The expression of dismay on her friend’s face was almost her undoing. She made an excuse that she needed to complete her paperwork and clock out, and then escaped to the staff office. She needed to be alone to think through the details and try to remember anything from her past that she had forgotten.
Anything that might help solve her brother’s murder.
FOURTEEN
All through dinner, Cole worried about Mattie. He’d asked her to phone him when she left work, but she hadn’t yet called. He’d also sent a couple of texts but received no response. He was afraid that her brother’s death might make her withdraw from him the way she had after last Christmas, something he wanted to avoid.
When they’d finished eating, he told Mrs. Gibbs and his daughters about Mattie’s brother. He hated having to do it, but they needed to know, and after everything that had happened this past year the kids were becoming experts at handling bad news. They talked it over for a long while, mostly about their concerns for Mattie, and then Angela left to go upstairs to do homework.
He had just finished getting Sophie started on hers at the kitchen table when his cell phone jingled in his pocket. Mattie? He checked caller ID and was disappointed to see a number he didn’t recognize.
He answered it. “Timber Creek Veterinary Clinic. This is Dr. Walker.”
A male voice came from the receiver. “Hi, I’m Bret Flynn. I have a horse with a cut on his hind leg. Looks like it needs stitches.”
Bret Flynn. Must be Riley’s dad. “Hi, Bret. Can you bring him in or do I need to come to your place?”
“I can trailer him in.”
Cole gave him directions to the clinic and arranged to meet him in ten minutes. After disconnecting the call, he turned to his housekeeper who was wiping the kitchen countertops. “I’ve got an emergency at the clinic, Mrs. Gibbs. Can you do homework supervision until I get back?”
“Why, sure. I’ll have my coffee here with Miss Sophie.”
Sophie tipped her head up from the papers spread out in front of her. “When I finish this, Dad, I’ll make a card for Mattie.”
He placed his hand on her small shoulder. “She’ll like that, Little Bit.”
She bent over her worksheets and put pencil to paper, a look of concentration on her face. Cole gave her a quick hug and said goodbye before rushing off to open up the clinic. When he heard the rattle of truck and trailer coming down the lane, he rolled back the double door to open up the equine treatment room. Flynn parked close, exited his truck, and went to the back of the trailer to unload his horse.
Of average height with a broad chest and shoulders, Bret Flynn had the same dark eyes and hair as his daughter. He wore his hair long, almost to his shoulders, and gray strands intermingled with the brown. He looked to be in his fifties, older than Cole had expected. Flynn led a blaze-faced sorrel gelding toward the clinic, the horse limping on his bandaged left hind leg.
Cole unlatched the gate on the stocks—a metal stanchion designed to hold a horse still while being worked on. “Bring him on in here,” he called.
The sorrel’s shod hooves clopped in an uneven gait on the concrete floor of the treatment room as he entered the stocks without a fuss, letting Cole swing the side panel shut to secure him within the rectangular space. After settling the latch at the rear, he introduced himself to Flynn and received a firm handshake in return.
“I met Riley last night,” Cole said. “She ate dinner with us.”
“Thanks for that.” Flynn made a slight grimace as he met Cole’s gaze. “I was out later than I thought I’d be. She mentioned that she was over here, and she had a good time.”
Cole gestured toward the sorrel’s bandaged leg. “Did this happen yesterday?”
“Yeah, I had to work today so this was the earliest I could bring him in.”
Cole placed his palm on the sorrel’s stifle and slid it downward toward the hock as he squatted, moving slowly and letting the horse know where he was to avoid spooking him. The nicely wrapped bandage had been affixed with vet tape.
“What happened to him?”
“Scraped it on a rock.”
Cole thought of the rocky trail he’d been on that day. Cuts of this type happened on trail rides. A shod hoof could slip from a rock, which in turn caught the lower leg with a sharp edge and scraped it. That’s why he always packed a first aid kit; it looked like Flynn had been prepared, too. “Where did you go?”
