“He locked horns with the boss.”
“Fact or conjecture?”
Doral shrugged. “Fact. Until somebody says otherwise.”
“What do you know about the man?”
“Well, we know he ain’t caught yet,” Doral said with exasperation. “Men and dogs have been all over that area where it’s believed he ran into the woods, but nothing’s turned up. Lady who lives around there says her rowboat’s missing, but she suspects the neighbor’s kids took it and didn’t bring it back. Officers are checking out that lead. We’ll see.”
“Why aren’t you out there searching? If anybody can find him—”
“Fred wanted to escort VanAllen out there, make sure he got seen on TV, establish that the feds are on the case. As city manager I personally welcomed VanAllen into the fray.”
Stan processed all that, then asked, “What about the murder weapon?”
“Coroner says a large-caliber handgun killed Sam. The rest were shot with an automatic rifle.”
“And?”
Doral turned to his mentor. “Nary a firearm found at the scene.”
“Leading us to assume that Coburn is heavily armed.”
“And has nothing to lose, which makes him dangerous. Public enemy number one.” Doral noticed his brother waving at them. “That’s my cue to come rescue him.” He threw down his cigarette and ground it out.
Stan said, “Tell Fred I’ll join the volunteers later this evening.”
“Why not now?”
“Honor’s cooking me a birthday dinner.”
“Out at her place? Long way out there. When are you going to persuade her to move into town?”
“I’m making headway,” Stan lied, knowing that Doral was ribbing him about his running argument with his daughter-in-law.
Stan wanted her to move into town. She demurred. He understood her wanting to stay in the house that she and Eddie had moved into as newlyweds. They’d put a lot of themselves into making it a home, spending most weekends applying elbow grease until they’d got it the way they wanted it. Naturally she would feel a strong bond to the place.
But it would be easier for him to keep an eye on her and Emily if they lived closer to him, and he didn’t plan to give up the argument until Honor came around to his way of thinking.
“I’ll catch up with you after the party,” he told Doral. “But it won’t be late.”
“Hopefully we’ll have Coburn by then. If not, ask around if you don’t see me or Fred right away. We’ll need you.”
“Challenging?”
“Not to Fred and me.”
Coburn figured Honor Gillette would jump at the chance to speak to her father-in-law, but she put up an argument. “He’s not due here until five-thirty. You’ll be gone by then.”
He hoped so, too. But he didn’t want the old man showing up early. He nodded at the phone in her hand. “Make up something. Convince him not to come.”
She used speed dial to place the call.
“Don’t try anything cute,” Coburn warned. “Put it on speaker.”
She did as he asked, so he heard the crispness in the man’s voice when he answered. “Honor? I tried to call you earlier.”
“I’m sorry. I couldn’t get to the phone.”