Read Online Village of the Ghost Bears by Stan Jones - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Stan Jones
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weekends a month.
“I don’t know about this outfit sometimes,” Active said.
“Yeah, but what human organization isn’t at least twenty percent screwed up?” Carnaby said.
Active shrugged and changed the subject. “You want me to hang around till Barnes shows?”
They heard steps in the hall, and Carnaby sniffed. “I think I smell him now.”
CHAPTER FOUR
RONNIE BARNES PUSHED INTO Carnaby’s office without knocking, sagged into a chair, and took a long pull from a bottle of Diet Pepsi. Red-rimmed eyes peered from his soot-covered face like wolves in a cave.
He set his drink on the floor, pulled a tube of Rolaids from a coat pocket, broke it in half, and chewed about four of the tablets. “One in the women’s sauna,” he said. “Looks like the fire came up so fast, she couldn’t even get out of the sauna. Just curled up in a corner like a kitten.”
“That must be Rachel Akootchuk,” Active said.
Carnaby nodded.
“Couple in the hallway outside the locker rooms too, stretched out like they were crawling for the exit when it got them,” Barnes continued. “But the men’s locker room. The guys in there were all stacked up at the doorway. Maybe the crime lab will be able to figure out how many, but I sure as hell can’t. Three, four, maybe.” He rubbed the grime on his face and drained the bottle of soda. “All burned and melted together like they were fighting each other to get out but the door wouldn’t open. Now, why would that be, do you suppose?”
Carnaby opened his window, then his door, letting a little breeze circulate through the office. The smell of smoke thinned out somewhat.
“It was locked?” Carnaby said.
Barnes shook his head. “Not when I got there. The mechanism still worked fine.” He reached into his coat again and came out with a plastic bag, sealed with evidence tape and tagged. “I think maybe this is why.”
Carnaby took the bag and examined the contents: a twisted loop of blackened wire. “This? How?” He passed it to Active.
Barnes sighed. “Either one of you guys go there to work out?”
“I do,” Active said. “Or did.” It was hard to think of the Rec Center in the past tense. “Three or four times a week. Especially when the weather was bad and I couldn’t run.” He paused and counted back. “I was there three nights ago, I think.”
“Lucky it wasn’t last night,” Barnes said.
Active cleared his throat and said nothing.
“See anybody weird hanging around, like they were casing the place?”
Active reflected, then shook his head.
“How about this wire here? Ever see anything like that around the door to the men’s locker room?”
Active studied the contents of the plastic bag, trying to visualize the locker room entrance. It was down a hall, near the back of the building, opening to the right. “Don’t think so,” he said.
“Well, when I found those guys piled up there, I shoveled through the debris around the doorway and found that wrapped around what I think was the inside doorknob. The door was some kind of heavy-duty wood, so it was eventually consumed, just the doorknobs left and the lock and the hinges. And that.” He pointed at the plastic bag with the wire in it.
“On the inside doorknob,” Carnaby said.
Barnes nodded. “Which way’d that door open?”
Active closed his eyes for moment and remembered turning into the locker room. Pull the door toward him, or push on it? “It opened in,” he said. “Hinged on the left as you entered.”
“Thought so, but it’s hard to be sure of anything in there now,” Barnes said. He paused. “You’ll see what I mean in the pictures.” Then he shook his head as if to clear it. “Suppose you wrapped a loop of wire around the inside doorknob, then shut the door on the wire so it came out on the other side, right by the outside doorknob?”
Active and Carnaby nodded. “And then?” Active asked.
“Exactly,” Barnes said. “And then what? Was there some kind of hook
“I don’t know about this outfit sometimes,” Active said.
“Yeah, but what human organization isn’t at least twenty percent screwed up?” Carnaby said.
Active shrugged and changed the subject. “You want me to hang around till Barnes shows?”
They heard steps in the hall, and Carnaby sniffed. “I think I smell him now.”
CHAPTER FOUR
RONNIE BARNES PUSHED INTO Carnaby’s office without knocking, sagged into a chair, and took a long pull from a bottle of Diet Pepsi. Red-rimmed eyes peered from his soot-covered face like wolves in a cave.
He set his drink on the floor, pulled a tube of Rolaids from a coat pocket, broke it in half, and chewed about four of the tablets. “One in the women’s sauna,” he said. “Looks like the fire came up so fast, she couldn’t even get out of the sauna. Just curled up in a corner like a kitten.”
“That must be Rachel Akootchuk,” Active said.
Carnaby nodded.
“Couple in the hallway outside the locker rooms too, stretched out like they were crawling for the exit when it got them,” Barnes continued. “But the men’s locker room. The guys in there were all stacked up at the doorway. Maybe the crime lab will be able to figure out how many, but I sure as hell can’t. Three, four, maybe.” He rubbed the grime on his face and drained the bottle of soda. “All burned and melted together like they were fighting each other to get out but the door wouldn’t open. Now, why would that be, do you suppose?”
Carnaby opened his window, then his door, letting a little breeze circulate through the office. The smell of smoke thinned out somewhat.
“It was locked?” Carnaby said.
Barnes shook his head. “Not when I got there. The mechanism still worked fine.” He reached into his coat again and came out with a plastic bag, sealed with evidence tape and tagged. “I think maybe this is why.”
Carnaby took the bag and examined the contents: a twisted loop of blackened wire. “This? How?” He passed it to Active.
Barnes sighed. “Either one of you guys go there to work out?”
“I do,” Active said. “Or did.” It was hard to think of the Rec Center in the past tense. “Three or four times a week. Especially when the weather was bad and I couldn’t run.” He paused and counted back. “I was there three nights ago, I think.”
“Lucky it wasn’t last night,” Barnes said.
Active cleared his throat and said nothing.
“See anybody weird hanging around, like they were casing the place?”
Active reflected, then shook his head.
“How about this wire here? Ever see anything like that around the door to the men’s locker room?”
Active studied the contents of the plastic bag, trying to visualize the locker room entrance. It was down a hall, near the back of the building, opening to the right. “Don’t think so,” he said.
“Well, when I found those guys piled up there, I shoveled through the debris around the doorway and found that wrapped around what I think was the inside doorknob. The door was some kind of heavy-duty wood, so it was eventually consumed, just the doorknobs left and the lock and the hinges. And that.” He pointed at the plastic bag with the wire in it.
“On the inside doorknob,” Carnaby said.
Barnes nodded. “Which way’d that door open?”
Active closed his eyes for moment and remembered turning into the locker room. Pull the door toward him, or push on it? “It opened in,” he said. “Hinged on the left as you entered.”
“Thought so, but it’s hard to be sure of anything in there now,” Barnes said. He paused. “You’ll see what I mean in the pictures.” Then he shook his head as if to clear it. “Suppose you wrapped a loop of wire around the inside doorknob, then shut the door on the wire so it came out on the other side, right by the outside doorknob?”
Active and Carnaby nodded. “And then?” Active asked.
“Exactly,” Barnes said. “And then what? Was there some kind of hook
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