Laura pushed the button of the elevator. “Well, that was a waste of time.”
***
Will shoved open the Captain’s door, and Clayton followed close behind. “Well, that was a waste of time.”
***
Mabel walked down the hall, and spotted old man B. “Cops. Total waste of my time.”
***
Felix Moore flipped the screen. His search for Clayton Iron-Horse turned up yet another spotless record. “What a time waster.”
***
Agent Garrett nodded. Agent Lewis sipped a coffee as the Sheriff’s men circled the house. “This better not be a waste of our time” Garrett quipped.
***
Jeremiah and Jebediah stood together while the elevator made its slow ascent. “It wasn’t a total waste of time. Now we just need to start on places Gerrard worked and hung out. We’ll make it work. The weatherman is fairly patient.”
“I realize that Jeremiah, but I don’t know how much longer I can be here before somebody digs too deep into Laura Black’s past. I’m on borrowed time.”
“In another week, you’ll be someplace else. I promise.”
“Good. This town is just too…small town for me.”
***
Will started down the stairs. Clayton was right behind him. “I didn’t think you ever took the stairs.”
“I take them when I need to blow off steam.”
“Will, things will work out. You’ll find your man, I’ll find some leads and we’ll call it a good weekend.”
“Something doesn’t add up here Iron-Horse, and you know it.”
“Maybe so, but you have your task, and I have mine. I’d rather not have your captain call my director.”
“If you want to play it safe, fine, but I need…ah hell, I don’t even know where to go on this case. It has my brain all screwy. I’ve been making one mistake after another.”
“You’re a good cop Will. Don’t beat yourself up over this. Chances are it’s something over both our heads. That poison patch…”
“Yeah yeah, the poison patch. Now I have to go find Moore and spend the day reading up on anyone who might have had a beef with Stevens.”
***
Mabel walked up to B. “How are you otherwise?”
“Me, I’ve been better, but I’m not ready to call it a day or night yet.”
“What do you mean?”
“I need a ride to my car. I have to find out where those two tools are that I loaded on the train.”
“But I th-”
“Shhhhhhhh!” said B as he put one finger over her lips and his other arm around her, turning her around as they kept walking.
Mabel whispered “but I thought you told them where they were.”
“I told them one possible place to look. If Julio checks his schedule he might tip them off that I lied…I think.”
“You think?”
“Listen, what I told them…might be true. I honestly don’t know. But I want to start looking and maybe do my own poking around.”
***
Felix bounced from window to window, tab to tab. Google searching was getting old, and he was near the end of all the results for everyone he was looking for. He flipped the screen and saw something that made him sit up quickly. The link read: In Memorial-Officer Laura Black.
