Page 133 of Head Room

“They’re putting together the deal — their money — I get that, but you’ve been their—” I didn’t want to sayfront man, too negative a connotation.“—representative.And I know it’s progressing, though slower than you and the guys would like.Was there a dispute about that?”

He said crisply, “No.”

If I took Colonel Crawford’s assessment of this man as gospel, that was the absolute truth.

On the other hand, I didn’t know the colonel other than our one meeting and background research.

“Tell me about Nance.How did he fit in?”

This look was sharp.“Nance was up with the others for a while.That’s how we met.He had troubles.”

“More than the others?”

“Different.”The creases flickered.“Couldn’t keep focus sometimes, but wasn’t so much that way he didn’t know he had that trouble.He’d heat up for no cause, saying he wasn’t going to listen to somebody calling him stupid even though nobody had.

“Next thing any of them or me knew, he’d drifted off.He’d done that before.No one heard from him or about him for a stretch.Word came he’d been in Cheyenne, got help from the VA medical center there.Mental health.But then we heard he’d left before they wanted him to.Had another gap with no word of him before a friend of a friend of one of our guys ran into him in Idaho.Boise.They have mental health programs, too.

“Sometimes it takes a few tries for a vet to stick.Gotta get themselves to the point where it will sink in.

“But then he showed up back here.Here,” he emphasized, differentiating it from where the other vets were.Seemed like he was in a good place.Better than I’d seen him.Focused.Had his truck.”He tipped his head toward the first parked vehicle.“Came to the cabin.Brought me here to show me his set-up.Said he was straight and had his stake for the group, but had one last thing to clear up, then he’d see the others.I bought it.Bought it all.”

CHAPTER FIFTY-TWO

Frank Jardos streamedout a breath.

“Irene would’ve set me straight.Never seen a person better at picking up what was going on with other people, when they were right and when they weren’t.She just knew, but with her gone...Oh, hell, maybe I wasn’t paying as close attention as I should’ve, what with missing her.The guys said a few things—”

“Recently?”

“No.Before Nance drifted off...Anyway, I’ve had time to remember every word, every look from Nance while I’ve been here.Didn’t follow up the way I should’ve.”

“Was that your job?”I asked evenly.“To follow up?To pay close attention?”

“It was, because I could.Some of the guys got their heads on mostly right.They don’t want to deal with a lot of people, or pretty much any if they can help it.Doesn’t stop them from keeping things running within the group and a couple can figure the numbers on getting land and such, know the laws.A couple others...Well, the ones who can, help the ones who can’t.

“Maybe that was part of my not paying enough attention — who was saying it.When Nance came back and was looking better, a couple guys who have more issues grumbled something was off.Me and some others dismissed it.”

As if realizing how much he’d been talking, he asked sharply, “This is what you wanted to ask me about?”

“Some of it.When did you find Nance dead in your cabin?”

“That day — Wednesday.Same day I’d been up here to his camp, looking for him.He’d been...wound up the previous time I’d seen him, two days earlier.Got real excited when I asked what was going on.Said I was accusing him of lying, being a crook.When I said no, he switched to saying I didn’t think he could handle the situation.”

“What situation?”

“Hell if I know.That’s why I came here,” he said impatiently.

“Was the day he got excited the same day you did the clear-cut?”

“Need to keep up a fire break—” He’d defaulted to defensive.

“Why this time of year?Why with the wet weather?”

His longest pause followed.“I had a feeling.Wanted options.”

He stopped.

I let the silence lie.