Back from vacation and finally able to complete and upload this chapter (working crazy hours + lots of work travel + being sick as a dog + going on vacation without my laptop = slow to write this chapter and get it posted). Thanks for your continued patience and for sticking with this story! Even though my chapter uploads have been spaced further apart, I DO plan to see this story through to the end! Thanks SO much to those who have provided supportive feedback and messages. You continue to keep me motivated.
Standing, rooted at the top of the steps, he heard the screen door bang shut behind him. The brisk wind cut through the seams in his shirt, but he didn't turn back for his coat. He knew if he went back in, he might not be able to convince himself to come back out.
Everything felt heavy. His shoulders. His legs. Even his thoughts, which were trying to sort through the situation in which he found himself.
Fumbling was more like it.
He wasn't fully awake, having been jarred from sleep, but he was fully aware of the gravity of the moment.
Wishing he was still in bed, and definitely not looking forward to the conversation he was about to engage in, he forced his foot onto the first step, and then the next, until he made it to the bottom. And then he propelled himself forward, down the path, until he was standing beside the passenger door of the Jeep, looking in.
Cady sat with both hands gripping the steering wheel, staring forward. After a moment, Walt reached out and pulled on the handle. The door was locked.
He rapped on the window. "Cady."
When she didn't move, even to look over at him, he shifted his stance, unsure of what to do next.
Glancing up at the cabin, he saw that Vic had closed the front door to give them their privacy. He pictured her on the other side of that door, willing herself not to go to the window to peer out.
He heard the thunk of the SUV being unlocked and breathed out in relief.
As he slid onto the seat, Cady continued to ignore him, and he churned through ways he could start the conversation, but nothing seemed right. He ran both hands down his thighs, wishing he had his hat, because without it he had nothing to hide behind. He felt exposed.
It was Cady who finally broke the silence.
"So..."
The word was drawn out, as if she were giving herself more time to put her thoughts together, but he suspected she was giving him an opportunity to speak.
When he didn't jump in, she started again. "Vic..."
He remained silent, unsure of exactly how to proceed with the prompt she had given him. His eyes fell on the middle console.
His gaze was pulled upward when Cady lifted her right hand to tuck her hair behind her ear. Her head was now turned slightly toward him, her eyes wide, but unfocused. He wasn't sure if it was shock or anger behind them.
"I..." He stopped and pictured the bottle of whiskey Vic had brought over Friday night. Even though it was barely eight in the morning, he could use some liquid courage right now.
"I didn't mean for you to f..." Again he stopped. She still hadn't looked him in the eyes, and he was beginning to think that even a look of disdain would be better than this.
"I know you don't think Vic and I would be good together, but don't be angry—"
He was cut off as Cady's head whipped his way, her eyes turning steely as she directed them at him.
"You think I'm angry because I don't approve of you being with Vic?"
"Well...uh...you...you said it would be weird if Vic and I..."
"I don't have a problem with Vic. I like Vic. I'm angry..."
Her eyes flashed as she paused and took a breath, her knuckles turning white as her grip on the steering wheel tightened.
Her gaze dropped to her lap. "I'm angry...or frustrated...or disappointed...I don't know exactly what...but it's because we can't seem to break the cycle of lying to each other."
She looked over at him. "Or is this you getting payback because I kept my relationship with Branch a secret?"
He cringed and she noticed. "I...this has nothing to do with you not telling me about Branch. And I...I didn't lie to you."
Her eyebrows lifted incredulously. "You lied right to my face. Twice."
"I didn't."
"I was right there in your cabin last weekend, and you told me that you and Vic were not dating. And then at dinner on Wednesday, when I asked you point blank, you said you were not seeing anyone. How is that not lying?"
"I wasn't lying."
Her voice increased in volume. "Dad! You can't deny what I just walked in on! You and Vic are clearly together. Are you denying that?"
Walt blinked as Cady's eyes bore into his. "No."
"Then how was it not a lie when you told me you weren't seeing her?"
"We weren't...Vic and I being together...I wasn't lying at dinner when you asked me."
"So you're just sleeping together, but you're not...together, and therefore it's technically not a lie?"
"No. It's not that. What's going on...now...between Vic and me...it's new. Vic was barely talking to me when you and I had dinner on Wednesday. We definitely weren't dating."
"So there was nothing going on between the two of you just days ago...and now..." Her eyes narrowed. "What changed?"
He felt the heat rise up his neck. "Punk, I can't talk about the details with you. You're my daughter."
Her lips flattened as she pressed them together, and then she shifted her gaze out the windshield.
"It's not like you to be casually sleeping with someone...especially with someone you work with." Her eyes flicked over to his for a moment, and then back to the cabin. "Especially with Vic."
He followed her line of sight to his front porch, once again picturing Vic on the other side of the front door. He closed his eyes briefly and remembered her looking back at him last night after he placed the glass of water on the end table. "It's not...casual."
Hearing Cady shift in her seat, he looked up and out the windshield. He could feel her eyes on him, but he refrained from meeting them with his own.
"Dad, why on earth did you tell me to give my co-worker Scott Vic's number if you're in love with her?"
His eyes flashed back to hers. "I'm not..." He paused and then leaned back into the headrest. "I..." He lifted his hand to his forehead. "I never told you to give him Vic's number."
"Yeah, but you didn't ask me not to. You told me to give her number to him if she wanted me to give it to him."
"I didn't have the right...we weren't..." He bowed his head. "I didn't know what we were...and I..." He stopped and looked up at her. "I wanted her to be happy."
"Even if it meant being happy with someone else?"
He arched an eyebrow and then turned to look out the passenger-side window. "If that's what she wanted."
He rubbed his hand across his face, and found her still looking at him when he turned back toward her.
She held his gaze. "Have you told her?"
He raised an eyebrow again.
"That you love her?"
He sucked in on his lower lip but said nothing.
"Dad."
"I wasn't kidding when I said what's going on between us is new."
