“You heard me. I want an unmarked car in Dell Rapids. Trust me, you’ll spot the action. The town is what, two-thousand or so? MAKE IT HAPPEN. What? If they need assistance? Well, give it and I’ll explain later. I doubt my luck is that bad. JUST DO IT.” Captain Hale slammed the phone down. He had really enjoyed his minute nap, and right now he was wishing for about four hundred more, preferably consecutively. He heard a knock at his door as he put his head on his arms again. Springing back up, he yelled “COME IN” while he snugged his tie. The door opened and Will walked in.
“Captain, you wanted to see me?”
“Yes, yes I did. WHY DID YOU NOT GO TO THE RAIL YARD?”
“I had a LEAD on Richmond. I had to get to the airport.”
“Why did you, oh, I don’t know, CALL SOMEONE ELSE TO TAKE THAT? YOU DROVE ACROSS TOWN RATHER THAN CALL SOMEONE CLOSER.”
“It’s my case, and I was pretty sure that there were no flights leaving.”
“PRETTY SURE? DAMMIT HETFIELD, PRETTY SURE?”
“Hey, we did find him.”
“Yes…yes you did. NEARLY DEAD.”
“He was poisoned…”
“Wait, I almost forgot. Richmond deals with Dinkley, who is also dead, AND WAS DEAD BEFORE WE LOST STEVENS LAST EVENING. DID I OR DID I NOT PUT YOU ON A CASE TO FIND OUT WHO KILLED OFFICER STEVENS?”
“You did, but I have r-”
“SHUT YOUR DAMN MOUTH. DROP THIS DINKLEY BUSINESS. I’VE GOT OTHER OFFICERS AND SOME FEDS ON THAT. YOU NEED TO FIGURE OUT WHO SHOT OFFICER STEVENS.”
“If I may…” Clayton stepped forward, almost standing between Hetfield and Hale.
“WHO THE HELL ARE YOU?”
“Clayton Iron-Horse, F.B.I. Part of this is my fault. I involved Detective Hetfield in the Dinkley matter. Plus, I thought finding Dinkley might lead us to his landlord and to Anderton and Fulton.”
“Ah yes, Garrett and Lewis told me about you. You always get your man, or at least, your record says as much.”
“Just doing my job.”
“How admirable. Now, let me do mine, in reminding my detective TO DO HIS DAMN JOB!”
Clayton took a step back. Will looked at him and shrugged.
***
Phil closed the distance to the bicycle. Bob was right behind him. “We need to call the police.”
“Well, that means we go in too.”
Phil stopped in his tracks. “Damn. Damn damn damn. I hadn’t thought of that.”
“Yeah. Me either, until just now.”
“Maybe the bike is just by the dumpster because it’s garbage?”
“Let’s check it out, just to be safe.” Bob started walking again, and Phil was right behind him. Bob got to the bike first. “Well, it looks like a decent bike. The streamers and Hello Kitty stickers tell me it isn’t quite a floor model they put out.”
“So, what do we do? Call the police, tell someone else, walk away?”
Bob looked around. He crossed his arms and shook his head. “We have to do something.”
“Well?” Phil looked around and and scratched his head.
“Give me your phone” Bob said.
