Alberta Alibi by Dayle Gaetz Page B

Rebel. Katie waited with Sheila. They sat on rickety folding chairs beside a lopsided card table covered with a red and white plastic tablecloth. Katie read her notes. Sheila tapped her foot impatiently. She thought of taking out her new Discman, which could play music through either speakers or headphones. Music would help soothe her jangled nerves, but what if Katie insisted on listening too? She left it in her backpack.
    When Wendell returned, he was carrying a metal tray with five mugs and a plate of chocolate cookies. He carefully placed it on the table and lowered himself onto a folding chair. “Hope you like tea,” he said. “Help yourselves.”
    The boys must have smelled food because they both appeared within seconds and each snatched up a couple of cookies. Rebel charged up the slope and darted around like a maniac, flinging water on everyone. But when the boys took their mugs and settled on the grass, the dog perched in front of them, his long, pink tongue hanging out.
    Katie took this opportunity to ask her first question. “When the night watchman was shot, where did you say the truck was parked?”
    â€œFar as I recall, I didn’t say.”
    â€œWell then, where was it parked?”
    â€œSeems like it went down there first.” Wendell nodded toward the spot where the girls had earlier noticed tire tracks. “Looks to me like it ended up in the wrong place. Anyway, it stopped and turned around there, then zipped over the ridge. Didn’t hear a thing, and that stupid mutt never made a peep. Mind you, I didn’t see the truck down there, just the tracks it left behind.”
    â€œSo did you ever see the truck?”
    â€œYep. After I heard the shots and ran outside.”
    â€œBut you said it was on the other side of the hill by then.”
    â€œYep.”
    â€œSo how did you see it?”
    â€œDidn’t. I heard it start up though, poppin’ and growlin’ and complainin’ like it does. Finally spotted it over there.” He pointed to a line of pines at the far end of the ridge. “Just before it disappeared into the trees.”
    â€œAnd you could tell what color it was? Even in the shadow of the trees?”
    â€œNope.” He popped a whole cookie into his mouth and chewed noisily.
    â€œOkay, then, how do you know it was blue?”
    He finished chewing, swallowed and took a swig of tea. “Never said it was. Said I couldn’t say for sure.”
    â€œBut when we saw Huntley that day, he said the police were looking for a blue truck.”
    â€œTrue enough. That’s what the night watchman told me when I went down to see him. It was me made the 911 call with that cell phone your dad insisted on lendin’ me. Soon as I heard the sirens I hightailed it back home. Anyway, I’m guessin’ he told the cops what he knew about the truck.”
    While Katie wrote in her notebook, Sheila realized it was her chance to ask a question, yet she hesitated, almost afraid of the answer. Now or never. She took a deep breath and plunged in. “Wendell, did you see my dad’s truck two nights ago, before the fire?”
    â€œHmm, can’t say as I did.”
    â€œSo you didn’t?”
    â€œSaw a truck takin’ off, same as before, over by those pines.”
    â€œDid you see anything else?”
    â€œCan’t say as I did, and I was sittin’ right here too.
    Happen I couldn’t sleep that night, it was hot as an oven in my van. Anyway, ’bout one thirty I wandered outside where it was cooler. Always did love watching the stars spinnin’ around up there in the night sky. A silence, pure as peace, generally settles in ’round that time of night too.”
    â€œGenerally?” Katie glanced up from her notes.
    â€œYou mean it was different that night?”
    â€œSure was. All those voices natterin’ away, how’s a man supposed to relax?”
    â€œWhat