Circles in the Sand (22 page)

“No way,” said the deputy. “This fight’s over.”

“You would come in just then. I was ready to slaughter him.”

Knowing Basil’s reputation, the deputy merely grimaced instead of sneering outright. Lance could see that Rosy and the other drinkers who were there must have decamped when the fight started. That left only Fritz as a witness, who immediately lied that that the whole thing was Lance’s fault. All three men were taken to the jail. While the processing proceeded, Fritz overheard Lance’s request that Sergeant Greybull come and bail him out.

Silently, the men in Chet’s just looked at each other for several moments. Then Clint said, “I’ll look in Hooper’s room…ask if anyone else has seen him.”

Before he could leave, Sheriff Radecker walked in. “Glad to see none of you boys are in trouble. Can’t say the same for Staff Sergeant Lance Werner. He’s in the pokey up at Glasgow.”

“What the hell happened, Sheriff Radecker?”

“I was just coming over to tell you, Clint. County Mounty passed along a message for you. Werner needs you to come and bail him out.”

“Oh good grief. What did he do?”

“Seems he and Basil Tree had a difference of opinion over a woman up there. I hear Basil got the worst of it. But Fritz claimed it was all Werner’s fault. That’s why he’s locked up.”

“Holy cow. How much’s that gonna cost me, Sheriff?”

“Don’t know for sure, but if I was you, I’d carry along a hundred or so.”

Clint flipped out is billfold and counted his bills. He looked around the room. “Hey fellows, one of us is in trouble with the civilians. I got fifty bucks, but I need more. Anyone want to chip in?”

The four airmen glumly counted their money. Lieutenant Byers spoke up. “I’ll cover the other fifty, Sergeant.” The happy troops closed their wallets.

“Thanks, Lieutenant. That really helps. Roger, check on Hooper for me. I’d better get up to Glasgow.” Going out the door he said, “See you guys later.”

The remaining airmen followed Patton back to Gilman’s. After Roger explained the  problem, Dorris told him which room was Hooper’s. When no one answered his knock, He asked Dorris for the key. She said, “I can’t give you the key to someone else’s room, but if he’s missing, I’ll open it for you.”

She followed Patton into the room. Hooper was not there, and his bed had not been slept in since Friday night. When asked, Lorena said she hadn’t seen him either. Patton rounded up the other airmen from their rooms. Alcocke, Jewel  and Kline had seen him last. “Said he’d meet us at the Boar Pen, but we never saw him.”

“Well, looks like I’ll have to check out that place.”

Olivia answered Roger’s knock and invited him in. “I haven’t come on your business,” he said. “One of our airmen is missing, Ervin Hooper. Last any of the troops saw him, he was planning to come here. I wonder if you can help me find him?”

Olivia looked puzzled. His was a very unusual question. What consequence could it have for her? “I don’t know, Sergeant. I’m sure he’s not here, but come and sit down. What did he look like?”

“Young man, maybe nineteen, twenty. About five-eight, sandy hair, thin kid.”

“That sounds like so many. Do you know when he was supposed to be here?”

“Said he’d be following Airmen Alcocke, Kline and Jewel Saturday afternoon, if their names ring a bell.”

Olivia laughed. “That helps some. We all remember Peter Jewel. I’ll ask around if anyone remembers Hooper.”

Roger looked after her heading for a door seemingly guarded by a large Mexican.
What in hell has Jewel got that he’s remembered fondly in a whore house?

From her quarters, Marie-Elena appeared first. “Well, Sergeant, I don’t remember your young man, but I wasn’t close to him. I assure you though, we don’t have him stashed here.”

When Tawny, Sheree and June entered the room, none of them remembered Hooper either. Jane came in last. Marie-Elena said, “Everyone is here except Jill. She only comes in occasionally.”

Jane, said, “Was he a very nervous young man?”

“I never thought so.”

“Oh, I have a thought,” Jane said. “Is it possible that it was the first time for him?”

“As young as he was, that’s possible.”

“I remember Jill taking a very nervous fellow with her. In fact, I gave her a signal that he might be cherry.”

“Oh, oh,” Marie-Elena said. “That might be a clue. Will you excuse us for a few minutes, Sergeant? I believe we need to do some girl talk…and you don’t want to hear it.”

As they trooped out of the room, El Gordo spoke to Olivia in Spanish. Only Olivia returned to the reception room. “Sergeant, comparing notes and a remark from El Gordo, we think young Hooper may have left in a panic. My bodyguard says a young man who had been in Jill’s room, dashed wildly out the back door instead of returning this way.”

