Ch. 12: Tribulations
She gave him a lot to think about. She usually did. That was the thing about Vic. She wasn't shy about sharing her opinions. She never was. It was something that took him by surprise when he met her. Her brash, urban style was new to him. But, it didn't take long for him to learn to appreciate that quality in her. If he asked for her opinion on a matter, she would give it to him in unfiltered fashion.
That was one thing about her that hadn't changed over time. It actually deepened in the same way that their relationship did. Their conversations could be uncomfortable at times. There was no denying that. She was the one person who would always call him out and refuse to let him lapse into some of his less than desirable habits. As difficult as it could be to process, he was normally grateful after the fact.
So, he wasn't surprised when she pointed out that he had possessed such a deep level of hatred. She was also right when she said his perspective was different and he saw his own actions as justified. After Martha's death, he allowed himself to be pulled into a cycle of depression, hatred, and even violence that he was ashamed of after the fact. He became the kind of man that he warned others about.
Walt found his way over to the large barn where Eli was working at cleaning out stalls in preparation for clean hay. The young man hadn't complained at all about the load he was carrying with Walt in and out. When Walt spoke to him about what was going on, careful not to say too much, Eli listened intently with a furrowed brow and understanding expression.
As Walt approached the barn, Eli emerged with a shovel in his hand. He stopped and offered Walt a slight nod.
"Mr. Walt."
"Eli."
"How's it going?"
It was a general question with an obviously deeper meaning imbedded in the tone Eli used. Walt removed his hat and ran his free hand over his hair. Replacing his hat, he waited as Eli leaned the shovel against the exterior wall of the barn.
"It's…going."
He honest wasn't sure what else to say. Eli studied him with cool gray eyes.
"How's Ms. Vic?"
It was another question he didn't know how to answer. How was Vic? She wasn't great obviously.
"She's…"
His voice trailed off. Walt took a breath.
He considered the young man in front of him. When he hired Eli, it was to work with the horses. Walt hadn't considered much outside of that. Over time, Eli had engrained himself into their lives as more than an employee. He was someone who was honest, loyal, and trustworthy. Walt genuinely cared about him and he knew that Vic did as well. Eli didn't have an easy upbringing or an easy life. But, he was maturing into a good man despite everything.
"You don't have to tell me if it makes you uncomfortable. I've just…been worried about her since…all this started."
"Yep. She's…she's trying."
It seemed to make sense to Eli, who shook his head.
"I just can't believe someone would really think she would do something like that."
Walt wanted to smile at the simplicity of the idea.
"Yeah."
"You guys will get it cleared up, though. You're good at finding the truth."
Walt rolled the words around in his mind. He hoped they were true. At times like this one, it was just so easy to doubt everything.
"Have you talked to her at all?"
Eli shook his head.
"No, sir. I haven't seen her that much. Seems like she's keeping to herself."
She was and she wasn't. Walt knew the last thing Vic would want to do was burden Eli with her problems. She wasn't exactly in the habit of confiding in nineteen year olds, but she and Eli did talk from time to time. In the absence of his own parents, Walt sometimes suspected Eli viewed them as possible surrogates for the adults who should be in his life. He came to them sometimes with personal matters, things he might not want to bother his grandmother with.
"Yeah."
Again, he didn't really know how to respond. These were the kinds of conversations that he wasn't always good at. Eli seemed to sense that.
"Well...let me know if you need anything."
Walt nodded.
"Thank you, Eli."
Eli retrieved his shovel and continued on with his day. Walt allowed his gaze to drift towards the cabin. Eli wasn't far off. She volunteered to drive Julian to school this morning. When she got back, she retreated into the cabin with Anna. Since their talk the previous night, she hadn't said very much to him either.
Not that he blamed her.
Leaving Eli to his work, Walt started for the cabin.
Inside, he found Vic sitting on the couch looking down at her phone. She looked up when he came in, their eyes connecting.
"Hey."
His voice sounded rough as he removed his hat and coat.
"Hey."
He shifted on his feet.
"Are you busy?"
"Kind of. You need something?"
He shrugged.
