Night Tide (12 page)

uninterrupted,! dreamless! sleep! in! a! warm! bed.! I! wish! my!

friend!wasn’t!in!the!hospital.!I!wish!I!could!talk!to!my!son,!Cole,!

one!more!time.!I!wish!you’d!go!away!and!leave!me!alone.”!

Night&Tide
—Sherer&

77&

!

She! pressed! her! lips! together! and! held! her! gaze! on! my!

face.!I!blinked!and!looked!away.!!

!

If! there! was! any! truth! to! what! she! suggested,! it! could!

explain!the!FBI’s!interest!in!finding!Wink.!He!wasn’t!just!a!skip6

trace!to!them.!And!if!he!was!innocent,!he’d!had!a!lot!of!time!to!

think!about!who!might!have!blown!up!that!lab.!

!

“You!think!Wink!is!out!here!somewhere.!In!Seattle.!Why?”!

!

She!shrugged.!“I!don’t!know!where!he!is,!actually.!I!thought!

you!might!be!able!to!help.”!

!

“How?!How!would!I!know!where!he’s!gone?”!

!

“I!took!a!chance.!I!thought!he!might!try!to!find!you!first.”!

!

“Why! on! earth! would! he! do! that?! I! left! him! hanging.! My!

best!friend,!and!I!didn’t!even!say!goodbye.!If!I!were!him,!I’m!the!

last!guy!I’d!try!to!find.!Unless!he!really!is!trying!to!kill!me.”!

!

“Everyone!in!that!damn!town!of!yours!said!you!two!were!

connected!at!the!hip!when!you!were!kids.!You!must!know!how!

he!thinks,!what!he!might!do.”!Her!eyes!were!pleading!now.!

!

“I!
never
!knew!what!he’d!do.!That!was!part!of!the!thrill!of!

hanging!around!with!Wink.!You!never!knew!what!was!coming!

next.!Twenty!years!later…?”!I!wagged!my!head.!“No!clue.”!

!

“But!you!might!know!where!to!start?”!

!

I!considered!the!question.!Drucker!had!said!Wink!might!be!

in! the! area.! If! Wink! was! on! the! trail! of! whoever! had! bombed!

the! lab,! then! they! might! be! here! somewhere,! too.! Find! the!

bombers,!and!we’d!find!Wink.!Find!Wink,!find!the!bombers.!All!

the!same!to!Keely,!no!doubt.!I!wasn’t!so!sure.!To!pick!up!Wink’s!

scent!meant!going!back!to!the!trailhead,!the!place!where!it!all!

started.!!

!

“You’ll!help!me,!right?”!she!said.!

!

I!stretched!and!got!to!my!feet.!“I’ll!sleep!on!it.”!

!

I’d! made! up! my! mind! to! look! for! Wink! long! before! Keely!

walked! in.! For! self6preservation,! if! nothing! else.! I! owed! it! to!

him!for!that!one!act!of!cowardice!long!ago.!I!owed!it!to!myself!

Night&Tide
—Sherer&

78&

for!not!standing!up!for!him!at!his!trial.!But!I!wasn’t!giving!Keely!

the!satisfaction!of!being!the!one!to!convince!me.!

!

She!grabbed!my!wrist!on!my!way!past.!“Wait!!At!least!let!

me!tell!you!how!to!get!in!touch.”!

!

I!glanced!down.!She!let!go,!pawed!through!her!purse!for!a!

pen,! scribbled! something! on! a! napkin! and! handed! it! to! me.! I!

put!it!in!my!pocket!without!looking!at!it!and!walked!out.!!

*!*!*!*!*!

!

The!couple!stepped!through!the!darkened!motel!doorway!

quietly.! She! hesitated,! pressing! herself! against! the! wall! while!

he! pulled! the! door! shut,! her! eyes! scanning! the! parking! lot!

nervously.!He!turned!now,!face!partially!illuminated!by!the!dim!

light!from!a!fixture!over!the!door.!He,!too,!wagged!his!head!to!

and! fro! as! if! looking! for! something,! then! the! pair! headed!

furtively!for!the!stairs!down!to!the!lot.!!

!

Langford! watched! them! from! his! car! across! the! street,!

taking!a!sip!of!coffee!from!a!large!take6out!cup!he’d!purchased!

at! an! all6night! gas! station! less! than! an! hour! earlier.! At! the!

bottom! of! the! stairs,! the! man! raised! his! arm! toward! the! SUV.!

The! interior! lights! popped! on! as! he! thumbed! the! remote,!

barely! visible! through! tinted! glass! covered! with! heavy! dew.!

While! the! woman! opened! the! passenger! door! and! got! in,! the!

man! opened! the! lift! gate! and! deposited! the! small! overnight!

case! he’d! carried! from! the! room,! then! climbed! behind! the!

wheel.!

!

