What? said Ren. No way.
They nodded.
Why are we telling her our age so soon? said the short guy.
We could have been a contender, said the tall one. So then, whats your name?
Ren.
Thats a very pretty name, he said.
Whats yours? said Ren.
Mauser here, he said, shaking her hand.
Mauser? said Ren.
Yes. Mauser. No first name. And this is Little Dick.
Ren laughed. You let him away with that?
Little Dick gave a shrug.
You will join us for a glass of red wine, said Mauser. He nodded at the barman. Put it on our tab.
Well, thank you very much, said Ren. But Im not really drinking. Ill just have water.
What? said Little Dick. I dont know if we can let you do that. Can we?
It would be a first, said Mauser.
Ive got an early start, said Ren.
What do you do? said Mauser, handing her a glass of wine.
Oh, OK, she said. Thank you. What do I do? Mainly not talk about my job.
Little Dick heres a DDS, said Mauser.
A what? said Ren.
Doesnt Do Shit, said Mauser. He reared back with a crazy, infectious laugh that made Ren laugh even harder. Little Dick gave what was obviously his trademark shrug.
And what do you do, Mauser? said Ren.
I come from a distinguished line.
Of what? said Ren.
Of bullshit.
You are so funny, said Ren.
You mean its not our bodies youre interested in? said Mauser.
Not if you keep calling him Little Dick, said Ren.
Hed need to do you three times to give you twelve inches, said Mauser.
Ren laughed loud and hard. You guys
The barman walked their way with a tray.
Oh God, said Ren, what are these?
Mind Erasers, said the barman, lining up six glasses filled with liquid in a shade of wrong.
Six, said Ren, deadpan. There are three of us.
Yeah, but you forget youve drunk the first one, said Mauser.
You sure do, said Little Dick.
They got twenty on their tab already, said the barman, smiling. Its like, bam Will Smith, Men in Black.
Mauser smiled. This is what stranger danger is all about.
Ren laughed. But Im really not drinking, she said, sliding her two toward her. She sucked each one up through a black straw. Wow.
Mauser raised his. Little Dick followed. And well go again, sir, said Mauser to the barman.
Ooh, said Ren.
An hour later, Mauser was leaning in to her. Im not an advice column here, but this Vincent guy is insane. Thats all Ill say.
Letting a pretty girl like you go, said Little Dick.
Aw, Vincents a really good guy said Ren.
Insane! said Mauser.
Insane! said Little Dick.
Im the insane one, said Ren.
Really? Mauser slapped the bar in front of them and looked at her with dancing eyes. Join the party, sweetheart.
And she did, smiling a slow-spreading MindErasersmile.
10
Breckenridge was between busy holiday weekends Martin Luther King Day had just passed and Presidents Day was a month away. Kids were back at school. It was seven a.m. and skiers and snowboarders were heading to breakfast early before they hit slopes they were about to find out were quieter than they expected.
Bob Gage sat in Daylight Donuts spinning the playing card he was given when he placed his order. The ace of spades. He nodded his head to the beat. He was on his second coffee when a waitress walked by with the matching card and stepped back a few paces to his table to lay down her tray. She handed him a plate of bacon, egg, biscuits and gravy. His cellphone started to ring. He mouthed a thank you to her as he answered it.
Sheriff Gage? Its Patrick Transom. Im sorry. I tried to be understanding. I mean, I do understand. But Ive had time to think about everything and I want my sister. I need my sister back. Im not going to wait months for warm weather to His voice caught. I understand that Search and Rescue doesnt want to go back up there. But I do. Im an
Mr Transom, youre right. Its not safe up there. A snow assessments being done this morning, but
I dont care if its not safe, said Patrick. I want to
We cannot let you do that, said Bob. Its a crime scene up there as far as were concerned. We cant let anyone in there. Im sure you understand that. You probably havent slept, and maybe this seems like the only solution right now
If the snow report is good, if the conditions are stable enough, can I go?
No. But He paused. OK if the snow report comes back good, well head on up there. He pushed his plate away from him. Ill get in touch with Search and Rescue.
Gary Dettling pulled up into the small driveway at the Firelight Inn. The street was quiet. He turned off the engine and waited. After five minutes, he texted Ren. He got no reply. He knocked at the door of the inn. The owner was on his way out with a snow shovel.
Sorry to bother you, said Gary. Im looking for a woman checked in last night, Ren Bryce?
Oh, yes Im sure shes gone already.
What?
About twenty minutes ago.
Gary shook his head slowly. Great. Thanks.
Ren sat in Bob Gages office holding a mug of coffee on her knee. She had started the day with Visine and extra foundation. A notebook lay on the low coffee table beside her and she was twisted in her chair to scribble on it. A night of drinking could take her to instant mental clarity or thick mental fog. Today, she was all-clear. RenBryce OSX. She smiled to herself.