"I just wanted to check on you."
He paused.
"Eli…asked how you were."
"What did you tell him?"
Walt crossed the floor.
"I didn't know what to tell him."
Her eyes returned to her phone with no answer. Walt sat down beside her.
"What're you doing?"
She looked up at him again. Now that he was closer, he could see the tautness of her features. When she didn't answer his question, he pushed a little harder.
"Vic?"
She looked up. Her eyes were somewhat distant.
"I…figured I should let my family know. What's going on?"
"By text?"
She shook her head.
"No, I called my mom."
She sounded pained.
"How was that?"
Vic leaned forward and lay her phone on the coffee table.
"It sucked. Now, she's all upset."
"That's…understandable."
"Yeah."
She leaned back slowly, rocked forward, and started to stand up. Walt reacted before she even had time to actually rise and his hand planted on her thigh.
"Vic."
She stopped her motion and gave him an expectant look.
"What?"
"How long did you talk?"
"A few minutes."
"That's all?"
Her face clouded over.
"Don't…get on my ass about this, Walt. She started asking me questions I don't know the answer to and…"
Her voice broke slightly. Vic cleared her throat.
"I just can't get into all of this with her over the phone."
He lifted his hand and placed his palm on her back. She didn't seem all that receptive to the touch and stood up as she tried to do a minute earlier.
"You should call her back later."
"She'll call. Along with…at least two of my brothers. Hell, news like this might get all of them."
Walt watched her. She was standing, but not walking away. He knew her relationship with her mother and her brothers was complicated. He really didn't want to wade into the middle of it either. Especially not right now when she seemed so…detached?
Maybe that was the way she needed to be in order to relay current events to her mother. Walt stood up slowly.
"Vic…"
She watched him stand, her eyes on his.
"You know…"
She cut him off abruptly.
"I don't owe anyone anything."
There was a sedate force behind the words. Walt held up his hands in an almost defensive posture.
"I didn't say you did. I just…"
Vic blew out a breath of frustration and he knew that she was trying to keep her emotions reined in. Then, she was moving towards the door, grabbing her jacket on the way.
"I'm gonna take a walk."
He made no move to stop her. He simply nodded.
"Okay."
She left her phone where it lay on the table and left the cabin.
xxx
She started for the barn, but nearly collided with Eli when she jerked the door open, surprising him. Vic stepped back out of instinct as Eli's hands went up, palms out.
"Sorry."
Vic shook her head and continued to back up. Eli watched her with a mix of curiosity and concern.
"You alright?"
She nodded and started to turn away.
"Yeah. Sorry."
She repeated the word. Eli reached out tentatively and touched her shoulder.
"Ms. Vic?"
Vic stopped and kicked one shoe into the ground.
"I'm fine."
He tilted his head to one side.
"I don't believe that. Something is wrong."
Vic shook her head, not bothering to wonder if that was even his business.
"No. I just…need to clear my head. I was gonna…"
She gestured. Truthfully, the barn was her primary destination. She hadn't thought about Eli being out here working.
"…take a walk."
He withdrew his hand from her.
"Want some company?"
"No, I told you…I'm…"
She stopped when she realized he was staring at her intensely. She closed her eyes for a moment then opened them.
"I'm sorry, Eli. I didn't mean to startle you."
He offered her a lopsided smile.
"Well, you're not the worst person to be startled by. I know…it's not really my business…but…are you sure don't want some company?"
Her gut reaction was to refuse again. There was something in his expression, though, that stopped her. After a moment of actual thought, she shrugged.
"Suit yourself."
She tucked her hands into her pockets and started away from the barn, towards the vacant expanse of property beyond the structures. Her eyes were cast down and she heard Eli fall into step beside her. His boots crunched over the ground. For a few minutes, they were both quiet as they walked along. She could feel the question coming before he actually voiced it.
"How are you?"
Now that her nerves were settling down, she didn't see much point in lying.
"Not great."
That was an understatement. But, what else was there to say when you were the prime suspect in a murder.
"I bet. I'm…I'm sorry."