The! day! before,! Langford! had! followed! the! green! SUV!

south! from! Washington! all! afternoon! and! evening.! Long! after!

dark,! the! couple! had! pulled! off! the! interstate! somewhere! just!

north!of!Sacramento!and!had!checked!into!the!motel.!Langford!

had! waited! until! he! was! sure! they! were! settled,! then! had!

parked!in!the!back!of!a!Wal6Mart!lot!next!to!an!RV,!where!store!

security!likely!wouldn’t!bother!him.!He’d!climbed!into!the!back!

of! the! Scout,! set! the! alarm! on! his! watch! and! fell! into! a! light!

sleep.!!

Night&Tide
—Sherer&

79&

!

Only! a! few! hours! later,! he’d! topped! off! the! gas! tank! and!

gotten!coffee!and!a!semblance!of!breakfast!from!the!mini6mart!

inside.! Figuring! the! fugitives! would! want! an! early! start! to!

minimize!drawing!attention!to!themselves,!he’d!set!himself!up!

in!a!good!vantage!point!across!the!street!from!the!motel!well!

before!dawn.!The!sky!was!just!now!beginning!to!turn!gray!as!

the!couple!in!the!SUV!turned!out!of!the!motel!lot!and!headed!

back! toward! the! freeway.! Langford! waited! until! they! were! a!

few!blocks!away!before!starting!the!Scout!and!pulling!onto!the!

street!behind!them.!

!

As! soon! as! they! turned! onto! the! freeway! entrance! ramp!

heading! south,! Langford! knew! they! were! headed! for! Mexico.!

They!were!running.!He’d!known!it!the!day!before,!but!wanted!

to! be! sure.! Now! he! was! worried.! They! could! easily! make! the!

border!before!dinner.!He!needed!to!come!up!with!a!plan!long!

before!then.!In!fact,!the!sooner!the!better,!before!day!broke!and!

the! road! filled! with! the! normal! flow! of! north6south! interstate!

traffic.!!

!

Reaching! behind! the! seat,! he! patted! the! stock! of! the! old!

Remington! 760! .306.06! hunting! rifle! through! the! canvas! and!

leather! case,! as! if! assuring! himself! it! hadn’t! walked! off! in! the!

middle! of! the! night.! Then! he! leaned! over,! opened! the! glove!

compartment,! removed! the! M1911A1! Remington! .45!

automatic!pistol!his!father!had!been!issued!during!the!Korean!

War!and!laid!it!on!the!seat!next!to!him.!Putting!both!hands!back!

on!the!wheel,!he!accelerated!down!the!ramp!onto!the!freeway,!

pulled!into!the!passing!lane!and!slowly!began!to!overtake!the!

green!SUV!down!the!road!ahead.!!

!

Night&Tide
—Sherer&

80&

!

!
Chapter(14(

!! Frank!Shriver!nursed!a!shot!of!what!looked!like!bourbon!

and! chased! it! with! a! big! gulp! of! beer.! He! wiped! foam! off! his!

upper! lip! with! the! back! of! his! hand,! sharp! facial! features!

softened! by! the! brume! hanging! in! the! air! as! if! smoking! in!

restaurants! hadn’t! been! outlawed! years! earlier.! The! thin,!

dispirited! lunch! crowd! barely! raised! the! restaurant’s! volume!

above!a!library!hush.!A!sudden!clatter!from!the!direction!of!the!

kitchen!stirred!barely!enough!interest!to!lift!one!or!two!heads.!

I!eased!into!the!chair!across!from!him.!

!

“Blake,! buddy.”! Frank! raised! a! hand! in! greeting! and!

spewed!questions!before!I!opened!my!mouth.!“How’s!the!hero?!

Racking! up! points! against! future! troubles! with! SPD?! Your!

friend! the! cop! okay?! Heard! his! wife! hasn’t! shown! yet.! What’s!

with!that?”!

!

“Nice!to!see!you!again,!Frank.!Still!have!a!job,!I!see.”!!

!

“Touch!and!go.”!!

!

“There’d!been!rumblings!about!selling!the!paper!for!a!long!

time.”!

!

“Would!have!been!better!than!shutting!it!down!altogether!

and!trying!this!online6only!crap.!Not!many!other!websites!out!

there!looking!for!a!metro!editor,!and!I’m!too!old!to!start!over.!

Won’t! be! long! before! they! dump! me! for! some! high! school!

computer! geek.! What! about! you?! You! seeing! your! route! get!

smaller?”!

!

“Subscriptions!are!down,!sure.!Gee,!must!give!me!an!extra!

five!minutes!of!sleep!a!night.”!

!

He!laughed!until!his!eyes!watered.!Nicotine6stained!fingers!

long!and!thin!as!a!pianist’s!stripped!wire6framed!glasses!off!his!

face.! With! his! other! hand! he! pinched! the! bridge! of! a! nose!

Night&Tide
—Sherer&

81&

webbed!with!spidery!red!capillaries.!Replacing!his!glasses,!he!

raised!his!beer!in!salute!and!took!another!swallow.!

!

“The!shit!you!went!through,!I!guess!that’s!a!good!attitude,”!

he! said.! “Just! shows! we! might! as! well! make! the! best! of! what!

we’ve!got,!right?”!!

!

I!grimaced.!“Breakfast!of!champions,!Frank?”!

!

