"We can't pull out now. We'd have to drive right past them."
The wheels in Sam's head spun quickly. "Kiss me."
"What?"
"Hide the camera behind your back and kiss me."
Halie placed the camera behind her and kissed Sam.
Sam glanced out of the corner of her eye and saw the men talking again, and laughing. She saw Reingold slap the older man on the shoulder before he got into the car. She pulled away from Halie. "It's okay now, they're leaving."
"That's too bad, I was beginning to like where this was going. We'll have to pick it up from here later. Also, I think you'd better kiss me again when they drive by. We don't want them getting suspicious."
"Worried about that are you?"
"Very."
Sam gladly kissed Halie again as the men passed by. With one eye focused on the car, Halie lifted her camera and shot a picture of the license plate. Then she set the camera on the seat next to her and continued kissing Sam.
THE NEXT MORNING, Sam arrived at the lodge fifteen minutes early, eager to view the photographs Halie had taken. A half eaten raisin bun sat on a napkin on top of the end table near the far bed, and spread out on the cover were the photos.
"These are great," Sam said. She leaned over and kissed Halie on the cheek. "I can't wait to show them to the Chief. Thanks for staying up last night to do this."
"That's it? I risk life and limb and work half the night on these photos and that's all I get is a peck on the cheek?"
"What did you want?"
"I can't have what I want right now, but I'll take seconds," she said, pushing Sam against the wall and pressing her body into her. She ran her fingers through Sam's hair, pulled her close, and kissed her wildly.
Sam's knees weakened and she groaned with pleasure. Halie slid her leg between Sam's thighs. Sam leaned into her. When lips parted, Sam managed in a half whisper, "You're killing me. Why do you always do this to me before we have to go to work?"
"To keep me in your thoughts all day."
"You're always in my thoughts," Sam replied, her face flushed. "Come on, we better see the Chief before I decide not to go at all."
"Mmm, I wish you would," Halie egged her on, "decide not to go that is, but I know what catching these guys will mean to you."
SAM AND HALIE entered the maintenance building and shot straight for the Chief's office with long, quick strides. Sam reconstructed the events of the prior evening, and before Halie could hand him the photos and the sales invoice for the traps, he got up, shut the door, and then ripped into Sam.
"Are you out of your mind? What were you thinking taking a civilian along on a stakeout?"
"That was my fault, Chief." Halie broke in. "I told Sam I wanted to go."
"It doesn't matter. She should have known better. You could have gotten hurt. Who knows what would've happened if they'd discovered you photographing them."
"The Chief's right," Sam said. "I wasn't thinking. It won't happen again."
"You're darn right it won't. And the next time you decide to go off on your own to investigate anything, I better know about it and have approved it first."
"Yes, sir. Though in my defense, I wasn't on duty at the time."
"That may be so, but I still should have known about it."
"I agree. Do you still want to see the photos?" Sam asked.
The Chief said nothing at first, then extended his hand toward Halie. He studied each photo and the sales invoice. "Hmm, it does appear that something underhanded is going on. I'll give the Sheriff a call and prod him to start an investigation. I don't think I have to repeat myself that you two hang low in the meantime." After a short pause he added, "Nice work, though."
"Thanks, Chief," Sam said. "Is that it then?"
"No, have a seat while I call the Sheriff."
Halie watched Sam walk over to the far chair before she sat. She enjoyed watching her move, the way she exuded strength and determination, but with a warm, approachable attitude, even after the Chief yelled at her. Yet, less than five weeks ago she was sitting in the same chair, next to this ranger she didn't know and who at the time she didn't exactly like. And now, all she could do was think about being with her every second of every day.
The Chief depressed the speaker button and dialed the Sheriff's office. His eyes darted between Halie, Sam, and the phone.
"Teton County Sheriff's Office, how may I direct your call?"
"This is Chief Thundercloud over at Grand Teton National Park. I need to speak with the Sheriff."