"I suspect what's going on between you two has been going on for a while."
He opened his mouth to interject, but she put her hand on his arm to cut him off. "I don't mean the sleeping together part. I mean the way you feel about each other part."
"Punk."
"I admit I was shocked when I walked into your place this morning. But as I sat here afterwards I realized I wasn't completely surprised. It hadn't really registered before, but I guess I had noticed...something...between the two of you."
He gripped his knee with his right hand. "Nothing happened between Vic and me...before...when she was married."
Cady held his gaze. "I know, Dad."
Her eyes suddenly grew. "Oh, I just got what you were referring to when you told me at dinner that Vic had things going on, and that I shouldn't ask her who you were seeing." She grinned. "You were the 'stuff' she was dealing with. So what did you do? Why wasn't she talking to you earlier this week?"
Uncomfortable under her scrutiny, Walt averted his gaze.
"Dad. I get it. You weren't lying. You and Vic weren't together last time we talked. But you haven't been completely open with me."
She was looking at him intently.
"She was frustrated because I was...being indecisive. I...I didn't know if I was ready for Vic and me to be...involved. And I..." He dropped his chin. "I didn't know if you were ready for me to be involved with someone."
"You didn't know if I was ready?"
His eyes were back on the Jeep's console when her fingers wrapped around his forearm.
"Dad! I've been trying to get you to tell me if you were seeing someone because I want you to have someone in your life. I want you to be happy."
"But maybe you weren't ready for it to actually be someone specific. For it to be Vic. You said last Saturday that it would be weird if Vic and I—"
"First of all, you don't need my permission. You don't need anybody's permission. You're both single adults."
He returned to staring out the window.
"Second, it doesn't matter what I think. And...I don't really think that. She's not the obvious choice I would have thought of for you. Not because she's wrong for you...you're both just very different. But different doesn't mean bad." She paused as she scanned his face. "And who knows...different may actually be just what you need." She paused again, her eyes trained on him. "So it doesn't matter what I, or anyone else, thinks. It matters how the two of you feel."
She squeezed his arm.
"And she clearly likes you." He turned so his eyes were back on hers. "Again, I'm not referring to the sleeping together part. I'm referring to the fact that she didn't want me to give her number to Scott. She was waiting for you to come around. Right?"
He ran his hand across his jaw but said nothing.
"So what caused you to finally come around?"
He could feel the flush of heat reach his face, and he brought his hand to the back of his neck. "Again, I'm not comfortable talking to you about this."
They returned to staring out the windshield, a beat of silence between them.
"I knocked."
He shifted to look at her. "What?"
"Earlier. I knocked but there was no response. It was early enough you could have still been sleeping, but late enough that you might have been out. I thought I'd let myself in like I've done before."
She looked up at the cabin.
"I came over to get Theresa's pie plate. That's why I was here. Theresa told me on Friday night when she called that she'd left it at your place. I was up and thought I'd come get it before you forgot you had it or put it away somewhere where it couldn't be found."
"Oh."
"I thought I'd just come in quietly to get it. I'd be in and out. I wasn't expecting Vic to be there. There wasn't another car out front suggesting you had a guest over."
He nodded.
"Guess I won't be doing that again. Letting myself in. Wouldn't want a repeat of that...for any of our sakes."
He nodded again. "Probably a good idea." He looked over at her. "Are you going to be able to get that image out of your mind?"
She grimaced. "Nope. Scarred for life."
And then she laughed and the corners of his mouth lifted in response. He looked back at the cabin. "Vic probably won't either."
Cady picked up her phone and unlocked the screen.
He looked down at her hand as she opened her calendar. "What are you doing?"
She grinned. "I'm just doing the math."
"The math?"
"You guys weren't together when we had dinner on Wednesday, and now it's Sunday morning, so that means..."
"Please don't."
"Hmm. I saw each of you at the Pony on Thursday evening. But she left on her own with her carry-out order..."
He placed his hand over hers. "Cady. Stop."
She clicked the phone off, her smile growing. Her eyes held on him for a moment. "Let's start over."
He paused. "Ok."
She tried to wipe the grin from her face. "So..."
He pushed back in his seat and crossed his arms, his head turned toward her.
Her eyebrow darted upward. "Vic..."
"Yep?"
"You two dating?"
He paused again. "It's complicated."
She smacked his shoulder. "Dad!"
He smiled as he ducked his head.
XX
As he approached the kitchen, he found Vic pacing in front of the counter. She was fully dressed, with her hair up in a loose ponytail. The coffeemaker, which was on, was dripping steadily, the rich aroma filling the air. He stopped in the entrance, and leaned his right side into the door jamb, taking her in.
Sensing his presence, she stopped in her tracks and turned, her eyes meeting his. Pulling her shoulders back, she straightened, her nostrils slightly flaring. She looked as if she was preparing herself for bad news.
Her mouth twisted as she ran her hand along her ponytail. "Cady's probably a little freaked out."
He didn't know if she'd meant that to be a question, but without waiting for his response she began pacing across the floor again. "But...she'll get over the shock...eventually. And just because we're all a little thrown by her...finding out...the way she did...we shouldn't let that change anything."
She paused, her lips once again pursing. Her hesitation was only momentary. His eyes darted back and forth following her movement across the floor.
The coffee stopped dripping, and Vic halted in her path, before turning away from him. She pulled the carafe from the machine and began pouring the coffee into a cup next to it. Walt's eyes drifted to the counter, where he found two additional mugs. He smiled, unsure whether Vic had been optimistic about Cady joining them for breakfast, or hedging her bets, not wanting to make Cady feel unwelcome should she have entered the cabin with him.
When she began to pour a second cup, Walt stepped forward and opened the fridge, pulling out the milk. He walked over to the counter and handed the carton to her.
Her eyes holding his, she paused and then took it from him. "Thanks."
