Call It Dreaming

by jmd0820

Direct continuation of the series picking up with the last episode. Spoilers for entire series and canon compliant.

12. a world away

Ch. 12: a world away

"I don't know why I'm constantly surprised by what people are capable of doing to each other."

Vic knelt over the prone body and pulled on a pair of gloves with a snap. Walt pushed his hat up on his head as he walked around her, surveying the scene.

"Yep."

Vic leaned in, careful not to tip too far forward.

"Gunshot. Exit wound."

She placed her hands carefully on the victim and studied it.

"Looks like a rifle. Maybe a twenty-two."

Walt paused.

"Hmm."

Vic shrugged.

"It'll get the job done. Case in point."

Vic patted the back pockets and came up empty. She looked up at Walt.

"Help me roll him."

Walt nodded and they carefully turned the body so that it was face up. Walt looked down into the lifeless features. Vic glanced up.

"Know him?"

"No."

There was a time when he was confident he knew most of the citizens of Durant. Of course, this man might not be from the area. The casino brought in an influx of tourists every year who stayed until winter started to creep in before abandoning the area for less harsh climates.

Their money was good for the economy. But, it came at a price.

She nodded and continued her examination of the body while Walt watched, clearly thinking as he looked around. He knew exactly what she was going to do before she did it. Crime scenes were methodical like that. A step by step procedure that they rarely deviated from.

"Walt."

She drew his attention back to her. Vic was holding up the left hand of the man, knuckles on display.

"Looks like he was in a fight."

Vic sighed and lay the hand back down. She leaned back on her heels and studied the man.

"He's young. Not more than thirty."

Walt nodded.

"Yep."

Vic shook her head as she pulled off the gloves.

"I'll take some more pictures."

Walt stepped back as she retrieved the camera and took more pictures to go along with the set she took before they disturbed anything. Walt tapped his hand against his leg. This was one thing he would not miss about this job.

Death.

He waited while Vic finished up with the camera and shoved it back into the bag. She looked up at the dark sky that was stretched out overhead. Walt extended his hand.

"Got your phone?"

Vic pulled out her phone and offered it to him. Walt took it and looked down at the screen.

"Do you have Zach in here?"

"Yep. Look under contacts."

She was pulling out a fresh set of gloves.

"Calling in reinforcements?"

"Yep. I won't bother Ferg or Cady tonight. She's going out of town. No reason to drag her in for a few hours."

Vic pulled on her second set of gloves and started checking the body for identification while Walt called Zach. She could hear the conversation in the background. Vic felt something firm in the front pocket and pulled out a slim wallet.

"Find ID?"

"Maybe."

She frowned.

"Ever know a man to carry his wallet in his front pocket?"

Walt shook his head.

"Nope. Do we have a name?"

Vic flipped open the wallet and looked at the driver's license.

"Mason Barnett. Durant address. He's a local."

She shook her head as she continued to study the ID.

"Twenty-seven. Jesus. Looks like…"

"…thirteen dollars in cash and one…Visa card. Not much to rob."

She closed the wallet and passed it to Walt. He studied it. Vic watched him.

"What?"

"Odd looking wallet."

He held it out.

"See the seams here."

Vic nodded.

"Yeah…so?"

"Looks handmade."

"You think that's significant?"

He shrugged.

"Don't know. Just an observation."

Walt bagged the wallet and tucked it into his pocket.

"His being from the area should make the investigation easier. We won't have to deal with out of towners."

"Yeah."

Vic had returned to look over the body. Walt watched as she cocked her head. One of her hands gently shifted the head to one side.

"Find something?"

"Minor bruising on the throat and upper chest. The marks on his knuckles. He was in a fight. I won't be surprised if there's more found during the autopsy."

"Does it look recent?"

"Looks fresh to me."

She slipped her gloved hands into the front pockets of the jeans and came out with a small slip of paper. Vic unfolded it and scanned it with her eyes.

"Receipt from the casino. From…early this evening."

Vic sighed and stood up, stretching out the cramping muscles in her legs.

"Bet it's all connected. A night at the casino. He gets into a fight. Somehow winds up shot. Body was dumped here. Not much blood."

Walt nodded.

"I was looking at that."

He looked around.

"Isolated here. Probably a dump and run."

"You gonna call Henry about this?"

Walt looked her way.

"Yeah, there might be security cameras that caught him, who he was with."

Vic glanced up to where he left the Bronco.