Patton stood up. “In that case, I need to go out that way and see if I can find him.”

“Certainly, “ Olivia said. “We have a large storage shed and garage back there, and also a pier out on the river.”

Unbidden, El Gordo followed Olivia and Patton. Marie-Elena’s Cadillac took up most of the space in the garage. While Patton and Olivia examined the parked car, El Gordo proceeded to the shed. No sign of Hooper in the garage. Patton and Olivia entered the shed. El Gordo poked around behind stored things and moved some of them about. There didn’t appear to be anywhere Hooper could have hidden if he wanted to. Walking around behind the buildings on the water side, Patton continued out on the pier. “Do you keep a boat out here,” He asked.

“Not usually,” Olivia said. “At one time we had a row boat, but it is long gone. Jill has a canoe. She lives on the other side…in the reservation.”

“Any chance he could have taken the canoe…or went with Jill.”

“I don’t think so. He should have left long before she did…and if her canoe was missing, I’m sure we would have heard about it…loud and long.”

“Seems to me, we still need to ask her.”
Wouldn’t be the first time a cherry fell for the whore that took his.
Olivia had the same thought.

“I can try to call her, but you should know, long-distance connections around here don’t always get through.”

“That’s what I hear. But let’s give it a shot.”

Roger waited in the reception room while Marie-Elena called. Both now and earlier, while Patton sat there, a few men strolled out from the back with their hats pulled low. None of them looked directly at Patton and he didn’t recognize any of them.

After about fifteen minutes, Marie-Elena said, “No luck. Doubt if we can get through tonight. I’ll try again tomorrow, but I think it’s highly unlikely she would take him with her…to the reservation. Some of the Bucks are not too friendly.”

Patton  stood, “Thank You ma’am. I appreciate all of you taking the trouble.”

Since Clint wasn’t back, a troubled Technical Sergeant Patton hit the sack.

As he drove out on the county road leading to US 2, Clint wondered how in hell Fritz and Tree managed to be in Glasgow every one of the few times he’d been there.
Damn this dirt road. I should have taken the Jeep instead of busting my springs again.
He depended on his headlights to find his way around the ruts and holes.

Fortunately he slowed some more as he approached the biggest turn in the road. He’d swung out on the curve when…WHAM!…his head and shoulder hit the window…his truck slewed sideway… forced off the road. Monetarily stunned…Clint opened his eyes to see a dark shadow moving away. “You God Damned fool,” he shouted at the disappearing truck.
I’ll be damned. That sonovabitch’s driving without lights! No wonder I didn’t see him come up.

Basil stopped his truck. Looking back, he said, “Damn it! The sonovabitch didn’t go over.”

“Doesn’t look like he’s stirring though,” Fritz said.

Basil got out and walked around to the other side. He ran a hand over his crumpled right fender. “I hope to hell I did more damage to him than I did to me.”

“He’s getting out now,” Fritz said.

“Yeah. Couldn’t be hurt to bad.” He looked up and down the road. “Don’t see any lights, don’t see anyone around. Good time to finish him off”

“You’re not going back and hit him again, are you?”

Basil pulled his rifle off the rack in front of his rear window. “Naw. Enough moonlight. He’ll never know what hit him this time.” 

His truck stalled in the dirt just short of sliding into a deep dry ditch. Clint got out with a flashlight to inspect the damage. He found a large dent in the panel behind the door. Inside of his camper, everything loose fell to the floor.
Bastard! Had I been driving faster… and he struck the door… I could be hurting worse… or upside down in the gully… in worse pain….or never feeing pain…again.

He knew by the time he started the truck and got back on the road, he couldn’t catch the other vehicle.
Damn it all. Good thing I slowed down or he could have tipped me over. Maybe that’s what he wanted to do. Tree? Who else around here causes us trouble?
Clint opened the driver side door. Before he could step in he heard a loud report. A bullet struck the door. He didn’t hear the second report. A bullet tore into his upper arm.

“Got him that time!”

“Good second shot.”

Basil started his truck. “Yeah…lets go back and see the damage now.”

He put the truck in reverse.

“Oh shit! We don’t have time Basil. There’s lights coming up the road now. We can’t be seen! Let’s get the hell out of here!”

Three brothers in a beat-up pre-war Chevy on their way to Glasgow, had lost their way into West Layover. Sheriff Radecker pointed them on their way via the county road. Driving slow on the rotten road, the drowsy driver hit his brakes just in time to miss hitting Clint. The brother in the passenger seat sat up. “What’s the matter?”