While she poured the milk into her cup, he reached up, opened the cabinet door, and pulled the package of sugar from the shelf. Placing it on the counter, he nudged Vic to the side, and then took a spoon from the drawer she'd been standing in front of. He measured the scoops out, one at a time, and added each to her coffee, before dropping the spoon into the liquid and stirring.
When he was done, he handed the coffee to her and then placed the spoon in the sink. Wrapping his fingers around the other cup she'd filled, he rotated, so his back was against the counter, and looked over at her. She had her mug to her lips, and was watching him over the rim. He liked her slightly disheveled look.
He raised his own cup to take a sip.
Lowering her mug, she took a few steps, pivoted and took a few more.
"I know Cady has her concerns. Yes, there's a seventeen-year age difference between us, but I don't feel it most of the time...or think that it's a problem at all. And yes, there's a shitload of things that make us different, but I don't care about all that. I told you before that I want to be with someone who makes me happy. I want to be with someone I want. I feel a connection with you that..." She paused, her gaze shifting away from him. "Those differences don't matter."
He placed his cup on the counter, his eyes never leaving her as she paced in front of him.
"And the fact that we work together, and the potential that our involvement could impact your judgement, or result in unfair preference, or at least the appearance of it, or put me in danger, or distract you on the job, or result in our personal life bleeding into our professional one if we have an argument...some of those things you'll make sure don't happen. We'll both make sure. And some of those things will likely happen regardless of whether we're involved...some of them have already happened...and we've shown that we work well together despite all that. This week was proof. We did good work even when things were kind of shitty between us and when things got...personal."
She suddenly came to a stop, her coffee almost spilling. Remaining still, their gazes locked, he watched her briefly and then took the mug from her hand and placed it on the counter next to his.
She blinked. "So...did she disown you?"
"I thought only parents could disown their children, not the other way around."
Her head cocked slightly to the side. "You know what I mean."
"Nope. She's still acknowledging that I'm her father."
"Was she pissed?"
"A bit."
Her eyebrows slanted upward. "Because she doesn't approve?"
"Nope."
"She didn't list all the reasons we shouldn't be involved?"
"Nope."
He was treated to an incredulous stare. "Really?"
"She says I can be in a relationship with whomever I want."
"Relationship?"
He paused, momentarily thrown, but kept his eyes on hers, and then widened the space between his legs so she could stand between them.
Placing her hand on his chest, she seemed to be contemplating what had just been said. She looked distractingly good first thing in the morning.
"Then why was she mad?"
He glanced over her shoulder, into the front room. "She was rather partial to my couch. Apparently we ruined that for her."
Vic snorted as she gripped his shirt between the fingers. "Shut up. Don't joke about that. You're not the one who had to wake up and see Cady's wide-eye stare. Try having that visual burned into your memory."
"No thanks."
"So really, why was she mad?"
"She thought I'd been holding back...lying...about us. That this...that we...had been going on for a while and I was keeping it from her."
She played with one of the snaps on his shirt. "It probably didn't help the situation that she kept Branch a secret and that you were pissed when you found out."
"Nope."
She took another step into him, her face close, but then her eyes widened and she pulled back.
"Wait. Why did you let me go on and on, making those arguments regarding why the things she's probably concerned about don't matter if she didn't bring any of that up?"
"You were on a roll. I didn't want to stop you."
She pursed her lips.
The corners of his mouth turned upwards. She might take offense if he admitted that he found it comforting that she'd been as nervous as he had regarding the outcome of his conversation with Cady. Or if he revealed how attractive he found her when she was revved up about something.
"And I wanted to hear what you had to say." At her arched eyebrow, he continued. "You didn't want to talk about...us...last night...and I wanted to hear where you stood on things."
Her hands slid into her back pockets.
"And where do you stand on things?"
Have you told her? That you love her?
Cady's words still echoed in his thoughts.
"I..." His gaze fell to his right hand which he ran along the edge of the counter. "I'm coming around."
She stepped back. "What does that mean?"
"It means..." He looked up, and got lost in her eyes for a moment.
He shook his head slightly to get a hold of his thoughts. "It means...I'm concerned about all the things you listed."
He saw her eyes widen, her lips part, her nostrils flare. She took another step back, but before she could move further away, he reached out, grabbed the waistband of her jeans and tugged her toward him.
He pushed himself away from the counter and straightened. She looked up at him, the uncertainty evident in her eyes.
Standing toe to toe, with nothing touching except his hand grasping her belt loop, he looked down at her. "I'm not pulling back...from what's going on between us. I'm just telling you I have concerns that will likely always be there."
His thumb grazed the bare skin at her waist. "But I'm working through them."
He saw her temple pulse.
"That was me making the next move on Friday. I haven't changed my mind about...moving forward. But...you'll need to be patient with me."
Standing so close, he could see every eyelash. He'd watched her eyes so many times but had never permitted himself to really look. Until now.
"Ok?"
She blinked, her eyes still conveying her concern with where things stood. And then she blinked again, her gaze softening. "Ok."
He leaned in. "I'm sorry this morning's been so chaotic. That's not how I wanted Cady to find out." He took a breath. "And that's not how I wanted to wake up with you."
She pressed up and smiled. "Well, then you need to take away your daughter's keys."
Inching in closer, he laughed. "She will not be letting herself in again."
Her eyes danced. "I hope not." Her statement was a warm whisper against his lips. And then she grabbed his shirt near the top snap and tugged down as he slipped his fingers into her waistband.
XX
Vic's head was bent over her phone.
"Ok. It looks like we need to head that way." She pointed across the parking lot at a red-brick building. "That should be McMullen Hall in front of us. And on the other side of McMullen, across campus, should be Petro Hall, where the boys live."
It was a crisp day. Blue sky. Slight breeze. Patches of autumn colors across the tree-lined campus.
Walt closed his door, and crossed in front of the Bronco to join her. When they reached the sidewalk, she slid her phone into her pocket and looked up at him as they walked.
He looked down at her curiously. "What?"
She quickly turned away. "Nothing."