He offered up the words carefully. It was obvious from his tone and hesitance, he didn't know what to say any more than she did.
"Thanks."
Vic continued to walk. Eli stayed beside her, his steps measured to keep them at the same pace. For a few more minutes, quiet settled over them. She did appreciate his not attempting to force any kind of conversation since he seemed to insist on keeping her company. She wasn't sure she had the energy for casual conversation just then.
"Must be hard."
His voice roused her from the thoughts she was lost in. Vic looked over at him.
"What?"
Eli reached up and adjusted the brim of his ballcap.
"Well, you used to be a cop. You're…planning to go back, right?"
Vic nodded.
"Yeah."
He shrugged his shoulders.
"It seems like your own system has turned on you. That must be hard."
Vic considered his words, sort of surprised by the level of his honesty and the depth of his thoughts. He was right. That was one of the biggest struggles with all of this. She was being pursued by the very institution that she had dedicated so much of her life to. That wasn't an easy thing to digest.
"Yeah."
He glanced over at her.
"I apologize if I'm overstepping."
Vic shook her head slightly.
"It's okay. I…you're not wrong."
Vic stopped walking and turned to look back towards the barn and the cabins. From the outside, she supposed it might not look like much. A small cabin and a couple of barns. The land was certainly breathtaking and obviously valuable. Someone driving by might even wonder why it wasn't being put to better use or hold a more expansive house. What they wouldn't see was how Walt built the cabin himself. How they both pored over options and chose exactly what they wanted. How the cabin housed their family. The barns weren't simply used to house livestock. The larger one represented a business that Walt cultivated from the ground up. It was something he had dreamed of when he was a child and now, after his retirement, was coming to fruition.
To her, it was home. In spite of her momentary frustration earlier when talking to Walt and Zeke, this was her home now. Her children were being raised here. Her life was here. It struck her as she stood and looked at it. This was her life and she stood to lose it all.
Vic looked down at the ground, fighting the swell of emotion that threatened to well up inside her. This wasn't the time. She appreciated Eli's concern, but she didn't have any desire to lose her shit in front of him. She cleared her throat and looked back up.
"It really sucks."
It was her honest reaction. Eli nodded his head in clear agreement.
"Yeah, it does. But…you've got a lot of people on your side."
He was right about that, too. She did have plenty of people on her side. The people that mattered the most to her. People who were working right now to prove her innocence and get to the root of what was really happening here.
That was more than most people had.
It was easy to lose sight of.
She looked back at Eli and gave him a smile, a real smile.
"Thank you."
He looked puzzled.
"For what?"
"Making me think."
xxx
He was worried about her. With good reason.
Vic was under an intense amount of stress.
She was clearly holding back.
The combination was not good.
Walt knew it wasn't really about taking a walk as much as removing herself from a situation that she was uncomfortable in. He also knew that it wasn't really about him. She wasn't mad at him. She was mad at the situation. Frustrated. Still, no one liked being walked away from.
His initial response was to go after her. The idea passed him by rapidly and the more rational part of his brain kicked in. He would give her time and space. To a point. He paced around the cabin biding his time. He would give her a few minutes to get over the spark of anger he saw rise up in her. Once that subsided, it would be easier to talk to her. She would be more receptive.
After a while, he pulled on his jacket and opened the door. Stepping out, he stopped in his tracks when he saw her sitting on the porch. Walt pulled the door closed. It looked almost like she was waiting for him.
"Didn't expect to see you here."
She stood up and shrugged, her hands stuffed into her pockets. She swayed slightly on her feet before she closed some of the distance between them. The move felt as figurative as it was literal.
"I was…just thinking."
He studied her. She seemed to be more on an even keel now. But, she didn't answer him right away. Instead, she brushed by him on her way to the cabin door. Walt followed her, the screen door squeaking as she opened it.
Back inside, he watched Vic slip out of her jacket and hang it up. Somewhat relieved to be back inside without searching for her, Walt followed suit. He waited, giving her time to express herself on her own terms.
"I'm sorry that I walked out. I shouldn't have done that."
"It's okay."
Vic shook her head.
