Page 99 of Head Room

I moved on to recount what the vets, Victor and Zeke, said.

“The sergeant changing his schedule right before the fire looks like another pointer to him planning it,” Diana said.

“Could be a fluke,” Mike said.

“So, again,” Jennifer said, “no progress.”

“Can’t say we’ve madenoprogress.We can rule out burning down the cabin for nails,” I said sourly.

Mike interrupted his major yawn to say with would-be innocence, “Oh?”

I recapped Mrs.P shooting down that theory, leaving a few bullet holes in me in the process.

“Ah, so, the sergeant didn’t burn down his cabin for nails.”Mike’s voice was almost normal.

Almost.

I zeroed in on him.“Did you already know that?”

“Me?”

“You are lousy at pretending innocence, Paycik.You set me up.”

I took back every iota of sympathy I’d sent his way.

He laughed.“You’re always amused when I run into the Mrs.P buzz saw, thought I’d see how it looks from the other side.”

The other two, wisely, kept a neutral silence.

I drew in a slow breath.“We’re even.”

“But I didn’t get to see it—”

“Even.”I closed the topic.“So, no burning down for nails, but the cabin being burned down for something in it still has to be a consideration.”

“Get back to this pointing away from Frank Jardos being the burner, since he’d taken those precautions with Hannah,” Diana said.

“Unless he needed to hide a dead body,” Jennifer said dourly.

Didn’t bother Diana any.“There’s also the land angle.Land deals can cause all sorts of conflict.Wouldn’t be the first time land led to murder.”

“Not in Wyoming, it wouldn’t,” Mike agreed.

“Are you talking stuff from the 1800s?”I asked.

Their silence confirmed my guess.

“We’re talking aboutnow.Not to mention the other side of this land deal would be Clara and Mrs.P.”

I stopped myself from addingCan you see either of them...?

Because the answer would not be unequivocal.Not saying physical violence, certainly by Mrs.P, but—.

“Clara Atwood’s a shark,” Jennifer said.“Remember how she was about those gold coins?”

“Oh, yeah,” Diana said.“Shewasa shark in trying to get ahold of those.”

Despite my own thoughts, I felt obliged to present the other view.“That was for the museum, and that’s when its financial situation was precarious.Now the finances are solid, not to mention that in this case the museum will receive money.”