"Look," Dean said. "We've got about three feet of snow out there that needs shoveling. Why don't you come on out and ask your questions while I'm getting something done? Just give me two minutes to digest this piece of charcoal," he said, biting into the blackened toast. Fred didn't have a chance to bellyache at the compromise before the phone interrupted.
It was Jake Weller, sounding annoyed at the world. "You're sticking around town, right?"
"Why?"
"You're not thinking of going up to Indiana are you?"
"If my wife needs me, I am," Dean answered, getting a bit annoyed himself. "What's this all about?"
"'Cause the CBI boys want to talk to you. That's the Colorado Bureau of Investigation, the State cops. They're sort of moving in on this," he answered.
"Fine," said Dean. "If I'm here, I'll talk to them. If I'm not here, screw 'em. My wife comes first. Let 'em arrest me if they think they have a case but I'm not making any schedule to accommodate some jerk's whim to play TV cop." He hung up the phone and stormed out to the hall and donned his winter coat. Not only was he miffed at Weller's attitude, but at the short length of his own fuse. Fred followed but there was little time for conversation. Dean had hardly begun clearing the walk of the deep snow before Jake Weller drove up.
"Am I under arrest?" Dean asked, as he leaned on his shovel.
"Stop being a dickhead. I'm on your side." Dean returned to the job of moving the mounds of white. Weller continued, "That's why I'm in deep shit." Dean stopped and looked up. "The state boys are real interested in this. I got a nice strong feeling they're blocking me out of the picture."
"Why? It's not supposed to work that way, is it? How did they get involved?"
"It's all jurisdictional bullshit. I was on the scene of Shipton's swan dive with Mountain Rescue but it happened inside the city line so it's the City of Ouray's territory. They called in CBI when they heard about the cut rope and smelled a major problem."
"What 'problem'?"
"I got the word from this friend, an old maid clerk who likes me 'cause I didn't treat her like shit like everyone else does. She tells me I'm out of the loop. The state boys figure I'm too close to you to be what somebody calls 'objective'."
"Is Shipton still alive?" Fred asked.
"No one is even saying that much. That's another funny thing."
"So, it's my turn in the barrel?" Dean asked. "I thought you said they were getting ready to spread Shipton's body parts around to the sick and needy and then plant what was left. What happened?"