Hey, said Gary, walking in, nodding at Bob and Mike, Gressett and Todd.
Wasnt I meant to pick you up? he said to Ren.
Oh. Didnt you get my text? said Ren, pulling out her phone, about to show him the text that she now saw was pending in her Outbox.
What were you doing, walking? said Gary.
I wanted to blast some cold air through my tiny mind.
You didnt think you were going to get enough up on Quandary?
Gary had nearly been a lawyer. Ren was reminded of this with every question-after-question barrage. Gary Dettling couldnt stand the thought of being made a fool of with lies.
Yeah and were going up up, said Bob, putting down the phone. That was Search and Rescue. Patrick Transom called me an hour ago, insisting we go back up to try and retrieve the body. To be honest, I thought the snow assessment wouldnt be good, so I said wed give it a go. Turns out there was no snowfall overnight, the winds were less than five miles an hour, so were good to go.
Can we all go up? said Ren.
Sure, said Bob. I know Im really looking forward to it
Ren gave him a sad smile. You shouldnt go back up. We can take care of
You know what? said Bob. Youre right.
Really? said Ren.
Yeah, he said, placing his palms down on his desk. Take your digital cameras, video it, photograph it and Ill be down at the base with clean underpants.
Ren could see that Gary wasnt impressed. Mr Action Hero.
Good for you, said Ren to Bob.
For whatever good it will do, going up there, said Bob. Were not going to find her.
Probably not, said Mike. But maybe Transom will feel better being part of the search.
Like all the families who look all over Breck for their father or brother or son or daughter who left a bar drunk in a blizzard and never made it back to the condo
Mike let out a breath. What else can we do?
Come up with some positive and hopeful sound bites to throw out to any reporters at the trailhead, said Bob. And solemn, regretful ones for the way back down: We did everything we could. He turned to Gary. Are your guys on their way?
Yes, said Gary. Theyll meet us up there.
So by nine oclock everyonell know the FBIs in town, said Bob.
Ren looked down at herself. I didnt think I was looking very FBI today. Im wearing a little gray, some soft fabric
Its an aura, said Bob.
Ren smiled. Its the smell of fierce.
Dont fight the fierce, said Bob.
Shall we go? said Gary. I think were all ready.
Yes, said Gressett. I think we are.
Oh, sure, said Ren, standing up. Anyone seen my phone?
Its in your back pocket, said Todd, too quickly.
The sky over Quandary Peak was one solid shade of promotional blue. Jeeps, vans and cars branded with the block-print logos of news channels, law enforcement and Search and Rescue stretched along Blue Lakes Road up to the trailhead. A large group had gathered from the Sheriffs Office, Search and Rescue and Safe Streets. A cadaver dog and handler had been drafted in, last-minute. The media loves a dog, Bob had said, deadpan.
He stood at the head of the group and talked everyone through what happened the day before. When he was done, he laid out a map, showing where Jean Transoms body was when the avalanche hit, where Lasco had been found, and where the slide had ended.
Search and Rescue strapped on their packs and snow-shoes and started up the dark, steep path through the dense trees. Everyone making their way up behind them was used to hiking, skiing or snowboarding. Before Denver, Rens main weekend workout had been wandering around a DC mall, but it wasnt long before her heart had warmed to the mountains. And even though her wardrobe now had a corner for Smart Wool and Marmot, she hadnt quite made the move to lining her hiking boots up beside her heels.
She stopped in the first clearing and let anyone who was behind her pass by. The view was spectacular endless green acres of snowy lodgepole pines. For a few moments she was able to forget why she was there. Breckenridge was only an hours drive from her house in Golden. There was no reason why she couldnt come here more often. As she was about to move on, she saw Robbie Truax and Colin Grabien walk up.
Hey, she said.
Aw, hey, Ren, said Robbie. He stopped.
Hi, Ren, said Colin. Bye, Ren Im going to keep on walking.
Did you hear about the robbery? said Robbie.
No, said Ren.
Yeah thats why we only got here this morning. We were sitting on the wrong bank. Guys got away.
Who was it this time?
Youll love this. There was celebrity involvement
What? said Ren.
They were all wearing masks made from celebrity mug shots.
No way.
I know Nick Nolte.
That is hilarious, said Ren. Who else?
They were all Nick Nolte, said Robbie.
Ren laughed. That is just too funny.
Not if youre getting beaten around the head with the butt of an assault rifle by one of them.
True, said Ren. She paused. You know, theyre sending out a message: these are the only faces well give you for mug shots.
Robbie let out a breath.
Who did they assault? said Ren.
Everyone, said Robbie.
Everyone?
Robbie nodded.
They took the time to do that? said Ren.
While three of them were taking the money, two went crazy on the staff. So no extra time wasted.