One Tough Texan

by MJ Rodgers

  “I’d sure like to find out. Does it take the sting off his death some to know he purposely misled you?”

  “No, Matt. I’ll always mourn his loss. Whatever his real name or age or reason for being in Sweetspring, Tony was still the only one there who saw me as myself and treated me with respect. What he did for me during that time isn’t going to change, no matter who he turns out to be.”

  “You ready to do some more traveling, Jamie?”

  “Where to this time?”

  “Washington State. Let’s see if we can find out if Tony was from a little town near Mount Saint Helens, or if he was just passing through in May of 1980. We’ll- What the-?”

  The Jeep came out of nowhere, cutting across the path of Matt’s rental car. Matt spun the steering wheel hard, trying his best to avoid a collision. The rental car careened across the sidewalk, headed for the glass of a storefront.

  Chapter Fourteen

  Matt stomped on the brakes, just managing to stop the car shy of the storefront window. He immediately turned to Jamie.

  “Are you all right?”

  “I’m okay. Who was that?”

  Matt looked over to see that the Jeep had pulled over to the curb. “Stay here,” he said. His initial anger was turning into alarm as he recognized the man who was jumping out of the Jeep to meet him.

  Perry waited for Matt at the back of the Jeep. His hands

  immediately came up in a gesture of surrender.

  “I’m sorry. Matt This was the only way I could get your attention and get it fast. I’ve been trying to track you down for nearly a whole day.”

  “I was set to make my daily call to Charlene to let her know where I was in just a couple of minutes. Couldn’t you have waited?”

  “The phones are bugged, Matt. Including Charlene’s. Don’t go calling her-or anyone-unless you want Nevelt listening in.”

  “What the hell has happened?”

  “The moment you left for Reno, Randy was on the phone to Nevelt telling him about the break-in at the studio. He’s convinced Nevelt it was instigated by the Mob. Nevelt’s instructed us to go into a full-security alert.”

  “He can’t do that unless there was something from the break-in to confirm such an action. What did forensics find?”

  “Nothing conclusive, except that they knew how to disengage the alarm system and they wore gloves.”

  “That doesn’t begin to substantiate an order to—”

  “It’s the damn charge codes, Matt,” Perry said interrupting. “When you told me Ms. Bonner was to be handled as

  one of those cases, I assigned one of the special codes. I didn’t know it automatically spewed out a computer report. Randy latched onto it and faxed it to Nevelt.”

  Understanding began to dawn on Matt. “So Randy tells him about the break-in and he sees the charge code and thinks that Jamie is involved in an attempt to find one of our witnesses.”

  “And is he ever ticked off that you didn’t tell him and chose this time to take some days off. He’s ready to read you the riot act. We’ve all been given strict orders to let Nevelt know where you are just as soon as you call in. Which is why I had to come here to find you. This way, I’m not disobeying his order. Technically, you haven’t called in.”

  “Perry, you shouldn’t have taken the risk. If Randy finds out, that squealer will tell Nevelt and your days as an agent will be numbered.”

  “What the hell, Matt. I was never that gung ho about being an agent. I’m an entertainment-industry type, like most of us on the show. You’ve been good to us, all of us, and we know it.”

  Matt held out his hand to Perry, who took it in a solid shake.

  “You’re a damn fine agent in my book, Perry. Let’s see how good an emcee you’ll be. Go on for me this week.”

  “You mean it?” Perry said, excitement riding his voice. “But Randy’s going to want to pick his own emcee.”

  “I’m still in command until Nevelt finds me and calls it otherwise. I told Randy that if I was ever unavailable, you were my stand-in. And if he tries to deny it, Charlene has my signed letter on file.”

  “I’m much obliged, Matt. But what are you going to do?

  You can’t dodge Nevelt forever. He can wreck your career.”

  Matt looked over at Jamie where she waited in the car, a puzzled, anxious look on her face. He sent her his half smile.

  “It’s not exactly a transfer, but I guess it’ll have to do. Go

  break a leg, Perry.”