"Yes, sir, please hold one minute. I'll transfer you."
Seconds later, the Sheriff was on the phone. "Hello, Raymond. John here, what can I do for you?"
"Morning, John, thanks for taking my call. I have you on speakerphone. I'm in my office with one of my rangers, Samantha Tyler, and a visiting photojournalist, Ms. Halie Walker, who's doing a story on the park for us."
"Hello, ladies."
"Hello, Sheriff," the women replied in unison.
"So what's this all about, Raymond?"
"John, I know you've met Sam before. She's the ranger whose dog got injured a few months ago when it stepped into an animal trap on park grounds."
"Yeah, sure, I remember."
"She's been trying to catch the person who injured her dog, on her own time, and in the process, she and Ms. Walker appear to have stumbled into what we believe may be an illegal fur trading business involving the park."
"What makes you think that?"
The Chief recounted the women's story, ending with, "At a minimum, please run the plates for me and the photos against your database and call me if you find anything. I'd feel better."
"Sure, Raymond, no problem. Now that I've got the entire picture, I agree. The whole thing seems a bit suspicious. I'll look into it. If anything shows up on my search, I'll get an investigator on the case immediately. You have my word. In the meantime, step up car searches at the park entrances, but don't have anyone go near the sporting goods store."
"Thanks. I'll talk to you soon." The Chief disconnected the call. "Looks like that's about all we can do at this point. At least we've got him curious. Let's hope something surfaces during the search. So what do you two have on your agendas for today?"
Although she hadn't discussed her plans with Sam yet, Halie responded, "I'd like to stay at the station today, if that's okay, and finish my article."
"That's fine. Then you'll be on patrol today, Sam."
"Yes, sir."
"That works out well. Tim Baker called in sick this morning. You can cover his patrol over at Pinebluff Mountain."
"Okay," Sam said. "See you later." Then to Halie she added, "I'll be by around four-thirty to pick you up. Try and behave until then."
"I don't have much choice, do I? Be careful."
"I will." Sam walked out of the office.
As Halie stood to leave, the Chief said, "Hold on a minute, if you don't mind. I heard you'll be cutting your stay with us short, is that true?"
"Bad news travels quickly I see. My boss upped my deadline."
"That's a shame. We enjoyed having you here. We're going to miss you. You know you're welcome back anytime."
"Thanks, Chief. I'm sure I'll be back. I can't imagine being away from Sam for too long." She paused for a few seconds, the thought of leaving Sam depressing her. She shifted gears 180 degrees. "Regarding my article, I'm planning on having my final draft to you by Monday morning. If you'd go through it and have your edits to me by say Thursday morning, that'd be great. It'll give me enough time to make changes and e-mail my final copy to the magazine by close of business Friday." Halie waited for a response, but received none. She sensed the Chief was looking right through her. She scratched the back of her neck and added, "I was planning on staying through next weekend and spending those days with Sam. I'll be flying home that Monday."
"Sam will be very disappointed."
"Believe me, so will I. I'm not sure how I'm going to manage, but some
how I'll have to. My job and my family are in Boston. I don't have a choice."
"You always have a choice, but you also have to know what's right for you. Just remember, family takes many different forms."
Halie pursed her lips. "Thanks, Chief. Sam's lucky to have you for a boss."
"I'm not so sure she'd agree with you after today, but ultimately, I am responsible for everything that goes on around here and we can't afford to take those kinds of risks."
"I'm sure she understands that too."
"I hope so," the Chief said.
AT HALF PAST four in the afternoon, Sam pulled up to the maintenance building. Halie was waiting outside and jumped into the patrol vehicle. "Missed you."
"Missed you too," Sam said.
"Boy, have I got some news for you."
"Fire away," Sam said. "I'm all ears." She put the vehicle in reverse, swung the Expedition around and exited the parking lot.
