Perdido County: Illusions

Carpenter separated himself from the crowd and walked over.

“I was starting to worry about you, sheriff,” Carpenter said with a smirk. Then he looked at Alvarez. “Well, hello Olivia,” he said. “Guess I know why you weren’t answering your phone.”

“Shut up, Chase,” Olivia said. “And, thanks for spoiling my weekend.”

“Anything on Lane Guthrie since you called?” Wolfe said.

“Nope. He never returned any of Sharon Kay’s calls. She’s here somewhere now with Dale. I figured you would want to talk to her.”

Olivia looked around. “What a clusterfuck,” she said.

Wolfe walked toward the smoking ruins of the building. On the way he saw Sharon Kay Guthrie and her son Dale huddled with a tall, lanky man.

“Isn’t that Joe Castorena over there?” Wolfe said. “Wonder what he is doing here?”

“He’s Lane’s BFF,” Olivia said. “He lives only a few miles from the Guthrie place. Sharon Kay probably called on him for moral support.”

As they neared the front entrance to the building, a firefighter stepped into their path.

“Excuse me, Sheriff Wolfe,” the firefighter said. “The building is not safe. The roof could still come down. You can’t go in. Better if you wait until morning after we get some bracing in place.”

“There’s a body inside,” Olivia said. “We’re going in.”

“Not we,” Wolfe said. “I am. You stay out here, Olivia.”

Wolfe kept walking.