Dead Set

by Vannetta Chapman

“Cooper Knox.”

  Tony motioned for Agatha to add both names to their list. It was the person you overlooked that led to holes in an investigation. “Because of the buckle, work didn’t start on Monday like it was supposed to.”

  “Nein. The police were here, so Derrick pushed the start to Tuesday.”

  “And Tuesday night was when Kolbe was killed.”

  That sat between the three of them for a moment.

  “After Kolbe’s death, the kids broke in, the burglars broke in...” Gina crossed her arms, still miffed that people would dare to break into Agatha’s house.

  Tony paused in his pacing. “I know the police think the killing happened before the robbery, but we don’t know that for certain. We won’t know until the coroner’s report is released. It will estimate the time of death.”

  Agatha put a question mark next to Kolbe’s death on the rough time line she was creating. “We do know that someone came back and tried to steal Doc. And then we had our Crowd Sourced Treasure Hunt.”

  She dropped the pen and pad of paper on the coffee table, but Gina picked it back up. She added “Found business card” at the end of the timeline.

  “The question is, when was the business card lost and how does it relate to the investigation?” Tony had the uneasy feeling that there was something he was missing. Something he should understand, but didn’t. When Agatha and Gina only stared at him, he sank back into the chair. “Neither of you brought this card into the house. Correct?”

  “I’ve never heard of the YO Ranch.”

  “And I am not looking for a ranching position.”

  “I’ve never been there either.” Tony took the pad from Gina, stared at it, then handed it back. “One of the construction workers brought it into your home. It must have fallen out of their pocket...”

  Agatha nodded in agreement. “Probably when they came back inside to pick up their tools.”

  “Or Derrick could have dropped it.” Gina yawned, covering her mouth with her hand and squeezing her eyes shut. “Just saying, it’s a possibility.”

  “Derrick wouldn’t be looking for a job, though.” Tony shook his head. “I guess he could have passed it on to one of the guys who didn’t want to work here any longer.”

  “Maybe, but he never strayed much from the front door.” Agatha shut her eyes for a moment, and then she opened them and smiled at Tony. “Derrick was embarrassed, I think, about having to pull out. In fact, I stepped out on the porch to talk to him.”

  Tony rubbed his hands together. “Okay. Someone gave one of the workers the card, and they were supposed to call it about work, but he dropped it here in your living room.”

  “They couldn’t have followed through then because they didn’t have the phone number written on the back.”

  “They could have...they might have if this person had given more than one of the workers a card. First guy loses his, turns to the second guy and asks for the number.”

  “So how does this all contain a clue to the murder?” Agatha shook her head. “I don’t get it.”

  “I can see what Tony’s saying.” Gina sat up straighter. “If one of the workers killed Kolbe, and looking at your list I’d say there’s a fifty-fifty chance, then that person could now be working at the YO Ranch. It would be a perfect place to lay low until this all cooled down.”

  “There’s another thing you need to know.” Tony told them about his lunch with Blake Goodwin, that he’d learned there was an undercover cop assigned to the burglaries.

  “Any idea who it is?”

  “I was thinking that Georgia Maples was a likely candidate. She admitted that she was an officer before moving here...”

  “But she’s been here for months.”

  “Yeah. That part doesn’t line up.” Tony shook his head. “I don’t know who it is, but I suspect that we may end up crossing paths at some point. If we do, it means we’re getting closer.”

  “And the Dewalds?” Agatha chewed on her thumbnail, caught herself, and reached for her kapp strings instead.

  “Honestly, I don’t know. On the one hand, they’re uniquely positioned to know what’s happening in homes and businesses in the area. On the other hand, maybe they’re just a couple trying to run a business. I do know that something is bothering them.” He explained about visiting his old friends Roger and Liz Stuckey and related their impression of the Dewalds.

  “There’s something else.” His voice had taken on a note of caution. He heard it, tried to dial it back. There was no need to frighten the two women sitting in front of him. Then again, neither Agatha nor Gina scared easily.