"The Sheriff ran the photos of Reingold's buddies through a nationwide criminal database. Both had prior arrests; assault with a deadly weapon, disorderly conduct, and a couple of petty theft charges. He also found they had ties to the Garciano crime family in Chicago."
"Chicago? Then what in the heck are they doing all the way out here?" Sam asked.
"The Sheriff doesn't know. I guess he's going to find out though."
"This is getting more and more bizarre. At least he's got an investigator on the case now, right?"
"Definitely."
"Good. Hopefully something'll break. So, did you finish your article?"
"Not exactly."
"No? I was hoping we could spend the weekend together."
"I can spend part of it with you, but tomorrow morning you have to promise to bring me back to the lodge early so I can work on it for a few hours. After that, I'm all yours."
"Sounds good to me. Then we can have that dinner I owe you. I've got a doctor's appointment in the morning anyway, so it works out okay."
"Another one? You've got a lot of Saturday morning appointments. Is everything okay?" Halie asked with concern.
"Oh. Yeah, everything's fine, just check-up stuff." Sam shifted in her seat. "You sure you don't want to bring the computer with you tonight? Then you wouldn't have to leave tomorrow morning. You could keep Jake company while I'm gone."
"If I bring the computer, I might get tempted to work on the article."
"You'd consider working tonight?"
"When I'm on a roll I get obsessed. I know myself, so if the computer's not there my mind will be freer. And then maybe next week, while the Chief's editing the article, I'll tag along with you on patrol."
"You'd want to go with me?" Sam paused. "Well--I suppose I could manage with you for a few days, but then you may have to take orders from me for a change."
"Is that so? I like the sound of that," Halie said.
Chapter Twenty-One
HALIE SAT IN front of her laptop, her thoughts drifting to her evening with Sam and the special times she'd spent with her during the past few weeks, reliving each moment. Despite her daydreaming and continued need to refocus, she finished what she had to do in the four hours she'd allotted. Giving in to the growling noises her stomach was making, she saved her file, shut off the laptop, and left the hotel room for the restaurant. She didn't wait long before the hostess greeted her and escorted her to a table overlooking the lake. After scanning the menu and making a mental note of her choice, she glanced out over the lake through the large picture window.
"Ready to order?" a waiter asked.
Startled, Halie responded, "Ugh, yeah. I'll have the garden salad with the raspberry vinaigrette dressing." She ordered light, planning to leave plenty of space for her dinner with Sam.
"Very well."
"That comes with garlic bread sticks, correct?"
"Yes, Ma'am."
"Oh, and may I have the dressing on the side?"
"Sure, no problem." The waiter scribbled on his notepad, then walked away.
As Halie watched him leave, her eyes darted to a man in his early forties sitting three tables away. The man wore a large rimmed cowboy hat and a white silk shirt, and smiled at her from his table. Halie smiled back, not wanting to appear rude, but she wished she had brought a newspaper or book with her so she could hide behind it and appear to be reading. Since she had nothing with her, she simply glanced out the window at the lake. From the corner of her eye, she saw the man in the cowboy hat stand and move toward her table.
"Excuse me little lady, I noticed you sitting alone and was wondering if you might join me at my table."
Halie appreciated the offer, but had no intention of eating with a stranger. In a kind tone she said, "Thank you, but I'm just taking a quick lunch break. I'm working, so I don't have much time to sit and chat, but thanks anyway."
"As it turns out, I'm here on business too. My name's William
H. Reingold." "It's nice to meet you, Mr. Reingold, and I'm flattered, really I am, but I like to use my break time to think. I'm a writer." Halie couldn't believe she'd run into another Reingold. She wondered if he and David Reingold were related, but figured they probably weren't. What would be the chance of that? But his name rang another bell, like he was a celebrity or something, she just couldn't place where.
"I understand. I usually work through my lunches too, but it's not healthy."
Halie smiled but didn't respond.
"Well, I thought this was going to be my lucky day, but I guess it's not. I'm sorry to have disturbed you, miss. It was a pleasure meeting you."