"No, it's not. You were just trying to help."
She flopped down on the couch, raised her hands, and rubbed her face. He walked over and took a seat beside her.
"Do you want to talk about your conversation with your mother?"
Vic looked away, her hands sliding down to her lap. He heard her take an audible breath.
"My mother has never been an emotional person. She's always so…so poised. Even when she's pissed, she somehow manages to not meltdown. I mean…you saw her when my dad died. She was upset, yes. But, she was so…pulled together."
"In public. That doesn't mean she's that way all the time."
"I know what you're saying. But, I spent the first eighteen years of my life living with her, Walt. She's been through some shit. Sure, she gets down, but never for very long."
She paused and her throat bobbed with a swallow.
"When I was telling her, she…she sounded like she was about to cry. I didn't expect it."
Walt shifted his hand and placed it on her leg just above her knee.
"You were expecting her to be strong like she usually is. You know…you're strong, too, Vic. But, you still get upset. You still cry."
"I'm not like her."
He was willing to concede that she knew her mother better than he did.
"I just…I don't think I can console her, Walt."
"Was she asking you to?"
"No, but it felt like I should."
His hand tightened on her leg slightly.
"She's your mother. She loves you. I know she's not great at expressing that. But, I've seen the two of you together. She does love you. She's just not good at letting you know. She's already lost her husband. Now, she's facing the potential of her only daughter going to jail. That's a lot."
He didn't mince his words. Vic looked at him. There might have been a time she argued with him on that. She was a mother now herself, though. Her own perspective was different. She could put herself in her mother's shoes in a way she wasn't able to before.
It must have been a sobering moment for her.
"I know."
Her voice came out a whisper. Vic bit her bottom lip and looked away from him. He saw something in her shift and her eyes moved back to him.
"She wants to come. I…told her not to."
"You could use the support."
"I have the support I need. I can't…concentrate if everyone starts acting like…like I'm already in prison. I know that she means well. We…you and I have a puzzle to solve here. Hell, when all this is over, we'll go to Philly. Right now, though, we have to focus."
She sounded better. There was a resolution in her that had faltered in recent days.
Walt offered her a smile.
"Yes, we do."
Vic pushed up from her seat and stretched out her hand to him. He took it and Vic gave him a tug. Walt rose in compliance and she stepped in close.
"You know…we've always done our best work together."
He smiled again. She wasn't wrong.
"Yep."
"There's no reason this time should be any different."
xxx
Vic was only halfway paying attention when she heard a knock on the door. With both kids home, it wasn't exactly a calm environment. She left them playing on the floor and walked to the front door. Walt was out riding and Eli was gone for the day. It was pretty much just the three of them. She half expected to see Cady or Zeke when she opened the door. Her stomach flipped when she saw Grayson Whitlock standing there in a lame attempt at looking casual.
"What do you want?"
There was no reason in her mind to be polite at this point. They were beyond that. He held up his hands as though he were trying to placate her.
"Can I come in?"
Vic narrowed her eyes. Her grip on the doorknob tightened and she leaned slightly into the door, effectively blocking it.
"No."
He gave her a long look. She could see that he was trying to project friendliness. That seemed pointless now.
"I just want to talk to you, Vic."
She didn't give an inch.
"My lawyer said no more talks. If you have something to say, you can call him."
Whitlock dismissed the idea.
"Lawyers make things harder than they need to be."
"What do you want?"
His eyes drifted to the interior of the cabin.
"It's chilly out."
Vic shrugged.
"Go home."
She saw something flicker across his face. Had he really thought he would be able to charm his way into the cabin? Whitlock sighed.
"Can you come out here then?"
Vic stayed where she was.
"I don't have anything to say to you."
He shifted on his feet.
"Vic…"
He started again. This time, Vic loosened her grip on the door and stepped out. The move clearly surprised Whitlock and he took a step back putting some space in between them. That gave her some level of satisfaction.
"Stop doing that."
The words came out firm.
"What?"
Vic pushed the door closed behind her and folded her arms over her chest. He was right. It was a cold day.
"Acting like you know me and that we are friends. You don't know me. You don't know anything about me."