"Want me to pull the Bronco down so that we can load him?"

Walt shook his head and passed her phone back. Vic pulled off her gloves and took it.

"I'll do it. You call the hospital and tell them that we're bringing him in. Once Zach gets here, let's go over the scene again to make sure we didn't miss anything."

"Sure."

She watched as he dipped his head and started to short walk back to the Bronco to prepare it for the body. He kept old blankets in the back just for this situation. Most people called an ambulance, Walt just loaded up bodies into his vehicle for transport.

Vic reached up and brushed some loose hair out of her face as her eyes roamed the landscape. He was right about one thing. It was isolated. Most of the county was like that. Vic let her eyes drop back down to the young man who was lying in the grass staring up with partially open eyes that would never see anything again.

xxx

Walt leaned back in his chair and rubbed his eyes. The sun was now shining in through the blinds in his office. He took a deep breath and let it out slowly. Working all night was a lot harder than it once was.

There was a tap on his door and he dropped his hands as Vic pushed the door open and walked in with a cup of coffee. The smell hit him immediately. She gave him a half smile.

"Hey."

She crossed his office and set the cup on his desk.

"Here."

Walt reached forward and took the cup.

"Thanks."

"Thank Ferg. He stopped by the Busy Bee and picked up breakfast and coffee since he's the only one who got decent sleep last night. Come out and get something."

Walt took a sip from the cup and set it back down. He stood up slowly. Vic studied him.

"You alright?"

"Yep. Getting too old for this."

She smiled.

"It does suck."

He took his coffee and followed her out into the main office. He was met with more fragrant smells. Ferg offered him a smile and a bag.

"Breakfast sandwich?"

Walt took the bag and fished one out before passing it back.

"Thanks."

He turned his attention to Ruby.

"We get an autopsy report back?"

"No."

Walt nodded and started back for his office. He could hear Vic behind him. She dropped into one of his guest chairs and unwrapped her own sandwich, laying the paper across her lap. She seemed to have more energy than she did. But, she wore the tiredness on her face. There were mildly dark circles under her eyes.

He unwrapped his own sandwich and took a bite. He was hungry and it was good.

"You going over to see Henry?"

He nodded and chewed.

"Yeah."

Vic swallowed a bite of her food and let out an audible breath.

"Something bothering you? Other than murder?"

Walt tapped one hand on his desk.

"Not really. I was hoping my last weeks in office would be quiet."

"That's what you get for hoping."

Vic took her final bite and crumpled up the paper into a ball. Twisting slightly, she tossed it into the trashcan in Walt's office with a thump before turning back to face Walt and his half eaten sandwich.

"Want me to come with you?"

"Sure. We also need to notify next of kin. Do we know who that is?"

Vic nodded.

"Yeah, his mother lives in town. Maybe someone else should handle it."

His eyes lifted.

"Why?"

Vic held his eyes.

"Zach could use the experience. So could Ferg."

Walt made a face. Vic spoke again before he was able to muster a response.

"I know you like to have control of everything. But, you're leaving, Walt. You need to start loosening up your grip and letting everyone else learn the right way to do some of this. This is the shittiest part of the job and they've got to learn it."

He looked away, his eyes moving to the window.

"Ferg has done notifications."

"Not enough. Let him take Zach and handle it. You'll never learn that you don't have to do everything on your own."

Walt tossed what was left of his breakfast in the trash and turned his eyes back to her. Their eyes held for a moment before he spoke up.

"Ferg."

There was the scrape of a chair over the floor and the shuffle of feet before Ferg appeared in the doorway.

"Yeah?"

Walt looked his way, past Vic.

"You have the address for the mother of our victim?"

"Yeah."

"Take Zach and notify the family."

For the better part of a minute Ferg simply stared at him, obviously surprised by the statement. Walt cleared his throat.

"Ferg."

Ferg nodded.

"Oh…yeah…sure. We'll take care of it."

Walt kept his eyes on the younger man.

"Take your time. Do it right."

Ferg's expression was serious.

"We will."

After that, he left the doorway and Walt looked back at Vic.

"There. Happy?"

Vic stood up.

"I would be happy if we weren't investigating a murder and I had actually gotten some sleep last night. I think maybe satisfied is the word you're looking for."

She gestured at him.

"C'mon. Let's go and talk to Henry. The sooner we get started, maybe the sooner we solve this."