He continued to look at her until she looked back up. "I was just trying to picture you as a college student on campus."
"Oh yeah? And how do you see me?"
"I was trying to decide if you wore a hat back then."
"And?"
"I'm guessing not, since you went to school in California. Maybe a baseball cap."
He grinned at her accuracy.
"But I'm guessing the rest was the same. Jeans, long-sleeve button-down, and your boots. Maybe a t-shirt when it was warmer or when you weren't in class." Her smile broadened. "Did you even own a pair of shorts?"
He laughed. "Yep. Maybe even two pairs."
"I need to see a picture of you in those."
Walt looked back down at her as they rounded the side of McMullen. "There is no photographic evidence that I wore them."
"You might not have any, but someone, somewhere, does. And I have mad investigative skills when it comes to stuff like that."
He laughed again. "I bet you do."
She still had her head turned up toward him.
"Now what are you picturing?"
"I'm trying to imagine what kind of student you were."
"And, what kind of student was I?"
She pursed her lips for a moment. "Studious. Disciplined. Someone who knew their priorities, and put them first."
He watched a girl dash across the path in front of them to join her friends. "And what were my priorities back then?"
"School. Football. Family. Friends."
He glanced her way, and then saw a smile spread across her face. "Oh, and girls. They were probably a pretty big deal for you too."
He grinned as he looked down the sidewalk. "Although they'd probably say that I gave them attention only in the early stages."
She laughed. "The girls didn't hold your attention compared to your other priorities?"
He looked back over at her. "Very few have."
She held his gaze a moment, her eyes twinkling, before glancing up at the tree branches above them. "I bet you missed Wyoming's fall season when you were at USC. It sure is gorgeous out here at this time of year."
His steps faltered. "Did you just compliment Wyoming?"
"Well, right now I'm complimenting Montana, since we're in Billings, but yeah, I like autumn in Wyoming as well."
Coming to a stop, he kept looking at her.
"What?"
"I've never heard you say something favorable about living out here."
Her eyes on his, one corner of her mouth turned upward. "I wouldn't still be here if there wasn't something I liked about this place."
"So...autumn. That's why you stayed?"
She blinked. "Yep. Autumn."
He studied her closely. "Is that enough to keep you here the other three quarters of the year?"
She shrugged. "There may be one or two other reasons I stayed."
They stood, eyes locked. He lifted his hand, and tucked a few stray hairs behind her ear. He suddenly realized he wanted to be one of those reasons she'd stayed. And he realized that it scared the hell out of him. Her staying because of him. The responsibility that came with that fact. He considered sharing that with her. All of it. But the laughter from a group of students somewhere behind him reminded him that they were in a public place, and he dropped his hand and took a step back.
"Omar?"
She blinked. "Omar?"
"Is Omar one of your other reasons for staying?"
She looked oddly at him for a moment and then her eyes crinkled. "Yes, definitely Omar. How would I get that level of attention anywhere else?"
She began walking again, but looked over her shoulder at him. "And of course there's the prospect of maybe, someday, seeing you in these elusive shorts you mentioned."
XX
They heard the laughter before they even reached the room, and arrived to find the door slightly ajar. Vic's knock, however, elicited no response. She looked up at Walt and then tried again.
When she again received no response, she reached out and pushed the door further open. "Hello?"
Standing in the doorway, they found themselves looking down at three boys. One of the boys was sprawled across the bed to their left. The other two sat on cushions on the floor, leaning against the bed on which the first boy was perched. All three were ignoring them, trained on the video game the two on the floor were playing.
Vic glanced between the three. "Is one of you Cody Pierce?"
Eyes glued on the monitor, the boy on the bed raised his hand.
"And Bryce Sullivan?"
"Yep." The response came from the boy on the floor closer to the door, but he didn't look up.
"We're with the Absaroka County Sheriff's Department."
The boys kept their focus on the game.
"This is Sheriff Longmire. I'm Deputy Moretti."
Again the boys seemed unable to tear their eyes away from the screen.
"And we're here to talk to the two of you regarding one of our investigations."
Not one of the boys turned their way.
Vic gave Walt her 'what the hell?' look.
Walt stepped into the room, his eyes lingering on Cody for a moment. The boy was wearing grey cargo pants, and a dark green t-shirt that read Climbing State of Mind. Walt glanced up at the wall behind Cody's head.
"Is that Alex Honnold?"
Cody looked at the poster in question and then back at Walt. "You know who Alex Honnold is?"
"You think I'm too old to know who Alex Honnold is?"
He tucked his chin length hair behind his ear as he gave Walt a once-over. "Just didn't know you were into climbing."
Walt stepped further into the room, scanning the walls and bookshelves. "Are these posters and pictures all yours?"
Cody shook his head. "My room is three doors down." He pointed to Bryce. "Most of the posters are Sully's". He then leaned forward and knocked the baseball cap off the third boy's head, which elicited a 'Dude!' from his friend. "But his roommate Mac here has been contributing. Sully and I have been getting him into climbing."
Mac leaned to the side to pick up his hat. "I think the only reason they let me tag along is because I am good with a camera."
Cody grinned, as he pointed to a few photos on the wall that Mac must have taken. "Of course it's not the only reason."
Walt leaned closer to the wall to look at the pictures. "These are good."
He shifted his head to look over at Cody. "What climbs have you done recently?"
"We just got back from Devils Tower."
"Oh yeah? Which routes did you do?"
"Soler. And El Matador."
"What are their ratings?"
Cady looked over at Bryce. "Sully, you remember what Soler and El Matador are rated?"
Bryce deftly maneuvered his character on screen before responding. "Uh...I think Soler is a 5.9 and El Matador is a 5.10."
Walt nodded. "Impressive. You must be experienced climbers."
Cody shrugged. "Sure."
Walt glanced around the room again, surprised by how organized and clutter-free it was. "Where do you keep your racks and the rest of your gear when you're at school?"
Cody clapped Bryce on the shoulder. "The trunk of Sully's car."
