The Case

by Lee Cunningham

  Shane placed his hand on a horse tile and felt its texture, as his hand slid downward. The tiles were glazed and smooth to the touch and yet, appeared to have a 3-D effect. The horse drawings were light and muted, yet well-defined and full of character. Shane was still marveling at the designs when his eyes finally met Kate’s.

  She explained, “I love theses tiles. They were handmade by an artist we met at one of the bronze foundries in Joseph, Oregon, on a trip to our ranch. He is an incredible artist and sculptor. Specialty tiles are his hobby.”

  Shane seemed pleased, and she continued. “My tiles are horses, and Granddad’s are cars. He loves old pick-up trucks, like the one he had restored in the garage. It was one of his first pick-up trucks. It took him quite a while to relocate it, buy it back, and restore it to what he remembered.”

  “He likes to take me for rides in it, and when I don’t go, he takes Howard. Some days they cruise down to Genoa and have lunch, or they drive all the way up to Markleeville to their favorite bar. It’s an eclectic place…kind of a yuppie-biker bar. It has bras and panties hanging from the ceiling, so I’m told. I don’t get to go there,” Kate said, with a smile.

  Shane couldn’t resist the opportunity and re-assured her. “That’s all right. I’d be disappointed if I walked in and saw your bra on the ceiling,” he laughed. “Who offers up their bras and panties to a bar anyway? I have to believe there’s alcohol involved.”

  As she turned off her shower head, Kate taunted, “Well, you don’t get to just bring them in and hang them up. You have to wear them in and take them off, in the bar, to earn the right to hang them up…or so I’m told.” She shot a quick sideways glance to Shane and said, “So Delores tells me.” They both enjoyed their teasing and bantering sessions. The effect was good for both their spirits.

  Shane dressed quickly and left first for breakfast. He was down the stairs in a flash and realized, as he arrived at the kitchen, he was hungry, with a taste for bacon. Smells from the kitchen assaulted his nose on entry and made him crave a good coffee. Shane had been used to drinking a good espresso each morning, either a cappuccino or latte, depending on the day and his mood.

  He had often been on his second cup by the time Kate walked into the café to order her drink. He had liked to get there first and be ready for her “appearance.” He thought to himself, as he walked to the kitchen today, that he would miss the anticipation of Kate arriving at the shop. He made his mind up to continue their rendezvous when things settled down.

  With the events of the last day, he had come to realize that Kate was also there to see him. She had been occasionally accompanied by Delores, or Delores and another of the O’Leary staff. Looking back on the Kate-coffee-shop-saga, Shane marveled at how he had noticed her, become attracted and then obsessed with seeing her. And now, he was with her. And all the while, she was doing the same with him. He couldn’t resist a smile while deep in thought. A voice broke his concentration.

  “Want to try a cup of my special coffee?” Wesley Wilkinson offered. Shane turned around to see Wesley standing behind him. He responded quickly, trained and practiced to look normal, as his heart raced. “What is it?” Shane asked politely.

  Wesley’s response was measured. “It’s a Peruvian single roast, not a blend. Some folks think it can be a little strong or bitter. My mother sends it to me. It reminds me of home in England, where coffee always tastes like a chemistry experiment.” Shane smiled.

  Wesley continued, “England has tea, tea and more tea. Teas of every variety and blend, from every country in the world that exports tea...it all finds its way to England. Coffee is the American way, you know…after Boston. England hasn’t seemed to get coffee quite right yet, but I still like it.”

  Shane smiled, “I wouldn’t know. I’ve never been to England, although I have done some reading, and think it would be a great trip someday.” Wesley seemed to like the response.

  Now, standing next to one of the kitchen staff at the expresso machine, Shane turned to Wesley and said, “I’ll take a rain check on trying it, if that’s OK. I’m having a latte today. Maybe tomorrow? What’s the ‘special’ for breakfast today? I seem to be more hungry than thirsty, anyway.”