He pushed up from his chair and grabbed his hat. The weather was still warm enough that a jacket wasn't necessary. They both knew it wouldn't last much longer. Soon enough, the crisp air of fall would start to press in on the warmth of summer before pushing it out altogether. That would pave the way for winter to come eventually. Winter always felt like the longest season with its iron grip.

He placed his hat on his head as they left his office and crossed the larger room to exit to the stairs. They took the stairs side by side and stepped outside. Walt paused and looked up at the blue sky. He looked towards the Bronco and then at Vic's truck.

"You drive."

Vic gave him a sharp look.

"You serious?"

He nodded and started in the direction of her white truck.

"Yep."

He slid in as Vic walked around and got behind the wheel, a look of mild surprise still on her face.

xxx

Henry looked at the picture that Walt gave him of their victim. It was a copy of his driver's license. Henry raised his dark eyes and settled them on his friend.

"It will take some time to go through the security footage. I will have my team check the footage of the main entrance. If he was here, he will be on that."

Walt nodded, accepting that.

"We found a casino receipt in is pocket. We're pretty sure he was here. What we're looking for is who he might have been with. We have reason to believe he was in a fight last night. Could have been related."

Henry nodded and set the picture on the desk in his office.

"I will let you know what I find. I have not received any reports of fight, but I will double check."

"Thanks, Henry."

"Thank me if I find something you can use."

Walt dipped his face. When he raised it, he looked at Henry again.

"Are there many fights?"

Henry shook his head.

"No. Since the casino has grown in popularity, I have hired more security. The key seems to be keeping them visible and catching problems before they start. In that way, it is not all that different from running a bar. Except that it is on a larger scale. My people keep an eye out for anyone who might be drinking too much and groups who are getting too rowdy."

Walt nodded.

"Makes sense."

Henry stood up from the desk that he was sitting on. It still felt odd to see Henry dressed up after seeing him in jeans and flannel shirts at the Red Pony for so many years. There was no argument to be made, though, that the casino was under much better management with Henry than it had been with Nighthorse. Henry wasn't motivated by making a profit as much as he was by providing jobs and stability for his people.

"Maybe this will be your last big case before you retire."

Walt gave his oldest friend a barely visible smile.

"One can only hope."

Walt removed his hat and ran his fingers across his hair before replacing the hat on his head. Henry looked between the two of them.

"You look tired. Both of you."

Vic stood leaning on the wall watching the conversation as it played out. Once upon a time, Jacob Nighthorse would have forced them to get a warrant and waste their time. It was easier now with Henry. As long as no one's privacy was being breached, Henry didn't give them a hard time when they needed his help.

It was a nice change.

The number of people who were unwilling to help with a police investigation was always surprisingly high. Most people simply didn't want to get involved. It could be more than a little frustrating.

Vic met Henry's eyes.

"Well…murder isn't usually considerate enough to wait for work hours."

"Understandable."

He turned his focus back to Walt.

"Do you have plans for when you are no longer working?"

Walt gave him a non-committal shrug.

"It won't involve dead people. I can tell you that."

Henry's mouth quirked up.

"I do not blame you. You have seen too much during your tenure as Sheriff."

His eyes roamed them again.

"I am surprised Cady is not working this case with you."

"She's in Cheyenne."

"Oh. Work or personal."

"Work. She's taking some classes on law enforcement."

"She is serious about this."

"Yep. She hasn't made a final decision yet. But, she is taking it seriously."

Henry smiled.

"I would never have thought of it myself. But, Cady excels at anything she puts her mind to. I imagine this will be the same."

The conversation seemed to have reached a natural end for the most part. Walt straightened up and pushed off the wall. Henry walked around and opened the door for them.

"I will let you know as soon as I know something."

"Thanks, Henry."

"No problem. Once you are retired, we should fish more."

"I'll hold you to that."

They left Henry standing in the doorway of his office and started down a quiet, carpeted hallway where the offices were. The nerve center of the casino.

"You should drop me off at the department and go home."

Vic cut her eyes in his direction, her face clouding over.

"You want me to go home in the middle of a murder investigation."

It wasn't a question and her tone said as much.

"Just for a few hours. Go and get some rest."

She rolled her eyes in what was a move he easily could have predicted.

"Yeah…right."

"Henry wasn't wrong, Vic. You look tired. After the other day…"

The loud breath she released stopped him.

"Are you trying to subtly tell me that I look like shit?"

"No."

To his credit, he answered quickly.