  “If we go any farther with this...” He nodded toward the lists. “We’re stepping in the middle of an ongoing investigation. As a detective, I wouldn’t want people doing that. But as a friend and neighbor, I think our involvement is justified. If Bannister doesn’t have the desire or manpower to follow every lead, then we’re perfectly situated to do so.”

  “How?” Gina was frowning at a piece of pizza crust. “How do we do that?”

  “We can start by going to the YO Ranch and seeing if there’s anyone there who is also on our list.”

  “I’m in.” Agatha smiled brightly. “But not tomorrow. I have church tomorrow.”

  “There’s some things I need to plan on my end. Let’s meet again tomorrow night, and see where we stand.”

  Chapter Fifteen

  It took longer than one day, but by Wednesday of the next week, they had a solid plan for following the lead from the business card. They left on Thursday morning. The YO headquarters was only 33 miles from Hunt, but the trip took nearly an hour. The area was decidedly more remote. They didn’t drive through a single town—not even a small town like Hunt. The scenery was pretty in a parched-Texas kind of way. Tony understood that much of Texas looked like this. It was easy to forget if you stayed in your own area—easy to forget the vastness of the land.

  Finally, they pulled into the parking area for the YO headquarters. Stepping out of the truck, both Agatha and Gina stretched as if they’d been riding for hours.

  Agatha tugged on the hem of her t-shirt, which was blue with green lettering.

  “Stop that.” Gina stepped closer and lowered her voice. “Act like you’re used to those clothes.”

  “But they’re so strange.” Agatha pulled on the neck of the t-shirt, smoothed one leg of the blue jeans, then put her opposite hand on top of her head. “And my scalp feels like it’s getting sunburned.”

  “You’ve worn Englisch clothes before. How is this different?”

  “Well, that’s when we’re doing especially difficult work, where wearing a dress would be inconvenient, maybe even dangerous. Can you picture me climbing up in the hayloft in a dress?”

  “I can’t picture you climbing up in a hayloft at all.”

  “Beside the point.” Agatha glanced left and right. “I hope I don’t see anyone I know.”

  “Your bishop gave you permission, right?” Tony had been reading messages on his phone, but now he watched and waited for Agatha to nod, to agree that she wasn’t doing anything outside the practices of her faith. That was the last thing he wanted—for her to feel conflicted in any way. When she smiled at him and nodded, he stuck the phone in his pocket and turned to Agatha and Gina. “Let’s do this.”

  The young woman checking them in was maybe twenty years old. Tony suspected she’d be heading off to college in another week or so. Summer tourism season was winding down. During the academic year, positions held by college students were usually filled by retirees looking for a few extra bucks.

  Tony signed the check-in form. “Place doesn’t look too busy.” He glanced toward the parking area, which was empty except for his truck.

  “Pretty hot to be wandering around a wildlife ranch.” The girl, whose name tag said Kayla, laughed good-naturedly. “It’s always busy here though. We have a wedding party coming in tonight and staying through the weekend. They’ve reserved every room except for yours.”<
br />
  Was that where their perp would be? It seemed unlikely that he’d be in a wedding party, but he might be part of the catering crew.

  Gina was running a finger across the woodwork, as if she were the white glove patrol. Agatha perked up when Kayla began explaining the eating arrangements—all meals were included in the cost of their rooms. Their options for eating were at the chuck wagon or the open bar.

  “I’ve never eaten at a chuck wagon.” Agatha carried a single canvas bag with her change of clothes in it.

  Gina had the same, though Tony expected her bag contained her pistol and ammunition as well as clothes.

  “You haven’t missed much, Agatha.” Gina shook her head in mock despair. “Trail food has never been in my top five choices. People go on and on about it, as if campfire coffee, complete with grounds floating in every cup, is the best thing. Trust me. It’s not.”

  “We aren’t here to enjoy the amenities,” Tony reminded them. “We’re here to catch a killer.”

  “Still, at two hundred dollars a night per person, we might as well experience all they have to offer.” Agatha stopped and stared at the swimming pool. It was surrounded by red brick and had the YO brand painted on the bottom.

