#21
Benny tapped the small mint tin end over end, listening to the contents rattle slightly. Finally his thumb flipped the top up to revel the mini contents of a survival kit.. Matches, wire, fish line and hooks, mirror, fire steel, and the wad of duct tape. The possibilities of Gram being a survivalist was not in keeping with what Benny knew about the doctor. Another puzzle.
Ben was on the first watch, but Inghram was quiet never making any noise or demands. Kevin brought over a blanket to keep the cool dampness at bay, and promised to be back at 2am for the second shift.
Alone again, Ben opened the penknife with idle curiosity. Can you assume what you see is blood, when it looks and smells like the life fluid. The tangy iron smell interacting with the knife metal. The color was a dried red, it had not aged into a dark, almost black smear.
Ben's training let him know the blood was less than 48 hours old. The warmth from the doctor's body would have kept the blood in the back line of the knife case pliable, and it was barely dried, starting to crack and lift up.
Doc had gotten his knife wet with blood sometime within the last 24 to 36 hours. Another puzzle. The streak of color on the mint tin back was probably brushed on the case when he put the knife in his pocket.
Tammy McCann had been killed with the same make of weapon as Pete had been killed. Agent Wright bringing in the news that the first weapon had been found in Jenning's Suburban, surprised them all. The under floor SUV vault discovered by the team that inspected the vehicle at Wright's direction.
The foreign made rifle had fired 3 shots, all accounted for as one killed Pete and Davis took two. So, Benny speculated correctly that there was a second shooter. Tammy had a deep cut on the back of her hand that had barely started to coagulate when they found her, so it was one of those 'just missed'em," scenes.
Speculating further, Benny thought of Lainey's remark that Inghram had been in the kitchen when they got back from scavenging. No way could he have cut Tammy then, the time wasn't right. So....there was a third unknown person involved. Another puzzle.
Agent Wright's people had scoured the area well, they were a throural group. On a scrap of paper Benny started drawing a time tine backwards, trying to connect people and events.
The radio buzzed, calling the sheriff to answer. "Wright, I have the Doctor in custody, if you want him alive, you'd better come get him. There's no room here for a traitor." Ben stated the facts calmly, but make no mistake, the agent knew Inghram was in danger.
There was a long pause and then Henry Wright announced there would be a copter in for the Doctor in the morning. "I'm sending your brother back," Henry concluded. "He's a basket case, his mind is gone. You might have to keep him under lock and key, this is just a friendly warning."
"Understood," Ben said in a not so friendly voice.
Clora and Evie watched the crowd leave. Benny, the FBI dudes, Jennings and his kids and Mark. As he was walking out, Clora tucked her handkerchief in Mark's pocket. It was her good one, with a bit of lace on the border and tiny hand stitched words that read 'with my heart.' Clora wondered in a sad, heart tugging emotion if she would ever see him again.
"I believe he will be back," Evie prophesied, with the wisdom of life experience. "He was definitely smitten by the charm of a good woman."
"Thanks Grandma. It just doesn't feel very likely, right now," Clora admitted forlornly. "We never got past the wink and giggle stage."
"Your hanky had a smidge of your perfume on it, right?" the old lady questioned with a mysterious smile.
"Yes," Clora admitted. "I've always done that, since you showed me you did that."
"That's an old trick the lady's of yesteryear would use to keep their presence on their men's mind. I saw you tuck it in the Sargent's pocket, he will find it. The scent will remind him of you. That's why I did the same thing for Davis. If he is interested, he'll be back around." Evie admitted with a little blush.
Clora pretended to be scandalized by her Grandmother's brazen behavior, but got up to give her a hug. "You are a pistol, Grandma. I can't think of any Grandma better than you."
Evie hugged back. "I pray you will find happiness Clora, in whatever form it comes to you," she whispered sweetly.
"And I wish you happiness and joy," Clora returned. "Do you think he is interested?" she asked in a nosy way, teasing Evie.
Evie refused to answer, but turned her mysterious smile on Clora. "Humm," was all she said.
Back in the clinic turned into cafe, Lainey was all business and rather unfriendly acting towards Inga. "You can have your gun back tomorrow, you were thinking about shooting both men, HOW could you?" Lainey scolded. "You and Doc have never acted like you were married, much less in love. What did you do? Settle? Whatever you feel about it, you sure deserve more than Doc is sending your way."
Inga burst into tears, turning her back on Lainey and grabbing a napkin from the table. Crying, she launched into an explanation that was unintelligible as she sobbed and hiccuped with pent up emotion.
Lainey stepped back, not expecting to have opened such a can of worms. She had just been mad that Inga was intending to shoot her man. Lainey figured she was going to get a heck of a rear chewing from Ben for disobeying his orders, so she was trying to toughen herself up.
Inga carried on for more than an hour, half of her rant and rave in French, but just as garbled as the English version. "I miss Gunnar," was the only thing Lainey could understand.
Lainey made the mistake of asking "who is Gunnar?" and that started a fresh bout of crying.
That was a mistake, Lainey thought to herself. I'd better ask Clora.
Finally, FINALLY, Inga wore down and allowed herself to be led to her room. Lainey was wilted, so tired she kept yawning as she brushed her teeth. Slipping between the sheets, she said a prayer for Ben's safety. It was the most important thing to her.
Kevin came in to relieve Ben at 2. When Ben woke at 6 and went to get his deputy coffee, Kevin was dead and Inghram was gone.