  Wesley pointed to his plate resting on a nearby table. “Crab omelet, hickory-smoked bacon, poached pears and yogurt. Jesse is a culinary genius, and the staff love learning his creations. If I didn’t work out every day, I’d gain 40 pounds eating Jesse’s chefs-d’oeuvre,” he laughed. Wesley picked up his plate and coffee, and walked out as Kate walked in, smiling at him as she passed. There were no tell-tale looks and Wesley could have read nothing in the brief contacts.

  Once Wesley was out of sight, Shane whispered to Kate, “We’re having latte’s today, if that’s okay…I made an excuse not to drink Wesley’s coffee when he offered it up. Could be poison, you know,” he kidded. “Wesley used the quote on me, but didn’t get a rise with it. I can’t quite figure him yet. He seems like such a nice guy. I’d love to know who he’s working for.”

  With their breakfast plates and lattes in hand, Kate and Shane sat at their corner table. Kate explained that the pork came from a local rancher in Wallowa County, where their ranch was located. The bacon was then smoked at a shop in Elgin, Oregon, about an hour from the ranch. They had just received a shipment, and the bacon was Kate’s favorite, thick sliced, slow smoked and cured perfectly. It melted in Shane’s mouth, surprisingly complemented by the crab omelet, made with farm fresh eggs, spices and parmesan cheese.

  As Kate continued on about the ranch and some of the local food, Shane sat relaxed and comfortable, with day dreams about a getaway to the Oregon ranch, where Kate could show him all that she loved about that corner of the state. He sank into the rhythm of her voice, and pictured the places and things she described so eloquently. Shane could tell that this place was special to Kate, and he was anxious to become part of it. After all, Kate probably didn’t even know he could ride horses. Shane longed for the time when he could show her.

  Shane’s phone suddenly went off, with a programmed ring that drew him back to the reality of the present.

  It was Undersheriff Brian Grant. Sheriff Mark Roberts had given Shane Grant’s number, and had advised Shane that he and Grant could contact each other only if something happened to Roberts, or he was unavailable in an emergency. The number was programmed into Shane’s cell phone.

  Shane answered, “Hello?”

  “Dan, this is Brian Grant, Mark’s Undersheriff.”

  “Yes?” Shane said hesitantly. He looked around for Wesley, who had left, taking his coffee and plate to the garage. Tom flashed Shane a thumbs up, all clear.

  “We have an emergency. I need you to meet with me today, at a new location, at exactly 1400 hours.”

  “That’s very unusual, sir. Is Sheriff Roberts aware of this?”

  “I can’t go into this on the phone, but there has been an emergency and Roberts is completely unavailable. I’m following his instructions, and I’m afraid I must insist you do, as well.”

  Shane remained silent, forcing Grant to continue.

  “Please be ready. This is a life or death situation. I will text you the location 40 minutes before the meeting. You will have plenty of time to make it there.”

  Shane said nothing, and Grant ended the phone call before he could object. Shane looked at Kate in silence.

  7

  “There is nothing more deceptive than an obvious fact”

  (Arthur Conan Doyle)

  Shane glanced at his watch, and noted the time, 0923. Kate watched him intently, acting like nothing important had happened. She knew the explanation would come when Shane was ready, and they could talk safely. Shane continued eating. Kate couldn’t resist watching the staff as she glanced around the kitchen, checking to see if anyone was paying extra attention, or anything seemed out of the ordinary. She could detect nothing. She was self-committed to double check the staff, in case there was more than one mole.

  Kate con
tinued small talk about Wallowa County, the towns of Joseph, Imnaha, Wallowa, Lostine, Enterprise, and, of course, Wallowa Lake, the crown jewel of the valley. Kate told Shane tales of her experiences with the animals that lived in the area, fishing and hunting...and especially, of the ranch.

  When they finished, Kate took their plates to the sink, where Juanita greeted her with a cheerful smile. Juanita took the plates and offered Kate refills on their lattes. Juanita was a gentle, quiet woman, 50ish and attractive, who had always been kind to Kate and her grandfather. She had been with them for longer than Kate could recall. Juanita was a master with the espresso machine, and a great cook in her own right. Kate had special memories and deep feelings for Juanita.

