Impasse (37 page)
Authors: Royce Scott Buckingham
Stu clung to his partner, pinning his arms with a bear hug to prevent further hatchet mischief while Clay fought for air. His own injured shoulder screamed, but he'd known pain and survived it for months; he could damn well brave it for a few more seconds now.
There was an awkward silence between them as they stood in the bloody embrace. It felt odd hugging. Clay struggled to get loose, but Stu found he was the stronger animal. He felt Clay weakening. And then, finally, the struggle ceased. Stu held on for a moment longer to ensure it was over, then let Clay fall to the ground, limp, and stood over his carcass.
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The courtroom in Eugene, Oregon, was nearly empty; just a few pro se defendants in street clothes waiting to enter pleas to minor charges.
The judge squinted at Stu. “You've indicated that you're from Portland, Mr.”âhe checked the pleadingsâ“Stuart.”
“Yes,” Stu lied; he'd gotten better at it. “And I studied at U of O right here in town. Go, Ducks.”
“Fine. What's your business down here in Lane County?”
“I have an affidavit from my client's former wife,” Stu reported, cutting through the preliminaries; the tired-looking judge was near the end of his workday and obviously eager to move things along. “The case is almost seven years old, and she's agreed that the no-contact order can be dropped.”
“What about the other victim, the professor with the broken nose?”
A young assistant district attorney in tan slacks and navy sport coat cut in. “That witness couldn't be located.”
Stu continued. “He was removed by the university for misconduct with multiple female students, which was the motive for my client's admittedly inexcusable assault here.” He nudged Blake, who stood beside him freshly shaved and wearing a collared shirt Stu had loaned him.
“I know I shouldn't have hit him,” Blake said on cue. “I was mad. And I'm sorry.”
The judge nodded and turned back to Stu. “Anything to add, counsel?”
“The man standing before you screwed up a long time ago. He's come back to Oregon for a second chance.” When the judge didn't blink, Stu added one last comment. “He also saved my life.”
The judge's eyebrows arched slightly, the most emotion he'd shown in the hour Stu had been waiting for Blake's case to be called. “And you haven't seen your daughter for seven years, sir?”
“No, sir,” Blake said.
“Your honor,” Stu said, “I've arranged to have her waiting outside the door. They can be reunited right now if you sign that order.”
Five minutes later, in the hallway outside, Stu stepped away to give Blake private time with his daughter. He pulled out a prepaid cell phone. There were two missed calls.
The first was from his favorite Massachusetts attorney, who had just passed the bar. He smiled. The message was an answer to his cross-country invitation to visit Oregon for a week to celebrate. An enthusiastic
Yes!
Good karma.
The second call also had a Massachusetts area code, but no message. Stu called that number back.
“Rusty. You called?”
“Something's happened to your partner. No one has seen him for a week, and the PD is searching warehouses owned by some serious assholes. Doesn't sound good. I thought you should know.”
Stu waited an appropriate amount of time to appear surprised. “So now we've both disappeared?”
“Yep. Tell me it's not related, pal.”
“I can't. All the more reason for me to stay dead. Thanks for keeping your ear to the ground for me.”
“Sure. And those vultures from
America's Unsolved
are back. They're all over Malloy about Clay's connection to this Roff guy out of Providence. Apparently, they got a tip about exchanges of favors while Clay was still at the DA's office.”
“Really? I'm curious.”
“They've made a public disclosure request for all documents related to plea bargains and bail amounts given to Roff's known associates for the last twelve years. Malloy is scrambling to distance himself, but he either admits he knew and looks like he covered it up by letting Clay quietly resign, or he says he didn't know and comes across as ignorant of corruption in his own office. It's a potential election-loser for him either way. Now Malloy will have to go after Roff. In the meantime,
America's Unsolved
is ruining his career.
“Crazy stuff, man.”
“Yeah. Glad I'm off the job these days; there's a lot of shit going down here all of a sudden. By the way, they found the original exterior platform from the transom of the
Iron Maiden
stored in one of those warehouses.”
“The
Iron Maiden
? Whoa, that takes me back. But that boat didn't have a platform as far as I remember.”
“Apparently, it did. I heard they took it to the lab.”
“What does that mean?”
“You're the one who told me they just need a scintilla of corroborative evidence to refile the case. Hell, you had to tell me what the word
scintilla
meant.”
“Huh. Well, Malloy will have to try that one without me this time. And that's too bad about Clay.”
“You don't sound sad.”
Stu detected a hint of suspicion in the retired officer's voice. The man was wise and still a detective at heart.
“I'm sad that he chose his friends poorly. Sounds like he messed with the wrong guy. Do they have any evidence to identify a suspect?”
“Nah. Clay is just flat-out missing. Could be a no-body homicide.”
“Yeah, those are tough.”
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ROYCE SCOTT BUCKINGHAM
is an American author with a degree in English from Whitman College and a Juris Doctor in Law from the University of Oregon. Buckingham is the international bestselling author of
Demonkeeper
. His first young adult thriller for the U.S.,
The Terminals
, was published in the fall of 2014. Buckingham lives with his wife and their two sons in Bellingham, Washington, where he works at the Prosecuting Attorney's Office. Sign up for email updates
here
.
    
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Also by
Royce Scott Buckingham
The Dead Boys
The Goblin Problem
Demonkeeper
Die Karte der Welt
Der Wille des Konigs
Damliche Damonen
Murrische Monster
Fiese Finsterlinge
Garstige Gnome
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CONTENTS
Also by Royce Scott Buckingham
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This is a work of fiction. All of the characters, organizations, and events portrayed in this novel are either products of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously.
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THOMAS DUNNE BOOKS.
An imprint of St. Martin's Press.
IMPASSE
. Copyright © 2015 by St. Martin's Press LLC. All rights reserved. For information, address St. Martin's Press, 175 Fifth Avenue, New York, N.Y. 10010.
Cover design by Young Jin Lim
Cover photograph of mountains © Tim Daniels/Arcangel Images
Cover photograph of man running in snow © Shutterstock.com
eBooks may be purchased for business or promotional use. For information on bulk purchases, please contact Macmillan Corporate and Premium Sales Department by writing to [email protected].
The Library of Congress has cataloged the print edition as follows:
Buckingham, Royce
    Impasse: a novel / Royce Scott Buckingham.âFirst edition.
            pages; cm
    ISBN 978-1-250-01154-1 (hardcover)
    ISBN 978-1-250-02106-9 (e-book)
  1.  Wilderness areasâAlaskaâFiction.  2.  Wilderness survivalâFiction.  3.  RevengeâFiction.  I.  Title.
    PS3602.U2644I47 2015