8th Day Page 18

  "So the ends justify the means?"

  "Something like that." He was still essentially blocking my path, though the hallway was wider than the doorway had been. He still held the prod in his hand and I wondered if Ben and Doc had already talked to him about me. Maybe they'd already discovered that I was a private investigator. I tried to put these thoughts out of my head.

  "So, other than me, you like it here okay?" he asked.

  I didn't know if Coach was stalling to allow someone else time to search my cabin, or if he was really that interested in me but I decided it was in my best interest to placate him a little.

  "I like it fine. Actually, what I said earlier about not liking guys in general wasn't really true. I like most of them fine. I just don't sleep with them. As for you, Coach, I don't know you well enough yet to know whether I like you or not. Maybe deep down, you're a sensitive, caring, all-around nice guy. So far, all I've seen you do is humiliate kids and threaten them with torture."

  He seemed a little dumbfounded. He put the prod back in its holster and ran his hand through his hair again. "I guess when you put it that way, it does sound pretty gruesome. But I do a lot more than play the tough guy. You just saw the worst part first. I wouldn't be here if I didn't care about these kids."

  It was obvious that I'd hurt his feelings, which was a good thing. It meant he had some.

  "Why did you come back to work here?" I asked. "Most kids can't wait to leave."

  "Oh, they say that at first. But for quite a few of them, this is the best thing that ever happened to them. It was that way for me." He paused, rubbing his lightly stubbled jaw. "Why did you come to work here? And don't give me any more bullshit about wanting to get past that incident where you decked a kid. I didn't buy that for a second. I think you liked hitting him, like you said. And I think you'd still like it. I think you wanted to slug me a few minutes ago. It was in your eyes."

  I laughed. "Touché, Coach. You got me. I admit I had a brief fantasy of grabbing your cattle prod and giving you a chance to see what it felt like. Luckily, the urge passed."

  "Lucky for you," he said. I wasn't sure if he was trying for macho bravado or menace.

  "I really did tell Ida I'd meet her," I said.

  "Okay, okay. I'm sorry I wasted so much of your time. If I'd known you were a dyke, I wouldn't have bothered. It was a waste of my time, too."

  This made me smile. "Next time, I'll just paint a big L on my forehead."

  Coach smiled. "That might help." He stepped aside and ushered me past him with a courtly wave. As I walked down the hallway, I could still feel his eyes on me. I wondered if he could see the bulge of papers through my shirt.

  "You do have a nice ass, though!" he yelled, just as I reached the outside door. I ignored the comment and let myself outside, resisting the urge to run like hell.

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  "We need to talk," I said as soon as Jo opened the door. One look at her and the morning's events came rushing back at me, making my cheeks redden involuntarily. Gracie was already sprawled in Jo's easy chair and looked beat but she sat straight up at my words.

  Jo gave me a look that told me she was more hurt than angry and that beneath the hurt the passion still burned. I realized that that was another thing I found attractive about her. There was no pretense about her. What she felt, she showed. And just being near her, seeing the emotion in her eyes, made whatever resolve I'd momentarily felt earlier, dissolve.

  "I think we should get Maddie out of here," I said.

  "What do you mean?" Grade asked.

  "I'll explain in a second." I shook out the papers and spread them on the table. "This is going to take a while. You got any scissors and tape?" Jo found some, then came to sit by me as Grade started tearing the perforated computer paper into separate sheets, while I went to work with the scissors. "According to Ben's records, these parts were what was in the crates that the truck picked up that night in the mine. By themselves, they don't look like anything to me, but I've got a feeling these shapes mean more than meets the eye. If we think of it as sort of a 3-D jigsaw puzzle, maybe we can figure it out."

  While we worked, I explained about my visit to Ben's loft and overhearing his conversation with Doc. I told them about Ida looking for me and Coach showing up at my classroom door.

  "You think he saw you hiding the disk?" Grade asked.

  "I have no idea He didn't act like he suspected anything. He was either genuinely trying to hit on me, or doing a good job of faking it. If he was faking it, I assume it was to give someone else time to search my cabin. But when I went back, everything looked in order."

