Burning Ridge Read online

  He’d sent three texts and had made one missed phone call, but she couldn’t bring herself to dial him. She felt emotionally and physically exhausted and the last thing she wanted to do tonight was blubber out her misery on the phone. She sent a text that said she was tied up in a meeting, and she would call him in the morning.

  Robo pushed his nose under her arm and jiggled it, and then stared at her when she began stroking his fur again.

  “You want me to pay attention to you, huh?” Mattie put her face against his and hugged him close. “Let’s go inside and get ready for bed.”

  Tomorrow will be a big day, she thought as she exited her vehicle, Robo bailing out behind her. We’ve got to find something that will lead us to Willie’s killer.

  Using the last bit of energy she had left, she climbed the porch steps and used her key to let herself into her dark and lonely home.

  FIFTEEN

  Tuesday

  Mattie joined Sheriff McCoy at the front table in the briefing room, while Robo settled on the floor underneath. Scheduled to observe Willie’s autopsy, Stella had left for Denver before dawn. Brody and Agent Lawson were still up at the gravesite.

  The sheriff was pouring coffee from an insulated carafe. “Coffee, Deputy?”

  Mattie reached for the cup he was handing her. “Have you heard from Brody this morning?”

  “He called in at six. They plan to excavate one of the depressions that you spotted when you were on the ridge. Their radar revealed dense objects, some elongated, some round. Lawson suspects the presence of skeletonized remains.”

  “In just the one spot?”

  “In all three actually.”

  That hit Mattie hard. What were they dealing with here?

  “They’ll work on the one where the images appear closer to the surface. They’ll know what they’ve got sometime today,” McCoy said.

  “I want to take Robo and search that area for anything that could be evidence.”

  “Garrett Hartman is on call to transport today. Cole can’t manage another day off.”

  Cole had called while Mattie was in the shower and left her that message. He’d also said that Mountaineer had been designated for her use only, and that Garrett would pick him up whenever she needed him.

  Mattie sipped her black coffee. She needed the caffeine, since she’d slept poorly again last night. “When shall we go?”

  “Garrett can be ready in a couple of hours.”

  “I will be, too.”

  “I plan to go up as well. I want you to organize supplies and pack some extra evidence bags. I’ve got business I need to tie up before I leave.” He studied her for a moment. “How are you holding up?”

  Mattie looked him in the eye. “It’s been rough. But I’m determined to find out who killed my brother.”

  Sheriff McCoy examined her face, apparently thinking. “Since you’re related to the victim, there might be a time when we’ll have to take you off the case. You realize that, don’t you?”

  “At this stage, we need Robo’s nose.”

  “Agreed. But any evidence you find could be considered inadmissible in court. I want Deputy Brody to be with you every step of the way while you search today. If Robo hits on something, back off and let Brody retrieve it.”

  “That makes sense. We can work with that.”

  “Last evening, Stella reached Detective Hastings in the Hollywood Bureau. He’s going to follow up on who might have made contact recently with your brother. He recognized the street names of William’s old friends, and he plans to question them today.”

  Mattie nodded acknowledgment, though Stella had called her last night and given her the same information.

  McCoy continued. “She also reached William’s employer, Mr. Joseph Quintana. Mr. Quintana said William left for lunch on Wednesday and never returned. Although not showing up for work was unusual for William, Mr. Quintana didn’t suspect foul play at that time. Apparently mechanics come and go at his shop, and he thought William would come back sooner or later to see if he still had a job.”

  “Has he talked to Detective Hastings?”

  McCoy nodded. “Mr. Quintana says that he called on Friday to report William missing, and to give a character reference of sorts for him. Hastings indicated that he followed up with him on Saturday and again with Ms. Bennett, but found no further leads. His plan was to talk to some of his informants on the street. He said that he believed William had started using again and hoped he could get wind of his whereabouts.”

  She’d believed the exact same thing. Poor Willie. She should have given him the benefit of the doubt.

  “Detective LoSasso has the impression that Detective Hastings is well motivated, and he will be diligent in following through with his end of the case.”

  Mattie remained noncommittal. The fact that it took her brother’s death for anyone to take his disappearance as anything more than an addict falling off the wagon gave her a hollow feeling, but she had nothing she could say. She’d been guilty of doubting him herself.

  “Is there anything more we need to discuss?” McCoy asked, pushing his chair back from the table.

  “Not at the moment. I’ll pack supplies. I also need to make a few phone calls.”

  “Let’s get to work then.”

  On her way back to her office, she noticed the local bail bondsman passing through the lobby to leave. His presence reminded her of the cowboys from the fight at the Watering Hole on Saturday night. She knew they’d been held overnight to sober up but had been released on Sunday morning after posting bond. She hadn’t had time to take a look at Garcia’s report on the charges, but she suddenly remembered that the truck they’d been driving had borne California plates.

  Robo circled and then flopped down on his dog bed beside her desk, heaving a sigh. He looked up at her as if to ask what they were waiting for. He’d become accustomed to starting the mornings with a trek in the mountains.

