"Where do I go?" the little girl said, rubbing a fist over her tears.

"You stay right here with me," Ace said as he gently lowered a protective hand on her shoulder.

It took another muscular minute to manhandle them into their separate corners. Just about the time he got them quieted down, Ace saw the black-and-white Crown Vic with the Cavalier County five-pointed gold star come up fast and turn into his parking lot.

Chapter Five.

County Deputy Lyle Vinson had graduated in the same cla.s.s with Gordy and Ace's brother Dale. With had graduated in the same cla.s.s with Gordy and Ace's brother Dale. With his his bulk augmented by a Kevlar vest, Lyle looked like the product of a union between a fire-plug and a sumo wrestler as he eased from the car. bulk augmented by a Kevlar vest, Lyle looked like the product of a union between a fire-plug and a sumo wrestler as he eased from the car.

He hitched up his service belt and took a thoughtful sip from a twenty-ounce plastic bottle of Diet c.o.ke, set the c.o.ke on the roof of the car, and hitched his belt again. Studied moves. Letting some seriousness sink into this situation. Then he eyed the two angry women. Then the crying little girl. Finally he settled his gaze on Ace.

"Couple people called dispatch about a ruckus in your parking lot," Lyle said. "Little early in the day for a drunk bar fight, ain't it, Ace? Seeing's how they ain't been a fight at the Missile Park for going on ten years."

"n.o.body's drinking-yet," Jane said.

"n.o.body's drinking, period," Ace said. "The redhead came to use the bathroom and the other one and her got into an argument, so I helped them outside and separated them and..."

Lyle held up his hand, "Let's see some ID, folks. License and registration." The two women went to their purses, then the glove compartment of the car, and produced their driver's licenses and the t.i.tle to the Volvo.

Lyle raised an eyebrow. "You just bought this car yesterday in St. Paul?"

"Yes, officer," the redhead said.

Lyle took the licenses back to his squad. While Lyle ran his checks, Ace played uneasy referee and cautious explorer. He discovered that when he looked at the redhead, the resolution on things sharpened up and the day acquired this pleasing velocity. He listened to the suddenly playful wind. Felt it ruffle through her hair.

He tried to read the driven energy centered in her hollow cheeks, those hungry eyes.

Definitely strung out.

He could understand strung out. And when he dared to listen with his heart he heard a rushing, as if they were both leaning into the same white-water rapid that was about to sweep them away.

Ace blinked and caught himself as Lyle returned, handed back the licenses. "No wants, no warrants," he said, then he knelt next to the little girl. "Hi there, what's your name?"

"My name is Karson Pryce Broker."

"That's a lot of name," Lyle said.

She nodded. "My dad calls me Kit."

"And where is your dad?"

"At home, in Devil's Rock, Minnesota." Her lower lip trembled. "They had a fight, so we went on a trip with Auntie Jane." Then she lost it and her whole face transformed into a red tear gusher.

"Oh boy," Lyle said. Then he patted the girl on the shoulder, stood up, and looked at the redhead. "How'd she get those marks on her arm?"

"I was trying to move her out of the way so she wouldn't get caught in between," the redhead said.

Lyle eyed Ace. Ace nodded and said, "Wasn't intentional."

"Maybe I grabbed her a little too hard."

"Just a little," Lyle said, judiciously, with a whiff of copper menace.

The redhead heaved her shoulders and said, "Look. I'm sorry this happened. My husband and I had this ugly fight back home. So my friend and I thought we'd take a road trip. We were on our way to see the Peace Gardens." She shot a cross look at Jane. "Looks like we didn't make it."

"We were doing fine until you got thirsty," Jane again.

"Oh, right, as long as you thought you you were getting what you wanted..." were getting what you wanted..."

The two women surged at each other and the anger creased their faces like war paint. Lyle stepped between them.

"See what I mean?" Ace said.

"Okay, okay," Lyle said holding the women apart with his out-spread arms. "This is how it is. I want you two in separate corners and then you got thirty seconds to convince me this kid isn't in jeopardy and I don't need to call Social Services and stick her in protective custody."

"Custody? Hey, wait a minute." The redhead grimaced.

"No, you you wait a minute. I bring in Child Protection and they contact Minnesota where you live for a background check. You understand?" wait a minute. I bring in Child Protection and they contact Minnesota where you live for a background check. You understand?"

The kid sobbed, "I want my daddy."

"I told you we shouldn't have brought her. We should have left her with her dad," the redhead said.

Jane toed the trap rock, said nothing, looked away.

Lyle laced his fingers together, placed them on his chest, and c.o.c.ked his head. Reasonable. "Perhaps we could call her dad and arrange something. Maybe he could come and get her," he said. "Then you two could continue to work out your problems, hopefully down the road in the next county."

The tension eased a notch as the women looked at each other. Clearly there was room here to negotiate. Then the redhead said to her daughter, "Kit, honey, why don't you go inside and play the pinball machine so Mom and Auntie Jane can talk alone with the policeman." Her charged eyes drifted up to Ace's.

Ace shifted from foot to foot, absorbing the redhead's creeping voltage. "Sure, uh, c'mon, honey, let's go inside. Let the grown-ups talk." He held out his hand.

