****
Barns was again talking with Bill Fenster. “Did you hear what I said, Fenster? If I catch Dark I’m going to shoot that fucking lunatic. He had no call to kill my cousins. They were good men, both of them.”
“You know for a fact it was Dark?”
“I’m positive. I saw what looked like giant wolf tracks, and I doubt that even a bear could or would do what was done to my cousins. It looks like their brains and hearts were eaten, and the rest of them were torn to bits.”
“They weren’t driving logging equipment or wearing Sheriff’s Department uniforms, were they?”
“Clevis and Mike? Of course not. They moved the logging equipment in during the dead of night, like you ordered. They were murdered many hours later.”
“Then Dark didn’t break our agreement.”
“He killed my cousins, damn it, shredded them to bloody bits! He’s a homicidal maniac!”
“But he’s OUR homicidal maniac. What happened to your cousins is unfortunate, but let’s wait to see what damage he does to the Tribe and to Goth. Besides, I don’t think you could stop him if you tried.”
“Really? Are you starting to believe in that magic crap?”
“Let’s just say I have acquired a healthy respect for it. Anything else?”
“Yeah. Do you know an Ann Goth?”
“Johnny’s mother. Not listed as Mort’s heir but probably is Johnny’s heir by state law. Sure, I remember her. Tough little bitch. Why?”
“She showed up at the murder site. She seems to be headed for a family reunion with Johnny at the Goth place.”
“Great. One more complication we don’t need.”
“She took Simple with her, and a young woman named Angela Welborne was with her. A real looker. One of my deputies spoke with her briefly.”
“Welborne? I do pulp business with a Los Angeles industrialist named Welborne, I wonder if there’s a connection? Seems unlikely. Could she be a lawyer?”
“She looked more like an expensive hooker. I’ll check up on her.”
“Of course you will, and so will I. The first rule in any game is to know all the players.”
****