  As she watched Juanita grind and tamp the coffee, and then work the espresso machine, Kate recalled so many times that Juanita had made her hot chocolate when she was a child…handmade hot chocolate with small marshmallows floating on top, concealed just below a circular cone-shaped layer of whipped cream.

  Juanita loved to see the white moustache that always ended up on Kate’s upper lip, as she tried to slurp up a marshmallow through the whipped cream. They would both laugh, and Juanita would give her a gentle hug. Kate missed those hugs now that she was grown. Juanita had become very important to her over the years, a part of Kate’s extended family.

  When Juanita handed Kate the lattes, Kate immediately took them, then set them down on the counter. She gave Juanita a big hug and thanked her, explaining that she missed the old days and her white moustache. Juanita’s smile conveyed that she missed those days too, and her eyes brightened. Kate turned in time to see Shane talking to Lee and beckoning to her to make a trip upstairs. As she left the kitchen, Kate looked back to see Juanita waving and smiling after her.

  Arriving back in their room, Shane described Grant’s phone call to Kate and Lee in detail. They discussed options. Wesley was now an integral part of the estate counter surveillance team, and the decision was made to leave him with the team guarding the estate garage. The original thought had been for Pete, Walter, Shane and Kate to remain at the estate today, due to the warning about Friday. Shane seemed to have no option to stay now, and none of them could think of a plausible excuse to cancel the meeting, especially with Grant’s statement about his safety being at risk.

  Somebody had planned something that Shane had been warned about by their friendly informant. But everyone agreed they had no clue what might happen, and they needed to formulate a plan to ensure Shane’s safety, as best they could.

  A long conversation seemed to go nowhere productive, and Lee finally summed it up as, “How do we plan for an unknown event at an unknown place involving unknown people?” No one spoke, as their collective thoughts arrived at the same dead-end conclusion.

  Lee called Tom, Jesse, Walter and Pete to the room. After a great deal more discussion, a plan began to take form. Two counter surveillance details would leave 15 minutes ahead of Shane, and would maintain a safe distance in front of him, once they knew where the meet was to be held. Shane would communicate to the team by handheld 2-way encrypted radios, so no one could monitor the conversation. Only the inner circle of trusted souls would know the plan or have access to programmed radios.

  Once Shane received information about the location of the meet with Undersheriff Grant, he would leave the estate, but slow down the drive long enough to give his team a chance to arrive first and scan the area for threats. The team would advise Shane accordingly, and offer him some measure of protection.

  Nobody was totally comfortable with the plan, but it was the best they had at the moment. Jesse left to program the radios being used, and make team assignments that would include himself, Mike Panos, Pete Panos, and Tom Bradshaw. Using these four of the trusted cadre, would also remove them from the estate, making everyone remaining potentially more vulnerable, and everyone knew it. But once again, there seemed to be no good alternatives.

  Tom and Pete were excellent marksmen, and each had training and experience as a member of a sniper team. Once in place for the meet, they would use their skills to provide protection for Shane. Everyone’s stress levels were rising, as they all knew that the 15-20 minute window ahead of Shane’s arrival, wouldn’t give them much time.

  Kate left to get another latte for Shane, and arriving at the kitchen, asked Juanita to make her a third, also, breaking her own rule of no more than two in a morning. Juanita gave her a look of concern, which Kate shrugged off unconvincingly. Kate was obviously preoccupied and that worried Juanita, but she understood she needed to conceal her concern for Kate.

  Mike and Pete Panos swept the SUVs to be used in Shane’s surveillance and protection detail, scanning for bugs and tracking devices. Tom secured his sniper rifle, and a spotting scope for Pete. Howard was charged with keeping watch on the four vehicles to be used, once they were outfitted with all relevant equipment. He would also keep tabs on Wesley, when Wesley was assigned to the garage, after the teams departed.

  The small teams of trusted investigators worked on the details of the surveillance and protection, while Shane, Walter, Pete and Lee brainstormed what-ifs until they ran out of ideas. Kate sipped her latte, watching and listening, trying to think of something everyone had missed. They all became increasingly frustrated, as time invested produced no improved results.