"I know a lot about you."
"Only what you can find in a background check. Why are you here? You've already searched this place. I'm sure as hell not gonna consent to anything. So…unless you have a warrant, get off my porch and off my property."
She advanced as she spoke, crowding him. If he expected her to be demure and scared, he was in for a shock. As she moved, Whitlock also moved away from her, keeping a certain amount of space between them.
His face hardened.
"Don't add an assault charge to everything else."
"What?"
"You've hit an FBI Agent. It's not like it's outside the realm of possibility."
Vic huffed out a breath.
"I'm not gonna hit you. But, if you don't get away from me, I will lodge a complaint. And, I'll call the cops."
"I am the cops."
Vic shook her head.
"I'll call the Sheriff and tell her that you're trespassing. I hate to be the one to tell you this, but having a badge does not make you above the law."
They were standing on the edge of the porch now. Whitlock held his ground.
"I bet she would come right out. It must be nice to be related to every Sheriff in the area. Bet that gives you a lot of leeway."
"What are you talking about? No one gives me leeway. I don't exactly go around breaking the law."
"Murder is breaking the law."
"Alleged murder."
He smiled at her.
"Right. Look, I came here to talk about a possible deal…"
Vic cut him off.
"One, I told you to take that up with my attorney. Two, I don't need to take a deal when I am innocent. All I need to do is prove the truth."
"Is that all? You wouldn't be…investigating this on your own, would you? That could possibly be interfering with an investigation."
She didn't bother resisting the urge to roll her eyes.
"I haven't interfered with anything."
"So, you and your husband aren't working with the Sheriff and her husband?"
Vic shifted her stance slightly.
"Are you following me?"
"Of course not. But, there's no denying that you have connections. You work for a private investigator. Is he helping you as well?"
Vic shrugged. The cold was starting to permeate the anger in her mind and she worked at not shivering.
"Go. And don't come back. Not unless you have a legal reason to be here."
She started to turn away from him when he took two long strides and sidestepped her. The move put him in her path, blocking her way back to the door.
"Hear me out."
"No."
She started to move around him. Whitlock blocked her again.
"Listen…"
His words were cut short by a sudden motion that jerked him out of Vic's face and sent him towards the edge of the porch again. They'd both been so focused that neither saw Walt walk up with a darkness to his features. When Whitlock attempted to corral Vic, Walt took the steps two at a time and took hold of Whitlock from behind.
He now stood between them stony faced, his blue eyes blazing.
"What the hell?"
Whitlock smoothed out his jacket as he faced Walt.
"Do not put your hands on her."
The command came out sounding almost like a low growl. Trepidation started to fill Vic. Walt getting physical with Whitlock would only feed into the problems they were already having. She also felt some level of relief that Walt was there now.
"I didn't touch her. I would advise you do the same. I could arrest you for that."
Walt didn't seem at all bothered by the idea.
The two men stood in a quiet standoff, sizing each other up. Vic stepped towards Walt and extended her hand, placing it on his forearm.
"Walt."
Just then, the door opened and Julian's concerned face peered out at them.
"Mama."
Vic gave Walt a light push before she moved by him and ushered Julian back inside with a quiet voice.
"Go in."
He gave her a doubtful look, but retreated as she asked. Vic pulled the door closed and reached out to touch Walt's back lightly.
"Walt."
She repeated his name a little louder. He turned his head in her direction, but kept Whitlock within his eyesight. Sensing that he had himself under control, she looked to Whitlock.
"Go. And, don't come back unless you have a warrant."
He hesitated, his eyes shifting from Vic to Walt and back, and left.
xxx
"You didn't say anything to him, did you?"
Vic shook her head.
"No. I just told him to leave."
They were inside now in the warmth and safety of the cabin. Both kids were in bed and they sat in front of a fire on the couch.
"Did he say what he wanted?"
There hadn't been much time to talk earlier. Now that they were alone, he voiced the questions that had been brewing in his mind for a while. Vic pulled her feet up and tucked them under his leg, curling her toes into the cushion.
"He said something about a deal."