He! glanced! at! a! blocky! stainless! watch! too! heavy! for! his!

thin!hairy!wrist.!“Breakfast!time!for!you,!maybe.!It’s!after!noon;!

good!enough!for!me.”!

!

“Things!that!bad?”!

!

He! glowered.! “Your! nickel,! is! all.”! He! tipped! his! glass!

toward!me!again.!“Let’s!see!what!it!buys!you!besides!halfway!

decent!whiskey.”!

!

A! short! woman! in! jeans! and! a! black! sport! shirt! ambled!

over! to! the! table! to! take! our! order.! Body! art! decorated! both!

arms,!starting!at!her!wrists!and!disappearing!into!the!sleeves!

just!above!the!bulge!of!biceps!that!had!spent!time!in!a!weight!

room.!Blond!hair,!dark!at!the!roots,!was!pulled!back!tight.!She!

wet! the! tip! of! a! pencil! with! her! tongue! and! waited,! eyes! on!

Frank.!In!keeping!with!the!nooner,!he!ordered!a!patty!melt!and!

a!double!order!of!fries.!!

!

I!handed!the!menu!to!the!waitress!without!opening!it.!The!

Belltown! neighborhood! joint’s! nod! to! healthful! food! was! a!

house! salad! consisting! of! a! wedge! of! iceberg! lettuce!

accompanied!by!a!tasteless!slice!of!indestructible!tomato.!

!

I!smiled!at!her.!“Half!a!Reuben!and!a!cup!of!soup.!Please.”!

!

“Navy!bean,!chicken!noodle!or!cream!of!broccoli?”!

!

“Surprise!me.”!

!

“Anything!to!drink?”!Her!gaze!flicked!to!the!glasses!in!front!

of!Frank.!

!

“Water’s!fine.”!!!

!

She!shrugged!and!walked!away.!

Night&Tide
—Sherer&

82&

!

Frank! watched! her.! “She! reminds! me! of! someone…”! He!

shook!his!head!and!turned!back!to!me.!“What!can!I!do!you!out!

of?”!

!

“Other! way! around,! Frank.! I! want! to! test! your! memory.!

What! can! you! tell! me! about! the! bombing! at! Southern! Illinois!

University!back!in!the!’Eighties?”!

!

“You!can!find!all!this!crap!online!now.!Why!come!to!me?”!

!

“The!Internet!can’t!provide!personal!insight.”!

!

He!sat!motionless!for!a!moment!and!blinked!a!few!times.!

Idly,!he!swirled!the!ice!cubes!in!his!bourbon,!and!finally!took!a!

sip.!

!

“You!have!any!idea!what!I’m!talking!about?”!I!said.!

!

“Yeah,!yeah,!I’m!with!you.!Took!me!a!moment,!but!I!got!it.!

Engineering!lab.!Girl!got!killed.!Graduate!student.!What!about!

it?”!

!

“What!do!you!remember!about!it?”!

!

“Not!much.!The!only!reason!I!remember!it!at!all—I!mean,!

Christ,!we’re!talking!about!some!Podunk!town!in!the!Midwest,!

right—is!that!there!was!a!local!connection.”!

!

“Go!on.”!

!

“Day!after!the!bombing,!E.L.F.—the!original,!not!that!Earth!

Liberation! Front! bunch,! but! the! Environmental! Life! Force,! I!

think!it!was—took!credit.”!!

!

“Why?!What!was!the!point?”!

!

He! rubbed! his! chin.! “Something! about! protesting! a!

research! project.! Coal,! maybe?! I! think! that! was! it.! Coal!

gasification.!Something!they!said!would!cause!acid!rain!all!over!

again.!Wire!services!all!said!local!cops!caught!a!student!at!the!

scene.!Lab!that!got!destroyed!didn’t!have!anything!to!do!with!

coal!research.!Two,!three!days!later,!E.L.F.!issued!a!retraction.!

Said!its!people!weren’t!responsible!after!all.”!!

!

“And! the! student! had! no! connection! with! the!

environmental!group?”!

Night&Tide
—Sherer&

83&

!

“Hell,! there!
was
! no! group.! Guy! who! founded! the! original!

E.L.F.! went! to! prison! down! in! Lompoc! for! some! mischief! and!

mayhem,! and! the! group! disbanded.! That! was,! let! me! see,!

’seventy6eight!maybe.!Until!the!early!’Nineties!when!the!Earth!

Liberation! Front! started! firebombing! and! burning! shit,! there!

was!no!E.L.F.”!!

!

“Why’d!somebody!want!people!to!think!E.L.F.!did!it?”!

!

He!shrugged!and!drained!his!beer.!“Why’d!that!kid!set!off!a!

bomb?!Crazies.!All!of!’em.”!

!

“You!followed!the!investigation!pretty!close?”!

!

“The!part!out!here,!yeah.!My!job,!you!know.”!He!waved!to!

get!the!attention!of!the!waitress,!held!up!his!empty!glass!and!

pointed!to!it.!“Okay,!so!there!wasn’t!much!of!an!investigation,!

when! it! comes! down! to! it.! Cops! checked! in! with! the! guy! who!