"All three of you go to Devils Tower this weekend?"
Without looking up, Mac chimed in. "I didn't go. Those climbs are too advanced for me."
"So, just the two of you went?"
Bryce looked at him. "Us and four others."
"Other MSUB students?"
Bryce's attention returned to the game. "Some, but not all. They're from this outdoor club we're part of."
Vic crossed in front of the boys, and pulled out a chair from behind one of the desks. "You guys been in this outdoor group for a while?"
Bryce looked over at her. "The Trailhead club?"
Vic nodded.
Cody crossed his legs beneath him as he sat up. "Sully and I joined a couple months ago."
Vic sat down in the chair. "How did you guys get involved in the group?"
Cody gestured toward the open door. "There's a sophomore, Mattie, who lives down the hall. He saw our posters in our rooms and invited Sully and me to one of their events when we first started school."
Vic looked around the room. "I'm surprised you're living in a dorm. Wouldn't you have more freedom living in an apartment off campus?"
Cody nodded as if he agreed. "You're required to live in the dorms as a freshman."
Glancing at the bookshelf that ran horizontally across the wall behind her, she settled on a group of photographs. A smile growing on her lips, she looked back over at Cody. "Did you take any pictures this weekend?" Walt recognized the smile she was giving the kid.
The smile did its job. Cody scrambled off the bed and grabbed his phone off the desk. Walt walked over to stand at Vic's side. She scooted her chair closer to the bed as Cody scrolled through some pictures before passing her the device. Walt looked over her shoulder as Cody pointed down at the picture on the screen. "Kapoor was fearless yesterday."
He swiped to the next picture. "Nova almost slipped here, but managed to hold on."
He swiped again. "Daniels and Greenberg were partnered up. Sometimes I'm not sure which one is crazier."
Vic looked up at Walt before turning back to Cody.
"So Tyler was with you this weekend?"
"Daniels? Yeah." He looked between them. "Is that why you're here? We already told the cops last weekend that Daniels was with us when we hiked on Saturday."
Vic watched him closely. "He was with you the whole day?"
"We only went in the morning, but he was with us the whole time. We got up at the crack of dawn and then finished at noon. The weather was crappy."
Cody brought up a picture of him, Bryce, Tyler and two other kids to prove his point. They were soaked head to foot.
Vic stared down at the picture. "Did you guys go back out when the weather cleared?"
"The weather was bad through Sunday. It got better Monday morning, and since we had the day off, a group of us hit the trail again." Cody leaned over and flipped through a few pictures from their hike.
"Was Tyler with you on Monday?"
"No. I think he went hiking solo in Wyoming somewhere."
"How long has Tyler been in the Trailhead group?"
"A couple years, at least. He said he joined when he was in high school."
Vic advanced to the next picture before looking up. "How well do you know him?"
"I don't know. I guess we've seen him every weekend since we joined the group. But we don't really hang out with him outside the events that are planned.
"Is he a good climber?"
"Yeah. He's kind of a nut about everything we do. Super focused. Super in-shape."
She brought her attention back to the picture on the phone, her voice casual. "Has he ever mentioned anyone that he's had a particular beef with?"
"Uh...not that I can think of."
"We've heard his mother's boyfriend can be a real asshole. Has Tyler ever talked about him?"
"Uh...I've heard how he talks with him on the phone. The guy seems to get on Daniels' case about telling his mom when he'll be home and about getting his life together. Daniels never talks about his relationship with him, though."
"Does he ever mention anybody from his hometown? Anyone that he's friends with? Or pissed with?"
"Not really."
"Have you seen him get angry?"
"Sure. He loses it from time to time."
This time, when she looked up, her expression was serious. "Has he ever hurt anyone when he's gotten angry?"
"You mean like hit someone?"
Vic nodded.
Cody shifted. "Uh...no."
Mac turned toward them. "Well, there was that time that he got pissed and held one of the guys from the club off the side of a boulder."
Vic turned toward Mac. "What happened? Why did he get pissed?"
Cody laughed. "He didn't really hold him off the side. Daniels found out this other kid, Mahler, was behind some prank that was played on one of the new members of the group. Daniels grabbed him roughly by the arm when they were both standing near the edge of a boulder. I think he was just trying to get his attention and share that he was pissed."
"What was the prank?"
Cody's brow furrowed as he turned toward the other two. "Do either of you remember?" Bryce and Mac both shook their head. "It was nothing crazy, but I don't remember what it was specifically."
"Did he hurt the other kid?"
"No. Daniels' intensity probably scared the crap out of Mahler, but he was never in any danger."
"And Tyler's actions didn't cause any problems between himself and the group?"
"Nah. In general, we're all pretty laid back. Just intense about the sports we do, but a good community overall."
Cody looked her up and down. "Have you ever climbed before?
Vic laughed. "Me? Hell no! I'm from Philly. We do sports that involve balls and bats and sticks. The only pain inflicted comes from someone else's hip check, tackle or well-aimed fist. None of this life-or-death craziness."
Cody laughed
She looked up at the posters. "What do you find so great about climbing? I don't get what all the fuss is about."
Cody edged closer to the side of the mattress. "It's about the challenge. The puzzle. No two climbs are the same."
Vic pointed over to Walt. "You should see this guy problem solve on the side of a cliff. For one of our cases, a girl had fallen, and the quickest way to get to her was to rappel down the side. We had a rope, but didn't have a harness or carabiners with us like you guys use. So the Sheriff used his belt and his handcuffs."
"Ouch! Dude. The rope burn!"
"I know! I said the same thing to him."
"Did he rescue the girl?"
She cast a look Walt's way, her eyes bright. "Yep. He picked her up, handcuffed her around his neck, and brought her back up the same way he got down. Saved her life."
Three pairs of eyes looked at him with newly gained respect, the video game temporarily forgotten.
Walt leaned back against the desk. "Any girls in your Trailhead group?"