  Tony turned and retraced his steps. “Did you bring your swimsuit?”

  “I did not.” She cocked her head to the side. “I was wondering if we should get one of these at the B&B.”

  “A swimming pool?” Gina dropped her bag and crossed her arms, scowling at the pool that included a waterfall and a swim-up bar. “The most basic models cost $50,000. This one would be closer to $100,000. Possibly even more with the swim-up bar attached to the end.”

  “Huh. Our guests seem to enjoy the river.”

  “And it doesn’t cost a thing.”

  “Ladies, we should probably...” Tony nodded toward the concrete path they’d veered away from. He’d reserved the Crockett Cabin since it had two rooms. One had twin beds for Agatha and Gina. The other had a queen bed, though he doubted that he’d be using it. Regardless how much they’d paid, they weren’t here for R&R. They were here to find and apprehend the person who had killed Kolbe Burke, the person who had attempted to rob Agatha’s house and seemed willing to go to any length to find more lost treasure—or more stolen goods, depending on your point of view.

  The Crockett Cabin was at the end of a covered breezeway. Agatha stopped and read the historical plaque on the wall outside the front window. “Built by William Bernhardt, something about a land grant, and the original site was southwest of Fredericksburg.”

  “Made of 19-inch post oak logs.” Tony read over her shoulder, then tapped the wall. “Bet that will keep bullets out.”

  “Unless they shoot through the window.” Gina put the key in the door and bumped it open with her hip.

  The door opened into their bedroom—literally, with a twin bed positioned on each side of the entrance.

  “Kind of small,” Gina said.

  “Rustic.” Agatha ran her hand over the blue quilt. “Nice colors, too.”

  A stone fireplace with three deer heads perched over the mantle took up the opposite wall. Tony’s room wasn’t any bigger, and the girls would have to go through his room to reach the bathroom.

  “Your cabins are larger, Agatha.” Gina dropped her bag on one of the twin beds. “And much less expensive.”

  “True, but there’s a feeling of history here. Don’t you think? I can almost hear the old cowboys coming in after a long day of work in the hills.”

  Tony went into his room, placed his bag on the bed, and pulled out his Glock. After making sure the magazine was fully loaded, he inserted it into the pistol. Removing the western shirt he wore over his t-shirt, he pushed his arms through his shoulder holster, and slipped the pistol into its holder. He was putting the overshirt back on when Agatha tapped lightly on his open door.

  “Are you expecting trouble?”

  Instead of answering, he walked over and pulled her into his arms.

  “We swore we wouldn’t get involved in a murder investigation again,” she murmured against his chest.

  “And yet here we are.”

  “But we’ll be careful.”

  “We’ll be very careful.” He nodded toward the main room. “Time for a strategy meeting.”

  There was a single chair in Agatha’s room, which Tony nodded for her to take. He sat on the edge of Agatha’s bed while Gina rifled through her overnight bag.

  He pulled out a map of the property.

  “Where did you get that?” Agatha looked from Tony’s map to the half page glossy information sheet she’d picked up.

  “Downloaded it from Google.” Tony placed the printed piece of paper on the bed and traced a large area of the map with his finger. “The original ranch owned by Captain Schreiner was more than half a million acres.”

  Gina let out a long whistle.

  “We don’t have nearly that much to cover, but it’s still a lot. The current owners purchased 5,400 acres in 2015, then another 5,700 in 2018.”

  “How are we going to search 11,000 acres?” Gina checked her Smith and Wesson, then slipped it into a hip holster. She donned a short-sleeved cotton blouse over her t-shirt.

  “Why am I the only one not packing?” Agatha tried to look perturbed, but she couldn’t quite pull it off.

  Tony aimed for his most serious expression. “You shouldn’t carry a gun unless you’re willing to use it.”

  “I’m not,” Agatha said at the same time Gina muttered, “I am.”