"A deal?"
"Yeah, but I didn't give him time to talk. You call Parker?"
Walt nodded.
"I did. He's not very happy and he's planning to have a conversation tomorrow."
He could see the relief in her face. He knew she must appreciate having someone in her corner even if the attorney was paid to be there.
It was hard for him to describe the feelings that worked up through him when he pulled Horse up and saw Whitlock on the porch talking to Vic. It surprised him that neither of them heard him approach. The confrontation seemed to be intense. That was the word, too. Confrontation. He could read the anger on Vic's face even from a distance. He hoped she wouldn't do anything stupid before he reached her.
He wanted to punch the man.
He wanted to toss him right off the porch and hit him. He knew it would give him a kind of satisfaction that was hard to achieve. He also knew it would land him in jail for assault. He also knew it wouldn't do Vic any good for that to happen. He certainly couldn't help her if he was unable to help himself.
That was the only thing that kept him from burying his fist in Whitlock's face.
"Mama?"
The small voice broke into Walt's thoughts. They both looked towards the hallway that led to the two smaller bedrooms to see Julian standing there in his pajamas and mussed hair. He reached up and rubbed at his eyes. Vic unfolded herself from the couch and stretched out one hand.
"What's wrong?"
Taking the invitation, he walked over and crawled up into her lap. Vic pulled him up.
"What is it?"
He looked up into her face.
"Are you gonna go away again?"
Walt saw the expression that crossed Vic's face. She ran one hand over Julian's blond hair, smoothing it down.
"What?"
His gaze was unwavering.
"Did that man come to take you away?"
Walt felt his own stomach clench. They had done their best to shield him from what was going on. He had already lost one mother. Now, he was afraid of history repeating itself.
"No."
Vic pressed her mouth to his head, kissing his hair.
"I'm…not going anywhere."
Her voice faltered and Walt mentally debated whether or not it was a good idea to tell him that. Not that he blamed her. He didn't have any better answer for the young boy than Vic did. It was a position that no one should be in.
Julian continued to sit with his face buried in her neck. Vic looked over him and met Walt's gaze. For a moment, he was transported back to when Julian first came to stay with them. He was plagued by nightmares and Vic spent countless amounts of time sitting with him, holding him.
A knock on the door jolted them all out of the moment. Walt pushed out a breath and stood up slowly.
"I'll get it."
He walked over, unlocked the door, and opened it.
Zeke stood on the porch. Walt stepped back and motioned him in.
Vic rose when she saw Zeke, sliding Julian down her legs and onto the floor. She patted his back gently.
"Go back to bed. I'll come check on you in a while."
He nodded and disappeared back into the hallway. Vic heard his door click closed.
Satisfied that he was securely in his room, she faced Zeke.
"What's going on?"
The nerves in her voice were clear and well placed. Zeke wouldn't be here this late unless there was a good reason,
Zeke approached, his eyes moving between the two of them.
"I need to talk to you guys."
Walt nodded and gestured.
"Sit."
Zeke sat down in the chair as Walt and Vic retook their seats on the couch. Vic leaned forward, her hands clasped together. Her posture was tense, her eyes on Zeke. He could feel the apprehension rolling off of her almost like a wave.
Zeke adjusted himself in his chair and cleared his throat.
"I found something."
"What?"
It was Vic who spoke with a voice that was tinged with impatience. Walt shifted his hand so that it touched her leg just enough. She didn't pay him any attention just then. Her focus was on Zeke.
"Jim Wilkins has been in Absaroka County a good bit over the last month. He's fairly well known so keeping a low profile isn't for him. I asked around and he's been spotted all over several times. Gas stations, restaurants. Dorothy over at the Busy Bee told me he's been in at least five times in three weeks."
Walt frowned.
"It shows he was around, but it doesn't prove he did anything. Do you know what he was doing?"
"No. Nothing stands out as suspicious. But, it's a pattern that we need to follow up on. Now, I've got some feelers out trying to figure out why he's suddenly so interested in Durant. That's only part of it, though. Has Cooper talked to either of you about his staff?"
