“Karma’s for believers,” said Milo, “but yeah, do the golf courses first, then the public buildings and the lake, then door-to-door at each residence. Prioritize any place with anything Jeep-like parked nearby. If the vehicle’s got any film equipment in the back, get really careful. If we’re right about Crimmins trying to film something, there may be telltale lights.”
I said, “In his notes he debated learning how to use the film cameras or sticking with video. He’s not one for honest labor, so I’ll bet on video. That means he may just be using a handheld cam, keeping it very low-key. Also, I doubt he’d be on either of the golf courses. Too open.”
“Assuming he’s even here,” said Cliff.
“‘I’m assuming you’ve got golf carts,” Whitworth told him.
“Sure, but they’re the property of-”
“Law enforcement.” Whitworth turned to Milo. “You’re doing the mountains?”
“If I can get out there. We’ll stay in radio contact.”
“How’re you going to travel?”
“Got a four-wheeler?” Milo asked Cliff.
The guard didn’t answer.
“Hard of hearing, Eugene?”
“We have basically one Samurai, over behind the golf shop, with the carts. It’s a relief vehicle, just in case.”
“In case of what?”
“In case we have to go out back. Like an old person getting lost. But that’s never happened yet. We don’t use it, I can’t even say if the tires have air or if it’s gassed up-”
“So you’ll inflate and siphon,” said Milo. “Bring it over.”
Cliff didn’t respond.
Milo bared his teeth.” Pretty please, Eugene.”
Cliff snapped, “Go,” at Bonaface. Again, Bonaface hurried away.
Milo asked Whitworth the helicopters’ estimated time of arrival.
“I could only get one,” said Whitworth. “They’re holding it at Bakersfield-five, ten minutes.”
“Eugene, is there a road leading from Fairway out to the mountains?”
“Not much of one.”
“How much of one?”
Cliff shrugged. “It’s maybe a quarter-mile long. It was supposed to be for hiking, but none of the residents hike. It goes nowhere, just ends, and then all you’ve got is dirt and rocks.” He gave a small smirk, decided to hide it by covering his mouth with his hand.
Whitworth drew Milo and me away from him. “The Ott girl was shot, so they’ve got some kind of firepower. We have vests; how about you?”
“One,” said Milo. He looked at me. “None for you. Sit this out.”
“Love to,” I said, “but you’d better consider using me. It’s a hostage situation with two hostage takers, each with a different psychological makeup, in both cases poorly understood. I’m as close to an expert on Peake and Crimmins as you’re going to get.”
“Makes sense,” said Whitworth. “I think we’ve got an extra vest.”
Milo shot him a sharp look.
Whitworth said, “Not that I want to tell you how to-”
“I’ve been through worse,” I said, knowing what was going on in Milo’s mind. An undercover situation last year had gone very bad. He blamed himself. I kept telling him I was fine, the worst thing he could do for me was treat me like an invalid.
“Robin will kill me,” he said.
“Only if I get scratched. Right now it’s Suzy Galvez who’s got something at stake.”
He looked up at the sky. Out past the development at high, black, unknowable mountains.
“Fine,” he finally said. “If there’s a vest.”
Whitworth trotted over to one of the cruisers, returned with a bulky black package.
I slipped the vest on. Scaled for someone Milo’s size, it felt like a giant bib.
“Stylish,” said Milo. “Okay, let’s get going.”
“One place you might check right away,” I told Whitworth, “is Sheriff Haas’s trailer. Jacob and Marvelle Haas. He arrested Peake for the original massacre, is a major link to the past.”
“He lives here?”
“Right over in Jersey.” I pointed south. “Charing Cross Road.”
Whitworth said to Eugene Cliff, “Get me the exact address-no, take me there personally.”
Cliff jabbed his own chest. “What about me? No protection?”
Whitworth looked ready to pound him into the ground. “Take me within fifty yards and scram.”
“All of a sudden I work for_yow?”
Whitworth’s arm shot up and for a second I thought he’d hit Cliff. Cliff believed it, too. He recoiled, raised his own arm protectively. Whitworth’s arm kept going.