Without waiting for Clay’s response, Zoey scooches her chair around the table so she’s sitting next to him. Like a couple might do. She keeps her eyes on her underlings and says, “I sent a K-9 team out to Teddy and Deb’s this afternoon. They didn’t detect any scents that walked off the property.”
“Do you think Teddy was picked up in a vehicle?”
“Maybe,” says Zoey. “Or maybe he walked down to the river through Deb’s cousin’s property. What’s his name?”
“Ash. Ash Solbakken.”
“Right. He’s hit on me a few times. Interesting sense of fashion.” Zoey helps herself to a sip of Clay’s Shirley Temple, then adds, “The dogs tracked Teddy’s scent down to the river on Ash’s property, but they lost it at the river. Of course there were several scent trails leading down there. He’s walked down there a million times. But if Teddy’s intent was to disappear, that would be a good way to do it.”
With Zoey sitting next to him, practically touching her shoulder to his, Clay catches Steph looking their way. This time she’s not smiling. Wags has also spotted them. He’s far from smiling, seeing Clay sit next to the chief of police the day after Clay accused Wags of stealing catalytic converters. But the real show is watching Andy and Mike buy a wad of meat raffle tickets, maybe a few hundred dollars’ worth, and handing them outto bar-goers and making a big deal of it like they’re a couple of Santa Clauses.
“Are they on duty or did they just get off?” says Clay.
“They’re on duty until midnight,” says Zoey. “Which begs the question: What the hell are they doing? It’s nine o’clock.” She sighs. “It’s hard to find good help these days.”
The bartender hands Officers Wahlquist and Kimmich bottles of Coke. Wahlquist slaps a bill on the counter. The bartender thanks him with praying hands and a slight bow.
“I have a guess,” says Clay. “Wahlquist told me he’s running for mayor this fall. Said he’s had it with the city council and they need to be put in their place.”
“So he’s buying votes with meat raffle tickets?”
“Welcome to Riverwood,” says Clay. “He hasn’t announced or filed his candidacy yet. Says he’s going to make the big reveal at the Fourth of July parade. So I suppose what he’s doing isn’t illegal. Just a good old boy trying to help his fellow citizens win some meat.”
“He shouldn’t be doing that while he’s on duty,” says Zoey. “I don’t mind him and Mike dropping in for a Coke. It’s solid community police work. But he shouldn’t be campaigning or bribing the good citizens of Riverwood for their votes.”
“You want to slip out of here before they realize you’re watching them?”
“Aren’t you supposed to buy me a drink first? Brag about your playing days in Europe? Try to impress me? Come on. I want to be wooed. Swept off my feet.”
“Oh,” says Clay. “Sorry, I didn’t mean slip out together. I have plans.” Clay has to be careful with Zoey. Her bullshitdetector is cranked up to ten. “My dad and I are going to hit a few other bars in the county to see if we can learn anything new about Teddy.”
“Hmm,” says Zoey. “Judd probably wouldn’t want me to tag along.” She sighs. “On the other hand, we’re going to have to break it to him sooner or later. Our friendship, that is. Maybe the three of us could talk it out while we’re on the road between here and St. Charles. Lot of miles to cover. And tonight’s as good a time as any. I can’t live with our friendship in the closet anymore.”
Clay sees a playful smile in Zoey’s eyes. He doesn’t want to admit to himself how attractive he finds her but he can’t help it. Lucky for Clay, he’s trained in being wary of attractive women. Especially one who comes on strong. Not being wary is how professional athletes can get in big trouble.
“Let me break it to my dad when it’s just him and me,” says Clay. He almost wonders why he’s playing along, but he knows why. He likes Zoey Jensen. And that’s okay. Especially now that he’s pretty sure Steph has plucked herself a boyfriend from the just-old-enough-to-drink pile. What wouldn’t be okay is if Clay rushed into something with Zoey. Small town. Big stakes. He has to take things slowly.
“All right,” says Zoey. “Tell Judd yourself. But until then, let’s sit here and wait for these two idiots to realize their boss is watching them.”
CHAPTER 20
Clay sits in his F-150 on the road outside his father’s house. He looks through a pair of binoculars and into the kitchen window. The bear canister sits on the kitchen table. Judd feeds bundled bills into its open mouth. He does not inspect the inside of the lid. His mind is on Teddy. Nothing but Teddy. That’s why Clay is going to follow him to the drop spot to ensure that Judd, in his single-mindedness, doesn’t do anything stupid.
Judd looks at his watch. Clay lowers the binoculars and checks the time on his dash. He starts his truck and throws it in reverse. Judd is a seasoned cop—Clay will have to tail him from some distance. Shouldn’t be a problem since Clay knows exactly where his father is headed.
“This is the greatest movie in the history of movies,” says Daniel. The Xbox is off and now the eighty-inch TV screen showsTalladega Nights.It’s the part where Will Ferrell thinks he’s on fire but he’s not and runs around the racetrack stripping off his clothes.
“It is the greatest movie ever,” says Braedon. “I am going to memorize every line. ‘Chip, I’m gonna come at you like a spider monkey.’”
Daniel laughs. “‘I’m just a big hairy American winning machine. If you ain’t first, you’re last.’”
They’ve eaten a whole bag of chips, are halfway through a two-liter bottle of A&W Root Beer, and a quarter way through a package of Oreo Double Stuf cookies. Sleeping bags are spread on opposite sides of a humongous sectional, and the room smells like twelve-year-old boy.
“Think you could memorize the whole thing, bro?” says Daniel.
“Pretty sure,” says Braedon. “But I’ll have to do it during the summer, otherwise my head will be filled with movie lines and I’ll fail all my classes.”
“Bet you five bucks you can’t do it before school starts,” says Daniel.
