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ting us in Washington and all。〃
〃I thought perhaps you might give me some information concerning the area。〃
〃Be glad to；〃 replied Lee。
〃Don't stand there like a tree；〃 Maxine said to her husband。 〃Get the man something to drink。 He looks thirsty。〃
〃Sure； how about a beer？〃
〃Sounds good；〃 Pitt said； smiling。
Maxine opened the front door and hustled Pitt through。 〃You'll stay for lunch。〃 It was more a mand than a request and Pitt had no out but to shrug in acquiescence。
The living room of the house had a high…beamed ceiling with a bed…room loft。 The decor was an expensive conglomeration of art deco furnishings。 Pitt felt as though he had stepped back into the nineteen thirties。 Lee scurried into the kitchen and quickly returned with two opened beers。 Pitt couldn't help noticing there were no labels on the bottles。
〃Hope you like home brew；〃 said Lee。 〃Took me four years to get just the right blend between too sweet and too bitter。 Runs about eight percent alcohol by volume。〃
Pitt savored the taste。 It was different from what he expected。 If he hadn't detected a slight trace of yeast； he would have pronounced the taste fit for mercial sale。
Maxine set the table and waved for them to e around。 She set out a large bowl of potato salad； a pot of baked beans； and a platter of thinly sliced rounds of meat。 Lee replaced the rapidly emptied beer bottles with two fresh ones and started passing the plates。
The potato salad was hearty with just the right amount of tartness。 The baked beans were thick with honey。 Pitt did not recognize the meat or its taste； but found it delicious。 In spite of the fact that he had eaten with Loren only an hour before； the aroma of the home…cooked meal inspired him to put it away like a farmhand。
〃You folks lived here long？〃 Pitt asked between mouthfuls。
〃We used to vacation in the Sawatch as far back as the late fifties；〃 said Lee。 〃Moved here after I retired from the Navy。 I was a deep…water diver。 Got a bad case of the bends and took an early discharge。 Let's see； that must have been in the summer of seventy…one。〃
〃Seventy；〃 Maxine said； correcting him。
Lee Raferty winked at Pitt。 〃Max never forgets anything。〃
〃Know of any wrecked aircraft； say within a ten…mile radius？〃
〃I don't recollect any。〃 Lee looked at his wife。 〃How 'bout it； Max？〃
〃Honest to Pete； Lee； where's your mind？ Don't you remember that poor doctor and his family that was all killed when their plane crashed behind Diamond？ 。 。 。 How's the beans； Mr。 Pitt？〃
〃Excellent；〃 Pitt said。 〃Is Diamond a town near here？〃
〃Used to be。 Now it's only a crossroads and a dude ranch。〃
〃I recall now；〃 Lee said； reaching for seconds on the meat。 〃It was one of them little single…engine jobs。 Burned to a crisp。 Nothin' left。 Took the sheriff's department over a week to identify the remains。〃
〃Happened in April of seventy…four；〃 Maxine said。
〃I'm interested in a much larger plane；〃 Pitt explained patiently。 〃An airliner。 Probably came down thirty or forty years ago。〃
Maxine twisted her round face and stared unseeing at the ceiling。 Finally she shook her head。 〃No； can't say as I ever heard of any air disaster of that magnitude。 At least not around these parts。〃
〃Why do you ask； Mr。 Pitt？〃 Lee asked。
〃I found some old aircraft parts in Miss Smith's garage。 Her father must have put them there。 I thought perhaps he found them somewhere nearby in the mountains。〃
Charlie Smith；〃 Maxine said wistfully。 〃Godresthis soul。 Heusedto dream up more schemes to get rich than an unemployed embezzler on welfare。〃
Most likely bought them parts from some surplus store in Denver so's he could build another one of his nonworking contraptions。〃
〃I get the impression Loren's father was a frustrated inventor。〃
〃Poor old Charlie was that。〃 Lee laughed。 〃I remember the time he tried to build an automatic fishing…pole caster。 Damned thing threw the lure everywhere but in the water。〃
〃Why do you say 'poor old Charlie'？〃
A sorrowful expression came over Maxine's face。 〃I guess because of the horrible way he died。 Didn't Loren tell you about it？〃
〃Only that it was three years ago。〃
Lee motioned to Pitt's nearly empty bottle。 〃Like another beer？〃
〃No thanks； this is fine。〃
〃The truth of the matter is；〃 Lee said； 〃Charlie blew up。〃
〃Blew up？〃
〃Dynamite； I guess。 Nobody never knew for sure。 About all they ever found they could recognize was one boot and a thumb。〃
〃Sheriff's report said it was another one of Charlie's inventions gome wrong；〃 Maxine added。
〃I still say bullshit！〃 Lee grunted。
〃Shame on you。〃 Maxine shot her husband a puritanical stare。
〃That's the way I feel about it。 Charlie knew more about explosives than any man alive。 He used to be an Army demolitions expert。 Why； hell； he defused bombs and artillery shells all across Europe in World War Two。〃
〃Don't pay any attention to him；〃 said Maxine haughtily。 〃Lee has it in his head Charlie was murdered。 Ridiculous。 Charlie Smith didn't have an enemy in the world。 His death was an accident pure and simple。〃
〃Everyone's entitled to an opinion；〃 Lee said。
〃Some dessert； Mr。 Pitt？〃 asked Maxine。 〃I made some apple turn…overs。〃
〃I can't manage another bite； thank you。〃
〃And you； Lee？〃
〃I'm not hungry anymore；〃 Raferty grumbled。
〃Don't feel bad； Mr。 Raferty；〃 Pitt said consolingly。 〃It seems my imagination got the best of me also。 Finding pieces of an aircraft in the middle of the mountains 。。。 I naturally thought they came from a crash site。〃
〃Men can be such children sometimes。〃 Max gave Pitt a little…girl smile。 〃I hope you enjoyed your lunch。〃
〃Fit for a gourmet；〃 Pitt said。
〃I should have cooked the Rocky Mountain oysters a little longer； though。 They were a bit on the rare side。 Didn't you think so； Lee？〃
〃Tasted okay to me。〃
〃Rocky Mountain oysters？〃 asked Pitt。
〃Yes； you know；〃 said Maxine。 〃The fried bull testicles。〃
〃You did say 'testicles。' 〃
〃Lee insists I serve them at least two times a week。〃
〃Beats hell out of meat loaf；〃 Lee said； suddenly laughing。
〃That's not all it beats hell out of；〃 Pitt murmured； looking down at his stomach； wondering if the Rafertys stocked Alka…Seltzer； and sorry now he'd skipped the fishing。
At three o'clock in the morning Pitt was wide awake。 As he lay in bed with Loren snuggled against him and stared through the picture windows at the silhouetted mountains； his mind was throwing images inside his skull like a kaleidoscope。 The last piece of what had turned out to be a perfectly credible puzzle refused to fit in its slot。 The sky was beginning to lighten in the east when Pitt eased out of bed； pulled on a pair of shorts； and quietly stepped outside。
Loren's old Jeep was sitting in the driveway。 He reached in； took a flashlight from the glove partment； and entered the garage。 He pulled the drop cloth aside and studied the oxygen tank。 Its shape was cylindrical； measuring； Pitt guessed； slightly more than one yard in length by eighteen inches in diameter。 Its surface was scratched and dented； but it was the condition of the fittings that attracted his interest。 After several minutes he turned his attention to the nose ge