Ch. 10

"Yeah, I knew Dirk. Saw in the paper where he was killed in an accident. Sad, but I can't say that surprises me. What does any of this have to do with the other case?"

He narrowed his green eyes at the two of them and shoved his hands into the pockets of his greasy coveralls. Walt shook his head.

"We can't say. Right, now we're interested in how well the two of you knew each other."

Hollister was quiet for a minute and sighed heavily.

"We were friends in high school. Played ball together."

"Were you still close?"

He turned to Vic and shook his head.

"No, he got fu…messed up on drugs after graduation. Never could hold a job or string together anything meaningful. That's why I'm not surprised he's dead. Been expecting to hear that for some time."

Vic and Walt exchanged glances.

"To your knowledge, was he violent?"

He frowned, his brow furrowing. Pulling his hands from his pockets, he ran one through his hair.

"Hang on…do you think he's involved in the death of this girl?"

Walt's face revealed nothing.

"Just answer the question, please."

His tone was calm and even.

Jason looked down at his work boots and toed the cracked concrete floor.

"We haven't talked in a while. But…he had a temper. Or he did."

"Ever know him to hurt a woman?"

He raised his eyes back to Vic who had posed the question. They lingered on her before he answered.

"Once in a while, when he was high or drunk. It's one of the reasons he couldn't keep a girlfriend worth anything. He was fine for a while and then he would get out of control. That's part of the reasons he wasn't much of a friend anymore. His damn temper was explosive when he was on that garbage."

He sounded like he was trying to sound sincere. His expression was somber but didn't seem to match his tone.

"Do you know if he and Katrina ever met?"

Jason shook his head.

"Not to my knowledge. If she was looking to score, though, wouldn't be a stretch. He's fairly well known in certain circles for being able to get you what you need. He could make it or send you to someone who did. He claimed he had quit but I'm not sure about that."

Walt nodded. Vic could see the wheels turning in his mind. They had more questions than answers. But now, they also had more puzzle pieces that needed to be put in some type of coherent picture.

Walt nodded his head.

"Thank you, Jason. We appreciate your cooperation. Hate to keep bothering you at work."

Hollister smiled.

"It's no bother. I think just about everyone here has had run-ins with the cops at some point."

"We have may more questions. Would you prefer to come in and answer them?"

"Sure, if there's something I can help you with."

xxx

"Is it just me or does he seem a little too eager to help?"

Walt nodded his head in agreement as they drove down the highway.

"Yep, noticed that."

"And he had no problem throwing his friend under the bus either."

"Noticed that, too."

Vic shook her head.

"I guess a dead guy is a convenient place to lay the blame. He can't defend himself."

"Wouldn't be the first time we've seen that."

"No, it wouldn't."

Silence settled over them. Vic looked at him for a long moment. Something about his demeanor seemed off.

"Something on your mind?"

Walt glanced at her.

"Why?"

She shrugged.

"You just seem…I don't know. Distracted."

Walt was quiet for a beat before he answered.

"Your dad called me earlier. At the station. Before the mayor."

Vic returned her gaze to him.

"Why didn't you say something?"

Walt gave a quick shrug.

"He wants to have a drink. Just the two of us."

Vic chewed nervously on her lip.

"You going?"

He let out a breath.

"Yep."

"You can just tell him no."

He shook his head, his eyes never straying from the road.

"No…I can't. Not if I want his respect."

Her eyes were on him curiously.

"Is that important to you?"

He turned his head briefly and looked at her before turning his eyes back to the road.

"It's important to me that you're happy. If this is what it takes to make that happen…then I'm willing to do that."

She shook her head at the thought of the two of them alone.

"Don't let him get to you. He's good at that."

She could see the edge of his mouth turn up ever so slightly.

"I have some experience dealing with Morettis. I think I know what I'm doing."

She laughed.

"Would you believe me if I told you I was the most rational of the bunch?"

He shook his head.

"Nope."

Vic laughed again and smacked his arm playfully.

"Smart ass."

His smile faded and he grew more serious.

