Striking Range Page 16

  SIXTEEN

  Mattie awakened Stella at six, the prearranged time for them to rise in time to get ready to be at the station by seven. The detective roused easily and color had returned to her face, which relieved Mattie’s concern. Maybe she’d worried unnecessarily, but she wouldn’t have done anything differently. Sleeping on the couch was an easy sacrifice for peace of mind.

  Stella left to drive to her own home, but not before giving Mattie a hug and a thank-you. Mattie showered and dressed in record time, still giving her a half hour to share her routine Sunday morning breakfast with Mama T, the foster mother who’d raised her during her teen years and whom she’d grown to love as if she were her own mother.

  As usual, Robo was waiting at the front door by the time she’d retrieved her service weapon from its safe in her bedroom closet and gathered her things. He waved his tail, his eyes eager as she opened the door for him to go outside.

  “Okay, buddy. Let’s load up.” He beat it over to the back of the Explorer while she used a slower pace to navigate the icy stone pathway that led from the porch of her small stucco-covered adobe home. Paved roads and curbs did not exist on this side of town, and her parking spot was a pull-in at the side of the gravel road. She loaded Robo and started her engine before grabbing the ice scraper from its pocket on the back of her seat.

  The sun was just beginning to brighten the horizon, and Mattie’s breath turned to vapor as she scraped a light layer of frost from her windshield. Stars still shone in the cloudless sky. It took only a minute to drive the few blocks to Mama T’s home, the tires rattling over pebbles, which gave her some traction. She hoped the sun would come out bright and warm as predicted today so that everyone could get on the road early. There was a lot of work to be done, but with the addition of those who’d arrived with Sergeant Madsen, there were enough capable officers to accomplish it.

  She parked in front of Mama T’s house and made her way past the ice-enshrouded pansies in the flower bed, their last splash of autumn splendor ended by the storm. The ceramic chipmunks and squirrels that her mama was so fond of scampered in frozen poses in the yard.

  Mattie slipped down the side wall of the house to the kitchen door, tapped twice, and then stepped into the warm embrace of a room laden with the wonderful aromas of her teen years: spicy green chili, scrambled eggs, and homemade tortillas. Mama T had made huevos rancheros, her specialty that she prepared each Sunday. Their time together was one of the treasures of Mattie’s life.

  Teresa Lovato, a small plump Latina, her black hair shot with silver and scraped back and twisted into a bun at her nape, looked the same as always, wearing a blue calf-length housedress faded from many launderings. She turned away from the stove to greet Mattie with a hug and a smile. “Good morning, mijita. How do you like the beautiful ice storm we had last night?”

  Though it always warmed Mattie’s spirit to be called my little daughter, she knew her foster mom had no idea what havoc the ice storm had wrought. As she fixed her plate at the old wood-burning stove that Mama T chose to keep despite Mattie’s offers to buy her a modern one, she summed up some of the things that had happened the night before when others were sleeping, though she spared her mama the gruesome details.

  The two settled at the table with plates of huevos rancheros and hot coffee in thick white pottery mugs. Mama T stared at Mattie, her brown eyes wide. “A dead girl, a missing baby, and an injured patrolman. What a terrible night you had, mijita.”

  “And you know Stella. She fell on the ice and hit her head. I made her stay at my house to sleep last night in case she had problems.”

  “A bang on the head can be serious. How is she?”

  “I think she’ll be okay. She looked much better this morning.”

  They savored a few bites in silence, sipping their coffee, and Mattie felt the tension ease in her shoulders. Being with her mama reminded her of the good in the world.

  “Yolanda called,” Mama T said, her brow lowered. “She and Julia are frightened for you with this John Cobb thing.”

  Apparently Yolanda, Mattie’s grandmother, had already shared the news about Cobb with her mama. The two had become fast friends since they’d met last summer, and they spoke on the phone often. “I’ll be okay, Mama. I’m surrounded by police officers all day, and my home is well fortified. I still think there’s an active gang working out of California, so I’m more worried about Julia, her family, and Abuela—you know, since they live there.”

  “Julia moved them all to a condo a friend loaned them near the beach. It’s close enough that her husband can still go to his work and the boys can go to school.”

  “I’m relieved. I don’t know how long they can keep that up, but maybe the detective who’s working the Cobb case can give us some answers soon.” As long as her father’s killers were free, Mattie worried that neither she nor any of her loved ones were entirely safe.

  Mama T clucked her tongue and wagged her head in dismay. “This is a terrible thing.”

  “I know, Mama. I hope Detective Hauck is the one who will finally catch the people involved in my father’s murder. Then we could relax and live our lives in peace.” She didn’t add that maybe her mother could come out of hiding, because she didn’t want Mama T in on the secret. The less her loved ones knew, the better, and she would never want to put her mama in harm’s way.

  They chatted about the kids who were currently fostering with Mama T—still asleep upstairs—and about Riley Flynn, whom Mattie had hired as her foster mom’s helper, a relationship that appeared to be working well for both of them. The half hour sped by, and when Mattie glanced at the clock, she realized she had only five minutes to get to work on time.