“West of town. Scouting out some places to hunt this fall.”
The mention of hunting made him think of the dead ram. “What do you hunt?”
“I haven’t hunted much lately. We moved here from California, and I didn’t have horses out there. Used to hunt deer here in Colorado when I was a kid, so I’m happy to get back to this way of life again.”
“You grew up around here?”
“On the western slope near Palisade. My parents had an orchard there.”
“Great peaches come from that part of the state.”
“We grew peaches, pears, and apples when I was growing up.”
Cole had removed the bandage by this time and was inspecting the laceration. Ointment and gauze covered what looked like a skin tear. “You did a good job with first aid. The cut looks superficial, although he’s favoring that leg more than I’d expect.”
“We were up pretty high when it happened. I hated to make him walk all the way down, but I couldn’t carry him.” Flynn lifted a corner of his mouth in a crooked smile.
“He’s probably just sore then, maybe bruised. I’ll clean this wound real good and suture it. We’ll keep an eye on the lameness. He’ll probably heal up okay.” Cole stood, moving to fill a stainless steel bucket with warm water and to retrieve a bottle of iodine cleanser. He grabbed some cotton, squatted back down beside the sorrel, and began to scrub the leg gently.
“I was up around Redstone Ridge today,” Cole said. “Were you anywhere near that area?”
“I was north of there, near Lowell Pass.”
A trail that angled north and west outside of Timber Creek, not anywhere close to the area where the ram had been killed.
Cole remembered what he’d learned about the family from Riley last night. “Your daughter told us about you losing your wife. I’m sorry about that.”
Flynn nodded, averting his eyes. “We’re learning to deal with it. Takes a while.”
“It surely does.” He didn’t feel comfortable sharing his own story, so he left it at that and went back to the business at hand. “This looks clean and I don’t think we’ll have any trouble closing it.”
After blocking the area with a local anesthetic, Cole began the process of suturing the wound, keeping the conversation light. Grief was a private thing and not always something to be exposed to new acquaintances, and he thought he’d let the man keep his to himself.
Thinking about grief led his mind back to Mattie. When he finished up here, he would try to reach her again.
* * *
As Mattie and Robo left the station, her phone signaled an incoming text from Riley that said, “R u home. I’m at happy shack. Can I come over?”
Mattie sent a quick reply: “Stay put. I’m coming to get you.”
While she’d been in her office completing her paperwork, Mattie had forced herself to reboot from being the victim’s relative so she could switch back into cop mode. Sure, Willie’s death hurt like hell, but the only thing she could do about it now was to find his killer. And that was something she vowed to do.
Past experience had taught her that work typically filled the emptiness inside. And two things she needed to get done this evening were to find an after school place for Riley to hang out and check out this Happy Shack ice cream parlor to make sure it was a wholesome place. As always, drugs were her main concern. Timber Creek had purchased Robo for their sheriff’s department to reduce drug traffic through their community. If there was someone out there hoping to score a sale with minors in her town, she wanted to be on the front line p
reventing it.
After loading Robo into his compartment, Mattie drove to Main Street. The ice cream place had taken over a small clapboard building near the grocery store. The owner had spruced up the front with plywood cutouts of tulips spray painted with hues of rose, yellow, and purple as well as cutouts of ice cream cones topped with chocolate, strawberry, and vanilla flavors. A handwritten board labeled HAPPY SHACK leaned against the building by the door.
The sun had set and the atmosphere was taking on a chill for the night. Mattie decided to leave Robo in the car for the few minutes this would take.
She navigated her way through the wooden flowers and ice cream cones while she peeked inside through the windows. The few video game machines that she’d heard so much about lined the back wall of the open room while tables clustered in the middle. An old-fashioned soda counter sat near the right wall, complete with filigreed stools. Riley—the only customer—perched on one of them.
She appeared to be deep in conversation with the woman on the far side of the counter, but she swiveled her chair around and greeted Mattie with a huge grin when she entered the store.
