Judd’s cell phone rings. He doesn’t recognize the caller ID but it’s a 507 area code so it’s local. “I’d better take this,” he says. “You keep going.” Judd stands and crosses over to the other side of the workshop where he can watch Braedon run the shell through the remaining stages of the reloader. “Hello?” he says into his phone.
“Chief Hawkins?” says a voice on the other end.
“Yep,” says Judd. “But I’m not the chief anymore. Just Judd Hawkins.”
“Right.” The voice is male. “Sorry. Forgot. This is Pete Lindelof down at the Kwik-Trip. I heard you’re looking for information about your brother, Teddy.”
Judd lowers his voice and presses his back against the cinderblock wall, as if that gives him more distance from Braedon. “That’s right.” He leaves it at that. He doesn’t want to color what Pete says next. A tried-and-true interrogation technique. No need to stop using it now.
“Well,” says Pete, “Teddy came into the Kwik-Trip at about three in the morning a couple days ago.”
“Do you remember which day?” says Judd.
“It was early Friday morning. I was working a midnight to eight, then I drove up to the cities to see my girlfriend, Cass. She goes to Hamline. And I just got back and heard that the cops—I mean the police—are asking around about Teddy. You know, if anyone’s seen him. And they left your number, not the police station’s. Anyway, so that’s why I’m calling.”
“I appreciate that, Pete. Is it okay if I ask you a couple questions?”
“Sure.”
Clay watches Braedon shift the shell over to the reloader’s third station where he pulls the lever and drops a measure of gunpowder into the shell. “Was Teddy alone when you saw him early Friday morning?”
“Yeah,” says Pete. “He came into the store by himself.”
“Do you remember what he bought?”
“Yeah,” says Pete. “A breakfast sandwich and a cup of coffee. He heated up the sandwich in the microwave. Oh, and also, he bought a pair of work gloves.”
“Work gloves?” says Judd.
“Yeah. Leather ones, I think.”
“And do you by chance remember how he paid for that stuff?” says Judd. “Credit card? Cash?”
“It was cash,” says Pete, “if you can call it that.”
“What do you mean?”
“Well, it was a few crumpled-up ones and the rest was change. You know, like how kids come into the store to buy a can of pop or a candy bar or something. That’s why I remember it. Change is a pain in the you-know-what. It took a minute for him to count it out. It was to the penny.”
“That’s good to know, Pete. Thank you. One last question. You said he was alone. But do you know if he walked there? Or did he get a ride? Was anyone waiting for him in the parking lot?”
“You know what?” says Pete. “Yeah. There was. I forgot about that. There was a car or truck in the parking lot. I remember the headlights.”
“Do you remember anything else about the vehicle?” says Judd. “High up or lower to the ground? Round headlights or rectangular? Could you hear the engine from inside the store or was it quiet?”
“Uh… let me think…” says Pete. “No. I don’t remember any details. I was putting donuts in the pastry case when Teddy walked in and I was kind of focused on that. Sorry, Chief—I mean, Mr. Hawkins.”
“No need to apologize,” says Judd. “Appreciate you calling. You’ve been very helpful. And if you remember anything else about the vehicle in the parking lot, give me another ring. Sound good?”
“Yeah. If I remember anything, I’ll let you know.”
Judd ends the call.Work gloves, he thinks. Why would Teddy buy new work gloves? He and Deb probably have a dozen pairs out in the pole barn. Judd walks back toward Braedon, who’s putting the final crimp on his reloaded shotgun shell. “Looks a little short, Brae. Did you remember all the stages?”
“Ugh,” says Braedon. “Forgot the wadding.”
“That’s okay. Happens to the best of us. We’ll pry that baby open and start again.”
CHAPTER 10