Cody grinned. "Yes! One of the other perks of all this outdoor stuff. It's co-ed."
Scratching the back of his neck, Walt surveyed the three. "Do you guys know a Jessica Suarez?"
Cody ran his hand through his hair. "Jess? Sure. She's in the club too. She lives one floor up."
Walt's hand dropped to his lap. "In this dorm?"
"Yeah. She's above us and two rooms over, that way." He pointed to the opposite wall.
"Are Jessica and Tyler dating?"
Cody looked over at his friends, before looking back at Walt. "Jess and Daniels? No."
"Did they use to go out? Maybe before you joined the Trailhead club?"
Again the boys looked at each other before Cody answered. "Not that we know of. At least no one has mentioned that they did."
"Are the two of them friends?"
Cody shrugged. "They know each other but I've never seen the two of them hang out."
"Does Jessica have a dog?"
"I don't know...wait...yes. She brought a dog with her a few weeks back when we went camping."
"If she lives in the dorm, where does her dog stay?"
"Uh...beats me. Maybe her parents live nearby."
"Has Tyler ever taken care of her dog?"
Cody's brows knotted in confusion. "Daniels? Why would he do that?"
"Something you do for a friend."
Again he shrugged. "He never mentioned it if he did."
"He didn't have the dog with him this weekend?"
"Daniels? No. You can't bring pets to Devils Tower anyway."
"Do you guys know where Tyler is now?"
Three shakes of the head. "No."
"Did he drive back with you?"
Cody shook his head. "He took off before we woke up this morning."
"And he didn't say where he was going?"
"Nope."
"Is that usual...for Tyler to just take off?"
Cody leaned back on his elbows. "He follows his own schedule sometimes."
Walt looked directly at each of the boys, one by one. "Anything else you can think of to share about Tyler?"
Cody squinted and then shook his head. "Nope." The others shook their heads as well.
Walt looked over at Vic, and then straightened.
"Well, we know you have a video game to get back to. Thanks for talking to us."
Cody stood, his eyes on Vic as she did the same. "If you ever want to learn how to climb, let us know."
She smiled as they made their way to the door. "I'll keep that in mind."
Cody gestured toward Walt. "Unless you want to learn from 'handcuffs and rope burn' over here."
She laughed out loud as Walt stepped into the hall. Vic waved goodbye to the three boys and then joined Walt. As he closed the door behind them, she stood stationary looking up at him.
"What?"
"Since when do you know stuff about rock climbing?"
He smiled as he began walking. "Henry and I used to go climbing when we were teenagers. Of course the sport wasn't as big back then as it is now."
"And then you just stopped?"
"Who said I stopped?"
She looked taken aback. "Oh...well…I wasn't aware that you climbed...you've never mentioned it."
"We cut back when we were in our early twenties?"
"Lost interest?"
"I became a father."
"Oh. Right." She nodded in understanding. "Have you been climbing since?"
"I go from time to time."
When they reached the stairway he stopped and she turned, two steps up, to look at him over her shoulder.
"What?"
"I could teach you to climb."
"Using your handcuffs and belt?"
"No. The real way."
She looked down at him. "Ok."
He joined her on her step and then the two began climbing the remaining stairs. "We can add it to the list."
She craned her neck to look up at him. "What list?"
"The list of activities you still need to experience."
A small grin lit her lips. "What else is on this list?"
"Camping."
"I've been camping. I told you. When I was a kid."
They reached the top of the stairs and he paused. "That wasn't camping."
"It wasn't?"
He started walking down the hallway, looking at the room numbers on the doors. "Nope. It's not camping unless the people who take you camping are campers at heart, and not just doing an activity that they think they should do with their kids a couple times. Plus...you were likely somewhere in Pennsylvania. The experience wouldn't even come close to camping in Wyoming. Therefore...not camping."
"And would you be the 'camper at heart' who would be accompanying me?"
He glanced down the hall at her. "If Henry's not available...sure."
She laughed. "What else is on the list?"
"A Durant High School football game."
"Right." She smiled. "Do you think Henry's up for bringing me to that too?"
He grinned, as he returned to looking at the doors. "And dinner."
"I've had dinner since being in Wyoming."
He paused. "I meant with me."
She looked over at him. "We've been to dinner before."
"That wasn't dinner."
She smiled. "It wasn't?"
He stopped in front of a door, found Jessica's name listed and knocked. "Those were meals during working hours."
The door suddenly swung open, and a petite girl with long brown hair looked up at him. She was wearing a Yellowjackets hooded sweatshirt in the school's blue and yellow colors.
Walt towered over her. "Jessica Suarez?"
"Uh...yes."
He stepped back so Vic could join his side. "Cody Pierce told us you lived here. I'm Sheriff Longmire, and this is Deputy Moretti. Could we talk to you for a moment?"
"Um..."
He took a step further back. "We could go down to a common area in the dorm, if that would make you more comfortable."
She glanced between the two of them, and then stepped back. "No, it's ok. You can come in."
He followed Vic into the room, taking in the decor. Like the boys' room, her walls were covered in posters and pictures of various outdoor activities. But, with only one bed against the wall to their left, it looked like Jessica lived in a single.
"Sorry for the mess." Jessica bent over and picked up a pile of clothes and then dropped them on the couch.
Walt watched Vic start to scan the contents of the room out of the corner of his eye as he turned toward the girl. "We understand that you know Tyler Daniels."
"Uh...yeah. We're in this Trailhead outdoor club together."
"Are you two friends?"
"Uh...yes."
"Are the two of you dating?"
"Dating? No."
"Did you ever date before?"
"Uh…no."
Over Jessica's shoulder, Walt saw a face he recognized in a photograph on the wall.
"You know Evan Brandt."
Her brows lifted, as she turned to look at the picture. "Yeah. He was a senior here last year. He and his brother led a bike clinic for the Trailhead group this past May where this picture was taken."
"Did you ever hang out with Evan outside of this bike clinic?"
