good.”
She made the coffee and poured it out in two mugs. They carried it outside and sat on the swing in the backyard. She took off her heels and rubbed her feet.
“No mosquitoes. I’m surprised,” he said.
“I spray,” she said. “And one benefit of the mining up here is that the skeeters don’t seem to like the coal dust and other by-products any more than we do. Plus they’ve filled in so many sources of water that it’s cut down on the breeding grounds.”
They drank their coffee.
“I appreciate you letting me vent tonight about my family.”
“No problem with venting. Helps to clear the mind.”
“But we have seven homicides and a bombing to solve. And to think just last week the biggest problems I had were drunk and disorderlies, a few moonshine stills, and a burglary involving a microwave and a set of false teeth.”
“Part of my brain has been working it all through dinner and right up to now.”
“And what does your brain say?”
“That we’re making progress.”
“How do you know that?”
“Somebody tried to kill us.”
“So what next?”
“Keep digging. But I have to go back to D.C. tomorrow.”
Her face fell. “What? Why?”
“Reynolds worked for DIA. I’ve got interviews set up there. Angle I have to cover.”
“Can’t somebody up there do that? Army must have lots of agents.”
“They do. They’ve just decided not to deploy them on this case.”
“I still don’t understand.”
“It is what it is, Cole. But I’ll be back soon.”
Her cell phone rang. She answered it. Listened and asked a few questions. Then she clicked off.
“That was Sheriff Lindemann.”
“And what did he have to say?”
“He’s not happy that his peaceful hamlet is now the scene of murders and bombings.”
“I can understand that.”
“They put the fire out. The house where you were going to has been abandoned for years. No prints on the letter slipped under your door. The explosive used was dynamite and the ATF guy said the detonators on both devices were professional jobs.”
“Good. I hate going up against amateurs. They’re too unpredictable.”
“I’m glad you can pull some good news from all that.”
“So no clues? No leads?”
“Not right now.”
“Seems hard to believe that someone could get the necessary elements and set two bombs in a place like this and no one notices.”
“Lots of explosives up here, Puller. And lots of people who know how to use them.”
He finished his coffee and set the cup down on the arm of the swing. He stood. “I better get going.”
“Yeah, I guess you better.”
“Thanks for the primer on coal country.”
“You’re welcome. Still beating yourself up about that trip wire?”
He didn’t answer.
“You’re a strange man.”
“I’ve been called worse.”
“I actually meant it as a compliment.”
She looked over at the door to her house and then back at him. “It’s late. You can stay the night, if you want.” She kept looking at him.
Reading her mind, he said, “You know, sometimes the timing on things really stinks.”
“That’s my daddy. My truck’s in the shop, so’s I took his.”
“Okay, Wally, one more time, why are you here and what are you taking?”
The young man pointed at the box on the floor. It had fallen open and its contents had spilled out. Puller could see some clothes, a Bible, some books, a few framed photographs, and some knitting needles and balls of colored yarn.
“To get this stuff,” he said.
“Why? Are you taking it to Louisa at the hospital?”