"Course not. It's just that you were so tired the other day. This can't be good for you."

She shrugged. He wasn't making any progress.

"Can't be good for you either. You're looking pretty run down yourself. Or, have you not looked in the mirror today?"

It was an attempt at humor, deflection. Walt recognized that. He knew her playbook well enough. Had been dealing with it for years now. There wasn't much she could say to him at this point that would truly surprise him.

He stopped walking and turned to her.

"I'm not the one who was sick."

Vic folded her arms across her chest, taking on a defensive posture. She tilted her head back slightly so that she was looking up into his face.

"I wasn't sick. I never got sick. I was tired. We both know that. Don't start acting like this."

"Like what?"

She tilted her head.

"Overprotective and overreactive."

"That's not what I'm doing."

"Yeah, it is. Walt, I am an adult. Believe it or not, I am capable of making decisions all on my own. I can decide if I need rest or not as well as you can. Or…anyone else on your staff. Have you suggested that Zach go home?"

"Haven't seen him since the crime scene."

"Well, I doubt you would if you saw him. And you…you never take breaks when you should. So…"

She paused briefly.

"…don't get all preachy with me. I don't have the patience for it."

"Fine."

He sounded resigned. Vic gave him a dubious look.

"Really? That's it?"

Walt started to walk again.

"If you say you're fine, then I guess you're fine."

"Wow. I didn't expect that to be so easy."

Walt tossed her a look as they entered the main casino floor.

"Maybe I know when there's no point."

A slow smile spread across her face.

"No. I think we both know better than that."

xxx

Vic walked into his office holding a large envelope. She held it up.

"Autopsy report."

Walt waited as she took a seat and propped her feet up on his desk. She pulled out the report and started to scan over it, sifting through the pages. He knew better than to rush her. Whenever she got the report in her hands first, she always did it just this way.

After a few minutes, her eyes lifted to find him watching her.

"Gunshot wound to the chest killed him. Twenty-two caliber rifle. And…he was in a fight. Along with the bruising on his upper chest and knuckles, there was also significant bruising on the abdomen and back…"

She paused. Walt leaned forward.

"What?"

"There was a boot print on his back."

"Someone stepped on him."

Vic made a face.

"Something like that. Jesus. Weston estimates it was a size ten or eleven based on the length."

She dropped her feet and stood up. Dropping the report on his desk, she retook her seat while he gathered up the report and looked it over for himself.

"He'd been drinking."

"Yep. A lot. Might explain why he was in a fight."

She shifted around and settled into her chair.

"So…he goes to the casino for some fun. Gets drunk. Gets into some kind of disagreement and they fight. I wonder how the other guy…or guys looked. And…is that what led to him getting shot?"

"Kind of hard to ignore the chain of events. That's a lot of violence to think they all just walked away and this guy winds up shot by someone else."

She agreed with his assessment.

"Yeah."

Vic bit her bottom lip.

"I'm thinking if Henry finds some footage of him…and he's with someone…there's a good chance we nail whoever did this."

Walt nodded.

"Wonder if it'll be that easy."

Vic gave him a look that told him he was being overly optimistic and she wouldn't count on it. She wasn't wrong. It seemed like nothing ever worked out the way that it should the first time when it came to their cases.

What could go wrong certainly would. Almost without fail. He drummed his fingers on his desk.

"Ferg mention how the notification went?"

"As well as it could. He asked the mother a few questions, but didn't get much to go on. She's…"

Her voice trailed off some.

"…you know how that goes."

Walt nodded slowly.

"She just found out her son is dead. That's enough to break down the strongest person."

"Yeah."

A heavy silence hung between them as Walt lay the report on his desk and slid it away from him.

"Hear from Cady?"

Vic shook her head.

"No. Not really expecting to. She's…in classes until late afternoon. I…hate that she's missing out on this case. Could have been some good experience for her."

"Yeah."

Vic watched him closely.

"You know this is the kind of thing she'll have to learn to deal with. Just like the rest of us."

He did know.

"I know. It's just…I'm not sure how she'll handle it."

"The same way the rest of us do. You learn to keep from being personal. To process the scene and push your way through it. It's not something you can spare her, Walt. You need to realize that."

"I do."

"You sure?"

"Yeah."

He fell quiet again before he stood up and walked around his desk, crossing the floor. Walt pushed the door closed and returned to his seat. Vic watched his movement until he was back in front of her.