  Jo was shaking her head. "You've got to be wrong, Cass. There's no way Doc would be involved in something illegal. I mean, I could see him maybe covering up one of Coach's messes, out of loyalty or fatherly devotion or something, but not like what you're suggesting. Tell Grade what Pat said about Coach being at Annie Sisson's cabin that night."

  I recounted the story to Grade. "Given what Doc said about Coach taking care of Annie's car, I've got to assume it was also Coach who cleaned out her cabin."

  "Makes sense," Grade said. "But if one of them did kill Annie, what did they do with her?"

  "We've got to find out from Maddie. It's the only way. They're going to be on to me soon if they're not already. Ben's too suspicious. I can't go asking any more questions. The thing is, we don't have proof that a crime was even committed. Maddie's the only one who can help us find that proof."

  "Okay," Gracie said, standing up. "I agree. Maybe we should just get her and go."

  "The problem is, as soon as they find out we've taken her, they could destroy any evidence that might exist. It'll be her word against theirs. And she's a juvenile delinquent. We've got to find proof."

  Jo was pacing, clearly having difficulty believing that Doc was involved.

  "Jo, I know you don't want to believe all this. But we can't afford to trust any of them right now."

  She took a deep breath and let it out slowly. Her eyes resembled those of a little kid who's been betrayed. She turned to Gracie. "How are you going to get her out? You know the code to the locked gate?" She looked from Gracie to me and we both shrugged. "Me neither. It's a security thing they've got here. Only a few people know the code."

  "Shit," Gracie said. "We're fucked."

  "We'll just have to get hold of one of those remote openers. I saw Coach use one the day I got here," I said. "Let me run a scenario by you, see what you think. Gracie, how did Coach and Belinda interact on your little trip into town and back?"

  "Not like you'd expect if they were secret lovers. Coach hardly gave her the time of day."

  "I've been thinking. What if it wasn't Coach that Belinda sneaked out to see that night. What if it was Clutch? Jo said she saw Clutch head into camp. And she also said Belinda flirted with Clutch. Maybe he and Belinda had a secret rendezvous that night."

  Jo folded her arms and shook her head, but she kept silent.

  "Okay. So it's Clutch and not Coach the girl's screwing. How does that help us?"

  "Let's say Annie Sisson sees Belinda sneak past her cabin and figures, like we did, that she was running off to meet with Coach. She already suspects Coach is seeing someone else, so she decides to follow them and confront them. Once she saddles up, she's not sure where to go. That's because Belinda didn't go to the stables at all. She's off somewhere with Clutch. Annie's confused and heads across the meadow, still not positive Coach isn't out there with someone. Then she sees the lights on at the mine and decides to investigate."

  "That kind of rules out your theory of a confrontation in the woods," Grade said.

  "Exactly. I think whatever happened to Annie had to be where Maddie could see it. And Maddie wouldn't be hiding right in camp. I don't think she was in the woods, either. I think Maddie was hiding in the mine."

  "There's an electronic gate baring the entrance," Jo said, obviously eager to prove my theory wrong.

  "Not from the
machine shop. The boxcar is sitting right there. All a person would have to do is get in and go."

  "Why would someone run away to the mine? It doesn't make sense," Gracie said.

  Jo sighed, rubbing her arms as if suddenly chilled. Gracie and I looked at her expectantly.

  "I knew a kid who tried it once," Jo said. "Back when I was a student here. She was the bravest kid I ever met. Meaner than snot, too. I had a huge crush on her. Anyway, her plan was to hide in the mine, then make a run for it when everyone had quit looking. Problem was, she couldn't tough it out. About two hours in the mine and she came straight back to camp."

  "Like Maddie did," I said. "She came back on her own, too. But maybe what scared her was what she saw happen in the mine, not the mine itself."

  "What do you think happened?" Gracie asked.

