Free A grave denied by Dana Stabenow Page A

Mike was in one corner, nuzzling at the neck of a pretty girl, Sally Osterlund, if Kate was not mistaken, Auntie Balasha’s granddaughter. She looked around for a calendar. It was Monday. Quilting night at the Roadhouse was Wednesday. Sally was safe from her grandmother, if not from Dandy.
     
    Well, Sally was of age or Bernie wouldn’t have allowed her to set foot inside the Roadhouse door. Still, Kate wasn’t averse to throwing a monkey wrench into the situation. Dandy Mike spread it around a little too generously for safety’s sake. She walked over to the table. “Hey, Dandy.”
     
    Dandy’s right hand, caught in the act of sliding up the back of Sally’s T-shirt, descended again to a more discreet level. He didn’t dump Sally out of his lap onto the floor, though. “Hey, Kate. You know Sally.”
     
    “Hey, Sally.”
     
    “Hey, Kate.” Sally sprawled back in Dandy’s lap and gave Kate a companionable grin.
     
    So much for the monkey wrench. “Dandy, did you know Len Dreyer?”
     
    “Sure,” Dandy said. “Everybody knew Len.” He caught on. “You checking into his death?”
     
    “I’m asking a few questions is all.”
     
    “Jim ask you to?”
     
    Since Jim Chopin had moved his base of operations to Niniltna, Dandy’s father Billy had been after Jim to put Dandy to work as his assistant. Billy was Niniltna’s tribal chief and not someone Jim wanted to irrevocably piss off, so he was ducking the issue by saying he wanted a bona fide VPSO, or village public safety officer, one trained in criminal statute and procedure at the state trooper academy in Sitka, to back him up. Not, he didn’t say, a rounder of epic proportions whose penchant for partying was only exceeded by his passion for gossip. Although the latter quality could be considered an asset in the law enforcement line of work, Jim absolutely did not want the details of whatever case he was working made known all over the Park. If he hired Dandy Mike, he might as well get Bobby to broadcast them nightly over Park Air.
     
    Jim had in fact been so circumspect that Billy now regarded the situation as a done deal, with the result that Dandy, used to his father fixing little things like DUIs and unplanned parenthood for him, regarded himself as Jim’s de facto right-hand man. It followed that he did not look kindly upon Kate when she infringed on what he considered to be his territory.
     
    He was in for a serious reality check in the near future, Kate thought, but that was Jim’s job, not hers. “Yes, Jim wants me to find out what I can about Len, who his friends were, the jobs he worked lately. What can you tell me?”
     
    The hand on Sally’s waist regained the ability to move. Sally squirmed. Dandy bent his head and whispered something in her ear, and she giggled.
     
    Kate pulled over a chair from another table and sat down, crossing her legs and folding her hands in her lap. She kept her gaze steady, and she said nothing.
     
    Dandy threaded his hand through Sally’s hair, artfully styled into a mop to look like she’d just gotten out of bed, and kissed her. It took a long time and involved a lot of tongue accompanied by, Kate had to admit, some very nice hand work. His technique, though somewhat lacking in spontaneity, appeared effective. Sally’s eyes were glazed and she whimpered a protest when Dandy raised his head. He gave Kate a challenging look.
     
    She yawned, covering her mouth politely with one hand.
     
    He looked exasperated. “Jesus, Kate, you could give us a little room.”
     
    “You should get a room,” Kate said. “Right after you tell me anything you know about Len Dreyer.”
     
    He sighed and looked down at Sally. “How about you get us a couple more beers, honeybunch?” He kissed her pout away and got her started toward the bar with an encouraging pat on the behind. “I didn’t know Len well,” he said. “We worked a couple jobs together, some construction up on the Step for Dan O’Brian, some