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Dolly was married to a Yow?” asked Jackson.
    Angie searched her notes. “Eddie Yow.”
    “What’s the name of Pamela’s ex-husband?”
    “Got me,” she said. “Want me to ask Sadie?”
    “Naw. Forget it. We’ll talk to Ted and Dolly.”
    Angie laid her report on the desk. “Anything else?”
    Jackson leaned back in his chair and said, “Well, I’m going to need a new Deputy Chief of Police.”
    “You asking me if I’d want it?”
    “Only if you don’t let out a war cry.”

Five
    It was mid-afternoon when Jackson got to the Split-Rail Café. He had not eaten since breakfast. He was anticipating a cup of coffee, a turkey sandwich, and time to think. Once he saw Iris and Dell seated in a rear booth, and Iris motioning for him to join them, he knew that the coffee and sandwich were the most he would get. Jackson greeted a few unemployed or retired local men, nodded to a pair of tourists poring over a map, and went to the counter. He gave Suzy Beans, a chubby Korean girl of nineteen, his order for the sandwich and coffee. He ordered turkey breast on dark rye toast, with mayonnaise, lettuce, tomato, and bread and butter pickles.
    “You want espresso, cappuccino, latte, Americano …?” Suzy asked with a bored voice. A year ago, Iris had convinced Jay and Janice Beans to add an espresso machine.
    “Half-decaf, half-high octane. Black.” Suzy, who had been adopted at birth by the café owners, went off to get his non-espresso machine coffee order, while Jackson moved to the booth and sat beside Iris. “Guess you’ve heard?”

    They both said they had.
    “I still don’t believe it,” Iris said. “It feels so, so creepy. What we were talking about this morning.”
    Jackson resisted any of a dozen comments that came instantly to mind. They weren’t easy to resist.
    “I know mountain lions have attacked kids and small women,” Dell said, “but not a man with a gun.”
    “I can’t say for sure what killed Ed.” When Suzy Beans brought Jackson’s coffee, he told her thanks.
    “Sandwich’ll be right up,” Suzy said and then left.
    “I hear it was one of Ted’s big cats,” Iris said.
    Jackson didn’t say anything.
    “I’ve hunted lions before, real lions,” Dell said. “When me and Dan went to Africa.” Jackson had seen the trophy heads and heard the stories of the safari that Dell and his younger brother, Dan, had gone on six years ago. Dan Tapper was now the lieutenant governor of Idaho. After November, he would most likely be governor. “If a lion or a tiger got loose from the Cheney place, I can kill it,” Dell added. “Go on safari right here in Idaho.”
    Jackson sipped his coffee and then said, “Let’s hold off on a hunting party until I talk to Ted and Dolly.”
    “What if it kills somebody else first?” Dell asked.

    Iris grabbed Jackson’s hand, causing his coffee to slosh onto the table. “Jesse’s out riding that damn horse today.” Her voice was suddenly shrill. “We gotta find her. Stop her. She could be out in the woods with –”
    Jackson was on his way out the door, cell phone in hand, before Iris could even finish saying, “– with that killer cat.” His daughter was at the top of his speed dial list. Her cell phone rang, and then a message said the call could not be completed due to … He hung up.
    “You reach her?” Iris said, coming up behind him.
    “Call Deborah. Have her go find Jesse, and tell her to stay put. Not go off riding. I’m on my way.”
    “I’m going with you.”
    “No,” Jackson said. “I’ll be faster by myself.” He didn’t stop to argue, hurrying to the Jeep.
    “How could you let her do this?” Iris called out.
    “Call Deborah now!” Jackson yelled. He jumped in, started the Jeep, eased into light traffic, and headed toward the Double-D Stables. On the edge of town he hit the lights and siren and floored the accelerator.
    Jesse tugged at the Chukars’ cap she usually wore while working at the stables. A thick ponytail