Page 96 of Cougar Point

“Okay. We’re here, Dad. Tell us,” Ronnie says.

He takes Ronnie’s hand and I don’t think he’s going to speak, but he does. “In the woods. A man. The box was on a stump and it struck me as odd that someone had left it there, but then I knew what it was. I didn’t see the man until he spoke to me. He said I seemed to be having trouble obeying so he thought he would give me a hand. I suddenly knew what was in the box. I never thought they would do it. I asked him why and he laughed. He asked if I needed more proof of life. I started to go toward him. I wanted to kill him with my bare hands. He told me if I touched him, I’d get the rest of her in pieces. He asked if I had his money. I told him I had it. He said to give it to him and he’d let her go. I told him I wanted to see her. I’d give him the money if he’d take me to her. That was probably stupid, but I thought if I give him the money now, what’s to keep him from killing her. I did the wrong thing, didn’t I?” He looks like he’s coming apart with grief and guilt and hopeless impotence. I’ve been there.

“You did right, Jack,” I say. “Did you get a good look at him?” I ask but I’m hoping he didn’t. If he let himself be seen all deals are off.

“It was the man. Not the woman. He was wearing gloves and a ski mask and a camo outfit.”

“Could you see his eyes? What color?” I ask.

“What color? Hell. How could I know?”

“Anything distinctive about him?” I ask.

“Yeah. He’s cut my wife’s hand off and is threatening to kill her. I’d say that’s distinctive enough. Wouldn’t you?”

“Did you call Lucas?”

He shakes his head, and Rebecca immediately gets on the phone.

“We need him,” I say. “Before he gets here can you tell me anything else. Anything at all.”

“That”—he points at the flash drive—“was taped to the box.”

He has been twisting a small piece of paper in his hands. He smooths it out and lays it on the table for us to read. Typed on it is one word.

TOMORROW

Rebecca finishes her call to Lucas and says, “He’ll be here. He said not to touch anything.”

Whoops.

A man’s voice comes from the kitchen doorway. “Hi, Jack.”

SIXTY-ONE

MARCH 2023

Whatcom County

The storage unit listed on the piece of paper Lucas had taken from Len Thundercloud’s trash was the last one on a row of units. As he had expected, most of the businesses were closed, with the exception of the tire place. The unit on the bill was shuttered and looked like it hadn’t been in use for some time.

He drove past it and pulled to a stop outside the tire place. A beefy guy with red hair wearing blue overalls sauntered out, giving his car a look up and down.

“Help you?” the guy said. He had a surprisingly high-pitched voice for a guy who had to weigh better than two-ten.

Lucas badged him. The guy didn’t look too perturbed, which meant he probably wasn’t the owner. He confirmed that when asked, and told him his name was Kayce Wallis.

Lucas asked Wallis if he had seen a black Nissan pickup truck recently.

He shook his head. “You mean a customer, or just in general?”

“Either.”

“Sorry, can’t help you.”

Lucas pointed over at the shuttered unit. “You know who owns that one?”

Shrug. “Think it’s vacant. Guy was there clearing it out a couple weeks ago.”

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