  She logged onto her computer and pulled up the arrest reports from the weekend, focusing in on the mug shot of the guy who’d landed the head butt on her chest. Full name: Gibson “Gib” Galloway. Residence: Durango, Colorado. Former Residence: Bakersfield, California. Age: Thirty-five. Three prior arrests and one conviction in California for domestic violence.

  Must like to pick on women.

  She scanned the report. Apparently he and his buddies were going through town headed home to Durango from a rodeo in Kansas. They stopped at the Watering Hole, got drunk, he got into a fight with his girlfriend … and Mattie knew the rest of the story.

  Looked like the group had been in Kansas prior to Saturday, and being from California didn’t mean they’d been involved with Willie. Bakersfield wasn’t that close to Hollywood, and California’s population was huge. Something to keep in mind, but right now, she needed to return Cole’s call.

  Cole answered after the first ring. “Mattie.”

  “Sorry I couldn’t call back last night, but it was too late when I got home. And this morning I was in the shower.” At least her last excuse was true.

  “You can call me anytime of the day or night, Mattie. How are you doing this morning?”

  “I’m all right.”

  Cole paused. “Were you able to sleep?”

  “Some.”

  Mattie realized that she was withholding her true feelings and he knew it, but she could at least show her gratitude. “Thanks for arranging for me to use Mountaineer today.”

  “I wish I could go with you, but things are piling up. I need today to catch up.”

  “Of course. Your patients need you.”

  “I wanted to tell you I met Riley’s dad. His horse had a leg injury that he said happened on a mountain trail. The wound was consistent with a tear from a sharp rock, and it made me think of the trail we were on when we went to investigate the ram.”

  “Was he on that same trail?”

  “He said he wasn’t. He said he was over near Lowell Pass searching for a place to hunt next fa
ll.”

  “All right, I’ll keep that in mind. I need to meet him and talk to him about Riley.”

  “How so?”

  “She’s at loose ends most days after school, and I’m trying to make arrangements for her to have a job or at least a place to go. I figure he should be in on the plan.”

  “He seems like he’s still dealing with his wife’s death and spending a lot of time out in nature while he does it.”

  “Maybe he should consider taking his daughter with him.” Mattie realized that she might not have a right to make that judgment, but she couldn’t keep from saying it.

  “I could make a place for her here at the clinic a couple afternoons if that would help. She could clean stalls and cages.”

  That sounded like a perfect opportunity. Being at Cole’s clinic a couple days combined with a couple days at Mama T’s could take care of a large part of Riley’s after school time. A day or two at Happy Shack didn’t seem like too much either. All in all, these options could work to keep the teen busy. “That would be great, Cole. I’ll talk to her about it. Thank you.”

  “Anytime.” Cole paused, and Mattie was about to end the conversation when he changed the subject. “I have to admit I’m worried about you. I know that discovering your brother’s remains like we did was a terrible shock.”

  Mattie’s throat constricted. “It was. I’m dealing with it.”

  “It’s a lot to deal with.” He paused, apparently organizing his words. “I told Mrs. Gibbs and the girls about it last night. They all send their love and Sophie has made you a card.”

  “That’s sweet.” Mattie’s eyes welled, and she blinked back the tears. “How is Angie coping with what happened?”

  “I think she’s handling it so far. We talked last night, and she seemed more concerned about you than about herself. She wants to talk to you. Actually, we all do. How about coming over for dinner?”

  “I’m getting ready to go back up to the site, and I don’t know when I’ll come down. If I make it back early enough, I already have a commitment this evening with Mama T.”

  “Maybe tomorrow?”

  “I’ll call you in the morning to let you know.”

  “Okay. And if you find you can drop by this evening, even for a short time, we’d all like to see you.” Cole paused before he added. “I’d like to see you tonight even if it’s late. Will you call me when you’re free?”

  Mattie didn’t know why she hesitated to agree. Perhaps it was years of licking her own wounds that made it uncomfortable to even think about letting someone else in on her grief. “I’ll try to, Cole. It’s hard for me to predict how this day is going to go, but I’ll check in with you if I can.”

  “Don’t worry if it gets late. I’ll keep my cell phone with me tonight.”

  Mattie wrapped it up and ended the call. Cole’s compassionate tone made the pain in her heart swell, and she took a moment to restrain her sadness.

  Robo lay on his cushion, his eyes pinned on her every move. She’d learned from experience that her emotions went straight to her dog, and she knelt beside him to rub his fur. “It’ll be all right, buddy. We’ll be all right.”

  As she continued to pet him, she hoped that time would prove her words to be true. Because right at this moment, she didn’t know how this was all going to resolve. Who brought Willie back to Timber Creek to kill him? And why?

  * * *

  Mattie decided to grab a moment to see if she could find Bret Flynn at home before he left for work with the county road crew. She hurried outside with Robo trotting beside her. After loading him up, she drove west of town where Riley lived on a small acreage that contained an old log cabin and a newly constructed horse barn with an attached corral.

  The early morning sun slanted in, its rays casting long shadows to the west of the upright hayrack in the middle of the corral. Two horses, a sorrel with a bandaged hind leg and a bay with a coat so dark and rich that the sun’s rays glinted off it, browsed at their feed in a lazy way, indicating they’d already eaten their fill.