"It's okay, Vic. I don't want you to worry about it."

She huffed under her breath and he could hear the 'yeah right' without her saying it.

"Right. So, when is this taking place?"

His hand gripped at the steering wheel a little tighter.

"Tonight."

She grimaced a little.

"Sure you want to go on your own?"

He gave a short nod.

"Yep. Have to."

She blew a breath out through her lips.

"Okay. Good luck."

xxx

Ferg stood up as soon as they cleared the door and started their way. Vic slid her jacket from her shoulders and looked in his direction. It was clear from the eager look on his face that he had been waiting for them to get back.

"Did you talk to Jason Hollister?"

Walt nodded as he removed his hat and glanced at Ferg.

"Yep. Why?"

Ferg tailed Walt while he put his hat and coat away.

"I've been talking to some of his old classmates. He and Dirk Tillman were tight. More than one said they were like brothers."

Vic draped her jacket over her chair. Grabbing her Flyers cup, she filled it with water and sipped it before she told Ferg what they had learned.

"He admitted to knowing him and having been friends. He said they weren't in contact much anymore due to Tillman's drug use."

Ferg shuffled through a stack of papers that cluttered his desk.

"That might not be the only reason. I found something else."

Walt placed his hands on his hips and looked at Ferg curiously.

"What did you find?"

Feg extended a sheet of paper to Walt, who took it, his eyes still focused on his youngest deputy.

"I did a little digging on Hollister's older arrests after talking to one of their old teammates. The dropped statutory rape charge from ten years ago…that was Dirk Tillman's younger sister."

Vic was mid sip and nearly spewed water.

"Holy shit! Are you serious?"

Walt glanced at Vic.

"He didn't tell us that."

She swiped at her mouth and shook her head.

"No, he did not. That's definitely enough to screw up a friendship. Wonder if Hollister held a grudge about that. Could be a factor."

Walt nodded to Ferg.

"Good work, Ferg. Keep digging. See if you come up with anything else."

Ferg grinned.

"You got it."

xxx

Vic was right about one thing. It had been quite some time since Walt had found himself in circumstances like these. In all honesty, it was a place he thought he was finished with. He clearly remembered being a young man and meeting Martha's father for the first time. The man had been cordial but reserved. Walt had been so nervous, his main focus was on keeping his hands steady when he shook her father's hand. His own father had taught him to not reveal his own fears. Once he and Martha had a daughter of their own, his understanding on the matter changed. His perspective shifted. There had been more than one young man who he'd stared down that wanted to take his daughter out. Now, having sat on both sides of this conversation, he liked to think it gave him a unique perspective. He understood where Victor Moretti was coming from. On the flip side, it wasn't like either he or Vic were kids and naïve in the ways of the world. Between the two of them, they had a wide range of relationship experience under their belts, not to mention life experience.

He agreed to meet Victor Moretti at the hotel bar. It wasn't an environment Walt was entirely comfortable in and he firmly believed that was Victor's intention. As a career law man, Victor understood the value in keeping someone off balance. To make it more difficult for them to hide things. Keeping a suspect out of their comfort zone was key. He was fairly certain Victor viewed him like he would any other suspect that needed to be questioned.

The older man was already nursing a beer when he approached. He offered his hand.

"Chief."

Victor didn't smile but took the offered hand firmly.

"Sheriff."

They shook hands and then sat down. Walt laid his hat brim up on the bar next to his arm. He ordered a beer and took a sip. It was obvious that Victor Moretti was watching him closely. Gauging him, no doubt. Measuring him.

"You have a daughter, Sheriff?"

Walt nodded, nearly smiling at the mention of Cady.

"I do. Her name is Cady. She's an attorney."

"She live here?"

Walt nodded.

"In Durant, yes."

"Does she practice law in town?"

Walt took another sip from his beer.

"Until recently, she was working on the Cheyenne reservation. That didn't work out like she hoped. But…she's smart. She'll find her place. What she's meant to do."

Victor Moretti turned his eyes towards his drink with an almost sad expression.

