American Crow (20 page)

‘Because I’ve told him, like I’m about to
tell you, that I’m not a cop or some stooge working for a mining company, or
anyone looking to gain something over someone. I’m here trying to find
someone’s missing daughter, because that’s what I do.’

For a second I felt like I’d blown the
connection. All the suspicion in this part of the world was beginning to get to
me.

‘You know Benjamin?’ he said surprised.

‘Yep, and Martha and…’

‘Me,’ Nancy said, having come up the
stairs unbeknown and joined us.

‘He’s a good man, Don, you don’t have to
worry. I’ll vouch for him.’  

She wrapped an arm of solidarity around
my waist then squeezed, helping to dissipate any residual annoyance.

‘Well, that’s all you had to say, honey,’
Don said, breaking into a courteous smile. ‘If you’re a friend of all these
good people, then you sure are a friend of mine, son.’

‘Thanks,’ I said, offering my silence
again so that he could continue unhindered.

‘The girl was up here with her boyfriend
around a week ago. They were getting involved with the Black Mountain protest
big time, saying that they were going to do something decisive for once,
something to do with Corrigan.’

Suddenly I felt a lot better. A week
sounded a hell of a lot better than four or five.

‘So they’re planning to tie themselves to
some trees or something like that, on Black Mountain?’ I said, feeling like I
was finally getting somewhere.

‘Nope. Too soon…The diggers aren’t due in
yet while all the legal stuff is going on. The people of Halo and Vineburg are
hoping to stop them at the early stages, citing that it would be adverse to
their community; that the operation would be far too close to a lot of major
water sources serving them.

‘That’s what Nancy’s been working on, as
you probably know. But it’s only a matter of time before the money men get
their way again, and we’ll see yet another god-damn mountain disappears.’

‘I took Blake up there today, Don, showed
him what’s really going on in Appalachia,’ Nancy said interrupting.

McCraw placed a gentle hand on her
shoulder then looked at me intensely, a fierce pride moulding his bold
features.

‘Coal is king in these parts, Blake, but
there are a few people like Benjamin and myself who can remember a time when we
used to have to dig underground for it, when we left the surface untouched,
when there was still a respect for Mother Nature, a love for Appalachia and the
old ways.’

He shook his head slowly.

‘If this sort of thing were going on in
the Yellowstone, these mining companies would have every environmentalist,
politician and housewife breathing down their god-damned necks. Here in the
Appalachians you see, we’re already damaged goods, so the destruction goes on.’
Don fell silent suddenly and took a long draw on his beer.

‘I respect what you people are doing up
here, Mr McCraw, I really do,’ I said, wondering what in the hell Olivia and
her boyfriend were planning to do, or maybe had done already, to have attracted
so much attention. 

‘Damned right. And we’ll keep fighting on
sister, eh?’ Don said, looking at Nancy fondly.

‘So where do you think they might be
holed up?’ she said pushing him, as if reading my mind. ‘If they don’t turn up
here, then we’ve hit another dead end again.’

Don stooped down as if to whisper to us.

‘Look, you didn’t hear this from me
because I trust ya both, and because Benjamin trusts ya...but I heard that a
few of them were going to take the protest directly to Corrigan this time.’

‘Jesus...What at his offices in
Lexington?’ Nancy pushed.

‘Maybe, or his ranch in Ver-sailles. That
was the talk that was going down.’

Nancy pursed her lips and whistled in
astonishment. 

‘Are they insane? They’ll get themselves killed
if they go anywhere near one of his properties. He’d just love the excuse to
dust a few more protesters on his own soil. A guy like that is bound to have
serious security too.’

‘I tried to offer my advice to them, and
to their friends, but they wouldn’t listen...’

‘Who else is involved?’ I pressed.

‘There was talk of Jake and
Laurie pitching in with them, Slade and Phil too I think.’

‘Are they coming here tonight?’

‘Yea, Jake was around earlier. Look there
is he is, down there…’

Don pointed down to the dance floor at a
solid-looking guy with a pony tail, wearing a denim jacket, walking around the
periphery of the stage. I turned and sprinted down the stairs and pushed my way
through the disgruntled throng, out into the dance where I caught up with him
just as he was about to take a seat next to the band.

‘Can we talk?’ I said grabbing him firmly
by the arm.

‘What in the hell…’

‘It’s okay, he’s a friend,’ Nancy added,
coming to my rescue again.

‘I’m trying to find Olivia Deacon, the
British girl who was up here with Ethan. I’m a friend of her father’s.’

He looked at me blankly, but I saw
through his ruse instantly.