“I got your text,” Riley said. “I’m so glad you’re home! Thanks for coming to get me.”
The girl’s enthusiastic greeting helped sooth her grieving soul. “Sure. I’m glad I was able to.”
The woman across the counter looked like a lady who spent quite a bit of time in front of a mirror. She had lovely, purple-colored eyes, probably enhanced with tinted contacts. She wore her blond hair swept up into a cascade of curls that tumbled to her shoulders, and her smooth skin and reddened lips were covered with makeup artfully applied. The whole effect was one of an attractive lady entering middle age but holding on to her youth for dear life. To Mattie, she was a perfect example of where less could have been more.
Mattie extended her hand and introduced herself.
“My name’s Violet. Violet Carter,” the lady said, offering Mattie a firm squeeze with the ends of her fingers and a smile that revealed pretty, white teeth. “I’m so glad to meet you. Riley says you’re a friend of hers and you teach a class at the school. Sort of a Just Say No class.”
“That’s all correct.” Mattie slipped a smile toward Riley before focusing back on Violet. The name matched her eyes, perhaps part of the overall plan. “Welcome to town. I hear you opened your business just this past weekend.”
“We’re so happy to be here. I’ve always dreamed of owning a business in a small town like this. And here we are.”
Mattie leaned a hip against a stool and an elbow on the counter. “What brought you to Timber Creek?”
“Actually, it was my husband’s idea to live in a small town. He wanted a place where he could fish and hunt, and I wanted a place where I could run a business that might make a difference in kids’ lives. So Timber Creek looked like a place to try.”
“You’re interested in helping out kids?”
“Always. I ran a day care before. We had a houseful of children all the time. The little ones are too hard for me to keep up with anymore, so I thought an after school hangout might be the ticket. Especially in a town where it looks like there aren’t too many places for the kids to spend time together and just have fun.”
“Do you have children of your own?”
“Oh, my yes. I have three, but they’re all grown and out living lives of their own. They don’t have much time for their mama anymore.” Riley was rotating the stool she sat on back and forth, and Violet reached to pat one of her hands that were braced against the counter. “It does my heart good to get to spend time with a girl like Riley. We hit it off the minute we met.”
The door opened, and Violet’s face lit as she glanced behind Mattie to see who had entered. “Darling, you’re back,” she said, her voice filled with pleasure. “Did you catch anything?”
Mattie turned to see a man who had iron-gray hair peppered with black. He was built wide and solid, like a fireplug. He gave her a keen once over before turning his attention back to Violet.
“I caught four brookies and a rainbow. Prettiest trout you’ve ever seen. Dinner tonight?” He walked behind the counter and gave Violet a quick kiss on the lips before turning his attention to Mattie and Riley. He offered his hand to Mattie first. “I’m John Carter, Violet’s other half.”
Mattie shook hands. “Deputy Mattie Cobb, and this is Riley.”
“Pleased to meet you.” John turned back to Violet. “I got home early and had time to put the horses away for the evening. Then I grabbed my tools and came over to hang that sign for you.”
“Aren’t you just the sweetest thing?” Violet was all smiles for her husband.
The mention of horses had caught Mattie’s attention. “Were you out riding today, Mr. Carter?”
“Sure was. I couldn’t wait to get back in the saddle. It’s been years since I’ve had a good horse.”
“Where did you ride?”
“I went out east of town in those open meadows where the creek runs through. There’s some good fishing in Timber Creek.”
Mattie nodded agreement. “This is a nice business you have here. Will you be working behind the counter, too?”
“Maybe on occasion, but I’m mostly just the handyman.” He looked at his wife, returning her smile.
Violet cuddled up to him, taking hold of his upper arm and squeezing it to her bosom. “And I do appreciate my strong-armed carpenter. He did all the work inside here, including building this counter for me.”
