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“You seem smart, Deputy Ted.”

“Thanks.” Ted smiled. “Did Carl hurt himself bad that time?”

“Not too bad.” Mrs. Drapeau made a face thinking about it. “He was just getting started hacking on his left arm when I heard him yelling and I came running down the hall. I tried to stop him and when I was taking the knife out of his hand—he didn’t mean to do it—I’m sure he didn’t mean it.” She swiped at a couple of tears.

“But you got hurt, ma’am?”

She rubbed her upper left arm and winced. “It’s all healed up now. That’s when they took Carl to the hospital and said he was a danger to himself and to others.”

“How long ago was that, ma’am?”

“It was a long time ago. I’d say five or six years.”

“And how old is Carl now?”

“Twenty-one.”

“I’ll go back to the office and see what the sheriff says about using the dogs, ma’am. We’ll probably drop back in the morning, and the sheriff’s dogs will search for Carl. In the meantime, you call the office if he shows up.”

“Okay. I’ll do that. Thank you, Deputy Ted.”

“No problem, ma’am. Don’t worry. We’ll find Carl for you.”

Edmundston Residence. Great Falls.

It took Travis over an hour to drive down to Great Falls to interrogate Clarke Edmundston. He called ahead and spoke to Clarke’s wife, and she agreed that two o’clock would be ideal to catch Clarke at home. His new job started at four o’clock and he’d be working afternoons as a janitor at Great Falls Hospital.

At the door, Travis introduced himself, showed Mrs. Edmundston his creds and she invited him into a sparsely furnished living room. Clarke was watching a game on a small flat screen and didn’t look up.

“Turn off the TV, Clarke. The Sheriff is here to talk to you.”

“It ain’t half time yet,” he mumbled. “I’ll turn it off then, Mandy.” Clarke shoved a big hand into a bag of Doritos.

Mandy snapped at him, “Turn it off now, Clarke. The sheriff doesn’t have all day to wait for halftime.”

Clarke turned and stuck his tongue out at his wife.

Yep. Not too stable.

“Does Clarke have a hunting knife, ma’am?” asked Travis.

“No. I don’t allow him to have any weapons in the house.”

“Could you tell me where Clarke was the night before last?”

“What time, Sheriff?”

“Let’s say between ten in the evening and dawn.”

“He was home in bed. I know that for sure, because he started his new job yesterday and he doesn’t get home and into bed until twelve thirty.”

“Thank you, ma’am. I’ll leave you one of my cards. You can call me anytime.”

“Thanks, Sheriff Frost.”

Travis jumped into his truck thinking he wasted a trip.

Sheriff’s Office. Coyote Creek.