Vic shook her head.
"No. What're you thinking?"
Zeke reached into the pocket of his jacket and withdrew his phone. He tapped the screen to life and tapped it a few times, obviously looking for something. When he came up with what he wanted, he looked up.
"He gave me a list of names, deputies and staff who worked for Wilkins as well as Cooper. Several members of the department left when Wilkins' term ended. Probably guys who expected to be let go because there was a new Sheriff in town. Those who were most loyal to Wilkins. It's not unusual for there to be some turnover when a new guy takes over. I came up with six different names and looked into them. No one stood out, though. There wasn't anything I was seeing that looked suspicious."
"Someone reporting back?"
"Yeah. So…"
He glanced at his phone.
"…I looked into new hires. Anyone that Cooper hired after he was elected. He did a pretty good job of streamlining the place and working out new schedules so that he didn't have to replace all the ones who left. He hired four different people. So, I checked those out."
Vic moved again and Walt knew that she was anxious for Zeke to get to the point. Zeke was the kind of man who liked to be thorough and that aspect bled into all parts of his business. She would need to be patient just a little while longer. He was getting there and Walt was starting to see the direction that this conversation was taking.
"You found something?"
Zeke extended his arm and offered Vic his phone to partially answer her question.
"Yep."
Vic took the phone and looked down at it. Walt dropped his gaze to the phone as well. There was a picture of a personnel file. The print was too small for Walt to read from the angle he was at. Vic leaned in and scrutinized the picture that was attached.
"Does he look familiar?"
Vic looked back up at Zeke and shook her head.
"No."
She held the phone up so that Walt could see. The picture was of a young man with a blond crewcut. There was nothing outstanding about the man. He looked like any other deputy anywhere in Wyoming, or the country. She held the phone back out to Zeke.
"His name is Robert Bellinger. Cooper hired him about a month after he took over. He actually lives in Absaroka County."
"You gotta have more than that."
Zeke gave Vic a half smile.
"Naturally. When I spoke to Dorothy about Wilkins coming in, she told me that he was eating with the same man all but one of those times. Odd? Maybe. She described him, but it wasn't overly helpful. But…this guy fit the description. I showed her the picture and she identified him as the man that Wilkins was with."
Walt leaned all the way back.
"Have you talked to Cooper about this?"
Zeke gave him a somber look.
"Not this. Not yet. He knows I'm looking into his people."
Walt rubbed his palms together. A hard truth was settling over him.
"If what you're saying is accurate, it's possible they've been planning this for…"
His voice faded out. He didn't like the path they were going down. It was dark and twisted. Would Jim Wilkins really put this much time and effort into some kind of revenge plot. It almost sounded like something from a movie. This was their reality, though. This kind of a plan would have taken a considerable amount of patience and timing. That was more than a little disturbing.
"Get rid of one crazy person, there's always another one coming. Jesus."
Walt looked over at Vic. As much as he would like to reassure her that wasn't happening, it quite obviously was. This was their best lead and it was looking more and more like Zeke was onto something.
Zeke gave Vic a glance.
"Like I said…there are a lot of people who don't like the two of you. I'm sorry to be the messenger in all of this."
Vic chewed her bottom lip thoughtfully.
"How do we prove this? I mean…it all makes sense. But, we gotta have proof. Actual physical proof."
Zeke nodded.
"Did Cady have any luck with the key thing?"
"Haven't heard from her. She does have other things going on. And, she's got to be careful. Whitlock is up to something. I don't know what, but he was sniffing around here earlier."
Zeke frowned.
"You tell him to take a hike?"
She partially smiled.
"I did. We called my attorney as well. If Whitlock can try and turn up the heat on us, we can sure as hell reciprocate it."
"I bet you did. Do you know anything else about other evidence they might have? They can't convict you solely on this gun stuff. That's circumstantial. No prosecutor is going to base an entire murder case on that?"
Walt answered.
"No, we don't. He's keeping his cards close right now."
Zeke gave them both a dubious look.
"It would be nice to find out what he's got."
Vic tapped on finger restlessly on her leg.
"Yes, it would."