  "I think Ben or Doc killed Annie because she saw something she wasn't supposed to see. Then I think they got Coach to get rid of the body. We know he got rid of her car. Maybe he put her in it first."

  "If it were me, and I'd killed someone in the mine, I'd just put the body in the boxcar and dump it in the sledge heap. That'd be safer than trying to cart her all the way back to camp," Gracie said.

  I stared at Gracie. Even Jo nodded.

  "Makes sense," she said. "If it actually happened at all, that is."

  "It would be the easiest way," I said. "And it means we've got a chance at finding our proof. If Annie's body is buried in the sledge heap, we should be able to find it."

  "Not easily," Jo said. "I've looked down that thing a time or two. It's a straight drop. You'd need ropes and probably some of those things you drive into the ground to keep the ropes in place."

  "Pitons," I said. "Maybe we can get creative. Speaking of creative," I said. "I think I just figured out what Annie Sisson saw that she wasn't supposed to. Hand me that tape." The shapes had finally begun to make sense, and once I got the general idea, assembling the pieces became easier. "Check this out." I held up the assembled cutouts and Jo's face went pale.

  "Looks like a semi-automatic," Gracie said, coming over to examine the shape. "See the magazine clip? Pretty ingenious the way they made the parts unrecognizable."

  "Even the stock is made in six pieces," I said. "By themselves, they just look like harmless hardware. But they're probably simple to assemble."

  "Maybe they're not what they look like," Jo said.

  We both looked at her.

  "I mean, they could be replicas, you know."

  "Well, just assuming they're real," Gracie said, "I wonder who he sells them to?"

  "Hell, Gracie. There's so many weirdo groups out there right now stockpiling weapons, he probably has a backlog of buyers. Making them here, they'd be untraceable. These kind of guns are illegal as hell on the market. Which means they're worth a lot. I'll bet you anything this is what Coach has over Ben and Doc. Somehow he must've found out about the guns, then talked them into letting him in on the action."

  "I wonder if Ida and Clutch know?" Gracie asked.

  "No way," Jo said. "Even if these are what you think they are, Ida would never allow anything to ruin the reputation of the camp. And Clutch feels the same way about the ranch. If these really are actual guns, Ben's got to be the one behind this. The others wouldn't stand for it."

  "Even so, Jo, it would be safer if we didn't trust any of them for the time being," I said.

  Jo shot me a pained expression. "You sure you trust me?" she asked.

  The silence was awkward, even for Gracie who was watching us both intently.

  "Jo, look. I know this must be hard for you." I reached out but she stepped back.

  "No, you don't know, Cass. Doc saved my life. Clutch and Ida are like family to me. You just waltz in here with wild notions about murder and guns and expect me to believe that the people I love and trust are evil?"

  "I didn't say anyone was evil, Jo. But I think something's going on and Maddie might be in danger. And right now, we need your help."

  Jo's gaze held mine, her eyes fierce. Finally, she sighed.

  "I'll go along, if for no other reason than to prove you wrong," she said.

  "Fair enough." I looked at Gracie. "Maybe we should split up. You figure out a way to get Maddie out of here and Jo can help me get down the cliff to the sledge heap. That way, if we get caught, it won't leave Maddie without someone who knows what's going on. At this point, no one suspects you."

  "Makes sense. Hell, maybe we'll just ride out. I'll tell the kid who I am and what we've been doing. I'll show her a picture of her mom. That ought to convince her. By the time Coach figures out she's gone AWOL, she and I will be out of the woods and up on that road. I'm pretty sure I can find a way to get there. Coach may think he's a good tracker, but I bet he's never tried to track a real live Indian before." She grinned.

  "You have a camera?" I asked Jo.

  "One of those throw-aways. Why?"

  "If we do find Annie Sisson's body, we should take a picture for proof." I checked my watch. "You'd better hurry," I said to Gracie. "Free time's about over. Once that bell rings, you won't be able to get to her until tomorrow. I think we better make this happen tonight. Take the gun assembly with you, too, Gracie. Once you reach civilization, you might need it for proof. Especially if something happens to Jo and me."