"It's hard. Watching your children find their place in the world. Watching them make bad decisions and fall. I have five children. Not one of them has made it easy. It's even more difficult when one is convinced that her place is as far away from you as possible."

Walt looked over at the man with sincerity.

"I wouldn't take it personally, Chief. My daughter went away to school. I don't think she had any intention of coming back until my wife passed away. She moved back here then. I think she wanted to keep an eye on me. Make sure that I was okay."

Victor smiled a little.

"Admirable."

"A quality she inherited from her mother. "

Victor sighed.

"Sometimes, it seems like my daughter inherited the most difficult traits from sides of her family. She's been a challenge since the day she was born. Hard headed and stubborn as hell. Her teenage years were a trial by fire. Her older brothers did not prepare me for her. At all. That's why we call her the Terror."

Victor took another swallow from his bottle and set it down with a low thump.

"She's mentioned some of that."

Walt paused before continuing. Choosing his words.

"Vic is one of the best deputies I've ever had, Chief. She's good at what she does. Very good. I'm not sure you give her enough credit for that."

Victor huffed a little under his breath.

"You seem to give her plenty."

Walt sighed as Victor pressed on.

"Let's cut to the chase, Sheriff. Your interest in her isn't professional. What is it that you want from her?"

Walt narrowed his eyes and turned a little more to face the man beside him. He could understand Vic's exasperation with her father. He was getting a first hand look at it.

"Want from her? I don't want anything from her. I want her to be happy both professionally and personally. I'd think that you would want the same thing for her."

Walt knew he was walking a fine line by challenging the man.

"I do."

His voice had turned gruff.

"On your terms. She'll fight you all the way on that."

Victor studied him for a long moment before speaking.

"Why is it you think you know my daughter better than I do?"

Walt ran his hand over the cold bottle in front of him on the bar and turned it around in his hands. He finally looked up with confidence in his answer.

"Because I see her. All of her. And I accept her. I've never asked her to be something that she's not or tried to make her fit into some other mold. For someone who is as outspoken and stubborn as she is, Chief, she's very insecure. She struggles with that. All she really wants is to be accepted for who she is. Faults and all. The way she accepts other people."

"By other people, you're talking about yourself."

It was more of a comment than a question.

"Yep. I have my own demons, Chief. We all do. Vic has always taken that in stride."

Victor looked at his drink again like he was thinking about what Walt had said to him.

"Is she living with you? She never did answer me?"

Walt could feel his frustration building.

"That's the kind of question you'll have to ask Vic. It's not my place to speak for her on personal matters."

"That so?"

"Yes, it is."

Victor looked at him closely.

"Do you plan to marry her or have you not thought that far ahead? Just happy to have the attention of a younger woman. Men have been after Vic for most of her adult life, Sheriff. It seems to me like she always chooses the wrong ones."

Walt just looked at the bar.

"I can't answer that. That's between Vic and me. I told you that before."

He could read the frustration on Victor's face.

"Why bother to come if you're going to deflect all the questions?"

"I'm not deflecting. Those are questions you'll have to ask Vic. They're personal and I don't make it a habit of speaking for her. I didn't come here to be interrogated about our relationship. We're both adults and there are certain things that are between the two of us."

"Then why are you here?"

Walt took a breath.

"To tell you that I love your daughter. I would never hurt her. You seem to think I'm in this for the wrong reasons. The truth is…I'm not sure you could even understand what's between us."

xxx

He wasn't surprised to find Vic at his cabin when he pulled in. He parked next to her truck and walked slowly up the steps. The living room light was on as he came through the door, removing his hat. She was on his couch, with her legs pulled up and a blanket over them. He shed his coat and boots.

When he sat down, her feet slid towards him as the cushion shifted in is direction. He pulled them into his lap and started running his hands over her ankles and the lower part of her calves. She was watching him with those eyes that seemed to see everything he did and thought. Leaning back, he felt some of the tension leave him. Her eyes stayed on him, inquiring and imploring.

When he stayed quiet, she finally broke the silence.

"Well?"