"Can I ask you something?"

"About?"

"Cady."

Vic felt a hint of trepidation spin up like a tornado inside of her stomach.

"What about her?"

"Is there something going on with her?"

Vic's mouth felt suddenly dry. This was just the sort of topic she wanted to avoid with him since she knew about Cady and Zach. It put her square in the middle of somewhere she didn't want to be.

"Um…that's a general question."

Walt leaned his arms on his desk.

"She just seems…preoccupied lately."

"Well…she's got a lot on her plate. Learning this job. Deciding if she wants to run for Sheriff. Those are…life altering decisions. I would be worried if she wasn't preoccupied."

His eyes stayed on her, taking her in and gauging her. He wasn't entirely sure what kind of relationship was panning out between the two of them. They seemed to be getting along well. Cady seemed receptive to Vic and her instruction. Still, based on Cady's reaction to their relationship, he wasn't sure if Vic was someone that Cady would confide in. His daughter was well past the age where he knew much about her friends. He didn't have any idea if she considered Vic one. Or, if they had merely reached some sort of professional truce. Cady's experience as a lawyer should have taught her that sometimes you needed to put your personal feelings aside in order to effectively do your job.

That much about the professions was the same.

"Right. So…are the two of you getting along okay?"

She gave him an odd look.

"Yeah. Fine."

He nodded slowly.

Vic grew fidgety under his gaze.

"Does she talk to you?"

Vic's jaw twitched.

"Walt, let's don't do this."

"Do what?"

"This thing where you want me to fill you in on your daughter's life. It's something you need to take up with her."

"I didn't ask you to."

"You will."

Walt sighed.

She had cut him off before he ever really got started. She was right, though. He should talk to Cady. He would when she came back from Cheyenne. To see where her head was if nothing else. With his impending retirement public knowledge, she would need to decide soon if this was the route she wanted to take. He was confident he knew the answer. She wouldn't still be working with Vic if her intention wasn't there.

"You're right."

She smiled.

"Wow. You rarely admit that so easily."

He smiled in return. He couldn't help himself. Her tone was light now and her smile was infectious.

"So…um…"

He started cautiously. He was out of practice and awkward under the best circumstances. Vic was clearly waiting for him to finish his thought when there was a light knock on his door before it opened a crack.

Ruby appeared.

"Walt, do you have a moment?"

Walt waved her in.

"Yep. What is it?"

"There's a man here who says he has information about a fight outside the casino last night."

Walt's eyes flicked to Vic's as he rose.

xxx

The young man was incredibly nervous. Vic could see that without any investigative abilities at all. He sat in the guest chair in Walt's office with stiff posture, his hands placed in his lap where he clenched them over and over. His right knee bounced nonstop from the time he sat down. He didn't even seem to be aware of the movement.

He introduced himself as Harrison Willis.

Walt instructed the young man to sit while Vic watched.

"You're here about a fight."

"Yes…sir."

He paused and they waited.

"Um…my friend and I were at the casino last night. You know…just drinking…having a good time. We uh…there were some other guys who were giving us a hard time, sort of following us around. I ignored them. Mostly. But…uh…my buddy uh…he got pissed. He was kind of drunk and…"

He paused again. Walt was letting the young man tell his story without interruption. There was no reason to push him or to feed him any information. Vic suspected she knew who his friend was.

"…we left…they were outside waiting for us. They fought and…you know."

Walt was leaning on his neck with his arms braced on the wooden surface.

"No, I don't know. What happened?"

Harrison let out a breath.

"They beat the shit out of him."

Walt nodded slowly.

"Did you notify casino security?"

Harrison shook his head.

"No."

"Call us?"

"No."

"Why?"

Harrison shrugged.

"I don't know. Who wants to involve the cops?"

Walt sighed.

"Why are you here now?"

Harrison cleared his throat.

"I dropped him off at his hotel room last night. We had…separate rooms. I went and met a girl."

He paused again and his eyes drifted to Vic before he continued.

"I…didn't get back until this morning. He wasn't there. I know he was last night. I helped him in before I left. I still haven't seen or heard from him. I…called his cell but he's not answering."

Vic glanced at Walt.

They hadn't found a cell phone on the body. Only his wallet.

"What is your friend's name?"

"Mason. Mason Barnett."

Walt met her eyes briefly before he returned his eyes to the young man.

"If he's been missing all day, why are you just now reporting it?"

Harrison shrugged.