To Mattie, the woman’s theatrics were a little over the top, but her husband seemed to be eating it up, gazing at her with nothing short of adoration.
“Anything to make you happy, my dear,” he said. “I’d better get this done, so we can go home for the evening. Are you about ready to close up shop?”
“I might as well. All the kids have headed home, everyone but Riley. And Deputy Cobb is taking her home now, too.”
John looked at Mattie. “Your daughter?”
“My friend,” she said, glancing at Riley. The girl seemed focused on rubbing away a smudge on the countertop.
“I thought you looked too young for a daughter her age.”
Mattie shrugged. “Moms and daughters come in all ages.”
“Riley’s mom died several months ago,” Violet said, her words casting a shadow across the girl’s face.
“I’m sorry to hear that, young lady,” John said, pausing for a moment. “Well, you’re welcome in here anytime. Violet will look after you. She loves kids.”
Red blossomed on Riley’s cheeks, and she murmured something that could be taken for a thank you.
Mattie decided to end the girl’s discomfort by ending the conversation. “We’d better be going. It’s nice to meet you both.”
They said their goodbyes and went out to the car. Robo scrambled to the front of the cage to greet them.
“Hey, Robo,” Riley said, reaching through the steel mesh to pet him. “How ya doin’?”
He answered by leaning in for an ear scratch.
“What do you think of this place?” Mattie asked, truly wanting Riley’s opinion.
“It’s fun. After the other kids left, Violet let me play one of the games for free.”
“That was nice of her.” Mattie thought the couple had been almost too sweet, but otherwise, the ice cream parlor had felt like any mom-and-pop establishment you might run across in any small town. “Where’s your dad?”
“I don’t know. I thought he’d be home by now, but he hasn’t answered my text.”
“Do you want dinner?” Riley seemed to be a bottomless pit, and Mattie didn’t want to go home alone tonight.
“Sure!”
“Let’s swing by the Pizza Palace and grab something. I want to tell you about a lady named Teresa Lovato who might have an after-school job for you. And if you’re interested, I could take you by after dinner to meet her.”
“All right. But Violet said she might have a job for me.”
“That’s great. Maybe you could find a way to do both.”
Looking satisfied, Riley leaned back into her seat.
Mattie decided she would tell Mama T about Willie’s death tonight, though she would spare her the details. She couldn’t bear the thought of bringing that kind of horror into the good woman’s world.
* * *
By the time Mattie drove up to park in front of her yard, her house was as dark as her spirits. She twisted the key to turn off her vehicle, reclined her seat slightly, and settled in, listening to the clicks coming from the front end as the engine cooled. She couldn’t bear entering her empty house, and she needed a few minutes.
The evening had held one bright spot—the time she’d spent in Mama T’s upstairs dormer room playing a board game with Riley and the kids. Afterwards, Riley had suggested that she read the kids a bedtime story, and Mattie sneaked away to find her foster mother downstairs in the kitchen. She wanted to tell Mama T about Willie before she heard about it on the Timber Creek grapevine.
At first her foster mother had been stunned by the news. “He can’t be dead. You were going to see each other in just a few weeks.”
Then she’d wept softly while Mattie fought to remain dry-eyed. She’d been afraid that if she broke down, she wouldn’t be able to stop crying, and she still had to drive Riley home. Upon their departure, Mama had once again reminded Mattie to come over to meet Doreen the next day.
Mattie rubbed the knots at the base of her neck. It seemed to mean a great deal to Mama T for her two foster daughters to meet, so she needed to try to get back to town early enough to make it happen.
Robo came to the front of his compartment and rattled the gate with his nose. He must’ve been wondering why they were sitting here doing nothing. She popped open the latch, and he jumped through to stand on the passenger seat, training his gaze on the front porch, his next destination.
Mattie stroked the soft fur between his ears. From inside her chest pocket, her cell phone signaled an incoming text, and she took it out to check. The message was from Cole, asking her to call as soon as she could—it didn’t matter what time.
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