Jessica shifted under his gaze. "We went out once, but..."
"But?"
Staring off to the side, she pulled on one side of the string to her hood. "But I guess he wasn't interested. We didn't go out again."
"Was Tyler at that bike clinic that Evan and his brother led?"
Her eyes refocused on Walt's. "Uh...probably. It was toward the end of last school year, so I don't remember everyone who came, but we had a good showing and Tyler goes to most events."
Vic, who was standing in front of the desk staring at a framed picture on Jessica's bookshelf, called out. "Is this your dog?"
Without glancing at the desk, Jessica sat down on her couch, next to the pile of clothes. "Yeah. That's Bear."
Vic looked at Jessica over her shoulder. "Your dog's name is Bear?"
She nodded. "I've had him since I was twelve..." There was a catch in her voice. "My parents said he got out..."
Vic looked back at the picture. "Your dog is missing?"
Pulling both hands into her sleeves, Jessica nodded.
"Since when?"
"Since last Sunday."
"Have you ever let Tyler take care of Bear?"
Jessica's forehead creased in confusion. "Tyler?"
"Yes."
"Take care of Bear?"
Vic picked up the picture. "Has he ever watched your dog for a period of time?"
"No. Bear lives with my parents."
"Does Tyler know you have a dog?"
Jessica stared down, her thumbs now protruding through the thumb holes in her sleeves. "The only time Tyler would have seen Bear is a few weeks ago when I brought him on our camping trip. Although...I guess I've talked about him before."
"Do you ever drive around with Bear in the back of a truck?"
Her head snapped up. "God no! I would never do that. That's cruel!"
"When was the last time you saw Tyler?"
She looked to the side in thought. "A couple weeks ago." She looked between them. "Why all these questions about Tyler? Has something happened to him?"
Adjusting his hat from one hand to the other, Walt shifted his weight to his other leg. "We're investigating Tyler's potential involvement in one of our cases. Some boys were seriously injured earlier this week."
"And you think Tyler hurt them?"
"We don't know. Do you think it possible that Tyler could be involved in something like that? Have you ever seen him get overly angry, or take things to extremes?"
Again she looked between them. "He's intense...and I've seen him get angry, but no, I haven't seen him do anything like that." She paused. "Did Tyler have something to do with Bear disappearing? Is that why you were asking about him?"
Vic's eyes slid to Walt before she stepped forward. "We're looking into that as well."
Vic took a few more steps toward Jessica and then sat down next to her on the couch. "When did you join the Trailhead club?"
"Early in my freshman year. A little over a year ago."
"Who in the club do you think knows Tyler the best?"
She paused, her eyes cast down to the floor. "I don't think anybody really knows Tyler."
"Why is that?"
"I think I got a small glimpse of the real Tyler earlier this year, and I think he's different than how he presents himself."
"What do you mean?"
"We were camping late this spring, and there was a point where it was just the two of us at the campfire. He seemed preoccupied...a little distraught. I asked him what was wrong but he said it was nothing. When I reached out and put my hand on his arm he looked up at me with this expression in his eyes I hadn't seen before."
"What kind of expression?"
"Normally Tyler has two modes. He's energetic, and fully focused and engaged in the activities we're doing. He can be very convincing. He comes up with these ideas of things to do, and convinces others to join him. But at the same time he has this wall up. He kind of keeps everyone at a distance. He's not stand-offish. Just...separate. But he looked at me with these big eyes. It was the first time I saw how vulnerable he was. He's usually so confident, or at least comes off that way. And I took his hand and we just sat there like that until the others returned."
"And he never said why he was upset or brought it up since then?"
"No. Actually, he's been more distant recently. He acted kind of weird for much of the summer, but eventually seemed to get over whatever it was. Two weeks ago he was in the dorm, dropping off a few of the guys after one of the Trailhead outings I couldn't attend, and he stopped by my room. He was trying to convince me to go hiking with them the next weekend, but I already had plans to visit a high school friend at the University of Montana since we had an extra day off for Columbus Day. When I picked my backpack off the floor and looked up at him, he was just standing there staring blankly at me. It was really weird. And then he suddenly said he had to go...and just...left. I haven't talked to or seen him since."
"Do you know where Tyler is right now?"
"I know he was going climbing with some of the guys from the club at Devils Tower this weekend, but I'm guessing you already talked to Cody, since he told you which room I lived in. I take it they don't know where he is right now?"
"They said Tyler took off early this morning without telling them where he was going."
"Sounds like Tyler."
"Has he ever mentioned anywhere specific he likes to go when he's by himself?"
"He does a lot of hikes by himself, and this summer he got into free soloing. But I can't think of a specific place he likes to go."
"What is free soloing?"
"It's rock climbing without any of the safety equipment. No ropes. No harness. No climbing partner."
Vic looked up at Walt before meeting Jessica's eyes again. "That sounds crazy—"
"And therefore right up Tyler's alley. You present a challenge to him, and he'll want to tackle it." Jessica paused and then stood. "Do you think Tyler really did what you're investigating him for?"
Walt watched her closely. He remembered Tom Haskill's words to Joanne Daniels. "We either want to prove that he didn't, or get him the help he needs if he did. If...if you think of anything else that might be important for us to know, please give us a call."
Vic stood and handed Jessica her a card with the station's contact information.
At the door Walt turned. "Thanks for your time Jessica."
Jessica nodded as she stared down at the card in her hands. "Can...can you let me know if you learn anything about Bear?"
Walt nodded. "We will."
Vic stepped out of the room, and then, after a pause, Walt followed, shutting the door behind him. They walked in silence down the hallway.
When they reached the stairway, Vic let out a sigh. "So...Tyler plans this whole robbery scheme. Then, last Saturday he goes hiking with Cody, Bryce and other members of the Trailhead club so that he has an alibi while the stores in Sheridan are being robbed. On Sunday, while Jessica is out of town, he goes to her parents' place in Livingston and takes her dog, Bear, and then proceeds to drive down to Durant with him. The stores in Durant are robbed on Monday while he's spotted around town before going off hiking, with Bear in tow, and then he returns to Sheridan briefly before heading out to Devils Tower with five members of the Trailhead group, but without the dog."