He looked down at where her feet were still in his lap and ran a finger over the top of her sock clad foot.

"It wasn't so bad."

Vic tilted her head to the side.

"Then why do you look like that?"

He shrugged.

"He's just being a father, Vic. I can't fault him for that."

"What did you talk about?"

"You."

She nudged him in the stomach with one of her feet.

"Funny."

He smiled at the sarcasm in her voice.

"It's the truth. It was a lot like the other night. I can see where you get your persistence from."

Vic tossed the blanket aside and pulled her feet away. Half crawling and half scooting, she crossed the small expanse between them. Situating herself in his lap, she straddled him and looped her arms around his neck.

"Sheriff Longmire, where do you see this relationship going?"

He couldn't help but smile at the way she mimicked her own father. She grinned at him.

"Am I close?"

"Yep. Pretty close."

She leaned in closer, her breath tickling his face.

"You should have told him your plans were to come home and have hot, sweaty sex with me. Bet that would've shut him up."

Walt chuckled.

"I'm sure that would've gone over well."

She grew serious then. She was staring at him in a way that almost hypnotized him.

"What?"

Her eyes held his.

"What did you say?"

Walt inhaled deeply. His hands traversed up and down her back. He knew what she was asking.

"I told him that was between us."

"So you answered his question by not answering his question. How very political of you."

Their eyes stayed fixed on each other. This was new territory for them both. They had not spoken much of the future. With Vic's insecurities about her ability to be happy along with the new path they were carefully picking through, there hadn't been many conversations about the future. As far as Walt was concerned, she was it for him. He had no desire to be with anyone else and couldn't fathom the thought after having been with Vic. The more time that elapsed, the more he saw glimpses of where they were headed. He was fairly certain she felt the same way. There were still times she wanted to be alone in her RV. Walt made a conscious effort to not push. These days, she was at the cabin more than she was at home. That was enough for him right now. The rest of it would come in time. When she let him know that she was ready. Some part of him was afraid to come out and just ask her. That wasn't something that was easy for him to admit.

She was still teasing him but there was a serious note underneath.

"We haven't talked about it much, have we?"

Walt licked his lips.

"No."

"Does that bother you?"

"No."

She studied him carefully.

"Is that the truth?"

"Mostly."

"Mostly?"

His hands still moved slowly over her back.

"I don't want to push you, Vic."

"But?"

He hesitated before answering her.

"I want you here all the time."

"I'm here most of the time."

Her voice was soft.

He nodded.

"Yep, and that's enough."

A small frown appeared on her face.

"Enough? But it's not what you want."

He shrugged.

"We can't always get what we want."

She was quiet for a stretch before she spoke again.

"Walt, do you know part of why my marriage sucked?"

"I know lots of reasons."

She nearly laughed then.

"I know. But, the biggest one was how we avoided the things we should have talked about. We ignored it because we knew we might fight. But, then we fought anyway because shit builds up. Even then, we argued about other things. So the big problems never got solved. Understand?"

"Yes."

"I don't want you to feel like you can't tell me something because you're afraid of my reaction. The truth might be hard sometimes, but we still need to deal with it."

"I know. I just…I don't want you to feel like I'm trying to push you into something that you're not ready for. I don't want us to be like that, Vic."

She smiled. It was a sweet smile. The kind that stopped his heart mid thump.

"There's a difference between telling me what you want and pushing me. I don't think you'll ever get that. I love that you are so worried about my needs. But, what you need is important too. To me."

"Okay."

Another smile. He marveled at how easily she could draw things from him.

"Tell me what you want."

He paused for a long moment and she thought he wasn't going to answer. He finally spoke.

"I want you."

She cocked her head in confusion.

"You have me."

He swallowed.

"All the time. All of you."

Another long pause. She waited, knowing he wasn't done.

"I want you to move in here. With me."

"But you haven't asked."

He shrugged.

"I guess I haven't. No."

"Afraid I'll say no?"

He gave a slight nod.

"Yes."

"Would that be the worst thing?"

He shook his head.

"No."