“Jesus! Almost hit a man laying in the road! He may be injured. Hand me that flashlight.”

Clint came too when the flashlight hit his eyes. “What…Who?” He sat up.

“Yore arm is bleeding. Let me take a look.” He pulled out a pocket knife and cut away Clint’s sleeve. “You been shot. Not bad. Missed the bone, just a flesh wound, but you’re bleeding pretty good.”

“I must have hit my head on the frame when I felt the bullet.”

The driver shone the flash light around Clint’s head. “Don’t see any damage in the dark, but we need to bandage up your  arm. You got anything in yore camper we can use.”

“Yeah, it’s open. Tear up that pillow case.”

Clint felt a little woozy when he stood up. With Clint’s arm bandaged but still bleeding, the driver said, “Maybe you shouldn’t drive. We need to get you to a doctor.”

“Can you take me back to West Layover? I can get help there…a nurse owns a general  store. She’ll be able to help me.”

Tending Clint’s wound, necessarily touching his arm, his shoulder…his skin, Lilith  McCune worked without haste. Looking into his eyes…she trembled…inwardly. She felt…the stirring…of a long dormant self…
Ohhh no no no..…….. Ohhhhh…Yes!

After Lilith bound Clint’s wound tight with medical tape and bandages, she said, “Nearest hospital of sorts is the dispensary at Ft. Peck. You need a doctor to look at your arm right away. You probably need a blood transfusion.”

“Thank you, Mrs. McCune, I’ll get one of the troops to run me down there.” Turning to his rescuers. “I sure owe a big thanks to you guys. If you can stick around till morning, I’ll see you get the biggest best breakfast you ever had.”

Gilman’s was shut. Clint pressed the bell for the hotel desk. Shortly, Dorris in a robe appeared at the door. Seeing bandaged Clint she opened the door. “My gosh, Clint, come in. What happened?”

I got shot. Not bad, but these men kept me from bleeding to death.”

“Come in, come in. Have a chair.”

“Dorris, in  the morning, please give these three men your super-duper deluxe breakfast, on me.”

“Of course I will. Do you men need a room? I’ve got one empty if you don’t mind double or tripling up. It’s on the house too.”

Clint said, “I need to wake Roger and get some more help.”

Roger immediately volunteered to drive Clint, who said, “no, you need to stay here, in charge. Elsas can run me over to Ft. P.”

The medical corpsman at Fort Peck, patched Clint up and started him on a blood transfusion. “With a gunshot wound I have to call in the Doctor to examine you. You may have to give a statement to the Military Police  also.”

“What for? This happened out in the country, not on post.”

“Doesn’t matter. You’re military and Valley County is within Ft. Pecks area of responsibility for military matters.”

“Hey, I’ve got a lot going on. I need to get back to West Layover. Mrs. McCune there is a nurse. I believe she can look after me.”

“Sergeant, you don’t leave here until the doctor releases you. That wound is no joke.”

“Okay, when does the Doc get here?”

“As soon as he can…has to drive in from Glasgow.”

A CID officer in plain clothes showed up before the Doctor. He wanted a written statement from Clint who told him. “You can write down what I tell you. Do you think I can write with my arm hobbled like this?”

The Doctor was deaf to Clint’s pleas to be released. “No way, Sergeant. I want you to stay here at least until Monday morning. You’ve been shot, lost a lot of blood, haven’t had any sleep. Apparently  you are still high on adrenalin. I don’t want you to leave here, and take a chance on you going into delayed shock.”  He had Clint swallow a couple of pills, one of which  knocked him out for several hours.

At church Sunday, worried about Clint, Dorris was happy that she didn’t see Fritz Deutsch anywhere. She was slightly dismayed at seeing Harlan Altman, the preacher’s brother, in the congregation. She liked Harlan as a person, but that was about it. Evidently in town from Williston again, on previous occasions he always sought her out after church. Sure enough, he waited just beyond his brother, who shook everyone’s hand as they exited the church. Seeing Dorris, a huge smile developed on Harlan’s face. He removed his hat and said, “Morning, Mrs. Gilman. I see that charming daughter of yours is with you.”

Lorena took that as a clue to say hello to Mr. Altman, but to keep on going. She knew he wanted to talk to Dorris.
Maybe I should hang around. Discourage him some. I wonder if he’s heard anything about Mom and Clint?