  “We don’t have to cover 11,000 acres,” Tony continued. “If our perp is on the property, and I think he is, then he’ll be here as a worker, not a guest. We only have to find out what projects are on-going and where the workers are focusing their efforts today. We’ll find our man.”

  “Or woman.” Gina shrugged when they both turned to stare at her. “It could be a woman. I’m just saying, don’t rule out half the population.”

  “There’s a wildlife tour that leaves at five o’clock. It will cover the area here, here, and here.” He indicated three large swaths of land. “I want you two on that tour.”

  “Where will you be?”

  “There’s also a stable.” He tapped a square on the map in the opposite direction. “That exorbitant fee we paid included use of their horses. I’ll take one and check out the areas that your tour won’t cover.”

  He refolded the single sheet of paper and stuck it in his shirt pocket. “This is information gathering only. We don’t take any risks. Is that clear?”

  “Crystal,” Agatha said.

  “Whatever,” Gina said.

  “I’m serious about that, ladies. We’re here to find the perp, and then we’ll call in Bannister.”

  Agatha sat up straighter, her hands clasped in her lap. “You think he’ll come? Because he seems pretty convinced that the perp has fled the state, that the case—for him anyway—is closed.”

  “Only because he’s stubborn.” Gina scowled out the window, as if Bannister were there and would see her disapproval. “He’s waiting on the forensics and all that high technology stuff. He doesn’t trust our intuition, which I should remind you has been correct in the last two murders.”

  One part of Tony agreed with Gina. The other part felt the need to defend him. “Bannister’s a busy guy. He’s working this from a different angle, and that’s okay.”

  Gina wasn’t letting it go. “A diamond necklace and gold spurs and jewel-studded Stetson all stolen in the same three-month period? Those crimes have to be connected in some way, and I’m betting they were committed by the same person. Add to that Kolbe’s death and the break-ins at Agatha... Bannister should be following these clues. Since he’s not, though, I’m feeling good about our chances. We could find some answers here.”

  “I still can’t believe that people pay good money for diamonds on belt buckles. I’m trying to imagine diamonds on a pair of suspenders, or circling my kapp.” Agatha shook her head in disbelief. �
�And risk going to jail? Why? It’s only stuff.”

  “Some people are willing to kill for that stuff. Don’t forget that.” Tony felt hesitation building in his very being.

  Was he foolish to involve Agatha and Gina in this? But it seemed the only way. It was this, or endure more break-ins, more destruction to Agatha’s property. She wouldn’t be safe until they caught the people responsible, and while Bannister was doing a good job with the information he had, he wasn’t willing to make the connection to the new information they’d discovered. He’d actually laughed when Tony had shown him the business card Fonzi found.

  This was the way to end it all. This was the only way.

  “We meet at the chuck wagon for dinner—let’s say seven o’clock. Remember, we have to look like tourists. Try to fit in.”

  Agatha stared down at her t-shirt. It had a picture of a soda bottle on it and read Dublin Dr Pepper. Her bruder Samuel had loved that drink. He’d named his horse Doc because of it. Was that a sign that their efforts would be blessed? Or was it a warning?

  “Are you afraid we won’t fit in?”

  “She is obviously expecting trouble.” Tony pointed a finger at Gina. “And yes, I can see the outline of your holster through your shirt. Switch to your ankle holster.”

  Gina craned her neck to try and see her own hip, sighed, and removed the gun and holster. She studied herself in the mirror and adjusted the blue handkerchief she had tied around her neck.

  Tony turned his attention to Agatha. “Try not to act Amish.”

  “Okay, but this place is a little over the top in my opinion. It’s hard not to walk around gaping at things. Amish people don’t pay two hundred dollars a night per person for a room.”

  “That’s the truth,” Gina muttered. “You argued against paying full price for peaches last week.”

  “You have to sell this, Agatha. We don’t want to draw any attention. If they were to suspect you, they’d take a closer look at me or Gina. They might even put together that they’d seen your face in the papers.”

  “I do wish they’d quit comparing me to Agatha Christie. It’s tiresome.”