Gus seemed to be paying strict attention, hanging onto Cole’s every word and nodding. “Okay, Doc. I’ll take care of her.”
The discussion about foundering aside, Cole felt more confused by the minute. Surely Gus knew what caused an animal to get pregnant. And the man seemed overly sensitive to whatever he tried to tell him. He didn’t know what else to say, and his next client would be waiting by now, so he decided to wrap things up.
“Let me know if you have any more concerns or questions, but I’m sure she’ll be fine. She’s a stout, healthy mare. An easy keeper, right?” He crossed over to the mare, flipped up the latch on the stocks, and started backing her out. The gentle mare moved slowly and steadily backward and out the door.
Cole handed the lead rope to Gus, their earlier conversation about the disconnected phone line on his mind. “Do you want to pay for this next month, Gus? We can run an account and bill you if you want.”
Gus looked offended. “I can pay my bill today.”
“All right. Just wondered, with the charges last night for Dodger and all.” Cole offered a handshake to say good-bye. “Call me if you need me. Once you get her loaded, come back inside and settle up with Tess.”
At hearing Tess’s name, Cole noticed the man’s face flush before he turned to lead the horse away and then hurried to pack up the ultrasound machine so he could get to his next appointment. He didn’t know much about Gus. He looked to be about fifty-something. Didn’t know if he’d once been married or if he’d always been single. He seemed uncomfortable around others, but more so now than in the past.
For some reason, Gus had changed.
Chapter 8
Mattie’s radio crackled before the dispatcher, Rainbow Sanderson, spoke. “K-9 One, copy?”
Mattie keyed on the transmitter and responded with her location. “Timber Creek High. Go ahead.”
“Return to the station at your earliest convenience.”
“Copy that.”
She placed the transmitter back in its cradle and turned the key to start the Explorer, bringing the engine to life. She and Robo had completed a thorough search of Smoker’s Hill, but all they found was trash. No backpack. She believed whoever had been with Candace at the time of her death must have taken it. Still, she had lots to show for their efforts—she’d bagged everything outside the environmental norm that Robo indicated. Even if there was nothing inside the bag that was useful as evidence, she and Robo had at least done a thorough cleaning of the area.
A squeak came from Robo in his compartment, and she glanced at the rearview mirror to check on him. His pink tongue curled while he finished his yawn, making her fight one of her own. But then she decided, What the heck? Her ears popped while she allowed herself the widest yawn possible.
After spending time with Cole and Angela, it had been a short night. She hated to admit it, but having something to concentrate on at work helped keep her head straight, and she’d slept better the few hours she spent in bed than she had in days. She’d taken Robo out for his morning run, and they’d both seemed sharp and at the top of their game during their search, though perhaps a little sleepy now that the job was finished.
The call to come back to the station meant that Stella had arrived and would have news about the autopsy. Mattie turned onto Main and cruised slowly to the station, noting that all was quiet in town with the kids in school and very few patrons at the scattered shops.
Several cars and pickups were parked at the Watering Hole, representing the early lunch crowd at the local bar and grill. She studied the vehicles, looking for anything different that caught her eye, anything off. After Candace’s death, she needed to be hypervigilant.
As she drove past, she noticed four men who were opening doors to a silver SUV parked diagonally at the curb. They were all dressed in neutral-colored outdoor gear, khakis and greens, with warm caps pulled low on their heads. They looked like hunters—only it wasn’t hunting season. And another thing caught her attention. As if choreographed, they all averted their faces and hurried to enter their vehicle as she drove by. Taking shelter? It was enough to make Mattie take a mental note of the license plate number, a reflexive response.
If she hadn’t been headed to a meet at the station, she might have turned around and followed them out of town, just to see which way they were headed. But under the circumstances, she jotted down the license plate number on a pad she kept affixed to her dashboard, tore off the page, and stuffed it into her shirt pocket. She’d ask Rainbow to look up the plate and make sure the vehicle wasn’t listed as stolen.