She dipped her face down and then lifted her eyes back to his.

"I'm afraid of the same thing, Walt. That at some point you'll say no."

His expression turned to puzzlement.

"To what?"

"Me. To being with me. I know I'm not easy to deal with."

He felt her fingers moving through the hair at his collar. The motion rattled his mind.

"I guess we're all afraid of something."

She smiled.

"Yeah. Ask me."

Another long pause.

"Do you want to move in here? With me?"

She nodded. It was barely perceptible.

"Yes."

"Just like that?"

"It won't be easy. Merging everything."

"No."

"But it's what you want."

"Yes. And it's what you want?"

She nodded.

"Yes."

She leaned into him and pressed her face into his neck.

"Then let's do it."

xxx

The young man who walked into the department looked like a frightened rabbit that might bolt. Ruby was at lunch. Zach was on patrol. Vic heard the door open and looked up, half expecting it to be one of them. Instead she was met with the sight of a slight young man who looked around like he wasn't sure where he was. Vic stood up.

"Can I help you?"

He looked at her for a long moment.

"This is the Absaroka Sheriff's Department?"

"Yeah…are you alright?"

He looked like he was about to be sick. He nodded slowly.

"Yeah…I'm fine. I…just…is the sheriff in?"

Vic shook her head.

"Not right now. He'll be back. You can wait if you like."

Beads of sweat dotted the pale skin around his hairline. Vic put her hand on his shoulder.

"Are you sure you're okay? You're not looking so good."

She guided him to a chair. He sat slowly.

"Yes, I just…I would like to see the sheriff. I'll only talk to the sheriff."

"Okay. Sit right here."

Ferg was watching the scene unfold with a mix of curiosity and nervousness. Vic stepped towards him.

"Watch him."

She said it in a low voice and nodded her head towards the kid.

"Sure thing."

Vic walked quickly to the radio and picked it up.

"Walt, where are you?"

She heard crackling followed by his voice.

"Headed back to the station. What's up?"

"How far out are you?"

"Bout ten minutes."

She glanced at the kid, still sitting and looking around. If he decided to leave, there wasn't much she could do about it. More crackling static.

"Vic? Everything okay?"

She returned her attention to the radio.

"I'm not sure. Just hurry up."

He walked in five minutes later. Vic met him at the door.

"What's wrong?"

She took his arm and tugged him off to the side.

"This kid…"

She gestured towards him.

"He's been here for a few minutes. He seems…I don't know…messed up or something. He says he'll only talk to the Sheriff. We haven't even been able to get his name."

Walt turned his eyes to the young man.

"Okay."

He removed his hat and coat and approached the chair.

"I'm Sheriff Longmire. You wanted to see me?"

The young man looked up at Walt, his eyes wide. He stood up and looked like a child compared to Walt's larger frame.

"Sheriff of Absaroka County?"

Walt nodded.

"Yes."

"Can we talk?"

"Sure, this way."

Walt led the way to his office. Walt gestured for Vic to follow.

"What is it you need to talk to me about?"

The young man glanced at Vic.

"Does she have to be in here?"

Walt met her eyes.

"I would rather someone else hear whatever you have to say. You can trust her."

The wide eyes moved back to her and then to Walt. He nodded.

"Okay. It's about my…my sister. She's dead."

Walt looked at him.

"Are you here to report a crime?"

"No…I…shit."

Walt looked at Vic again and shook his head. She came around him slowly.

"Hey, what's your name?"

"Andy."

"Andy, what's your last name?"

"Hunt."

"Who is your sister?"

Walt stood back and watched Andy, whose hands were holding the arms of the chair he sat in.

"Her…her name is Kat. Was Kat."

Vic frowned.

"Kat? As in Katrina?"

He nodded and looked up at Vic.

"Yeah…Katrina. Have…have you found her?"

Walt took two steps closer.

"Andy, what's your sister's last name? Is it different than yours?"

He nodded.

"Yeah. It's uh…Daniels. She's my half-sister."

"Have you seen this on the news?"

He looked at Walt blankly.