  "Maybe we should all ride out together," Gracie said.

  "As soon as we find out if Annie Sisson's buried in that dump, we'll follow. Somehow, I'll figure out a way to get that remote control."

  "I better go. You sure you don't want to come with me and Maddie right now? We can always send the police to look for the body."

  "No. I think it's best if Jo and I act like everything's normal. We'll let people see us together at dinner, make it look like we're romantically involved so no one will think it odd that I'm spending the night in her cabin. Then, when it's dark enough, we'll head for the dump. If all goes well, we'll be back before dawn. You guys head for Portsmith Grove and hide out there until we arrive. We can meet at the hotel there."

  "Okay, champ. But don't go playing hero, okay? Let the police do the arresting."

  "Not to worry," I said. Gracie tucked the taped-together papers into her back pocket and opened the door. "Here goes. I only hope I can convince the little booger to come with me."

  Jo and I watched through the window as Gracie took long, determined strides across the pasture toward the stables.

  Jo's arm brushed against mine, sending a flurry of goose-bumps down my body and I felt my insides respond. Despite my misgivings, against my better judgment, I knew I wanted her. But when I turned to face her, she pulled back.

  "Jo, about this morning..."

  She put a finger to my lips, but only briefly. "Not now, Cass. Let's just get this over with."

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  Madeline

  Three Days Earlier

  Maddie sat in the orange plastic chair outside Doc's office, tapping her foot nervously. She didn't want to meet with Doc anymore. She'd pretended to get sick the last time, and so avoided most of the session. She couldn't very well pull that one again. He was still harping on her about the stealing business, trying to get her to reveal the real reason behind the thievery. He'd been on her about letting him hypnotize her, but she didn't want any part of that. No telling what he might ask or what she might say. He might even ask her about the night she ran away. She couldn't let that happen.

  She checked the clock on the wall, knowing she'd become obsessed with time lately. At first, she'd thought of her life as divided between the days Before Camp and those After Incarceration. Later, she thought of everything in terms of After Isolation and Before Her Escape. Now, her whole world had come down to the days since her first Escape Attempt. It had been five days. Time was running out.

  "There you are, Madeline. Come in, please," he said, opening the office door and ushering her in like she was a special guest and not some captive prisoner in his Labor Camp. She was careful not to glare at hi
m, though. It was important to keep playing along. In fact, today she'd decided she'd throw him a bone, reveal a few secrets, maybe break down and cry a little. That ought to get him off her back for a while.

  "How are you, Madeline?"

  "Okay, I guess."

  "No more thoughts about running away, I hope?"

  Maddie shrugged. Best to keep it real, she thought. "Not too many."

  Doc leaned back in his chair and laughed. It was a good, genuine laugh, not the phony kind that adults usually gave. Maddie smiled at her own admission.

  "But you're getting along better. I see you interacting now with some of the others. The new girl, Rebecca Patterson. You seem to get on with her pretty well."

  "Yes," Maddie allowed. The truth was, ever since her failed escape attempt, she'd stuck to Rebecca like glue. There was strength and safety in numbers, she figured.

  "And have you thought any more about your stealing? Hmm?"

  Maddie took a deep breath and let it out slowly. Doc waited. He was a very patient waiter. He was also a good bullshit detector. To do this right, she'd have to tell some truth.

  "I think the reason I used to steal was because I was mad." There! She'd said it. Now maybe he'd leave her alone.

  "Mad at whom, Madeline?"

  "Everyone!" she said, surprising herself. She pushed back her hair and wiggled around in her seat. For some reason, it felt more uncomfortable today than usual.

  "Well, that's a lot of people to be mad at. Maybe we should focus on one or two today. Which one do you think you're the maddest at, Madeline?"

  Oh, for God's sake, she thought. He's not going to let this go.

  "How about your mother, Madeline. Are you mad at her?"

  "I don't know my mother. She's in prison for murder." It was the first time she'd uttered the words aloud and they sounded ugly. Her mouth felt dry and dirty.