Unbridled Murder

by Leigh Hearon

  There. That was short and sweet.

  “And you saw nothing suspicious when you arrived?”

  Of course I did, you idiot. “I heard the horses raising a ruckus almost as soon as I turned off the highway. I knew something was wrong right away.”

  “And what did you do?”

  “The gate was open, so I drove in.” Annie wondered what she would have done if the gate had been closed. Clear it with a single bound, she hoped. “The horses were going nuts. I ran over to the Kubota and saw . . . saw the body. I broke into the office to call 9-1-1. I couldn’t get any reception from my phone.”

  Annie decided to say nothing about seeing two horses stomp the body into smithereens. It was pretty self-evident what had happened, anyway.

  A deputy approached them. “Sheriff, there ain’t nothin’ we can do for old George over there. But the horses are pretty restless. I’m not sure how we’re going to get him out without causing a stampede.”

  The sheriff paused, and then spoke directly to Annie. “Wait over there. We’ll get your statement when we’re through here.”

  “Mind if I get my dog? He’s been in my truck the entire time.”

  “Roll down your windows, but keep your mutt inside. We don’t need any more help right now.”

  Oh, yes, you do, thought Annie. So far, she’d seen no one who looked as if he had the slightest idea how to calm the horses. And the onrush of a half dozen more people into the horses’ territory was doing nothing to assuage their fears.

  The sheriff turned back to the deputy, and Annie took this as her cue to leave. She walked over to the truck, made sure Wolf was all right, and inserted a bowl of water into the extended cab. At least he was in the shade, which, even at this early hour, was essential to his well-being. Wolf was eager to join his mistress, but Annie firmly told him to stay. She regretted not having him by her side. She would have welcomed his company.

  She watched the sheriff stride back to his car, pull out his radio mic, and speak into it. It was impossible to hear the conversation, but by the length of it, Annie assumed that the process of extricating George’s body was going to be difficult and prolonged. She sighed, and discreetly walked over to the far side of the pen, wondering if she’d see the three horses that should have been on the road with her by now. Myrna had promised they’d be separated, but Annie didn’t trust that she’d followed through. Almost immediately she saw Eddie, standing in a far corner. His prominent ribs made him stand out compared to the other horses. He looked more banged up than he had the day before. Annie could see several new bite marks on his flanks, and he looked positively haggard. She wondered if he’d eaten at all since being tossed into the pen yesterday afternoon.

  The other horses were still a blur of legs as they paced and erratically charged within the confines of the pen, all the while emitting shrill, worried cries. Annie struggled to see the identifying marks of the Morgan, yearling, and bay mare she’d met yesterday afternoon with Maria. It was impossible, she decided, and perhaps they were, in fact, in another paddock farther away. She started to walk up the aisle to ensure she was correct but was soon informed by a deputy that going farther was not allowed right now. Annie thought of arguing the point, but resisted the urge. She was a stranger in a strange town and knew that any debate would be of no value. As much as Sheriff Dan Stetson routinely annoyed her, she desperately wished she could speak with him now.

  Walking back to her truck, she saw another vehicle approach the feedlot entrance—a pickup truck, judging by the amount of dust it created. As it turned the corner toward the gate, she recognized the sea-foam-green color of Maria’s Toyota. Her heart rose. Curbing her desire to run out to greet her new friend, she waited for the pickup to enter the compound, then walked up to the driver’s window. She noticed that Maria had to roll it down—the truck was that old.

  “Boy, am I glad to see you,” she said when Maria had completed the task.

  “Are you all right?” Maria asked anxiously.

  “A lot better than George,” Annie answered. “Not to mention all those half-crazed horses you see in there.”

  “I heard about it on the police scanner at school. I figured you and the horses needed me more than thirty fourth-graders. Besides, they can read on their own. I should know—I tutored most of them last year.”

  “I can’t tell you how glad I am to see you,” Annie repeated. “But I should warn you—there’s a big nasty sheriff in there who may not be happy you’re here.”

  “Harlin?” Maria snorted. “I tutor his kids. He’ll be delighted to see me.”

