Seeing Red(93)

But he didn’t air those with The Major, either. He was beginning to sound paranoid even to himself.

“You’re frowning, John.”

“Am I?”

“Just like you did as a boy when a riddle had you stumped.”

He wasn’t so much stumped by the things that weren’t adding up as he was deeply disturbed by the things that were.

“Why all the questions about Glenn?” The Major asked.

“I’m worried about him.”

“In what context?”

In the context of Glenn taking him to ball games when his own father was off making speeches. Glenn giving him advice on women, which he hadn’t taken, and on where to buy the best boots, which he had. Glenn sparing him a paddling over an Easter egg prank. Glenn with an unspecified problem that was causing him to drink too much and giving him anxiety attacks.

Suddenly Trapper didn’t want to talk any more. Or think any more. He stood up. “I gotta go.”

“John—”

“You look tired. I think changing rooms must’ve worn you out.”

“We didn’t finish earlier.”

“Finish what?”

“You know damn well what,” The Major snapped. “I told you I thought you were right.”

“Thanks.”

“But—”

“See? This is why I avoided a finish. I didn’t want to hear the ‘but.’”

“But I don’t want your obsession, as noble as it is, to destroy you. Taking on somebody like a Thomas Wilcox—”

“Believe me, I’m aware of the risks involved. Look at what happened to you.”

“Then for god’s sake ask yourself if persisting is worth it. Can’t you just drop it?”

Trapper placed his hands on his hips. “Even though you think I’m right, I have ironclad integrity, conviction, etcetera, you’re advising that I drop it.”

“Yes.”

“Why?”

“Why?”

“Why should I drop it? Tell me. Give me a reason.”

“Because I want you to have a life.”

“I do. This is it.” He stabbed his finger toward the floor. “And this is the second time today I’ve had to tell somebody that.”

“Kerra?”

“You’ll be glad to know that she’s safely off my destructive path. She’s gone back to Dallas.”

“By choice? Or did you drive her away?”

He didn’t reply to that. Instead he said, “I’m not dropping it.”

“No matter what?”

Trapper held his father’s stare. “No matter what.” He turned and walked out.



“Hello, it’s Hank Addison.”

“I saw your name on the ID,” Kerra said. “I hope you’re not calling with bad news.”

“No, it’s good. You were kind enough to ask me to call you if things went south, but I thought you’d like to know that my dad was released. We just got him home. He’s irritable, but okay.”

She smiled into the phone. “Irritable is a good sign, I think. I know you’re all relieved.”

“I tried to reach Trapper to let him know, but Dad says he’s changed his phone number.”

“I’ll pass along the news. He’ll be glad to hear it.”

“I’m ashamed of myself for hitting him.”

“Even he admitted that he had it coming.”

“Still.” He paused, then, “Well, I won’t keep you.”

“Actually I’m glad you called. I went online and found the website for your church. The architectural renderings of the new tabernacle are most impressive. My schedule is in flux right now, but after I return to work and things settle down, would you agree to my doing a feature story on the church? If the stats on the website are true—”

“God would hold us accountable if we fudged on the stats.”

She laughed. “Would you agree to letting me do a story?”

“Absolutely.”

“Not so much from a proselytizing standpoint, but as an aspect of area growth. That kind of thing.”

“I’ll figure a way to work in the proselytizing without anybody noticing.”

“Great, then. I’ll be in touch, but in the meantime, please notify me if something of special interest occurs, and I’ll try to—” She broke off when she heard footsteps approaching the door. “Sorry, Hank. I need to run. I’m glad your father is doing well. Thank you for letting me know.”

She disconnected just as the lock clicked and Trapper pushed open the door. Seeing her, he stopped short of clearing the threshold. He looked around the room, taking in her bag on the floor in the corner, her laptop open on the table where she sat, her handbag on the dresser with a few articles scattered around it.

When he came back to her, his eyes were glittering with anger, his jaw set.

She stood up and faced off with him. “I forgot my toothbrush and had to come back for it.”

He remained immutable.

“I bribed the manager into giving me an extra key. It cost me a ten-dollar bill and my autograph. Once I was here, I saw no reason to rush off.”

He didn’t even blink.