Sign Off (Caught Dead In Wyoming, Book 1)

Chapter Thirty-Three

"All right, everybody out," the sheriff ordered.

"Aren't you going to secure the office?" Paycik demanded.

Widcuff's face turned red. "Don't you try to tell me my job, young man. I'm going to take this key-" He turned the large old-fashioned key and put it in his breast pocket. "-and keep it right here."

"That's all? You're not going to-" I'd gotten close enough to Paycik to elbow him in the side.

He glared at me, but he shut up.

I wish I could say the same for Ames Hunt. "He's got a point, Sheriff. You really should call the state boys in immediately. There's no way you can handle this case. Why the evidence . . ."

"This is my county. My county!" The sheriff's face would have done a pomegranate proud. "I'll handle this case. And every bit of evidence. Just you wait and see."

I don't think any of us jammed in that hallway doubted that Widcuff would handle the evidence. The question was what would be left when he was done.

*   *   *   *

Widcuff at least kept up appearances to the point of having the courthouse locked up behind us as our group trailed along the path to the jail, with Diana filming all the while.

When Widcuff barred Diana, Paycik and me from entering the jail, we went into overdrive. With the light fading fast, I did an off-the-cuff setup in front of the jail so we had it in the can . . . in case.

The in case was if Haeburn was too stupid or too pig-headed to send a decent station camera for Diana to use. We debated long and hard about how best to handle it. A two-thirds majority (Diana and I) voted Mike should be the one to pitch the situation to Haeburn, while we covered the jail.

He gave in with ill will. Then proved us right by returning within an hour with the camera, plans for a live shot via point-to-point wireless-no satellite van for KWMT-a field visit from Audrey Adams (who would oversee the live shot at the studio end), bags of takeout to sustain us, and entertaining descriptions of Fine's epic hissy fit.

Mike also had a couple of tidbits only for Diana and me-he'd gotten hold of Diana's trusted tech Billy, so there were Fine-proof copies of all the footage from inside Claustel's office, and he'd called a contact with the state bureau of investigation.

Audrey was nervous, but competent. We hashed out the details the best we could without knowing what was going to happen. When she returned to the station, she sent Jenny to us as a runner for whatever we might need.

The next three hours were typical reporting: Extended periods of boredom while we made dozens of phone calls that garnered no new information, interspersed with rare, frantic bursts of activity. The bursts of activity included, first, the arrival of a lawyer Mike recognized, and, second, a man we filmed entering the jail on general principle, and discovered later was the judge for a neighboring county.

"Why a judge?" I demanded. Not for the first time. "It's double murder-Claustel's got to be held without bond."

"Don't count anything out in Cottonwood County," Mike said.

We set up lights and did our checks before ten to be ready for the live feed. A dozen or so citizens gathered around, attracted like moths by the lights.

Needham Bender from the Independence arrived with plenty of questions, which we did not answer-not until after the live shot-and news that he'd been called and told to be at the jail for a big story.