stripped, a couple of turkeys are already in the oven and Deb has promised to make stew from the rabbits,” Kranston said.
“She did? When did you talk to her?”
Bender suddenly stood up from his desk. “I think it’s safe to the cruiser out for a drive. I’m going to take a spin around and see if we got any stragglers who need a ride.”
“Throw a gas can in the trunk,” Peck said. “And take your radio.”
Bender left the office and Peck looked at Kranston. “About the other day, I shouldn’t have lost my temper. We’re paying you to enforce the law and you were just doing your job.”
Peck accepted Kranston’s feeble attempt at an apology. “Any talk?”
Kranston shook his head. “Why would there be? Nobody except us knows of the incident.”
“What about the state police?”
Again, Kranston shook his head. “Not yet, maybe tomorrow.”
“You said, you spoke to Deb Robertson,” Peck said. “Did you mean this morning?”
Kranston looked at Peck and there was a brief pause before he answered. “I’m losing track of time, I suppose. It was probably yesterday.”
Peck stood up from his desk. “In that case, I think I’ll see if I can catch Jay.”
Kranston remained motionless as Peck reached for his coat and left the office. After he was gone, Kranston sat motionless for several minutes before he stood up and looked out the window. Removing a pack of gum from a pocket, he slipped a stick out of its wrapper and placed it in his mouth.
Bender was inspecting the heavy chains on the tires of the cruiser when Peck entered the underground garage. Bender didn’t look happy.
“We need a new car, Dave. This fifty three won’t last another winter,” Bender said.
“She’ll make it to summer when the sixty models come out.”
“Yeah, we got one in the budget?”
“No.”
“Want to drive?”
“No.”
Bender opened his door and got behind the wheel. Peck entered the passenger side. Bender started the engine and the heavy cruiser clanged loudly as he rolled it up the exit ramp.
“Tell Kranston we at least want it in the budget to get a radio like the big city cops have,” Bender said. “This hand held junk don’t cut it.”
Peck lit a cigarette and turned his head to look at Bender. “Who else do we have to call but each other?”
“There,” Bender said and pointed to a spot past the steering wheel of the cruiser.
Off in the distance about a hundred yards down the dirt road Bender had turned onto was the abandoned logging camp. Bender turned onto a plowed driveway and slowed the heavy cruiser to a stop in front of the main cabin. “I asked them to plow,” Bender said. “They must have come by yesterday.”
“Who, the paper company?” Peck said.
Bender nodded. “It’s still their property.” They exited and walked to the front door of the main facility, which was a log cabin about sixty by sixty in size. Peck tried the doorknob and looked at Bender.
“It’s open.”
“I told them we might want to use it.”
They entered the large, rustic hall, which looked more like a hunting lodge then a logging camp. The air smelled damp and musty. Peck scanned the interior, noting the two fireplaces, tables, chairs, sofas and pool tables, all generic in appearance and a decade out of date in style.
“It isn’t wired for electricity, but they got it set up for generators, lights and cooking,” Bender said.
“You stayed here?”
Bender nodded. “I was maybe twenty one, right before they closed it down. Logging is back breaking work.”
“It will do,” Peck said. “We’ll tell Ed when we get back to town.”
“Feel like looking for some stragglers now?” Bender said.
“Yes.”
“Want to drive?”
“No.”
It was after six PM when Peck and Bender returned to the center of town. Their first stop was Deb’s Diner where it was another full house. After a fifteen minute wait, one of Deb’s waitresses led them to a window table where Doctor McCoy and
“She did? When did you talk to her?”
Bender suddenly stood up from his desk. “I think it’s safe to the cruiser out for a drive. I’m going to take a spin around and see if we got any stragglers who need a ride.”
“Throw a gas can in the trunk,” Peck said. “And take your radio.”
Bender left the office and Peck looked at Kranston. “About the other day, I shouldn’t have lost my temper. We’re paying you to enforce the law and you were just doing your job.”
Peck accepted Kranston’s feeble attempt at an apology. “Any talk?”
Kranston shook his head. “Why would there be? Nobody except us knows of the incident.”
“What about the state police?”
Again, Kranston shook his head. “Not yet, maybe tomorrow.”
“You said, you spoke to Deb Robertson,” Peck said. “Did you mean this morning?”
Kranston looked at Peck and there was a brief pause before he answered. “I’m losing track of time, I suppose. It was probably yesterday.”
Peck stood up from his desk. “In that case, I think I’ll see if I can catch Jay.”
Kranston remained motionless as Peck reached for his coat and left the office. After he was gone, Kranston sat motionless for several minutes before he stood up and looked out the window. Removing a pack of gum from a pocket, he slipped a stick out of its wrapper and placed it in his mouth.
Bender was inspecting the heavy chains on the tires of the cruiser when Peck entered the underground garage. Bender didn’t look happy.
“We need a new car, Dave. This fifty three won’t last another winter,” Bender said.
“She’ll make it to summer when the sixty models come out.”
“Yeah, we got one in the budget?”
“No.”
“Want to drive?”
“No.”
Bender opened his door and got behind the wheel. Peck entered the passenger side. Bender started the engine and the heavy cruiser clanged loudly as he rolled it up the exit ramp.
“Tell Kranston we at least want it in the budget to get a radio like the big city cops have,” Bender said. “This hand held junk don’t cut it.”
Peck lit a cigarette and turned his head to look at Bender. “Who else do we have to call but each other?”
“There,” Bender said and pointed to a spot past the steering wheel of the cruiser.
Off in the distance about a hundred yards down the dirt road Bender had turned onto was the abandoned logging camp. Bender turned onto a plowed driveway and slowed the heavy cruiser to a stop in front of the main cabin. “I asked them to plow,” Bender said. “They must have come by yesterday.”
“Who, the paper company?” Peck said.
Bender nodded. “It’s still their property.” They exited and walked to the front door of the main facility, which was a log cabin about sixty by sixty in size. Peck tried the doorknob and looked at Bender.
“It’s open.”
“I told them we might want to use it.”
They entered the large, rustic hall, which looked more like a hunting lodge then a logging camp. The air smelled damp and musty. Peck scanned the interior, noting the two fireplaces, tables, chairs, sofas and pool tables, all generic in appearance and a decade out of date in style.
“It isn’t wired for electricity, but they got it set up for generators, lights and cooking,” Bender said.
“You stayed here?”
Bender nodded. “I was maybe twenty one, right before they closed it down. Logging is back breaking work.”
“It will do,” Peck said. “We’ll tell Ed when we get back to town.”
“Feel like looking for some stragglers now?” Bender said.
“Yes.”
“Want to drive?”
“No.”
It was after six PM when Peck and Bender returned to the center of town. Their first stop was Deb’s Diner where it was another full house. After a fifteen minute wait, one of Deb’s waitresses led them to a window table where Doctor McCoy and
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