The Deadly River by Jeff Noonan

Author:Jeff Noonan [Noonan, Jeff]
Language: eng
Format: epub, azw3
Published: 2015-03-16T00:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER FOURTEEN: THE RIVER RATS

The next morning the three met at the Forest Service compound and went to work assembling the raft. Ranger Mainwaring provided the two pickups that the Kochran team had been using and by the end of the day they had the raft assembled, loaded, and outfitted with several days’ supply of bottles. They were almost ready to go. They had to meet with the Sheriff tomorrow and the university’s Project Manager on Monday, then they could start floating down the river. All three of them were excited by this change of routine. It was going to be an adventure!

The next morning, the project took on a whole new tone.

They were on time, waiting in the jailhouse conference room, when Sheriff Rose came in carrying a cup of coffee. “Before we get to the main reason I asked you to come here, I want to talk to you about where you’re going to be working. Have you decided where to start taking samples?”

Lee answered, “We aren’t sure yet. The project manager from the university will be here Monday and he’ll tell us where the last sample was taken by Kochran. I guess we’ll pick up from there, somewhere between Thunder Creek and Big River city limits.”

The sheriff nodded. “Yeah. I’m guessing that you’re probably right about that. But I don’t want you working in that area. I’ve got deputies and experts from the state crime lab combing the riverbank in that area, looking for clues about the murder. I don’t want you to get in the way. Without realizing it, you could take a sample on the river bank that might confuse my guys. Or you might pick up something, or walk over something, that could ruin our investigation. I’d like to have you start downriver, probably somewhere around St. Dubois, then work your way northwest to the end of the project. By the time you finish there, we’ll be done with our work and you can pick up that missing fifteen miles of river at the end of the job.”

It was Lee’s turn to nod thoughtfully. “I don’t see a problem there. We can explain it to the university guy and I’ll write it all up in my weekly report. Everyone should understand.”

Mike agreed. “Yeah. No problem. But sheriff, do you have any more ideas on the shootings? Everyone out our way is betting Bill Wards is behind it.”

Sheriff Rose smiled. “I can’t say a lot, but we’ve moved Wards from here to solitary confinement in the Missoula jail. It seems like the other prisoners are a lot more willing to talk to us if he isn’t around. My guess is that your guess is correct. But the proof is still being gathered.”

Lee was surprised. “You mean Gohmert and Jose are talking?”

“I can’t say any more, Lee. There aren’t any breakthroughs yet. But I’m hoping that we won’t have to go through a trial for Gohmert. It looks like he may have things to tell us before we go to trial.

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