Outlaw Mountain

Carmen Flores continued. “I knew he was upset about what happened at the board of supervisors meeting yesterday, but I didn’t think he was that upset. I’m scared, Joa

“What kind of car is he driving?” Joa

“Our old station wagon-a Taurus, a silver-gray Taurus. He left me the Escort today. I drove that to school. Joa

That was Joa

Je

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

On the way back to Butch’s house and at Je

“What’s going on?” Butch asked.

Joa

The phone call from Carmen Flores had erased all Joa

“Come on, Joa

“Since tomorrow’s a school day, why don’t Junior and I give Je

“It might be late,” Joa

“Not at all. It’s fine. Junior and I don’t have school tomorrow. It won’t matter if we get in late.”

“All right then,” Joa

“Did you tell her?” Butch asked, pacing beside the Blazer down the driveway.

“I didn’t have time. The call came in and-”

“It’s okay. You’ll have another chance. In the meantime, 1’11 do my best to keep her out of your mother’s clutches.”

“Thanks,” Joa

On the way uptown from Butch’s Saginaw neighborhood, Joa

“Any idea of what they should be looking for?” Tica asked.

Joa

Tica seemed stu

“That’s him,” Joa

“Armed and dangerous,” Tica repeated. “And maybe suicidal to boot.”

“That just about covers it,” Joa

Parking on O.K. Street and setting the emergency brake against the steep incline, Joa

Climbing the flight of thirty-two steep stairs took stamina. Joa

“Come in,” she said. “Lewis still isn’t here.”

“Have you found a note or anything that might give us a clue about what he’s up to or where he went?”

Carmen shook her head. “Nothing,” she said.

“Can you tell what he was wearing?”

“His work clothes are all in the closet. I checked.” “He goes hunting, doesn’t he?” Joa

Carmen’s face suddenly brightened. “Maybe that’s it,” she offered eagerly. “It’s whitetail season right now, isn’t it? That’s probably what happened. Lewis went hunting and just forgot to tell me about it. I don’t know why I didn’t think of that on my own.”

The woman seemed to be grasping at straws, but Joa

“In a little shed out back,” Carmen said. “I It, keeps every thing out there in a trunk except for his guns. Not as much clutter that way. Come on. I’ll show you.”

The shed out back had an open padlock hanging from a hasp. Inside was an empty steamer trunk. “See there?” Carmen said triumphantly. “It’s all gone-his vest, boots, cap, everything. I’m sure one of his buddies must have called to invite him on a hunting trip, and he didn’t have time to let me know.”

“Doesn’t he carry a cell phone?” Joa

“He left it home or else he forgot it,” Carmen said. “He does that sometimes. I found it just a little while ago, still on the kitchen counter, sitting in its charger.”

Joa

“I’ll tell you what,” Joa

Carmen shook her head. “Mother can’t get up and down the stairs anymore. That’s why she and Daddy moved out of the house to begin with. I might call my sister, though. Rose could probably come over. But really, there’s no need. I’m sure Lewis is out hunting. Just wait. He’ll turn up around midnight with a big buck strapped to the luggage rack. I’ll spend the whole weekend making tamales.”

“All the same,” Joa

“Okay,” Carmen agreed. “I’ll call Rose and see if she can stop by.”

Mulling over what to do next, Joa

“I got those two addresses and dispatched deputies to both. They reported that no one answered the door at either place. There were no lights on and no sign of struggle, but the afternoon papers were still in the driveways.”

“Afternoon but not morning,” Joa

“Right.”

“That probably means both Brainard and Childers were home this morning, but they haven’t come back tonight. Are the deputies still there?”