nodded. “It was really tragic. The worst sort of accident, because it was like a perfect storm of connected events. Maddie Dawson was caught in her car in a blizzard and died from carbon monoxide poisoning.” Kelly shook his head. “Fortunately, she probably would have gone unconscious before she knew what was happening. Still a helluva way to go.”
“Yeah,” said Decker. “But a lot better than what happened to Irene Cramer.”
“IT LOOKS LIKE the house on the TV show Dallas, only twice the size.”
Jamison made this comment as she drove them up a long cobblestone driveway that was bracketed by two rows of large trees with full, leafy canopies.
“Where does Stuart McClellan live?” asked Decker.
“He has an apartment in a building in downtown London.”
“An apartment?” said Jamison. “Isn’t he richer than Dawson?”
“He’s been through so many booms and busts that I think he now hedges his bets.”
“And his son?”
“Shane has a little farmhouse and some land on the western edge of the county. Bought the place right after he came back.”
“Came back from where?” asked Jamison.
“Fighting overseas. He was in the army. Joined up right after he graduated from high school. He likes it simple. Hunts during the season, drinks his beer, works for his old man, gets yelled at for not doing it well enough, and tries to enjoy life. It’s no secret the father doesn’t think the son is up to taking over his fracking operations.”
“And what do you think?” said Jamison.
“Shane’s no dummy and he works hard. We’ve hunted together a lot. He’s sharp, methodical, and knowledgeable about stuff he cares about. He just doesn’t care for business. It’s not how he’s wired.”
They parked in front of the house and got out. Kelly led the way up the steps to the double front door.
“So what will it be for us?” asked Decker. “Gregarious, or do we get a knife in the back?”
“All depends on what and how you ask him, I guess.”
“Well, knowing Decker’s tact, let’s prepare for the shiv to the spine,” said Jamison, with a sly smile at her partner.
The door was answered by a woman in a maid’s uniform. After Kelly showed his badge, she stepped back so they could pass through. She led them down a hall with ash plank flooring to a set of oak double doors.
Inside the room, the man who rose from behind a large desk was nearly as tall as Decker, but far thinner with narrow hips. His brown, wavy hair had a thick shock of gray in the front. He was clean-shaven, with a nose that had been broken and healed slightly off center. He was dressed in an untucked white shirt and black jeans. When he moved around the desk with his hand outstretched to Kelly, Decker noted the dark blue slippers on the man’s feet with a D monogrammed on them. The walls were festooned with the heads of unfortunate creatures who had had their mortal remains fashioned into showpieces.
“Joe, how the hell are you? Been a while.”
Kelly shook his hand and then introduced Decker and Jamison to Hugh Dawson.
They all sat in front of an empty stone fireplace and Kelly said, “Thanks for meeting with us. Guess you’ll be heading out of the country in a month or so.”
Dawson looked at Decker and Jamison. “I used to laugh at the snowbirds who would head south for the winter. Then a number of years ago, Maddie suggested we start spending the winters in Australia when it’s their summer. We rented a place near the water. After she passed, I kept going. We had some really wonderful times down there.”
“Memories like that are important,” said Jamison. “Like therapy.”
“Yes they are. Now, I understand a woman was murdered. And Hal Parker found her.”
“He was out looking for a wolf,” said Jamison.
“That damn thing had already killed two of my cows. Hired Hal to get rid of it.”
“How do you know it was a wolf?” asked Decker.
“They finally found the carcass with Hal’s bullet in it. So who was it that got killed again?”
“A woman named Irene Cramer,” said Kelly. “Thought you would have known that. We released her name.”
In answer Dawson pointed to his desk that was stacked with three-ring binders. “I’m up to my eyeballs in financial stuff. Working on some big deals. I haven’t watched or listened to the news for a while.”
“But you knew of the murder, obviously,” said Decker.
“I knew because Hal told me.”
“So you didn’t know her?” asked Decker.
He shook his head. “Used