Her lips pursed in thought. "We still don't have motive. We still don't know who his accomplice is. Clearly it's not Jessica because she was in Missoula visiting her friend at U of M, last weekend. And we have no idea why he took Jessica's dog."
"Yeah, but we've learned a little more about Tyler."
"But is any of it of use to us?"
They descended the final step, and were starting to turn to take the next flight down when Cody entered the stairway.
"Hey Deputy 'Philly' and Sheriff 'Handcuffs and Rope Burn!'"
Walt turned to face Cody. "Where are you headed?"
"We totally forgot to eat when we got back, so I'm going to grab us a pizza."
Out of the corner of his eye, Walt saw Vic wander into the hallway.
"Did you get to talk to Jess?"
Attention back on Cody, Walt rested his hand on his belt. "We did. But she didn't know where Tyler is. She said he likes to go hiking by himself, as well as free solo, but didn't know where he went today. Do you know of any usual places Tyler likes to go?"
"Nah. He likes to go to new places all the time."
"Hey Cody."
Both Cody and Walt turned toward Vic. "Yep?"
She was just outside the stairway, standing in front of a bulletin board of photographs. "What are these pictures from?"
"Those are pictures of the students who live in this dorm."
Hands on her hips, she leaned in closer, looking at photos in the top left corner of the board. "Tyler is in one of these pictures. Was he visiting someone in the dorm?"
"Some of those pictures are from last year. It's probably a picture from when he lived in the dorm."
Her head spun in their direction. "Tyler lived in Petro Hall?"
"Yep. Last year."
"I..." She looked over at Walt, the confusion evident in her eyes. "I thought Tyler didn't go on to college after high school. That he was taking a year off."
"He is taking a year off. This year. He was a freshman here last year."
"He went to MSUB for a year?"
"Yep."
"Do you know why he dropped out?"
"To focus on climbing, biking and such."
"Do you think that's the real reason?"
"I heard he had been making plans for his sophomore year...like he was coming back. He and Mattie were going to get a place together off-campus, and then apparently Daniels suddenly pulled out, saying school wasn't for him right now. That he wanted to give his undivided attention to the trails. Mattie ended up taking a single here in Petro."
"Mattie? He's the one who got you in to the Trailhead group?"
"Yep."
Vic paused as she continued to scan the pictures, and then she turned, her eyes wide as she found Walt's. She tapped a picture before looking over at Cody. "Is Mattie a nickname?"
"Yep. Short for Matthews."
"Is his full name Dylan Matthews?"
"Yep."
"But you call him Mattie?"
"Yep. Just like we use 'Sully' for Bryce because his last name is Sullivan."
Walt saw Vic briefly close her eyes, her jaw tensing. He stepped forward. "Where is Dylan's room?"
Cody turned toward him. "He lives on this floor. At the other end."
Taking a deep breath, Vic pulled her shoulders back and then started to take steps in the direction Cody had directed them.
"But you won't find him in."
She stopped and turned. "Why not?"
"He went home for the weekend."
"To Durant?"
"If that's where he from, then yes."
Walt looked down at his watch. "Do you know when he was planning to get back to campus?"
"Not until tonight, I think."
"Are Dylan and Tyler friends?"
"Well, enough friends that they had planned to be roommates. I have no idea if they hang out together outside our weekend activities."
"Have they been getting along lately?"
"Yeah. I think so. Mattie hasn't joined us the last few weeks, but things seemed fine between them before that."
Walt looked over at Vic.
Cody pointed down the stairs. "Is it ok if I go? The guys are starving."
Walt nodded. "Yep. Thanks Cody."
"Sure."
Cody bounded down the steps. Walt waited for him to be out of sight before turning toward Vic. "Well, there's our connection between Tyler and Durant." He looked down the hallway. "Do we head back to Durant and hope Dylan hasn't left? Or do we stay here and wait for him?"
Vic pulled out her phone to check the time as she ground the sole of her boot into the floor. "If we leave now, we could be back between 3:45 and 4:00. If he truly isn't planning to come back to Billings until tonight, then he's likely still there. We could have Branch bring him in while we're on our way back."
They looked at each other, and then in unspoken agreement, dashed down the stairs, out the front door of the dorm, and across the lawn toward the parking lot.
They pulled up when they reached the Bronco. Walt searched through his pockets for his keys as Vic bent over, both breathing hard.
"I am literally going to strangle those boys. I won't be surprised if all six of them know each other in the end, even though they started off saying they didn't." Straightening, she looked over the hood. "You know what, I say we bring all seven of them into the station, lock them in the cell together, and let them stay that way until we find out how each of them knows each other. I'm tired of all this bullshit!"
He unlocked the door and they both climbed in.
Vic looked over at him. "If Tyler and Dylan are friends, why would Tyler orchestrate a robbery of the hardware store where his friend works?"
Walt looked behind him as he backed his truck out of the spot. "Don't forget the robbery of Ace Hardware wasn't like the other robberies. The cashier didn't get hurt. And no money was taken. Just the duct tape."
"So you think Dylan was involved? And that maybe he committed the other robberies, and then he and Tyler 'robbed' the Ace Hardware so that Dylan wouldn't be considered a suspect?"
"It's possible." Walt shifted the Bronco into drive, staring out the windshield as he thought through the details of the case.
After a moment Vic looked over at him. "Of course, Dylan couldn't have committed the other robberies. He's on the video recording from Ace Hardware when the robberies were taking place."
"Yep. That just occurred to me too."
"So we're back to being nowhere, like we were when we learned about the other connections between these boys."
"Maybe. But not necessarily. This is the first relationship we've confirmed between Tyler and one of the other boys. Let's have Branch bring him in while we head back."