‘Look, I know about what you were all
planning at Corrigan’s place. I’m genuinely worried for her, and her father is
too. She’s only just turned eighteen and she’s all he’s got. I
need
to
know if she’s okay.’

Jake sighed.

‘We decided not to do it. Me and Laurie
thought it was crazy. Those dudes are armed at his ranch. Ethan had this grand idea
that we were just going to waltz on in there and uncover some stuff about
Corrigan that could be used against him.

‘We headed up there and staked the place
out a few days ago but quickly realised that the whole thing was just plain
crazy. He’s got guys everywhere. And I mean everywhere, man. I said to Ethan
there and then, that me and Laurie were out of whatever he was planning. We’ll
protest another way…

‘Him and Phil though got it into their
heads, saying that it was going to make a difference to the campaign. Ethan’s
pretty damned stubborn you know. Phil and Slade more too. I think he convinced
Olivia to go along with them as well...’

I tensed.

‘So did they?’ Nancy said hands on hips.

‘Not sure. We left them in Lexington, at
the place where Ethan’s aunt is staying.’

 I wondered if Martha knew, if she’d
been holding out on me to protect her friend’s whereabouts in case I told Tug.
It was possible if they were tight. Chrissie’s phone had been dead from the
beginning, which made me think that she’d just dumped the old one to reduce the
harassment level, and Martha had chosen not to reveal the new number.

‘Go on…’ I pushed swallowing my
annoyance.

 ‘They said that they’d be here
tonight, but they haven’t turned up. No one’s heard from them. You’re not the
only one who’s worried, okay...’

‘Have you got Ethan’s number? Has he got
a cell?’ I pushed, feeling more and more anxious.

‘I’ve rang him a thousand times, man, and
it just goes through to voice mail and so do the others. Look, you can try it
if you want…’

Jake held out the phone. I took it and
searched for Ethan’s number, then punched it into my own and rang it on the
loudspeaker for everyone’s benefit. It was dead too. I tried the next two
numbers he flagged up for his friends. They were both the same.

‘I’m telling you...I reckon they’ve got
themselves knee-deep into some right proper crap this time, man. They were
snooping around Corrigan’s hunting lodge two or three weeks ago and nearly got
their heads blown off,’ Jake said, shaking his head slowly.

‘Have you tried the aunt? Got her
number?’

‘No I haven’t, dude. All I know, is that
she works in one of the main hospitals in Lexington.’

I looked at Nancy. She nodded, knowing
what was coming next.

‘Thanks, Jake.’

‘No worries. If you find them, can you
get them to give us a ring, okay?

‘Sure thing,’ I said, heading back to the
pick-up.

I felt Nancy’s hand grab mine, then pull
me in the direction of the dance as the band struck up a slower tune.

‘If you’re going early, then at least you
can do is give your girl a dance first, huh?’

‘Na, I don’t do dancing unless the
music’s hard and fast and I’m very drunk,’ I said, trying to steer her away
from the crowd.

‘Well, there’s a first time for
everything, soldier. Wouldn’t you wish that it was with some delightful
southern belle when you did?’

I stopped and disengaged, then shook my
head, hating what was about to come out of my mouth.

‘One dance, then I really have to go...’

She squealed with pleasure and beckoned
me to the centre of the floor, then pulled me in close with the warmest of
smiles.

‘I’ll come with you to the hospital,
Blake. I can drive as I know the way. I’m sure someone can give Martha a lift
back later.’

I looked into her generous eyes and
connected again.

‘Thanks, Nancy. But after that, I have to
go it alone, okay...’

‘You don’t have to do anything in this
life if you don’t want to, Blake,’ she said placing her cheek against mine.

I thought about what she said for a while
as we slowly worked our way around the dance floor, my feet interweaving with
hers awkwardly as we circuited.

‘I’ve said I’d find this girl, Nancy, and
that’s what I’m going to do. If things are going to get heavy, which they look
like they will, I’d rather it that you weren’t around when it kicks off, that’s
all.’

She gripped me tighter and I felt her
lips brush my ear.

‘But
I
am involved, Blake, and
have been from the moment you pulled me out of that damned car...’

Chapter Twenty-One

‘bad news’

C
hrissie was an attractive woman with an Amazonian build and
intelligent eyes. In an instant, I could see why Tug wanted her back so badly.
She looked like the sort who’d stand by you through thick and thin, and say it
how it was, which the hardened cop probably needed from time to time to keep him
in line.

I watched her slide out a coffee from the
serving hatch of the vending machine, then pull up a seat before I spoke.

‘He wants you back, you know…’

‘Damned right he does,’ she said running
a hand through her long, grey hair.

For a second I didn’t know what to say.

‘Martha speaks highly of you,’ Nancy cut
in, trying to keep the conversation light.

