Tean didn’t bother to respond.
“What would you have said to him?”
Something.Anything.But he didn’t say that either.
With trademark briskness, Hannah straightened in her seat and said, “Well, it’s a moot point anyway, because there’s nothing we can do about it now.The question is whatcanwe do?”
“I don’t know.The police are looking for Daniel, but they’re not exactly convinced he’s in danger—I mean, he’s fifteen, so they’re not going to pretend nothing happened, but there was definitely an undertone of he’s a kid, kids do this kind of thing, he’ll show up at a friend’s house tomorrow.”
“And what do you think?”
“I think it’s…worrisome.”
Hannah snorted.
“Ammon didn’t kill that man,” Tean said.“And that means someone else did.”
“And what?You think the killer took Daniel?”
“I don’t know.”
“Why would he do that?”
“I don’t know, Hannah.But there’s a killer out there, and someone connected to the victim just went missing.”
“Maybe Daniel knows who the killer is.Maybe Daniel can identify him.”
“Maybe.”
“But how would he know?Do you think he was there when this guy, Brennon, got killed?”
“That’s the problem.We don’t know anything.I mean, maybe the police do, but all I’ve been able to piece together is that Ammon and Brennon fought on Saturday, and sometime between Saturday and Tuesday, Brennon was killed.But I’ve got no idea where he was killed, or when, or what anyone was doing between those two data points.”
Hannah considered this a moment, her expression distant.“Can I make a suggestion?”
“Literally nothing I’ve ever said or tried has been able to stop you.”
“What if you just said…fuck Ammon?”
She had wide, intelligent eyes, and the beginning of crow’s feet.
After a moment, Tean looked away.“I can’t.”
“I didn’t think you could.But I wasn’t sure ifyouknew that.”She sighed, and her hands curled around the arms of the chair as though she was about to push herself up.“How’s Jem doing with all this?”
“Jem?”Tean adjusted his glasses.“He’s fine.Why?”
Hannah’s contemplation lasted longer this time, and when she spoke, she seemed to be talking to herself more than him.“I seriously wonder sometimes what is wrong with you.”
“So much.So, so much.”
As she got to her feet, she said, “You know you’ve got a cow downstairs, right?”
“Jeez.”Tean had completely forgotten about the necropsy—probably because it was unnecessary, bogus, and nothing more than Ed’s attempt to placate the wealthy rancher.“Right.Thanks.”
“This is the wolf thing?The livestock depredation?”
“Oh yes.”