Part 15 (1/2)

'Wellno,Ijustwonderedifyou'dseenone.Notthismorning,early?'

'No,itwasjustachance.Sure.Yeah.Thanksanyway.'Sheputdownthereceiverwithacrash.

Waltraisedhiseyebrows.'Pikelet?'

'CoupleofshopsandafillingstationwheretheClives'ownroadjoinsthemainroadtoJackson.'

'Justaswellwedidn't...'hebegan,andthenchangeditto,'Isthatwhyyouinsistedonthelongwayround?'

'Partly,'Iagreed.'IwantedittolookasifChrysalishadgoneoffbyhimself.Iwantedtoavoidthemrealisinghe'dbeendeliberatelystolenKeepthemguessingabit,giveustimetogetwellclear.'

Thetapebeganagain.Mattcamebackrunning.

'Yola.Thatman.Thatd.a.m.nedman.'

'Whatman?'Shewasbewildered.

'ThemanthatpulledTelleroutoftheriver.Howlonghashebeenhere?'

Yolasaidalmostinawhisper,'Here?'

Mattwa.s.shouting.'Here.Havingbreakfast.Stayinghere,youstupidb.i.t.c.h.'

'Idon't...Idon't...'

'IsawhimatReadingtoo,'Mattsaid.'HecalledtoseeTellerinthehospital.Theylethiminpastallthewatchdogs.Isawhimlookingoutofthewindow.Howtheh.e.l.ldidhegethere?WhyinG.o.d'snamedidn'tyouspothim,youstupid,stupid...He'stheonethat'stakenthehorse.AndI'lld.a.m.nwellmakehimbringitback.'

'How?'Yolasaid,wailing.

'Excuseme,'saidthevoiceofthegirlwhowaitedattable.'Excuseme,MissClive.MrHochnerwants.h.i.+sbill.'

'Thereonthedesk,'Yolasaid.

'WhichisHochner?'Matt,urgent.

TheGermanincabinthree.'

'Wherewashesittingatbreakfast?Whatdoeshelooklike?'

'Hehadhisbacktothedoorfromthehall,'thegirlsaid.'He'swearingablueandwhitechecks.h.i.+rt,andhe'squitetallandhasdarkbrownhairandatiredsortofface.'

'Givehimthebillthen,'Mattsaid,andwaiteduntilshehadgone.'Hochner!'Thevoicewasalmostincoherentwithrage.'Howlonghashebeenhere?'

'Since...Tuesday.'Yola'svoicewasfaint.

'Getyourrifle,'Mattsaid.'Ifhewon'tgiveusthathorseback...I'llkillhim.'

Thereweresmallmovingaboutsounds,andthetapewentquiet.Thetimetheyhadspentinmycabintelescopedintotwentysecondsofsilence;andtherecordingbeganagain.

'Hewasright,Matt,'Yolasaid.'Weshouldhavelethimgo.'Hervoicehadgonequietwithdespair,butMatt'sstillrodeonanger.

'Hehadhischance.Heshouldhavetolduswhathe'ddonewithChrysalis.'

AfterapauseYolasaid,'Hewasn'tgoingtodothat.Hesaidso.Whateveryoudo,hesaid,youwon'trecoverthehorse.'

'Shutup,'Mattsaidviolently.

'Matt.'Awailinhervoice.'Hewasright.Wewon'trecoverthehorse,andhisfriendswillcomelookingforhim,likehesaid.'

'They'llonlyfindanaccident.'

'b.u.t.theywon'tbelieveit.'

'Theywon'tbeabletoproveanydifferent,'Mattinsisted.

AfteranotherpauseYolasaidalmostwithoutemotion,'Ifhegotthehorsecleanaway...ifsomeoneelsehas.h.i.+mnow,andhe'sonhiswaybacktoTeller...they'llknowwehadChrysalishere.We'llbearrestedforthat.'

'Hochnerwasn'tgoingtosayhe'dstolenthehorsefromhere.'

'Butyouwouldn'tlisten.'Yolasuddenlyflaredintoangerofherown.'Hewasrightallthetime.Weshouldhavelethimgo.We'dhavelostChrysalis...b.u.t.thiswaywe'reinterribletrouble,they'llneverbelievehediedbyaccident,we'llhavethewholeF.B.I,hereandwe'llendup...we'llendupin...'

'Shutup,'Mattsaid.'Shutup.'

'Hemightnotbedeadyet...can'twegoandstopit?'Hervoicewasurgent,beseeching.

'Andhavehimaccuseusofattemptedmurder?Don'tbesuchafool.Noonecanproveitisn'tanaccident,canthey?Canthey?'

'Isupposenot...'

'Soyouleavehim,Yola.Youjustleavehim.Hehadhischance.Igavehimhischance...Youjustwaitforsom.eofthegueststoseethesmokeandcomeandtellyou,likewesaid.Don'tyoutrygoingupthere.Justdon'ttryit.'

'No...'

'AndI'mgoingbackonthemountainwiththewranglers.Chrysaliswentacrossthebridge.Histracksarethere.Well...I'mgoingtracking.MrCleverHochnermightbebluffingallalongtheline.HemighthaveChrysalistiedtosometreeupthere,andhemightnothavetoldanyonewhereheis,andnoonewillcomeasking.'Heconvincedhimselfthatthisviewofthingswasreasonable,andintheendYolahalfwayagreed.

'We'llhavetotellUncleBark,'shesaidfinally.

Therewasablankpausewhiletheyconsideredthis.

'He'llblowhistop.'Mattsaidgloomily.'Afterallthatplanning.'

'He'llhavetoknow,'Yolasaid.

'I'llcallhimthisevening,ifwehaveto.ButwemighthavefoundChrysalisbythen.'

'Isurehopeso...'