"I don't know. I figured he was off screwing around."

Walt let out a breath.

"Harrison, Mason was found last night."

"Found? What do you mean found? He in jail?"

Walt shook his head.

"No. He's…he's dead."

The young man went ghostly pale and his eyes widened at the news. Vic watched the reaction keenly. If he was faking it, he was doing a damn good job. For the better part of a minute, he couldn't even get a word out.

"Dead? You're kidding."

"No, I'm not."

"Holy shit. What the hell?"

Walt let the reaction pass before he responded.

"Maybe you can help us figure that out. You alright?"

Mason nodded unconvincingly.

"Uh…yeah. I just…damn."

Walt waited again to let Harrison compose himself. Harrison veered off.

"His mom?"

"She knows? I take it you didn't call her?"

Harrison shook her head.

"No. She doesn't like any of Mason's friends."

Walt nodded slowly.

"Do you know the names of the men?"

"No. They were just…some guys. We didn't know them."

"Did anything stand out about them?"

Harrison shook his head.

"No. Just…three guys. White guys. Dressed like normal. A little older than us I think. Never heard a name."

"If you saw them again, could you identify them?"

"Sure. You got pictures."

"We're working on that. You think they could have been involved?"

"Yeah, man. What happened to him?"

Walt shook his head.

"Can't into that."

"But…he was murdered."

Walt didn't answer. He didn't need to. Harrison closed his eyes and swallowed hard before he opened them again.

"Um…could I go?"

Walt straightened up. He passed the young man a pad and pen.

"Write your cell number."

He scribbled it and offered Walt back the pad. Walt took it and set it aside.

"You live in Durant?"

"Sheridan. Moved a few months ago for a new job. That's…what this weekend was about. Me and Mason hanging out. I don't see him much anymore."

Vic stepped forward.

"Harrison."

He turned to her.

"If you're both local, why were you staying in a hotel?"

Harrison gave her a sheepish look.

"Mason still lived with his mom. She's…a control freak. Figured the hotel was right there and we could do what we want without her getting all pissed."

Vic nodded. The answer seemed to make sense. Harrison rose slowly.

"So…can I go?"

Walt nodded to him.

"Sure. Just…make sure you're where we can reach you. We may have some images soon of some suspects. We'll need you."

Harrison gave Walt a nod.

"Sure."

The young man left quietly.

Walt waited until he heard the exterior door close before he spoke.

"Well…wasn't expecting that?"

Vic sighed.

"Me either. At least…we've got something to go on. Wonder how much longer it'll be before Henry comes up with something."

Walt shrugged.

"Don't know. That's a lot to go through. At least we've got confirmation that he was there."

"Yeah."

Walt studied her.

"What are you thinking?"

She leaned on the wall.

"This guy claims they didn't know these guys. So…why would they be following them. Why just pick two random people to harass. You think he's not telling something?"

"I do."

"You didn't ask."

"Don't want to spook him. Right now, he's cooperative. I'd like to keep him that way for a while. There's time to ask more questions later. Did you see his reaction?"

"Yeah, he seemed pretty surprised."

"Yep."

Walt reached up and ran a hand over his hair.

"Looking like a long day. You want to walk over to the Busy Bee for some dinner?"

Vic nodded.

"Sounds good."

They left his office with Walt telling Ruby where they would be before they left the office and told Ruby where they would be and to call Vic's phone if she needed them.

xxx

They were halfway through with the meal before Vic's phone rang. She took a sip of her water before she answered it.

"This is Vic."

Her eyes lifted to Walt as she wiped her free hand on her napkin.

"Hey, Henry."

Walt looked up and waited. Her eyes stayed on him while she talked.

"Yep. Yep. Okay. We'll be there."

She ended the call and set the phone down on the table.

"Henry found something."

"He got video of our boys?"

She nodded and drank more of her water.

"Yep."

Walt dropped his own napkin on his plate and moved to stand. Vic followed suit, grabbing her phone and slipping into her back pocket. Walt paid the bill and they left the café, heading for the Bronco.

The ride to the casino was quiet. Vic sat in the passenger seat watching the landscape slip by them wordlessly. Walt concentrated on his driving. He wondered briefly if there was something on her mind, but decided it was more than likely the case.

"Is something wrong?"

Her voice startled him. Not to mention, it felt as though she pulled a thought directly from his brain.

"No."

She turned her face from the window and looked at him.