  Annie ducked her head in mock acceptance and took her hands off the door. “This I’ve got to see.”

  To Annie’s surprise, the sheriff greeted Maria with more than a modicum of warmth, and gave her carte blanche to separate the horses into adjoining, albeit, smaller paddocks and to feed them. Perhaps it was the fact that Maria had mingled with most of these horses before, Annie thought, or that Maria was just a natural horse whisperer. Whatever it was, she obviously knew what she was doing. Using nothing more than a lead rope as a directional, she herded the horses down the aisle to paddocks at the other end of the property, where they quickly regained their composure. Annie tried to help, but she realized that Maria was fully capable of doing the job alone.

  “There,” Maria said, panting a little, as she closed the paddock gate on the last delivery. “Now let’s get them fed.”

  Annie was delighted to help. The Kubota was not available, since it was now in evidence, but Maria’s battered pickup worked just fine. The two women stacked the bed high with hay and generously distributed it among the paddocks. As Annie feared, Eddie was not getting anywhere near the piles; every time he approached a group of horses, he was roughly chased away.

  “I can’t stand this anymore,” Annie told Maria. “Let’s put Eddie in with my three.” Maria looked up in surprise. “Are you thinking of taking him, as well?”

  Annie hadn’t thought about it until now. She’d only been intent on making sure Eddie was fed. But she realized she had come to that decision. “Yes, I am,” she said firmly. “I don’t know when, but Eddie’s coming home with me.”

  Maria grinned. “Stick around, Annie, and we might find another trailer-full of new playmates for you to haul.”

  Annie was afraid she was right.

  * * *

  Eddie fared much better in the smaller group. Even the yearling, which technically was still a stallion, did not give the Thoroughbred any grief. True, Eddie was at least twice the size of the yearling, but Annie noticed that the Morgan and bay, both mares, seemed to have the yearling in check already, and he probably didn’t want to push his luck.

  The mustang’s nose was still running, but Annie rechecked his lymph nodes, and they continued to show no signs of swelling. She wished she could take the horse’s temperature, then realized no one was around to stop her.

  “Where’s Myrna?” she asked Maria.

  Maria paused mid-throw of a large flake of Timothy in Eddie’s direction.

  “Good question. Where, indeed?”

  “She said this was her banking day, but surely she must have heard the news about George by now.”

  The women glanced down the aisle toward the now-empty paddock. The ambulance had departed, and it looked as if the sheriff and his deputies were about to leave, as well.

  Glancing at her watch, Annie saw that it was high noon. Prolonged distance from the crime scene had reignited her appetite. But first she had to have a little chat with the sheriff. This was his party, not hers. And she wanted to get the show on the road. As it was, she figured she wouldn’t arrive on the Peninsula until close to sunset. She needed to call Jessica and tell her about the revision in plans.

  “Let’s go talk to Harlin and get his permission to leave,” Maria said firmly, as if reading Annie’s thoughts.

  “Fine with me. Sorry about George, but I’ve got horses to haul.”

  They found the sheriff by his
county vehicle, scribbling in a notebook.

  “Harlin?” Maria said as they approached him. “Where’s Myrna?”

  Harlin looked up. “You done settling the horses?”

  “Yes, and I’d like to know if anyone’s going to feed them tonight. Or would you like me to come back?” Maria’s tone clearly showed her displeasure at having her question ignored.

  “Might be a good idea to check on them for a few days.”

  “Why? Is Myrna so prostrate with grief she’s unable to perform this chore?”

  Annie, no stranger to sarcasm herself, could hear it loud and clear in Maria’s response.

  “Don’t know. We can’t find her. Yet.”

  Maria paused. “You know, I just assumed that George consumed one too many beers for breakfast, fell off his Kubota, and the rest is history. Am I missing something here?”

  The sheriff carefully closed his notebook. “George got a thirty-thirty slug in his back. That’s why he slipped off the Bobcat.”

  Annie felt a tingle go down her spine. So George had been shot. Murdered. And she had arrived perhaps mere minutes after the shot had been fired.