She parked beside Stella’s silver Honda and unloaded Robo. He walked sedately beside her at heel, evidently having had enough exercise this morning to make him well behaved for the rest of the day. When she entered the building, Rainbow lifted a hand in a gesture to wait while she finished up a phone call.
The dispatcher looked resplendent in a gauzy lined tunic of tie-dyed design, featuring all the colors in her namesake, worn over black leggings. She’d gathered her blond hair up onto the crown of her head and secured the tresses with what looked like a pair of chopsticks.
“How are you doing?” Rainbow asked as she disconnected her caller.
“Okay. You?”
Rainbow wore a concerned expression. “That’s awful about Candace Banks. Thank goodness Robo found her, or she might still be up on the hill. Or worse yet, one of the kids from school would have stumbled across her.” At the sound of his name, Robo pushed forward to fawn against her while she patted and stroked him, and she continued talking in sweet baby talk. “You’re such a good boy, aren’t you, Robo? Such a good boy.”
Mattie could tell the baby talk was getting him too excited. Worse than a kid. “Okay, Robo, that’s enough. You and Rainbow can play after hours. Right now, you’re on duty.”
She settled her dog at heel as she drew the scrap of paper from her pocket. “Could you look up this plate while I’m in the meeting and make sure this vehicle isn’t stolen? Interrupt me if it is.”
“Sure,” Rainbow said as she took the note.
Mattie started to leave but then stopped for a moment. “Do you know the Banks family, Rainbow?”
“No, not really. But I’ve met the mom, Juanita, at Rancher’s Supply Feeds, where I buy grain for Miss Nanny.”
Her goat. Rainbow lived out west of town, where she rented a cabin beside the creek and kept a few animals for pets. “Met her how?”
“Oh, she works there.”
“Has she worked there a while?”
“Yeah, I’d say a year or two.”
“Did you ever get into a conversation with her about anything personal?”
Rainbow paused, a furrow on her brow. “Not really. Maybe she asked me about my animals, but I don’t remember her saying anything about herself.”
“So you never met Candace?”
Sadness crossed her face. “No, I didn’t.”
“Okay. Well, I better get into the meeting.”
“Wait, I almost forgot.” Rainbow ducked down to peer under her desk, drawing out a paper bag. “I made some zucchini bread last night, and it’s absolutely divine. The best recipe I ever made. I brought this for you, and don’t give it to any of the others, okay? Have some at lunch and let me know what you think?”
Rainbow had been trying to tempt her with all kinds of foods, brought to work or to her home. Mattie knew that her friend worried about her weight loss because they’d already tangled over it. She’d told Rainbow she didn’t like people worrying about her and to quit asking her if anything was wrong. This had resulted in a long string of goodie gifts that Mattie ended up giving to Mama T, since for the most part, she didn’t feel like eating.
“Thanks, but you shouldn’t be bringing me food all the time.”
“Never mind about that. Just tell me what you think of it. You can be my taste tester.”
Mattie had to give her friend credit—she was getting very creative with her efforts to conceal her motives. S
he hurried into the staff office to leave the bag on her desk and then went to the briefing room. As she entered, she encountered a familiar sight. The dry-erase board had been wheeled to the center of the room, and Stella was writing on it while Brody and the sheriff sat at a table in front.
“Deputy,” McCoy greeted her before turning his attention back to Stella.
Brody’s back was toward her, his broad shoulders straining the fabric of his khaki shirt. She crossed between the Formica-topped tables and took a seat beside him. Robo circled and lay down at her feet.
Brody rolled his shoulders and leaned his head from side to side, stretching his neck and setting off muffled pops as his bones cracked, a familiar noise. Brody was wound pretty tight.
“We’re setting up the grid, Mattie,” Stella said while she continued to write. Fatigue showed in the detective’s eyes, and Mattie wondered if she’d worked the case most of the night.
