A Maidens Grave

be.”
    Potter couldn’t waste time on this now. He made a fist and stared out the window through the Leicas. He saw Melanie’s blond hair, the black speck of the pistol. Struggling to keep his voice calm, he said, “Well, Charlie . . . you thought any more about what kind of imaginary batteries he wants for his toy?”
    Budd lifted his hands helplessly. “I can’t think. I . . . Ijust don’t know.” Panic edged into his voice. “Look at the time!”
    “Henry?”
    LeBow scrolled slowly through the now-lengthy profile of Louis Handy. To nervous Charlie Budd he said, “The more urgent the task, Captain, the more slowly you should perform it. Let’s see, there was a lot of grand theft auto when he was a kid. Maybe he’s into cars. Should we push that button?”
    “No. Charlie’s got a point. Let’s think about something having to do with his escape.”
    “What else does he spend his money on?” Angie asked.
    “Not much. Never owned property. Never knocked over a jewelry store . . . .”
    “Any interests?” Potter wondered.
    Angie said suddenly, “His probation reports. You have those in there?”
    “I’ve scanned them in.”
    “Read them. See if he’s ever asked permission to leave a jurisdiction and why.”
    “Good, Angie,” Potter said.
    Keys tapped. “Okay. Yes, he has. Twice he left Milwaukee, where he was living following his release, to go fishing in Minnesota. Up near International Falls. And three times up to Canada. Returned all times without incident.” LeBow squinted. “Fishing. That reminds me of something . . . .” He typed in a search request. “Here, a prison counselor’s report. He likes to fish. Loves it. Worked up merit points for a leave to a trout stream on the grounds at Pennaupsut State Pen.”
    Potter thought, Minnesota. His home state. Land of a Thousand Lakes. Canada.
    Budd—standing tall with his perfect posture—continued to fidget. “Oh, brother.” He looked at his watch twice, five seconds apart.
    “Please, Charlie.”
    “We’ve got seven minutes!”
    “I know. You had the brainstorm. What was in your mind?”
    “I don’t know what I meant!”
    Potter was staring at Melanie once again. Stop it, heordered. Forget about her. He sat up suddenly. “Got it. He likes to fish and has a fondness for the north?”
    “Right,” Budd said. Asking, in effect, So what?
    But LeBow understood. He nodded. “You’re a poet, Arthur.”
    “Thank Charlie here. He got me thinking of it.”
    Budd looked merely perplexed.
    “Five minutes,” Tobe called.
    “We’re going to cut a phony escape deal,” Potter said quickly, pointing to the “Deceptions” half of the board. LeBow rose to his feet, grabbed the marker. Potter thought for a moment. “Handy’s going to want to check what I tell him. He’s going to call the FAA regional headquarters. Where is that, Charlie?”
    “Topeka.”
    To Tobe, Potter said, “I want an immediate routing of all calls into the main FAA number sent to that phone right there.” He pointed to a console phone. It would be an arduous task, Potter knew, but without a word Tobe set to work pushing buttons and speaking urgently into his headset mike.
    “No,” Budd protested. “There’s no time. Just give him that number. How will he know it’s not the FAA?”
    “Too risky if he checks.” Potter picked up the phone and hit redial.
    An enthusiastic voice answered, “Yo.”
    “Lou?”
    “Hello, Art. My ears’re peeled but I don’t hear no chopper. You see my girlfriend here in the window?”
    “Say, Lou,” Potter said calmly, looking into the window. “I’ve got a proposition for you.”
    “Ten, nine, eight . . .”
    “Listen—”
    “Hey, Art, I just had a thought. Maybe this is your way of doing something bad. Maybe you are a son of a bitch.”
    “The chopper’s just about ready.”
    “And this here girl is just about bleedin’. She’s crying a stream, Art. I’ve had it. I’ve just fucking had it with you people. You don’t take me seriously.” He raged, “You don’t do what I fucking want! ”
    Angie leaned forward. Charlie Budd’s lips moved in a silent prayer.
    “All right, Lou,” Potter growled. “I know you’ll shoot her. But you know I’ll let you do it.”
    Static filled the van.
    “Hear me out at least.”
    “By my clock I’ll hear you out for another minute or two.”
    “Lou, I’ve been working on this for an hour. I didn’t want to say anything until it was in place