Lyle squatted down on Kit's level and said, "That'd be a good idea, Kit."

Eyes still downcast, Kit said, "Am I going to get to go home?"

"We're working on it, honey," the redhead said.

"Okay." Kit turned and walked toward Ace.

"Thanks," the redhead said.

"No problem," Ace said.

Seeing the eye play between her companion and Ace, Jane said, "I know what you're up to. This really sucks."

Lyle held up a hand indicating silence while Ace walked Kit into the bar. Then he spun on the two women. "Thirty and counting. Talk to me."

"Okay, okay, we'll work it out. There's a motel in town, right?" the redhead said.

Lyle nodded. "The Motor Inn."

"I know what you're pulling here," Jane said. She shut up when Lyle held up a beefy palm.

Practical now, and more than a little demure and deferential to Lyle, the redhead ignored Jane. "You're right, officer. We need a time-out. A couple hours. Then we talk, call Minnesota, maybe arrange something."

"There you go. Clear the air," Lyle said.

"He's right, Jane. Couple hours, then tonight we have dinner. Figure out how to put Kit with her dad and you and me start fresh. What do you say?"

"Do I have a choice?" Jane said.

"Sure. Take the wheels. Leave," the redhead said, taking a small step forward, showing some edge.

They stared each other down. Jane dropped her eyes first. "Okay, a couple hours."

The redhead folded her arms across her chest. "You take Kit and get a room. Settle down."

"What about you?" Jane said.

"C'mon, Jane, it's what? A quarter-mile into town. I'll take a walk. Breathe some fresh air."

"Okay, good," Lyle said. He removed a card and a pen from his chest pocket, wrote on the back of the card, and then gave it to Jane. "My cell's on the back. Things don't work out, you call me and we go to plan B." He turned to the redhead. "You follow me?"

"I understand," she said.

"Okay, now go in and get the little girl," Lyle said.

Kit was up on a chair hunched over the pinball machine, letting her third ball bearing fly into the clattering b.u.mpers and buzzers and flashers.

"So, what do you think?" Ace asked.

Kit wrinkled her nose. "It's okay but I like Age of Empires more."

"Age of Empires, huh?" Gordy said, moving up to the machine.

"It's a computer game, ancient civilizations at war," the redhead said, walking up to them.

Kit nodded her head. "a.s.syrians have the best ballistas."

"What happened to dolls and dress-up?" Gordy said.

"She was playing it on Jane's laptop in the car," the redhead said.

"Uh-huh, and while she's playing on Jane's laptop Jane's playing on your lap...," Gordy said softly.

"Don't even try to get your mind around it, farm boy; we'll have to wrap you in duct tape to keep your head from exploding," the redhead said slowly.

Ace was impressed the way she thrust her hip and let her hands dangle loose in this great bring-it-on stance. And now that things had calmed down a little he noticed her left ear peeking from her askew layered hair. The lobe was missing, just a lump of scar tissue. Like it had been cut off.

Sonofab.i.t.c.h! I bet she's got some stories.

A lazy morning, lying in bed, smoking, looking at the water-marks on the ceiling...

"Watch it," he said. His words were quiet but aimed right at Gordy.

Gordy was undeterred. He leaned over closer to Kit. "So what's your daddy do?"

"He's got these cabins on the lake. We rent them to tourists."

"Uh-huh."

Kit straightened up, looked around, and thrust her hand toward the window. "He drives one of those sometimes."

Across the highway, a rusted white Bobcat was frozen in front of a large pole barn. Chest-high weeds fringed the building and poked up in the trap-rock parking lot. A rusted windmill revolved in the soft breeze.

"C'mon, honey," the redhead said, helping her daughter off the chair.

Gordy moved next to her. "So your husband drives a Bobcat. What is it you do?"

"Hey." It was the older guy, who was still hanging around, following the action. He'd come back inside to finish his beer. "Can I get some of that beef jerky?"

Ace nodded at the customer. He puffed up some. He ordered, "Go wait on the man like you're paid to do."

Wheels revolved in Gordy's eyes, like he was thinking of challenging Ace. But he decided to wait and returned to his post behind the bar. After squirting a little wolf pee in Gordy's direction, Ace put a hint of strut in his walk as he escorted the redhead and her daughter out onto the porch.

When they got outside, the redhead leaned down and kissed Kit on the forehead. "You go with Jane into town and get a motel room. I'll be along in a little while."

There was more cynicism than innocense in the kid's frown. "Promise?"

"Go on, scat," the redhead said. Obediently, the kid went down the steps. They stood on the porch and watched her and Jane get into the Volvo.

"Now what?" Ace said.

"According to Officer Friendly's intervention plan they go in town and get a room. I'll walk in, see the sights, hook up in an hour or so when everybody's cooled down."

"Well, good luck cooling down in July in North Dakota," Ace said.

"You got a point. A girl walking down a hot highway probably could use a lift," she said.

"That's true."

She rolled her eyes slowly over the bleached brick facade of the Missile Park Bar. "This is fine and all, but is there anyplace around here to get a drink?"