  MATT AND JAMIE DROVE toward Woodpine, the small town about forty miles southwest of Mount Saint Helens in Washington State. According to the map, it was the only town that fit the description Tony had given to Creighton.

  Jamie was still uneasy about the unorthodox way in which Perry had chosen to contact Matt in Reno. Matt told her the information Perry had passed on about the break-in at the studio. But she sensed there was more, something Matt wasn’t saying.

  As soon as they entered the small wooded community, Matt headed for the local law-enforcement office. The young man manning the desk wore the insignia of the Cowlitz County sheriff. He rose to greet them and introduced himself as Deputy Easley. Easley took a perfunctory glance at Matt’s private-investigator identification and waved them into chairs.

  “You’re quite a way from Texas, Mr. Bonner. What brings you here?”

  “I’m on the trail of a mystery man.”

  “Sounds interesting. What’s his name?”

  Matt pulled out the picture of Tony. “That’s what I was hoping you could tell me. Do you remember this man coming to town around the time the volcano erupted?”

  Easley took the picture and gave it a long, thoughtful scrutiny. “No, sorry. I’ve never seen him.”

  “You were here during the eruption?” Matt asked.

  “Oh, yeah. I was eight, sitting in a Sunday Bible class.”

  “What was it like being so close to an erupting volcano?” Jamie asked, not able to resist satisfying her curiosity.

  “The first I knew it had happened was when some of the older kids were pointing out the window at this huge mushroom-shaped ash cloud that was filling the sky.”

  “You didn’t hear the explosion?” Jamie asked.

  “No. Just saw that cloud that quickly turned day into night. Then it started to get hot, really hot. Our Bible teacher was so spooked he was shaking. He told us to go home.”

  “Were you afraid?” Jamie asked.

  “Yeah, a little. I remember walking down the sidewalk and hearing the sounds of trees and automobile windshields cracking from the heat. It was eerie.”

  “Did your family evacuate?” Matt asked.

  “Did we! My parents grabbed me and my brother and sister and we headed for my aunt’s place down in southern California.”

  “How long were you in southern California?”

  “Three months. We came back to Woodpine when they started school up again in September.”

  “Did the whole town evacuate?” Matt asked.

  “Most families left, at least for a while. The volcanic ash falling on our town was too light to be considered hazardous. Mudflows and flooding were the real problems.”

  “So they were what made most folks leave?” Jamie asked.

  “Actually, it was that rumor that a cloud of poisonous gas was going to move into town that had everyone spooked. Only a few die-hards stayed on after that. Locked themselves in their houses.”

  “I don’t recall hearing about a cloud of poisonous gas,” Jamie said.

  “That’s because it was only some silly rumor. But it scared a lot of people into packing it in.”

  “Do you have a newspaper?” Jamie asked.

  “Not a local one, just the church bulletin. Most of us subscribe to the paper out of Vancouver. But if you really want to know about this town and who’s been in and out of it, you should talk to one of our old-timers. They have some pretty remarkable memories when it comes to the people and faces and what’s gone o
n.”

  “Can you give us the name of one of these old-timers?”

  “Andy Newcastle over on Second Street. Andy was one of those die-hards who battened down the hatches and stayed on through it all. He lives in the small blue Cape Cod.”

  Matt and Jamie thanked Easley and headed for the house on Second Street.

  It was at least a hundred years old, small, boxy, and to Jamie’s way of seeing, endearingly quaint.

  The man who rushed to the door in response to Matt’s knock did so with such an air of breathlessness that it seemed as though his shirt ends should be flying out behind him.

  Jamie thought him to be a perfect complement to his home—a compact man in his sixties with a large round head, curious hazel eyes, white hair and a real down-to-earth look.

  “Mr. Newcastle?” Matt asked.

  “Everybody just calls me Andy. Come on in, Mr. and Mrs. Bonner. Officer Easley just called to tell me he was sending you over.”

  “We appreciate your seeing us on such short notice, Andy,” Jamie said.

  “My pleasure.” He sounded as if it were. He showed them into a small, modest living room filled with well-used country furniture that looked right at home in the rustic Cape Cod.