  Mattie pulled up to the house and parked. “You’re going to wait here,” she said to Robo, hating to see his look of disappointment. “You’ll get to go on a long run soon.”

  Mattie followed a stone pathway through a yard left in natural buffalo grass. She stepped up onto a concrete porch and knocked on the door.

  Riley opened it. “Hey, Mattie. What are you doing here?”

  “I came to talk to your dad. Is he still home?”

  Riley turned and looked behind her, but due to the dim light inside the house, Mattie couldn’t see beyond the screen door.

  A man with longish brown hair streaked with gray and dark eyes that resembled Riley’s materialized beside the girl. “I’m Riley’s dad.”

  Mattie introduced herself. “Could I speak with you for a few minutes?”

  “All right.” He opened the screen door and stepped out onto the porch.

  “I met Riley at the high school. Has she mentioned me to you?”

  “Can’t say that she has.”

  “She comes by my house occasionally after I get off work, and we have dinner together once in a while.”

  “I’ll tell her to quit bothering you.”

  “Oh, no, I’m not complaining, and she’s not a bother. I’m just telling you about it because she seems at loose ends after school and into the evening. I’ve had some ideas about how I might be able to help out, and I thought we should talk.”

  He raised one brow. “And you’re involved because?”

  “Riley and I have struck up a friendship. I’d like to make sure she has things to occupy her time while you’re at work.”

  “Has she gotten into any kind of trouble?”

  “Not at all, but I hope to keep her busy so it stays that way. I’ve found two after school jobs so far that she might be interested in, one helping with child care in a foster home and another at Dr. Walker’s vet clinic.”

  “Dr. Walker? What would she do there?”

  “Clean cages and stalls. It would be just a few hours twice a week.”

  He reached behind him to grasp the screen doorknob and partially opened the door. “I’ve really got to go or I’ll be late for work, but I guess it’s all right with me if she wants to do it. I’ll be at work though, and I can’t drive her out there.”

  “She’d have to ride her bike as long as weather allows. I’m sure Dr. Walker would let her cancel otherwise. Before you leave though, I thought I’d see if you had ideas for someone who could stay with Riley when you’re working late at night or at least someone she could contact if she had concerns or whatever. You know, just someone to stay in touch with.”

  He frowned. “Riley is old enough to take care of herself. She doesn’t need a babysitter.”

  “I misspoke. I should have said someone she can contact if she gets lonely. I think it’s hard on her to be alone night after night.”

  Irritation showed in his frown. “I’ll talk to Riley, but she’s a big girl now and she’s used to fending for herself. I don’t think you need to be concerned, and if she’s not in any trouble, it certainly doesn’t look like you need to be involved.”

  Mattie realized she must have offended him and tried to explain. “Part of my job in Timber Creek is prevention oriented. We don’t have many programs for kids or places for them to hang out. Until she gets connected with a group of friends, I’ll keep an eye out for her. You know, kind of an ‘it takes a village’ philosophy when it comes to raising kids. And she’s welcome to spend time with me if she wants to. It’s just that I’m also often at work.”

  “I’m sure it’s not as bad as you imagine it to be. She has a home she can come to, and I’ll make sure that she does. Now, I really have to go.” He stepped inside and closed the door, leaving Mattie hanging on the doorstep.

  Walking back down the stone path to her SUV, she regretted that their conversation had turned south. She lacked experience in this type of parental contact, and she
hoped it wouldn’t result in negative consequences for Riley. But she had a sick feeling in the pit of her stomach that it would.

  SIXTEEN

  Garrett Hartman led the way up the trail to Willie’s gravesite with Mattie riding behind him and Sheriff McCoy bringing up the rear. Mattie found riding the steadfast Mountaineer less frightening each day, and though her body felt more relaxed in the saddle, her thoughts continued to chase around in her head.

  Her mind flitted between images of Willie as a child beaten by their dad, and of him as a burned corpse, combining to create a sharp twist in her gut. Since she had no good memories in between to fall back on, she told herself that Willie had found happiness at the end of his life with Tamara and Elliott. He’d found a family, and that was the most comforting thought she could come up with.

  When they arrived at the suspected gravesites at the edge of the meadow, things had changed. Yellow tape surrounded the area, taking in not only the three depressions that Mattie had spotted, but also a large area encircling them. The excavation team had assembled along with their tools.

  They began to dig carefully, at first using shovels and then hand trowels. Rick Lawson watched over the process, at times on his knees with the rest of the crew.

  At one point, the team leader gave further direction to the others. “Evidence of fire. Screen that out and save it.”

  Chunks of blackened coal or burned wood started appearing in the dirt, which in turn went into a bucket. Its contents were then poured onto a screen and the black chunks were separated and saved inside another bucket. They worked together to uncover a channel around the center where they expected to find bones.

  Mattie watched with horrified fascination as she realized that this gravesite might present with the same MO as Willie’s. A burning pit, first filled with a body and then filled with fire.

  “Careful. Here’s what could be the skull,” the forensic anthropologist said. “Let’s leave it in place and clear around it.”