Cash stared at Castillo. “If you don’t cooperate, Sheriff Colcord here is going to return you to your cell and your chance to clear your name will be gone. He’s gonna keep you overnight, and tomorrow, there will be a bail hearing, with Mr. Randall here representing you. Sheriff, what kind of bail are you gonna recommend for Mr. Castillo here?”
“At least a quarter million,” Colcord said. For a crime like this, even if he requested bail that high, he likely wouldn’t get it. But Castillo didn’t know that.
“Ouch. You got that kind of money? You can get a bail bond, but the fee is ten percent—twenty-five grand. Ouch again. And if you can’t raise bail, you’re gonna stay right here in Eagle. When the charges are filed, there will be stories in the newspapers. Even if you post bail, you’ll have to come back here again for the preliminary hearing—maybe even a grand jury proceeding. Are we gonna need to convene a grand jury on this one, Sheriff?”
“Felonies committed on public land. Certainly a grand jury will need to be convened.”
Colcord could see Castillo inspecting Randall warily from the corner of his eye. Randall dabbed at his wet forehead with his sleeve. Castillo grimaced.
“Grand juries take a lot of time, Mr. Castillo. What’s the hourly rate of your attorney in San Francisco? Unless, of course, you choose to be represented by the very capable Mr. Randall here. You’re gonna be tied up for months, maybe years. Lawyers are so expensive these days! That club you belong to—what are the membership fees?”
Castillo raised his hand. “All right, all right! For chrissake, I’ll answer your fucking questions!”
“What were you looking for at Solitary Lake?”
“I was looking for the alien artifact that Grooms claimed to have found.”
“And whatisthis artifact?” Cash asked.
“Grooms wouldn’t tell me.”
“Was it important?”
“He… wouldn’t tell me.”
Colcord began shaking his head. This whole thing was ridiculous. He couldn’t help but feel a little resentful that Cash, against his advice, had gone to San Francisco to talk to this nutjob. He told himself that she couldn’t have known the maniac would follow her here, all the way to Burns, and then tear apart their crime scene… Still. This was a whole lot messier now.
“You told me,” Cash said, “that the aliens had killed him and taken it. So why were you still looking for it if the aliens had it?”
Colcord shot her a look. Why was Cash playing into Castillo’s alien narrative?
“I was hoping maybe the aliens hadn’t found it after all. Grooms said it was well hidden.”
“Did he tell you where he’d hidden it?”
“No.”
“If you didn’t know what the object was, how was it important?”
“Any alien artifact would be important. Earth-shattering. It would be proof that we’re being visited by intelligent beings from another galactic civilization. It would be the greatest scientific discovery ever made.”
Colcord let out a long, audible sigh. They needed to get rid of this guy, not try to make sense of his ramblings. He couldn’t have this guy wandering around, causing trouble.
Cash glared at Colcord and forged on. “Why were you breaking apart and knocking down those sculptures?” she asked.
“I thought the alien object might have been incorporated into one of them. You know, disguised.”
“But you didn’t find it.”
“No.”
Colcord cleared his throat and spoke. “Mr. Castillo, let me get this right: You came all this way, flying from San Francisco to Denver, renting a car, and hiking up to the cabin in hopes you might find some alien object Grooms claimed he found in the wreckage of a UFO many years ago. You busted up some junk sculptures looking for it before you were apprehended by one of my deputies. Have I got your story right?”
“More or less.”
“And you also think aliens murdered Grooms. Correct?”
“Correct.”