  Jamie sat next to Matt on a weathered garden chair that looked sturdy enough, despite its noticeably repaired seat.

  “Young Easley said you wanted to know about the time when the volcano blew?” Andy asked, clearly eager to start.

  “We’re actually interested in someone whom we believe was in town about that time,” Matt said. He handed the picture of Tony to Andy.

  Andy set a pair of tiny glasses on his short, stubby nose. He contemplated the picture for a considerable time, rubbing his chin with his index finger. The only sound in the room was the clicking of the old, beat-up grandfather clock in the corner.

  “Yeah, I’ve seen him, all right,” Andy said, handing back the picture.

  Jamie came forward in her seat. “When?”

  “Right around the time of the volcanic eruption.”

  “Do you remember his name?”

  “No, sorry, Mrs. Bonner. Too long ago I’m afraid.”

  “Do you remember what he was doing here?”

  Newcastle rubbed his chin some more. “Not sure. Could be he was one of those newspaper reporters who kept knocking on the door and asking questions. They drifted in after Mount Saint Helens blew her stack. Wanted the residents’ reactions.”

  “Is there anything specific you can remember about this man, Andy?” Jamie asked. “It’s real important.”

  “I’m pretty. sure I heard his name.”

  “Could it have been Lagarrigue?”

  “No. This boy had a plain Anglo-Saxon name like mine. That much I’m positive about.”

  “How about Palmer? Timothy Palmer?” Jamie asked.

  “No, not Palmer, although that’s closer.”

  “You called him a boy,” Matt said. “Why?”

  “Because of his young face. He looks more boy than man.”

  “Could he have been a high-school student?” Matt asked.

  “No. I would clearly remember anyone who belonged to a family here in Woodpine.”

  “So your best guess is that he was a reporter?” Jamie asked.

  “Yeah, I think so. They invaded the town. He…no, wait, now I remember. He wasn’t a reporter. He was a scientist.”

  “You met him?” Jamie asked, trying to keep the excitement contained in her voice.

  “Yes. I first saw him in the vacant lot just behind my backyard fence. He was with a couple of other scientists. He was gathering ash. Another was. consulting a gauge on some complicated gadget.”

  “Did you talk to them?” Matt asked.

  “Not until after he knocked on Priddy’s back door.”

  “Priddy?”

  “Priddy Stowell. She lives next door. She invited them all inside. The bald one with the complicated gadgets declined. I think he was embarrassed because he didn’t speak English too well. His accent was quite thick. Anyway, Priddy saw me in my backyard and invited me too. We’re good friends. Priddy started to drill them almost right away. She’s always been an insatiable gossip and this was a perfect opportunity for her to get the details on what they were doing.”

  “What do you remember of the conversation?” Jamie asked.

  “Just that it revolved around testing air quality and ground vibration and such.”

  “What about him?” Matt said, referring to the picture of Tony.

  “He asked us how familiar we were with volcanoes. He tried not to talk over our heads. It still went over mine. Priddy acted like she understood every word. He was very polite to her, but it was obvious he knew she was blowing more smoke than that volcano.”

  “What did the other man talk about?”

  “The dark-haired one with the nervous hands was the medical doctor. He talked about how harmful the gas and ash concentrations were. He advised me and Priddy to evacuate.”

  “But you didn’t leave?” Matt asked.

  “I was born in this town, right in this house, and I’m not leaving it until I die. Although I have to tell you that doctor’s words had their effect. I stopped going out of the house after that. He scared Priddy so much that she went to her daughter’s for a couple of weeks.”

  “Can you remember anything else about the conversation?” Matt asked.

  “There wasn’t anything else. They both just sipped some of Priddy’s iced tea, and then the doctor went outside to smoke. And here he was worried about our lungs.”

  “You still don’t remember what their names were?”

  “Nope. Sorry. It has been seventeen years. But you should talk to Priddy. She can tell you a lot more about them than I could.”

  “Her memory is that good?” Jamie asked.

