Decker looked him up and down. “When did you get into town?”
“Just in time for you, it seems.”
“How long have you been following me?”
“Not long enough to really give you any answers. How did it go tonight other than the shitheads, and the shooter?”
“So you saw the shitheads, too?”
The man nodded. “I would have intervened, but you and your buddy seemed to have it covered, and revealing myself for the JV team was not an ideal use of my time. It would have spooked the guy who took the shot.”
“The shitheads had everything to do with my ‘buddy’ and not with me.”
“But not the shooter. He had everything to do withyou.”
“Someone doesn’t want the truth to come out?”
“There’s always somebody who doesn’t want the truth to come out. So what did you learn tonight?”
“I learned about fracking,” answered Decker.
The man studied him. “You consider that a good use of your time?”
“If you’ve got a reason why’s it’s not, I’m listening.”
“Not enough for younotto cover that angle.”
“You obviously know something is going on in this place.”
“I just don’t know the something. I’m not a detective. My talents lie elsewhere.”
“Did you get the shooter?”
“He won’t be bothering you again.”
“We can question him,” suggested Decker.
“He won’t be bothering you again.”
“Are you telling me he’s dead? He could have led us somewhere.”
“He would have led us nowhere. Probably at least four layers between him and where we need to go. Waste of time, and we don’t have time to waste.”
“Did you just kill him?” said Decker.
“Does it matter to you?”
“I’m a cop. Shit like thatdoesmatter to me.”
“You let me worry about that. You do what you do. We’re counting on you.”
“If this is such a big deal, how come we don’t have more federal assets here?”
“Stealth, Mr. Decker.”
“Why do I think you didn’t fly commercial into North Dakota?”
“It’s a free country. You can think what you want. I won’t stop you.”