leave.”
“Sure, I’ll only be here a second if you want someone to
walk back with.”
He grunted. “That’s alright.”
I eased by him and didn’t watch him leave. I wouldn’t have cared if he stayed and
watched me, but he didn’t. There was no
need for him to keep an eye on me. The
value of everything inside of the building, despite its size, had to be less
than a hundred dollars. Other than the
numerous fluorescent light fixtures, which had no real value, the only items a
person could steal would have been plywood and two by fours.
A large plywood counter had been built across a large
portion of the front wall. Nearby, a
picnic table with bench extended a few feet from the side wall. I imagine this was where the range officer sat
while individuals used the range. Several firing positions were framed on the ground by additional two by
fours, and I do mean ground. The
building had a dirt floor. A number of
wooden crosses stood at different distances down the range. Two still had paper targets attached. The wall at the far end of the building was
hidden by a high, dirt berm.
Just the basics, I thought. Practical, but certainly no
frills. I didn’t even see a
restroom. Simple curiosity brought me here, but the deputy’s presence made me
wonder what he might have been looking for here in the building.
I glanced in the small trash can next to the door and saw
a few paper coffee cups and napkins. Rather than reach into the trash can, I picked it up and shook it. I didn’t see, or hear, anything else
inside. The larger trash can by the
picnic table was completely empty.
I walked the firing line looking for any discarded brass
that hadn’t been cleaned up. I found a few, but nothing small enough to be a
twenty two. After looking around for nothing specific for another five minutes,
I departed the building.
The trees hid the lodge from view for most of the walk
back from the firing range. However,
about sixty yards from where the winding dirt road met the lodge’s parking lot,
I came to a spot where the trees opened up enough to give me a very good view
of the side of the lodge and of the window to the room where Cross had been
found.
I studied the area and saw nothing of interest. Leaving
the dirt road I walked directly toward the lodge and looked for any place that
a shooter might have selected. There
were too many to consider, and none of them looked disturbed. Not far from the road, I also realized that
the ground had a slight slope to it. A shot from this position would have an
upward angle. Anyone more than a few
feet from the window would be impossible to hit.
I walked back toward the road. I had almost reached the road before I felt
that a shooter would have an effective line to the target. From this distance, about thirty five yards,
it would have taken a good shot, and there was still that problem with the
physics. How to get the bullet through
the window without breaking the glass?
Chapter 9
I
followed the dirt
road back to the parking lot. Two new
sheriff’s vehicles had pulled up to the very front. Their police lights were flashing brightly. I had no sooner wondered what was going on,
when I saw two deputies walk out of the lodge with one of the Bettes ’ in handcuffs. He looked stunned, and I thought he
might even collapse before they got him to their cruiser.
Right behind them walked the other Bettes ,
half consoling his brother and half yelling at Detective Bruno who had appeared
in the doorway behind everyone. I stayed out of everybody’s way.
The sheriff’s vehicle sped away.
“Back inside!” Bruno barked at the remaining Bettes .
Bettes snapped back at him. I couldn’t be sure what he said, but I didn’t
think it was something endearing. Despite what he said, Bettes followed Bruno
inside. Once he cleared the doorway, a
female deputy walked out, climbed into the other
“Sure, I’ll only be here a second if you want someone to
walk back with.”
He grunted. “That’s alright.”
I eased by him and didn’t watch him leave. I wouldn’t have cared if he stayed and
watched me, but he didn’t. There was no
need for him to keep an eye on me. The
value of everything inside of the building, despite its size, had to be less
than a hundred dollars. Other than the
numerous fluorescent light fixtures, which had no real value, the only items a
person could steal would have been plywood and two by fours.
A large plywood counter had been built across a large
portion of the front wall. Nearby, a
picnic table with bench extended a few feet from the side wall. I imagine this was where the range officer sat
while individuals used the range. Several firing positions were framed on the ground by additional two by
fours, and I do mean ground. The
building had a dirt floor. A number of
wooden crosses stood at different distances down the range. Two still had paper targets attached. The wall at the far end of the building was
hidden by a high, dirt berm.
Just the basics, I thought. Practical, but certainly no
frills. I didn’t even see a
restroom. Simple curiosity brought me here, but the deputy’s presence made me
wonder what he might have been looking for here in the building.
I glanced in the small trash can next to the door and saw
a few paper coffee cups and napkins. Rather than reach into the trash can, I picked it up and shook it. I didn’t see, or hear, anything else
inside. The larger trash can by the
picnic table was completely empty.
I walked the firing line looking for any discarded brass
that hadn’t been cleaned up. I found a few, but nothing small enough to be a
twenty two. After looking around for nothing specific for another five minutes,
I departed the building.
The trees hid the lodge from view for most of the walk
back from the firing range. However,
about sixty yards from where the winding dirt road met the lodge’s parking lot,
I came to a spot where the trees opened up enough to give me a very good view
of the side of the lodge and of the window to the room where Cross had been
found.
I studied the area and saw nothing of interest. Leaving
the dirt road I walked directly toward the lodge and looked for any place that
a shooter might have selected. There
were too many to consider, and none of them looked disturbed. Not far from the road, I also realized that
the ground had a slight slope to it. A shot from this position would have an
upward angle. Anyone more than a few
feet from the window would be impossible to hit.
I walked back toward the road. I had almost reached the road before I felt
that a shooter would have an effective line to the target. From this distance, about thirty five yards,
it would have taken a good shot, and there was still that problem with the
physics. How to get the bullet through
the window without breaking the glass?
Chapter 9
I
followed the dirt
road back to the parking lot. Two new
sheriff’s vehicles had pulled up to the very front. Their police lights were flashing brightly. I had no sooner wondered what was going on,
when I saw two deputies walk out of the lodge with one of the Bettes ’ in handcuffs. He looked stunned, and I thought he
might even collapse before they got him to their cruiser.
Right behind them walked the other Bettes ,
half consoling his brother and half yelling at Detective Bruno who had appeared
in the doorway behind everyone. I stayed out of everybody’s way.
The sheriff’s vehicle sped away.
“Back inside!” Bruno barked at the remaining Bettes .
Bettes snapped back at him. I couldn’t be sure what he said, but I didn’t
think it was something endearing. Despite what he said, Bettes followed Bruno
inside. Once he cleared the doorway, a
female deputy walked out, climbed into the other
Similar Books
