Page 53 of Shelter for Martina

“Yeah. They’re .223Remingtons, just like the one that pierced your engine block, Bud,” Brad said. They’d asked him to sit in on the meeting because of the reports he’d generated, and he glanced around the room. “We’re thinking it’s from a Browning. Something fairly large, and maybe older. Based on the witness reports, it’s bolt action. Shots were too slow in coming to be anything else, but it’s someone who’s proficient with one for them to get off that many rounds that quickly.”

“You thinking a deer rifle?” Dennison asked.

“Probably. That would be my guess anyway. They’re plentiful around these parts. I bet if we looked at records, we’d find one that was stolen within the last year or so. Based on the projectile’s striations, it hasn’t been kept extremely clean or well-lubricated. Which leads me to think it’s older.”

“Anything else you can think of?” Brad shook his head at Len’s question. “Okay, people. We’ve got our work cut out for us. If you need any particulars on anything, see me, Bud, or either of the KDCI agents. Our focus has shifted from finding RenitaAnderson to finding out who’s shooting at our detective and the missing person’s mother. We’re not losing either of them. So hit it, guys.” Bud watched as, one by one, everyone filed out of the conference room. Again, everyone except one man.

“Captain?” Len spun and faced the voice. “I’d like to talk to you and DetectiveGriffin, if I may.”

“Sure. Come to my office.” Len headed out of the room, and Eldred fell in behind him, with Bud bringing up the rear. Once they’d all cleared the doorway, Bud closed the door and Len pointed to a chair. “Have a seat, TrooperMichaels. What’s going on?”

Eldred looked like he was going to cry, and Bud couldn’t figure out what was going on. “Sir,” he said, then turned to Bud. “Sir.” Bud nodded. “I think I know how they’ve been finding out information.” Len nodded. “They got it from me.”

Len stared at the young man and Bud was sure he’d heard wrong. “What? What are you talking about?”

“No! I don’t mean from me! I mean, from me, but not from me.” Eldred’s face was turning red. “I’ve been talking to… somebody. I mean, he’s my cousin, and I didn’t really think much about it. But once I started thinking about it… I mean, he’s got a brand-new car, and a new Harley, and he stays busy all the time. I wasn’t sure what that was about until he asked me if I wanted to make a little extra money. And I’m pretty sure he’s doing something with them.”

Len shook his head and rolled his eyes. “Eldred, I’m sorry. I don’t think we’re following you.”

“My cousin.” He looked from man to man, and Bud had no idea who he was talking about. In a voice barely over a whisper, he breathed out, “ArlenCole.”

Oh my fucking god!Bud wanted to scream. “What the hell, Eldred?”

“I know! I feel like such an idiot! We see each other all the time. You know, while I’m patrolling, while he’s patrolling. We’d just talk, just chit-chat. He’d ask if we had any leads on the Anderson woman’s disappearance, and I’d tell him what I knew. I just thought we were swapping info, you know, cooperating with each other. Then he asked me if I knew where Mrs.Anderson was spending her time because she wasn’t home much. I thought that was pretty strange, but I still didn’t think much about it. But when he started asking me about MartyBurgess after Marty was here, I—”

“Son of a bitch! What did you tell him?” Bud yelled.

“That he was here! That he went into Henderson! And that I hadn’t seen him since.”

“I’m sure as hell glad we didn’t tell you where he is!” Bud bellowed. “He’d be dead now!”

“I know! I realize that now! I’m so, so sorry, Bud. Really, I am! When you got shot at, and I remembered the things Arlen had asked me—”

“Holy fuck.” Len stared at the desktop and shook his head. “Eldred, I really don’t know what to say. So you think he’s balls deep in all this?”

“I’m pretty sure. He’s got all this new stuff, and a ton of money. And he was hoping to be a chief deputy. He even asked me if he got rid of somebody over here, did I think he’d have a better chance of getting on as a trooper.”

“And to think I was willing to vouch for the little son of a bitch,” Bud muttered.

“He even told me, ‘If I can get on as a trooper, you’ll be a detective, Eldred. I can almost guarantee it.’ Now I know what he meant. They’re planning to kill you, Bud.” The look on Eldred’s face told the tale—he was miserable with the choices he’d made, even though they’d been carried out in ignorance.

“So who’s he selling the drugs to, Eldred?” Bud asked, furious. That’s what this was all about—drugs. They’d killed Renita because she knew what they were up to. They’d kill Marty if they got a chance. And they’d kill him and Martina just because they wouldn’t let it go and forget about Renita. “Who is it?”

“Arlen’s got a whole little distribution system set up. There’s a guy there in town in BeaverDam who’ll buy all he can take in.”

“And he’s getting these from Adams and Young?”

“I’m sure he’s getting them from Young. Young’s getting them from Adams. Adams is the one doing the thievery. At least it looks that way to me.” Eldred looked up at Bud with tears in his eyes. “Bud, you’ve gotta believe me. Until the KDCI guys handed us those papers, I hadn’t put it together. Arlen offered me a position helping him with the work, but he didn’t say what the work was. He just said he needed help and he knew I could handle it. I thought he was selling supplements or carpet steamers or some shit. I had no idea it was something like this, I swear!”

No way could Bud stand there anymore. He stormed out of Len’s office, down the hallway, past everybody in the common room, and out the door. When he got to the car, he kicked the door—hard. How could that boy be that damn stupid? Now Adams knew they had Marty hidden somewhere, and he was determined to get his hands on his son. He’d kill Marty, and he’d kill Martina and Bud himself. He had no idea the paper trail that was forming, and he didn’t care. And by the time they could prove everything, it would be too late. Someone walked up behind him and he heard Len’s voice. “Bud, we’ll take care of all of this. You and Mrs.Anderson, you’ll—”

“We’re in big trouble here, Len, and you know it. This guy, he’s not accustomed to stopping until he’s done all the damage he can. He’s not going to let us live, not willingly. We’ll have to kill him first, and we don’t have the authority to do that. So what do I do, huh? Go home and wait for him to show up?”

“I don’t know, Bud. I really don’t.”

“Thanks. Thanks a lot. Guess I’ll handle it myself.” Bud only had one hail Mary. He had to make it count.

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