The van retraced its steps back to the mountainside, this time driving past 10,000 Waves and on up toward the ski slopes.
“Catch up,” Dino said, “you’re losing them.”
“There’s nowhere for them to go, except to the parking lot at the ski slopes.”
“I’ve seen a couple of driveways,” Dino said.
“Don’t worry. They’re trapped.” He slowed as they approached the entrance to the slopes. A rail across the entrance to the parking lot told them the place was closed.
“Why would they be closed?” Dino asked.
“You see any snow?”
“No, and I don’t see the van, either.” They both got out of the car and walked another ten minutes to where they had a clear view of the whole place.
“Absolutely deserted,” Dino said.
“Let’s go back down the mountain and check out those driveways you saw,” Stone said, and they got back into the car and turned around. Stone checked the rearview mirror. “Did you pee in the road back there?”
“I did not,” Dino said.
“Then there are only two things that could have made the puddle.”
“What are they?”
“Brake fluid or gasoline.” The car was doing forty now, and Stone pressed the brake pedal. Nothing. He shifted into neutral, then tried for reverse; the lever wouldn’t move. “I think it was both gasoline and brake fluid,” he said.
They were doing sixty now, and a very large, very sharp curve was coming up. Dino looked out his window and saw an almost vertical drop into an Aspen forest. “Whatever you do,” he said, “don’t try to stop on this side of the road.”
“Why not?”
“Don’t ask.”
Stone hung on to the wheel for dear life, as if an iron grip would somehow help. “We’re going to have to ditch this car,” he said.
“You mean jump out of it?” Dino looked at the speedometer. “We’re doing ninety now.” He fastened his seat belt and pulled it tight; so did Stone.
“It’s either jump or come to a sudden stop,” he said. “Like against one of those giant boulders.” He looked ahead and saw a car, one going much slower than they. He turned on his flashers and started blowing the horn. The other car was approaching another sharp curve.
“How about against that car?” Dino said. “At least, it’s moving. We can use his brakes.”
“Look at the bumper sticker,” Stone said.
Dino looked and read aloud. “Baby on Board.”
37
Stone waited a little too long to make his move. He jerked the wheel to the left, and as he passed the other car he caught a rear fender, knocking the car sideways a bit.
“Didn’t you hear me say ‘Baby on Board’?” Dino asked.
Stone didn’t reply. He was trying to figure out what to do about the giant boulder rushing at them. He aimed his left headlight at it. “Hang on!” he said.
The boulder never moved, but, after colliding, the car went spinning past it sideways, and the airbags popped, blocking Stone’s vision for a very important couple of seconds. Then the car rolled onto its side and kept rolling. Stone lost track after the third rollover, then the car came crashing to a rest against an equally large boulder, and Dino seemed to be trying to sit in his lap.
“What are you doing?” Stone asked.
“Breathing,” Dino said. “It seemed like a good idea. Open your door; mine has a boulder holding it shut.”
Stone tried his door: jammed solid.
Then someone opened the rear door on Stone’s side. “Anybody alive in there?” a man asked.
“One, maybe two,” Stone managed to reply.
Then Dino disappeared into the back seat. “I’m out,” he called. “Your turn.”
Stone worked the lever that changed the position of the seat, then got his heels onto his seat cushion and pushed. Hands grabbed his coat collar and pulled him aft, then out of the car.
“What the hell is the matter with you?” the stranger asked.
“We had no brakes or engine, and I’m afraid I had to use your car to slow us down a little. After that, gravity and the boulders did their work.”
“You’re lucky to be alive,” the man said.
“I’ll pay for your damages,” Stone said.
“It’s a rental,” the man replied. He opened the rear seat of his car so they could get in.
“Where’s the baby?” Dino asked.
“What baby?”
“There’s a sticker on your bumper.”
“Belongs to the last renter, I guess.”
Stone went back to his car, found his rental paperwork, then the two of them were introduced to the man and his wife, and they drove down the mountain together. Fortunately, they had rented from the same company.
Stone presented his paperwork at the desk.
“Where’s the car?” the clerk asked.
“It became part of the mountain, maybe a mile short of the ski area.”
The man looked at his form. “I don’t think that’s going to work for the company,” he said, still looking at the space on the form.
“I think the word you’re looking for,” Stone said, “is ‘totaled.’”
“Ah, yes. That works.”
“And I need another car.”
“Yeah sure. What would you like?”
“Something heavy, like a Suburban.”
“Right.”
In fifteen minutes both drivers were on their way in new cars.
“Well,” Dino said, “at least they won’t be looking for a Suburban.” He got on his cell phone again, spoke for a moment, then hung up. “The locals lost them. They weren’t in the house, the bakery had reported its van stolen, and Larkin and his buddies are nowhere to be seen.”
“What do you want to do?” Stone asked.
“I wonder if there’s anything left of that porterhouse from last night?”
“I don’t think so. Let’s go back to the Tesuque Market and have some green chili stew or a burger.”
“Sold,” Dino replied.
While they waited for their food, Dino made more calls. “Your girlfriend, Frances, has been moved to a furnished apartment on Third Avenue, in the sixties. There’s a nurse on duty 24/7 and two cops sitting on her, so to speak.” Dino wrote down the address and phone number on the back of his business card and gave it to Stone. “Visiting hours are whenever you like.”
Stone called the number, and the nurse answered. “It’s Stone Barrington. May I speak to Frances, please?”
“Hello, Stone?”
“Yes, Frances. How are you feeling?”
“Safer,” she replied. “Where are you?”
“In Santa Fe. We think Sig is here, too, but we lost him.”
“Did you try his house?”
“Yes. Nobody home.”
“Does he know you’re looking for him?”
“Yes, I believe he does.”
“Well, you know what he does at times like this...”
“No, I don’t believe you told me.”
“He breaks into a house or an apartment and makes himself at home.”
“Good to know,” Stone said. “Would he have a preference of neighborhood in Santa Fe?”
“As near as possible to his house. He knows the neighborhood.”
“Thank you, Frances. Is there anything you need?”
“Dog food, but the cops are out shopping for that.”
“Take care. If you think of anything else that might help us, please call. You’ve got my number.”
They hung up. “She had something for you to pass on to the locals,” Stone said to Dino. He told him about Larkin’s propensity for breaking and entering, and Dino got on the phone.
Their margaritas came, followed in due course by their food.
They had just paid their check when Dino said, “You know, this is the second time Larkin and/or his people have come to this joint.”