"You too," Halie said. After he'd returned to his table, she remembered where she thought she'd heard the name William H. Reingold before. She was anxious to check the internet and see if her assumptions were correct.
SAM SAT ON the sofa with the phone in her hand and Jake by her side. For the last hour and a half she debated over whether or not she should call Halie and cancel their dinner. She didn't want to hurt Halie's feelings, but after her horrific visit with Sally Kornwall, she didn't feel much like going out either. What she wanted most was to crawl into bed and sleep. During her therapy session she'd had a flashback to the day of the accident on Grand Teton. Her hands had started shaking beyond her control, and she broke out in a cold sweat. She felt paralyzed, the look of terror frozen in Tina's eyes haunting her. Sam dialed the phone.
"Big Bison Lodge, how may I help you?"
"Yeah, hi. Halie Walker, please."
"One moment."
Sam ran her fingers through her hair. She didn't want to cancel dinner, but she knew she'd feel worse if she bummed Halie out too. She figured she'd be better off alone.
"Hello?"
"Hi, Halie? It's me, Sam."
"Hey, you. You just caught me coming out of the shower. I almost didn't hear the phone ring. What's the matter, missed me so much you couldn't wait a second longer?"
"I do miss you, but--"
"But nothing. You won't believe who I ran into today."
Sam really didn't want to get into a long conversation.
"William H. Reingold, the Texas oil billionaire," Halie spurted out.
"You did? I don't believe it. Did he call you 'little lady' and try hitting on you?"
A short moment of silence followed. "Actually, he did both, how'd you know?"
"Because I had a run in with 'Big Willy' myself a few months ago at the visitor center. The man was relentless. When I dropped you off this morning I noticed the familiar face of a man walking from the parking lot toward the lodge. I knew I'd seen him somewhere before. When I remembered, I got goose bumps on my arms, and not in a good way. He'd bumped into me at the Moose Visitor Center, introduced himself as William H. Reingold, but insisted I call him 'Big Willy' the way his friends did. He tried to get me to go on a date with him; tried to impress me by boasting about his oil business in Texas. I hope I don't have the pleasure of running into him during this visit."
"Sounds familiar. I wonder what brings him to Grand Teton?"
"Do you think he's related to David Reingold?" Halie asked.
"I doubt it. They don't look anything alike. Regardless, the guy's bad news though. He's only interested in one thing. If I were you, I'd stay away from him."
"I wasn't planning on dining with the man. Speaking of which, I am getting hungry, aren't you?"
"No, I called because I was wondering if you'd mind if I canceled our dinner tonight. I hate doing this, but I'm not feeling that great. I had a bad day. I promise you a rain check for next weekend though."
"We don't have to go out. I'll order Chinese and get it on the way over."
"Thanks, but I'm not up to it tonight."
"Not up to it? What's that supposed to mean?" Halie asked.
Sam didn't answer. She heard the quiver in Halie's voice and felt horrible about it. What could she say?
"Fine then, do whatever you want. It's not like I have a choice anyway. I should have known better. I guess you have better things to do, is that it?"
"No, that's not it at all. I don't--I just don't want to be a downer tonight, that's all."
"Really, well guess what? You're too late. I don't get you. On the one hand you act as though you care about me, and on the other, you keep things from me and tell me half-truths. What? You don't think I know you've been keeping something from me? If you have secrets you want to keep to yourself, fine, but when those secrets impact the both of us, then it's not okay. We only have a week left to be together, but you know what? I'll make it easy for you. As it turns out, I have things to do too, so no foul. Thanks for taking the time out of your busy day to call me and let me know you can't make it. Oh, and I'll pass on the rain check. I'll see you at work on Monday."
The sound of the receiver being slammed down rang in Sam's ear. She called Halie at the lodge again, but received no answer.
Chapter Twenty-Two
Love Another Day Page 15