  “We’ll be wanting your statement now, Ms. Carson. So if you’ll be so kind as to get in the backseat of my vehicle, I will personally escort you to the precinct for an interview.”

  “Hold on, Harlin,” Maria exclaimed. “Annie showed up after the fact. I’m sure she’s happy to write out a statement. Is a formal interview really necessary?”

  The sheriff nodded toward Annie’s truck, where Annie could see Wolf sitting up in the backseat, wondering why he’d been abandoned for so long.

  “We noticed you carry a thirty-thirty in your rig, Ms. Carson. When was the last time you used it?”

  All of a sudden, Annie felt dizzy. When had she last fired her rifle? Her mind went blank.

  “I think last fall. I was chasing a black bear off my property.”

  “Then you won’t mind if we test it, do you?”

  “No, not at all.” She stumbled over the words. Her heart was beating like a jackrabbit. For heaven’s sake, Annie thought crossly, I’m completely innocent. Why am I acting like I’m not?

  “Good. As far as those horses you planned on hauling, well, that’ll have to wait. The feedlot’s a crime scene now. And until we’ve got this all sorted out, it’ll stay that way. Goes for you, too. You’re not leaving town right yet, either. Not until we talk to the last person who saw George alive.”

  “But the last person to see George alive would be his killer!” The words burst out of Annie before she had time to think.

  “Exactly what I mean. Step inside, Ms. Carson.” And with that, the sheriff opened his rear passenger door.

  CHAPTER 12

  WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON, AUGUST 10

  The gunshot-residue test had been the final straw for Annie.

  She’d endured nearly three hours of questioning. But when she was asked if she would submit her hands to this test, she’d nearly done what infuriated Sheriff Stetson every time it occurred in his jurisdiction—told this hayseed sheriff she wanted to lawyer up. The problem was the only attorney she knew was James Fenton, retained by Marcus Colbert for corporate work. True, after Marcus had been arrested for his wife’s murder, James Fenton had flown in, given an impressive court speech, and succeeded in getting Marcus out of jail on bail, but that’s as far as his work as a criminal defense attorney had extended. Besides, Annie had the distinct feeling that James Fenton didn’t like her very much. Their few conversations had been superficial at best, and the attorney always seemed to want to end the call as quickly as possible.

  So Annie submitted to the test. She was still trying to wipe her hands clean when she emerged into the sheriff’s office reception area at five o’clock. Maria, bless her heart, had been patiently waiting there with Wolf by her side.

  Wolf leapt into Annie’s arms—a definite no-no, but Annie didn’t care—as Maria stood up, watching the blue heeler lick Annie’s face exuberantly.

  “I’m so sorry this happened to you, Annie,” she said. “You’re living proof that no good deed goes unpunished.”

  Annie managed a half laugh. “Well, I just hope the sheriff is reviewing the surveillance cameras you talked about, so I’m eliminated from the list of suspects.”

  “I’m sure he will. And in the meantime, I’ll be sure to tell him what I think of the way he treats people who are just trying to help the horses. I don’t know who killed George, but believe me, the number of people who wanted him dead stretches from here to Pasco. Scratching you off the list will be the easiest part of his job.”

  “I hope you’re right,” Annie replied, extricating Wolf’s paws from her shoulders. “I feel as if I’m in a bad Western. I’ve been ordered not to leave town until the sheriff tells me I can go. Please don’t take this personally, but I’d really like nothing better to do than go home with a full trailer and Wolf by my side.” She looked down contentedly at Wolf, who was gazing up at her with adoring eyes.

  “I hear you. I got a friend to drive your rig back to the motel. Let me drop you off there so you can freshen up.”

  Annie had given Maria her keys before she’d begun her escorted ride to the sheriff’s office. She’d been most concerned about Wolf, who’d been stuck in the truck far too long, no matter how well he could control his bladder. He looked fine now, she observed, and was reeking of hamburger. Annie suspected her blue heeler had recently devoured one of his favorite meals—a Big Mac, no onions.