"The news? No…no I haven't seen a TV in days."

Walt ran his hand over his hair.

"Andy, I need you to calm down. I need you tell me what's going on from the beginning."

He took a breath. Vic touched his shoulder.

"Need some water?"

He nodded at her with a grateful smile.

"Yeah, that'd be good."

Walt waited while Vic left his office and filled a cup with water. When she returned, he took it with hands that were shaking slightly. They stood while he drained it in one long gulp. Walt took the empty cup and set it on his desk.

"Better?"

"Yeah, thanks."

His voice was still uneven but sounded stronger. Walt leaned on his desk and folded his arms across his chest.

"So can you tell me now? What's wrong?"

Andy Jackson ran a hand over his short blond hair. It was cut almost military style. It was so blond, it was nearly white under the lights in the office.

"We just met. About three weeks ago. Up until recently, I didn't even know about her. We uh…we have different fathers. My mother…our mother…had an affair. Sometime after Kat was born. I don't know all the details yet. She gave me up."

Walt nodded, encouraging him to continue.

"I found out recently that I had a sister. And I wanted to meet her. She wanted to meet me, too. We've been talking over the phone and some emails. But…it wasn't until a few weeks ago that I was able to get here."

"Where are you from?"

He looked over at Walt.

"Idaho. So, we made arrangements to meet. Get to know each other."

His face crumpled.

"Now she's…she's dead."

Vic came around in front of him.

"Do you know anything about that, Andy?"

He looked at her for a long moment, swiping at his eyes with sleeves of the denim jacket he wore.

"That's why I came here. They killed her. They were gonna kill us both but I hid. I didn't think they knew I was there but I ran. I couldn't save her. I just ran."

Walt straightened up and knelt down in front of him.

"Who are they, Andy? Do you know their names?"

He shook his head.

"They were people Kat knew, I think. I don't know their names. I saw one of them. The other…it was dark. I couldn't see him. But if they find out I'm here, they'll kill me."

He choked up. Vic touched his shoulder.

"Hey, we need you to tell us everything that happened."

He swallowed and nodded at her.

"Kat and I met for dinner. Some place in town. She told me some guy was gonna meet her there. She called him a friend but I think it was more. She talked about him like she liked him. You know? Anyway, he never showed. She got pissed. So…she wanted to go and look for him. She drove out to this place in the woods. Like a shack or something. I stayed in the car. The whole thing made me nervous. It didn't seem right. I tried…to talk her into just leaving but she was really mad. So…she got out and approached these two guys. She argued with the one. He uh…grabbed her by the throat…"

His voice broke off in emotion.

"Go on, son. What happened?"

He looked at Walt.

"He just kept holding her by the throat and she just fell on the ground. I think…I think he choked her to death. They saw me in the car and headed my way. I just ran. You know."

He was crying now. Walt glanced over the young man's shoulder at Vic. Her jaw was tight. She swallowed and shook her head. Walt leaned on his desk and sighed.

"We're gonna find him, Andy. With your help, we can end this."

xxx

Ruby and Zach were back when they came out of Walt's office. Walt went to Ferg. He held out an ID.

"Run a background check on this kid, Ferg. Fast as you can."

Ferg nodded as he took the ID and laid it on his desk.

"On it."

Vic came up behind him.

"You think he's telling the truth?"

Walt looked back towards his office.

"He's too scared to be making this up. That kid is genuinely afraid."

She nodded

"Scared shitless. That's for sure."

Walt tapped his hand on his belt.

"We're gonna need to talk to the parents again. Find out if they knew about this. We need to talk to his adoptive parents. We need to verify he is who he says he is."

Vic sat down in her chair and leaned back.

"That's gonna take time, Walt. What are we supposed to do with him until then? Just turn him lose? He's our only lead in this case and he looks like he might bolt at any second."

Walt nodded and ran his hand over his chin.

"Yeah, he does. We need to keep an eye on him."

She glanced around the now buzzing office.

"What do you suggest?"

He looked at her uncertainly.

"A houseguest?"