The name “Candace Banks” had been written at the top of the board, and an enlarged photo of the teen was taped next to her name. It looked like a recent school photo, and Mattie took in the happy brown eyes, walnut-colored curls, and confident grin. The child’s happiness made her sad. Candace didn’t look like a troubled child, at least not in this photo.
Starting on the left, Stella had written “Evidence” and listed several things: “Tire-tread print beside Highway 12—B. F. Goodrich/TKO (common brand for trucks and SUVs)”; “Boot prints—around size ten/smooth sole”; “Photos with HS friends”; “Clothing from room”; “Magazines”; “Cell phone.”
“We’ll add in the cap you found on the escape route here too. Just in case it turns out to belong to our killer.” Stella added it to the list. “We’ve discussed the things we found in Candace’s room and your theory about them prior to your arrival, Mattie. The clothing and magazines might not be evidence. If we find that these items have nothing to do with our victim’s death, I’ll eliminate them for the sake of keeping the information confidential. For now though, everything should be considered.”
Mattie nodded, turning over the information in her mind. She decided to tell the others what she’d learned from Angela. “I spoke to a high school student last night. Unfortunately, Candace had a bad reputation, and if rumors are true, boys from the high school have been taking advantage of her.”
“I’ve found evidence on the cell phone to support that as well.” Stella tipped her head at Mattie as if conceding the point. “Do you have anything to add from your search this morning?”
“Robo pointed out lots of stuff on the hill, but I think it’s probably all litter. I’ve bagged it, if you want the CSU techs to go through it.”
“Still no backpack?”
“Right.”
“I’ll add ‘Missing backpack’ here. It could be important if we find it. We’ll talk about the autopsy and then go back to the cell phone.” Stella wrote “Autopsy” to the right of “Evidence” and started a new list. “Cause of death: asphyxiation from a severe asthma attack. Doc McGinnis was right on the money with that theory last night. But there’s enough evidence from the autopsy that we’re classifying the manner of death as a homicide.”
Stella finished writing “MOD: Homicide” on the board. She continued to list items as she spoke. “This evidence includes burlap fibers in the victim’s airway and on her clothing. Brings to mind something like a burlap sack. The ME was leaning a bit toward classifying this as an accidental death, because he thought it might have just been some kids horsing around. You know . . . someone putting a bag over Candace’s head in play. But combined with other things found, he decided to go with homicide.”
“Other things?” McCoy asked.
“Bruising on her arms in a pattern that would suggest someone held onto them by gripping tightly. Bruising and contusions on her torso consistent with her falling onto the rocky ground. Broken fingernails suggesting she fought. Scrapings from under her fingernails that included skin cells that we’ll send to the lab for DNA.”
Stella paused while they took it all in. “Someone held that bag in place while she fought for her life.”
Mattie conjured the scene in her mind. Candace, fighting someone bigger and more powerful until the results of the asthma attack overtook her and she collapsed, unable to breathe. Mattie suppressed a shiver.
“The feed store,” she said.
Stella gave her a sharp look. “What about it?”
It surprised Mattie when Brody answered before she could.
“Juanita Banks works at Rancher’s Supply Feeds, where they sell livestock feed and grain in burlap bags. She also cleans rooms at the Blue Sky Motel.”
Brody was good at finding out things about people.
Stella turned to the board and wrote “Interview” on the far right. Skipping down a space, she wrote “Rancher’s Supply Feeds/Juanita Banks.” She turned and scanned their faces. “What do you make of that?” she asked, inviting opinions.
“Could be purely coincidence, but it’s a definite connection,” McCoy said.
Brody shifted in his seat. “Can you imagine the number of people around here who buy feed at that store and have a stack of burlap bags in their sheds?”
Mattie thought the number would be in the high hundreds. Still, it might be worth looking at.
Stella nodded thoughtfully. “Mattie, could you go to the feed store and try to get a handle on that?”
“Yes.”