  As Maria pulled into the now-familiar motel, she turned to her. “Annie, there’s one thing you should know.”

  Annie watched Maria put her truck in park and inwardly sighed. She just wanted to be alone, but Maria had been nothing but kind. So she leaned back and smiled. “Shoot.”

  “You asked about Tony yesterday. I wasn’t quite truthful about our relationship.” For the first time, Maria looked something less than at ease.

  “The truth is, he spent the night with me when he was up here last Wednesday. He’d checked into a motel—the other one in town, and we met for a beer. One thing led to another. . . .” She spread her hands as if to complete the sentence.

  “Say no more. It’s none of my business.” In truth, Annie was distinctly tickled. She was glad that Tony had had a romantic encounter the day before he died. Everyone should be so lucky, she thought.

  “We had a relationship like that. We didn’t see each other often, but when we did, sparks would fly, and we’d usually end up in bed together.” Now Maria was positively blushing, which was hard to do over her warm brown skin.

  “Maria, for heaven’s sake. You were both consenting adults and, I might add, single. I think it’s great that you and Tony had a thing going, even if it was long-distance. It must not have been easy. I have a long-distance relationship myself.”

  Annie couldn’t believe she’d just admitted this. She’d hardly admitted it to herself.

  “He was so excited about the boys’ ranch that you and your friends are creating,” Maria went on. “It’s all he could talk about.”

  Annie’s heart plunged again. Once more, she was reminded that she would never see or talk to Tony again. “His death was tragic,” she said simply. “But I’m glad he had you in his life up to the very last day.”

  “Thanks, Annie. Now I’ll leave you alone. I’m sure you’re dying to take a bath. And I’m picking you up at seven o’clock. It’s high time we did something to cheer you up, and I’ve got just the thing.”

  With those enigmatic words, Maria gave her one of her usual bright smiles and waved good-bye. Annie and Wolf turned and headed to the office of the Browning Motel. She noticed that its façade was becoming less enticing the longer she remained in this dusty old town.

  * * *

  “You’re checking in again?”

  The desk clerk looked at Annie with amusement. Annie did not smile back. She was not amused. She was not happy at all.

  “Yes, and I don’t know prec
isely when I’ll be leaving,” she answered grumpily. “Is there a weekly rate?”

  The clerk looked surprised. “Browning doesn’t usually hold that much appeal for our visitors. Most of ’em arrive in the evening and leave before dawn. Let me check with the owner.” He disappeared behind a cloth curtain.

  Annie sighed and flopped down in a chair. She picked up a magazine extolling the amazing recreational opportunities in the area, flipped through it, and tossed it aside. All she wanted to do was go home. With four horses and Wolf. Not to mention take a long, cold shower, and not necessarily in that order.

  The clerk reappeared. “We can give you a weekly rate of five hundred dollars. That’s a savings of a little more than a hundred dollars.”

  “Swell.” She reached for the registration form, but the clerk deftly took it away.

  “That’s all right, Ms. Carson. We’ve got it all on file. All we need is your credit card.”

  Annie pried it out of her wallet and handed it over. The clerk must have gone to charm school because he politely refrained from asking Annie what fascinating business in their metropolis had prolonged her stay.

  A cold shower, followed by a cold pale ale, which had been purchased two days ago but was lying in wait in Annie’s cooler for just such an occasion, made her feel much better. Wrapping her wet hair in the threadbare cloth the Browning Motel called a towel, she sprawled on her bed and called the only law enforcement official she ever wanted to talk to again.

  Dan picked up on the first ring.

  “Annie! Why in the Sam Hill haven’t you called by now?”

  “Gee, I missed you, too, Dan. And I would have called earlier, but I just finished being interrogated by your comrades in Browning. I’m pretty sure I’m their number-one murder suspect, but I don’t think they’ll hang me until sundown.”

  “Spare me the sarcasm. I know all about it. I just got off the phone with Sheriff Mullin.”

  “I told him to call you about a million times. I told him to call you while I was being interrogated.”