Out of Range

E

Joe covered his face with his hands.

"Who was that?" E

Birdy looked stricken. His wide forehead was beaded with sweat. Pi, for the first time, looked scared.

Then Joe mouthed, The dog.

"Just the dog," Pi said to the phone.

"The dog?"

"Pi feeds the dog a vegan diet," Birdy said, ru

"Dogs can survive perfectly well without meat," Pi said heatedly, meaning it. "They can get their protein from soy and other natural products."

"Jesus, you people," E

Again, Joe relaxed.

"Mr. E

Again, silence. Joe guessed E

"Has anyone else seen the photos?" E

"No, sir."

"Does anyone else know about the photos?"

"Not yet, sir," Birdy said, hanging the yetout there.

"Sit tight. What's the address?" E

When the call was concluded, Birdy flopped forward into his arms as if completely spent, and Pi pumped her fist in the air and screamed, "Yes!"

Joe turned and looked at the sneezing deputy, who was beet red. Then to Pi and Birdy: "Great job."

THIRTY-SEVEN

Randy Pope arrived at the photography shop as the sheriff and his deputy were hiding their vehicles on adjacent streets. Pi and Birdy stood around nervously near the counter, waiting for Don E

"The director doesn't like it," Pope said, as Joe slid the curtain closed behind him. "He's ordering you to pull the plug on this before we all wind up in court for entrapment."

Joe was thankful for the darkness because the look he gave Pope could have resulted in a charge of insubordination.

"We're too far along for that," Trey said in defense. "We can't stop anything now. E

"Didn't you hear me?" Pope asked. "I said the director doesn't want us involved with this. He thinks the governor may have already heard from E

"It's myvendetta," Joe said, "against a guy who caused the death of a game warden as well as his own wife."

Pope turned on Joe, prodding him in the chest. "You shouldn't even be here. You're officially suspended for the shooting. You're so far over the line I can't even see you. And you can forget about taking over this district."

"Touch me again with that finger," Joe said, "and I'll break it off."

Trey shouldered his way between them, and Joe stepped back, trying to calm down. Despite the darkness of the room, he saw orange spangles flash in his vision and knew he was seconds away from lashing out at Pope.

"Randy," Trey said in a calming voice, "E

"But there aren't any pictures," Pope said. "The poor guy probably thinks he's being framed by those nuts out there, and he doesn't know what to do."

Beyond the curtain, Joe heard Tassell, his deputy, and the owner of Radio Shack enter the shop and assemble behind the closed office door. The stage was now set for E

"You weren't here," Trey said. "They never told E

"I don't like it," Pope said. "And the director orderedus to back off."

"He can order whatever he likes," Trey said with an edge Joe had rarely heard. "He's out in two months, and we'll have a new governor. Maybe we'll even get someone who cares more about arresting a murderer than kissing up to his contributors."

Joe heard Pope spin away and start for the curtain to leave.

"Stay here," Trey said, and Joe could see the faint outline of Trey reaching up and grabbing the assistant director by the arm. Pope stopped.

"When this is over," Pope hissed, "and Don E

"I'm already suspended," Joe whispered. "Are you going to double suspend me?"

Pope started to talk when a bell tinkled out in the shop and someone pushed the door open with enough force that it banged against the wall.

Joe leaned toward the curtain and cocked his head so he could hear what was going on. He hoped the video camera on the shelf was working, and that Tassell was watching on the monitor.

Joe heard the shuffling of several sets of feet, thinking Don had brought support. The bell tinkled again as the door shut, and there was the sound of the lock being thrown.

"You're Pi Stevenson?" It was E

"Yes, I am." She didn't sound as nervous as Joe felt.

"What was your name again?"

"Birdy Richards."

"What the hell kind of name is 'Birdy'? Jesus, you people."

"Don, let's just get what we came for." Joe recognized the voice of Pete Illoway.

E

Birdy: "No. No copies."

E

Birdy: "No. They've all been downloaded to the computer."

E

Shane Suhn, Joe recalled, E

Suhn: "That's just the monitor, Don. That won't help us. You don't know anything about computers."

E

Birdy: "Hold it. I never said you could have my computer. I need to make a living."

Pi: "Damn right. And what are you going to pay us? We aren't just going to give you Birdy's equipment and you go home. Maybe we should just call the sheriff after all."

E

Illoway: "Don …"

Pi: "You don't have any intention of paying us, do you? You're going to do something to us so we don't talk."

E

Pi: "Not until you tell us what you're pla

E

Suhn: "You want me to do it here? Now? If somebody looked in the window they could see us."

E

Illoway: "Look, how much do you want for the computer? Give us a number."

E

Illoway: "Give us a number."