“Okay. Now let’s talk about the evidence from the cell phone. It leads us to some people of highest priority.” She wrote “Cell Phone Leads” in the space she’d left at the top of the list. “I’m keeping names of the kids from the cell phone off the board, since we’re dealing with minors here. Mattie already knows these kids, which is good, because we’re going to have to interview several of them. I’d like you to do that with me.” Stella looked at her.
“All right.”
“I’ll sum up the bulk of the text messages by telling you there was a lot of sexting going on with that phone. Naughty talk, pictures of body parts. Candace was evidently using the porn magazines as examples for creative posing. The boys used code names, but we’ve been able to match up phone numbers with real names. Actually, in all cases, the accounts were set up by their parents. They should be real happy to learn how their youngsters are using the cell phones they’ve been paying for.”
“No different than the fancy cars they buy for them,” Brody muttered, grumbling. Mattie had to agree with him; kids and their cars kept Garcia, the night deputy, hopping during his shift, especially on weekends.
“The best leads we found on the cell phone were the appointments that Candace scheduled with the boys,” Stella continued, “which brings me to the best one of all. She had an appointment with one boy in particular at 3:30 yesterday, up on Smoker’s Hill. You’d already given me his name, Mattie.”
Stella placed the photo with the boy posing alone with Candace on the table. “Brooks Waverly. What can you tell us about him?”
“He’s the football team quarterback,” Mattie said. “High school senior, runs with the jocks. He’s the son of a cattle rancher and lives west of town about ten miles.”
“Any juvenile violations?” McCoy asked.
“None that I know of.” Mattie looked at Brody for confirmation.
“Nope,” he said. “He’s golden.”
Mattie knew Brody meant that the kid not only had a clean record but was a golden boy in the eyes of the school and probably in the eyes of his parents.
Stella evidently was thinking along the same lines. “Well, he won’t be so golden later today. He’s our top priority, but I want to bring in these other two boys as well.” She placed the photo with Candace sandwiched between the two boys on the table. “Casey Rhodes and Joshua Barnaby. They were setting up appointments with her a few weeks ago. What about these guys, Mattie?”
“Both on the football team with Waverly. Rhodes lives here in town, but I’m not sure where Barnaby lives.”
“He’s here in town,” Brody said.
Mattie nodded. “These kids do their share of roughhousing after school and driving around town, but as far as I know, none of them have ever been in any real trouble.”
“There might be a speeding ticket on Barnaby,” Brody said, “but I’d have to look it up.”
Stella paused, lips pursed. Then she looked at McCoy. “I think it’s best if we call the parents and have them bring these kids in to interview. Schedule them one by one. Would you agree?”
McCoy was already nodding. “Since they’re minors, we have to question them with a parent present. If we do it that way, we accomplish two things—notify parents of this behavior and interview the young men at the same time.”
“I’ll get right on it; schedule the interviews for this afternoon. Let’s take them out of school,” Stella said. “Show them and their parents this is serious. We’ll finish this up so I can get on it.”
Stella turned and wrote “Burt Banks” on the board below the word “Interviews.” “Since we’ve gained enough evidence to verify Mattie’s suspicions about promiscuity, I think we have to lean on the victim’s father. Especially since we know he has access to burlap through his wife’s employment.”
“What would be his motive?” Brody asked.
“If he’s been molesting his daughter, he wouldn’t want her to talk. She’s seeking new friends, becoming sexually active with others. Jealousy,” Mattie said.
“He was dodging something when I questioned him about his alibi last night,” Stella said. “Brody, could you check out his alibi for us? See if anyone can confirm his presence at the Hornet’s Nest in Hightower, and if so, the time he arrived and departed?”
“Sure.”
“Anything else for now?” Stella asked, waiting for a moment before continuing. “All right, let’s get to work.”
Chairs screeched as they pushed back and stood up from the table. The autopsy results made Mattie heartsick; here they were, dealing with another murdered child. Robo came with her as she strode to the door. They had an assignment to do, and it was time to get started.
Hunting Hour Page 8