  Shane looked at his watch. It was noon, and the time when people would be filtering into the kitchen for lunch. The group left in the room decided that some of them should put in appearances, to avoid raising any suspicions. But soon after they all began to filter down to lunch, suddenly, everyone’s phones lit up as Jesse initiated a “911 1205” text to the inner circle. Within a few minutes, the inner circle, minus Howard, was assembled back in Kate and Shane’s room, each person seated in their own chair. All eyes were on Jesse.

  Jesse held up the computer the informant had provided. He explained, “At 1200, a hidden file was activated by a timer within the computer. The file displays a map of Grant’s proposed meeting place at Genoa, Nevada. Near the center of town is a Genoa landmark, the old bar.”

  Shane interrupted, “I know that place, built in 1853, and supposed to be the oldest bar in Nevada. Fun place. I played tourist in the town, and had a drink at the bar. Lots of history in the old town and the area.” Pete and Walter cast anxious glances at Shane, and he deferred to Jesse.

  Jesse continued, “Just past the bar, about a half-mile south on Main Street, is a dirt road that takes off to the right, heading up toward the mountain. About a quarter-mile up that road is a dirt parking lot that looks like it leads to a trailhead. The parking lot is marked on the map as the meeting place for today. I don’t like this at all. It seems our friendly informant knows where the meet will take place, and is giving us a head’s up, but he isn’t telling us why, or what is going to happen.”

  Lee spoke quickly, “Maybe he doesn’t know what is going to happen. Like us, he may have part of the story, but not the whole story. The good thing about this situation is we know where and when, and we have been warned to be careful. At least that’s something of an advance warning.” Walter and Pete nodded in agreement.

  Shane stood up and walked slowly to the bay window. “I wish we had one more trusted soul here in the inner circle. Tom and Pete could leave now, and get there enough ahead of time to recon the area and set up a position of advantage. They would be in place in time to surveil the area before anyone arrives.”

  He continued, half thinking out loud. “They could give me a heads-up by radio on where to park to afford me the most protection. And, they could choose both a foot and vehicle escape route for me, should something go wrong.” Shane glanced at Kate and saw she was watching him intently. He knew what she was thinking, but there was no way she could be there with him. It was killing them both on the inside.

  Shane continued, “But we need three vehicles, minimum, in the rolling surveillance, with two ahead of me checking the route for bogies, and one behind to make sure I’m n
ot followed. I’ll use Jack’s Valley Road off Hwy 395 to drive to Genoa. That will make it easy for the surveillance team to leap-frog ahead and tail me in the surveillance. But, we are a person short for that plan.” He looked from Jesse to Lee, hoping for a solution.

  Lee said he could suggest Lana, as efforts to clear all staff of suspicion had cleared her first, but he explained that she had already been detailed to partner with Wesley, and monitor his actions during the days ahead. Lee looked to Jesse, and Jesse shrugged his shoulders.

  He said, “I am 90% sure about most of the staff, but 90% isn’t good enough to join this cadre. There is just too much at stake.”

  Walter surprised everyone, when he said, “Take Howard Martin. He’s ex-special forces and has served as my bodyguard many times in years past. In the military, he worked as an undercover operative during the ‘war on drugs’ in both Mexico and Columbia.”

  Everyone looked surprised. Walter continued, “Howard is not exactly as he appears…he’s much more than he seems. He keeps his skills honed and …let’s say, I wouldn’t want to test him.” Walter chuckled.

  Lee nodded, saying, “Lana will be enough to keep tabs on Wesley.” He called Howard, advising him that Mike Panos would relieve him at the vehicles, so he could attend the meeting and be briefed.

  After Howard arrived, and a final briefing plan was created, assignments were double checked, and everyone left, one at a time, to go down to lunch. Tom and Pete grabbed a sandwich and a few bottles of water, and left to travel to the meet location. Shane and Kate delayed in their room the longest, before going down to lunch. Neither of them was hungry, and both wanted more time together before Shane left. There was nothing about the upcoming meeting left to talk about, until they received the text from Undersheriff Grant.