‘Yeah, she’s a honey. She put in a good
word for me when I reapplied for a job here in the maternity department. We
used to work together back in Phillie when we were young and carefree...’

‘I remember those days,’ Nancy replied,
sounding as if her best ones were over too.

‘At least you got plenty more to come,
darling. You’ve still got your looks. Me, well, everything is heading south.
All the way to the South Pole actually...’

Nancy and I laughed in
tandem.  

‘What can I do for you?’ she said leaning
back into the chair, looking tired.

‘We’re looking for Olivia Deacon and your
nephew Ethan, her boyfriend. I’ve been asked by the girl’s father in London to
find her and check that she’s okay whilst I’m in town. He hasn’t heard from her
in over six weeks now, not even on her birthday.

‘Some friends of theirs said that she was
staying at your place for a time. He’s worried Chrissie...’

Her face fractured into one of disdain.

‘That schmutz? She was trying to get away
from him. You some sort of detective too?’

‘No,’ Nancy replied, glancing at me.
‘He’s just a family friend trying to do a good turn while on vacation.’

‘Good, I’ve had enough with that sort for
a bit...’

I gave her the space to continue.

‘To answer your question, then yes, they
came and stayed at my place for a couple of nights a few days ago, and a while
back when I first moved down here. But I haven’t spoken to either of them
since.’

‘Chrissie, they were talking about
breaking into some property owned by a mining tycoon called Lyle Corrigan. Do
you know much about that?’ I pushed.

‘Sure I did. Tried to talk some sense
into them too, like Jake and Laurie did, as well as some of the others who hang
around with them…but Ethan and another guy seemed intent on doing it. They’re
probably locked up right now downtown getting a reality check.’ She sipped some
more of her coffee looking like she needed it. ‘That’s the first place I would
look if I was you. And no, they haven’t called me since. I thought that they’ve
got to learn their own lessons, especially after nearly getting their heads
blown off at Jackson’s Hollow.’

‘Jackson’s Hollow?’ I said tensing.

‘They found out where Corrigan’s hunting
lodge was and decided to have a snoop around recently, that’s what. Nearly got
themselves caught. Stupid thing to do if you ask me…The guy’s a maniac.’ 

I nodded absentmindedly, wondering if
Olivia was already being held by the cops somewhere, then hoped that she was.
At least she would be safe...

‘Those kids have got to learn to take
responsibility,’ Martha continued, ‘realize that sometimes you can’t put a
sticky plaster on a gaping wound. A cheap stunt isn’t going stop someone like
Lyle Corrigan, everyone knows that.

‘If Ethan had a proper job it would help
to keep him level-headed, like the one he had back at the gallery, which he
threw away...Work that doesn’t involve selling god-damned pot for once.’ She
sighed. ‘I’m not earning much myself at the moment, with the few shifts I’m
being given, but at least it’s an honest living. It’ll be enough to keep me
going while I straighten myself out.

‘The younger generation need to learn
that. That sometimes there’s no quick fix. The world’s a mess. Get over it. The
best thing you can do sometimes is take care of your own backyard…’

‘He wants you back,
Chrissie...seriously,’ I said interrupting, thinking how her move down to
Kentucky had a permanent sound to it.

For a moment there was an awkward
silence. For a second she looked flustered.

‘Yeah, I’m sure he does. But if I went
back, would he be there when I got home? No...he’d be out on yet another shift
that he’s agreed to do, to cover some colleague who’s decided to spend more
time with his wife because they’ve put their marriage first for once.’

I listened patiently, wanting to steer
the conversation back to Ethan, but not wanting to appear rude so as to rile
her. She was a woman on the warpath after all...

‘Look, I’m serious. I talked to Tug at
your place. He’s lost without you. He really is...’

‘He told you that?’

‘Yes he did.’

‘Are we talking about the same guy here?’
she said, offering a cynical laugh.

‘Came out with it plain and simple,
Chrissie,’ Nancy added.

‘Shoot, takes a stranger to get the old
dinosaur to open up, don’t’ it.’

‘And is there anything else you can think
of that might help track Olivia and Ethan down, somewhere else that they might
be holed up?’ I pressed.

‘Can’t think of anywhere, sorry. Best
thing you can do is check to see if they’ve been brought in downtown. I’d try
the city police first.’

I touched Nancy’s arm lightly, signalling
it was time to leave.

‘Thanks for your time Chrissie…and ring
him, huh?’

‘Sure thang,’ she said with a shrug.

At the door of the waiting room she
called out to us.

‘Hey…’

I turned and noticed her eyes had glazed
over ever so slightly.

‘Might just do that, you know. Might just
do that…’

*