"You started to say something earlier. In your office."

The memory came back to him. When Ruby walked in.

"Oh. Yeah."

"Something important?"

He gave her quick look before turning his eyes back to the road.

"Not really. It can wait."

Her perceptive eyes stayed on him for a few seconds longer before she turned her face away and her gaze settled back on the window. She didn't say anything else about it. He wasn't lying exactly. In the big scheme of things, it wasn't all that important. Not with a murder case to deal with. It also wasn't related to work. He probably shouldn't have even approached her about it at work. But, he probably did a lot where she was concerned at work that he shouldn't. Or, he thought about it. It was certainly a step in that direction.

He knew, and reminded himself anytime he realized he was slipping, that it was more important than ever to remain as professional as possible at work. There was no reason to tip their hand earlier than necessary. For the time being, it seemed in their best interest to keep this new relationship between them from the world.

Vic seemed to waffle on the topic. Most of the time, she professed to understand. She also agreed with him. But, there was something else. Something under the surface that was just barely detectable to him. He couldn't quite put his finger on it. The once or twice he tried to talk about it, she seemed to brush him off.

He wasn't sure what to make of that.

"You know…"

Her voice broke through the fog of his thoughts again.

"…one of these days, your head is gonna pop from all the stuff you don't say."

That was all she said. She didn't sound angry, or even frustrated. She just said it as though she were reading something from a page. Offhand. Unremarkable. Walt didn't have any time to respond because he was pulling into the casino parking lot and scanning for a space to park his Bronco in.

They found Henry in his office clearly expecting them. He rose from his desk and offered them a smile.

"This way."

He led them out of the office and down a hall to a dark room with monitors lining one wall. There was a large Cheyenne man wearing a security uniform and sitting in a chair. He glanced when Henry led them in. He, too, seemed to be waiting for them.

Henry gestured towards one screen, the picture paused.

He nodded to the man in the chair, who pressed a button and the security video started. Walt leaned in. He could feel Vic just to his left, her arm brushing his as she stepped closer. The picture showed a blackjack table. Two familiar faces were standing there playing a around.

"That's our victim. And his friend?"

"Friend?"

The question came from Henry.

"Yeah, this guy…"

He pointed at the image of Harrison Willis.

"…came to the office earlier to report his friend missing. He said they were being tailed by three guys all evening and there was a fight outside."

Henry nodded.

"That is what I wanted to show you."

He moved to a different screen, also paused and started it up.

"This is the same two men walking across the main floor."

The two men moved across the screen, talking to each other. Walt couldn't help but wonder what they were talking about. They weren't smiling. It could have been the men that Harrison told them about.

"Hold on."

Barnett and Willis moved out of the screen and maybe three seconds passed before a trio of young men stepped into view. They were on the same basic track as the other two. Henry paused the video. Reaching over, he tapped the screen.

"We have found two other similar images. Obviously, there is no audio, but they do appear to be following the other two men."

"He was telling the truth about that."

Walt sighed.

"Do you have any way of getting names."

Henry's face was somber.

"Maybe. I cannot guarantee anything. We might be able to figure out what they came in and paid. If they used a card, we will be able to come up with some names."

Walt nodded.

"Is this the best image you have of them?"

Henry shook his head.

"No, there is another that is better. Do you need it printed out?"

"If you can."

"It will take a few minutes."

"Good. Thanks, Henry."

Henry busied himself talking to the security man, who stood up and left the room. Henry turned back to them.

"He is getting it for you. I talked to my head of security. He said there was a fight reported outside one of the exits. By the time he got a crew out there, they were gone. You think these men have something to do with this case?"

"It's looking more and more likely."

"We will look into their names. It is doubtful the paid cash for everything. I will have the bar cameras check to see if they made any purchases there also."

Walt gave him a grateful look. The large security guard returned holding a printed out photo. He passed it to Henry, who gave it to Walt.

"Here."

Walt looked down at the picture. It wasn't the greatest quality. But, it was something. He thanked Henry and they left.

Vic checked the time as they walked out of the casino.

"You calling Willis back in?"

"Yep."

Vic looked his way.

"Want me to have Ruby call him before she leaves. It's getting late."

Walt nodded as they got back into the vehicle. Vic called Ruby as he started the engine and pulled out. The call was short and to the point. Vic leaned forward and lay her cell phone on the dash of the Bronco.

She looked back out the window.

"You're right about one thing. Long damn day."