  “Phenomenal. Priddy’s going on eighty-seven and she’s battling a severe case of debilitating arthritis, but she’s still just as mentally sharp and nosy as she’s always been.”

  “We’d be much obliged if you’d perform the introductions, Andy.”

  “Be happy to, Mrs. Bonner. Come on. I normally go over and visit her about this time every day anyway.”

  The house next door was even older than the Cape Cod. It looked less rustic because of its symmetrical lines and neat, precise alignment of windows, which marked its Georgian style.

  A woman in a nurse’s uniform wearing an exasperated expression answered Andy’s knock. As soon as she saw Andy, she beamed and beckoned them inside with what sounded to Matt like a heartfelt sigh.

  “She’s a handful today, Andy. Fretful as a fruit fly. I finally got her to rest in bed five minutes ago. Please go upstairs and keep her there so I can get something done!”

  “It’s what we’ve come to do, Claudia,” Andy said. “Go about your business. We’ll keep her occupied for a while.”

  They followed Andy inside and up the stairs to Priddy’s bedroom. He knocked on the door with three quick raps.

  “Come on in, Andy,” a surprisingly strong female voice said.

  Andy opened the door. “I’ve brought a couple of private detectives with me. Say hello to Mr. and Mrs. Bonner.”

  Jamie stepped toward the bed. Priddy was a tiny, doll-sized creature wearing a cinnamon-colored bed coat that swallowed her thin frame. She was propped up with three pillows. Her hair was sparse yellow straw and her face was creased with more lines than a well-used Texas road map.

  But there was a sparkle deep within her sunken eyes that spoke of a vibrant life and curiosity that had been untouched by the severe weathering of flesh and bone. She sent Jamie a smile as she took her offered hand and sandwiched it between her two bony, gnarled ones.

  “A husband-and-wife private-detective team,” Priddy said, releasing Jamie’s hand. “This is exciting. Are you on the trail of a criminal?”

  “Could be,” Jamie said, more than willing to feed Priddy’s imagination.

  “If you could spare the time, m
a’am, we’d like to talk to you about the folks who came to town after the Mount Saint Helens eruption,” Matt said.

  “Be delighted to assist you, Mr. Bonner. Pull up some chairs. Oh, there are only two in here. Andy, go into the next room and get another chair.”

  “I’m already on my way, Priddy,” Andy said as he scrambled out the door.

  “I knew he’d want to stay and hear,” Priddy said in a lowered voice. “Andy is so nosy. And such a gossip! Still, he has a good heart. And he’s been such a dear friend ever since my Vernon died. Vernon was my husband, you see.”

  “Yes, ma’am,” Matt said.

  Priddy switched her attention to Andy as he came barreling back into the room carrying a chair.

  “Now put it there,” she said, pointing a gnarled finger. He followed directions. Andy was obviously used to being bossed by Priddy and took it in stride.

  Matt and Jamie drew up the other two chairs and sat on the other side of Priddy. Matt produced the picture of Tony and handed it to her.

  “Andy has been telling us that he remembers meeting this man seventeen years ago here in your house, ma’am. Can you tell us what you recall of him and that meeting?”

  Priddy immediately raised her glasses, resting on the beaded chain around her neck. She perched them on the end of her nose and looked closely at the picture.

  “Carney,” she pronounced emphatically after a moment.

  “That’s it!” Andy said, slapping his knee for emphasis. “I told you she had a remarkable memory.”

  “Can you remember the names of the other two scientists?” Jamie asked.

  “Let’s see.”

  Priddy closed her eyes. She was so still for a moment that Jamie thought she might have fallen asleep. But when she opened her eyes again, a small, triumphant smile was drawing back her lips.

  “Dr. Berman. The other one didn’t give me his name.”

  “Yes, she’s right again,” Andy said. “Priddy, it was Berman who wanted the smoke, right?”

  “That’s what he said. After his dire proclamations, he kept fidgeting like he was sitting on a burr. But I don’t believe getting a smoke was the only reason he wanted an excuse to go outside.”

  “What was the other reason?” Matt asked.