet the washcloth again. I wipe my face and look in the mirror. I don’t really care how I look but I have to pretend to be getting better.

“There,” I say, and force a smile. “All better. Thanks.”

I can see that Ronnie’s not buying it, but she doesn’t say so.

“I may need you to do something for me,” I tell her. “Let’s go to your desk.”

Her desk is further from Nan’s. When we get there, I pick up her phone and keeping my back turned toward Nan, I call Dan’s work number at the shop. I get an answering machine and leave a message for him to call me. Then I remember he has some girl working for him. I call back, get the answering machine again. I add that his employee should call me right away if Dan’s not there. I hang up.

Ronnie is giving me a curious look. “Dan’s not at work?”

“I don’t know. He’s not talking to me.”

“You used my phone so he wouldn’t recognize the number calling?”

She’s smart.

“I guess,” I say. My throat is feeling a little better. Good enough to speak clearly anyway. “Can you call his cell phone?”

She calls and hangs up before it goes to voice mail. I think he might not answer if he’s outside working on his carvings with the chainsaw. I have her call again. He doesn’t answer. I call from my own cell phone. No answer. The voice mail answers and I hang up.

It’s 10:00 in the morning.

He should be at work.

“Let’s go,” I say.

“Are we going to see Dan?”

“I have to see Sheriff Gray first.”

I go to his office, rap on the door and enter.

Fifty-Four

Sheriff Gray gives me a reprieve until Ronnie’s hiring ceremony is over this evening. I promise I will answer his questions. I’ve already applied for a search warrant for Michael Rader’s motor home and he said he will contact me when it’s ready to serve. He talked to the judge and was promised an arrest warrant as well. I don’t want to arrest Rader, but this will cover the bases.

We get into Port Townsend. Dan’s store is closer than his cabin. I push through a couple of yellow traffic lights. The Taurus hugs the ground better than most of the marked police vehicles and I take advantage of that as I round corners. I pull in front of Dan’s shop, which is facing the bay, and I try to tell Ronnie to stay put but she’s out of the car.

The front of his business is a glassed-in showcase where several of his carvings are displayed. A grizzly bear stands twice the size of the one I have at home. Lighthouses, some painted red and white like a barber pole, some more traditional with the whitewashed tower. Eagles, cranes, wolves, buffalo. He’s been very busy.

I look through one of the panes of glass in the door and can see the sales counter. The place looks empty. I try the door and it opens. I tell Ronnie to go to the back and I go in. I move ahead and see a teenage girl holding a rifle. She’s holding it like she’s aiming it at someone who is just out of my sight.

I don’t wait for Ronnie to get in position. Weapon in hand, I move slowly and deliberately toward the armed girl. She’s turned where I can see only the side of her face but she’s clearly not more than a teenager. Lustrous black hair hangs over her shoulders and down her back. She’s about my size. I point my .45 at her. I don’t want to startle her into firing the rifle. I speak in a conversational voice.

Sheriff’s Office. Don’t turn around. Please put the weapon safely on the floor, ma’am.That’s what I should have said. In truth I yell like a whole SWAT Unit, “Drop it, bitch!”

Instead of dropping the rifle, she turns toward me, rifle still up and at the ready and I feel my finger tightening on the trigger. I let up at the last instant. I can see the “rifle” is made of wood and is painted.

She turns facing me. Her eyes are big as full moons. Her mouth is working like she’s a fish out of water.

I remember the name Dan gave me for his employee. “Are you Jess?”

She tries to talk but only a croak escapes her lips. She nods her head up and down, then looks at the wooden rifle like it’s a snake and throws it away.

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