  “I have to go, Mama.” Mattie stood and began clearing the dishes.

  Mama T made a shooing gesture with her hands. “You go. I can get this.”

  Mattie placed her dishes on the counter near the sink, gave her mama a hug, and hurried to her vehicle, where Robo was waiting, his eyes locked on the house. He wagged his tail as she climbed inside, and she gave him a pat through the mesh at the front of his cage. As she pulled onto the street, she realized she didn’t have time to call Cole and touch base with him as she’d planned.

  Remembering how upset he’d looked last night, she hated to miss talking to him. She dialed the sheriff.

  “Good morning, Mattie.” His deep voice resonated through the Bluetooth connection.

  “I’m on my way to the station but thought I’d check in and see if I have time to stop by the motel to brief Sergeant Madsen.”

  “That would be fine. Detective LoSasso is trying to contact Carla Holt to see if she can make an appointment. I think you can spare about twenty minutes before you need to be here.”

  “Sounds good. I’ll be in soon.”

  She dictated a text to Cole as she drove: Are you awake? Her phone rang in her hand with a call back from him.

  When she connected the call, he greeted her with, “Did you get any sleep last night?”

  Even hearing his voice lifted her spirits. “A couple hours, but I slept hard. How about you?”

  “Like a log until about five this morning. Couldn’t go back to sleep after that. I’m glad you called.”

  “I wish I could’ve talked to you last night. That was a hard thing, taking care of Johnson while you waited for an ambulance. It must’ve been awful.”

  “Well …” His breath released with a sigh. “The whole evening was awful, but not as hard on me as it must’ve been on you.”

  “It was probably a draw. But how are you this morning?” She wished she could see him to tell how he was really doing.

  “I’m holding up. And you?”

  “I’d be better if we could get some answers about Tonya and her baby. Did you get the latest update on Johnson?”

  “I called Abraham this morning. I guess Ed is stable but heavily medicated for pain. He doesn’t remember being struck.”

  “So the same as last night. I hear you’r
e going up Redstone trail with the dogs today.”

  “Yeah. Is there anything in particular you want us to look for?”

  “There’s a spot up by the cave that needs to be excavated. If you can make it up there in the snow, Garrett and Hauck know where it is.”

  “Mattie, there’s something I need to ask you,” Cole said, sounding serious.

  She was approaching the motel and could see the officers exercising their dogs in an open lot next door. She needed to end the call but couldn’t after what he’d just said. “Sure, what is it?”

  “I think Angie has a crush on Ben Greenfield. You know, Tonya’s cousin. I guess I need to tell her about Tonya’s death before I leave today.”

  She hadn’t known about Angie and Ben—no wonder Cole sounded disturbed. “It’s best she hears it from you.”

  “But … I’m also worried about Angie’s safety.” Cole went on in a rush. “Here’s a kid I don’t know anything about, and his cousin turns up dead in a campground. I don’t know anything about his family either, except Eliza seemed to dislike her own niece, a kid I thought was trying to make the best out of a tough situation. Do I need to tell Angie to stay away from him and his family?”

  Mattie tapped into her gut reaction about the Greenfields. “I met Ben last night. He looked like he’d been crying before we got there, and he seemed eager to share information that might help us. But Eliza I’m not so sure about.”

  “I need to talk to Angie.”

  “I agree. It’s okay to tell her you’re worried. Tell her to take it slow with Ben, and we’ll keep her in the loop as much as we can.”

  Cole released an audible breath. “Thanks, Mattie. I guess it’s always best to just talk things over.”

  “It is, and Angie seems mature enough for you to be honest. I hadn’t noticed that she and Ben have made a connection when I’ve been at school.” She visited the high school regularly for her Just Say No program.

  “I don’t even know if they have yet, but I think she’s interested. The girls plan to go to Hannah’s today for puppy watch, so she’ll be occupied.”

  “Sounds good.” Mattie had passed the dogs and pulled into the U-shaped courtyard at the motel. It was full of cars, so she reversed and drove onto the highway’s shoulder to park. “Cole, I hate to end our call, but I’m going to have to.”

  “No problem. I’ll talk to you this evening.”

  As they said their good-byes, Mattie thought about the text grapevine between teens. If Angie and Ben were a couple already, they would be in contact with each other, no matter what Cole told her.

  By now the sun was an orange glow on top of the horizon, shedding enough dim light to reveal four dogs running around their handlers in the snow. Mattie picked out the large form of Sergeant Madsen, who was waving at her. As she left her unit, Robo bounced around in back, evidently excited to see the other dogs. In his experience, this meant a group training session, which he loved.

  Madsen separated from the group, leading an eye-catching bloodhound as he came forward to meet her. The dog’s black muzzle stood out against his coppery coat and wrinkled face, and Mattie thought she recognized him.

  “Is this Banjo?” she asked as she and the sergeant greeted each other with a firm handclasp.

  A tall, burly man with a shaved head and a police badge tattoo above his right ear, Madsen spoke with a southern drawl. “Nope, one of Banjo’s pups. This is Fritz, and he’s training to be a cadaver dog.”

  Mattie wanted to pet the bloodhound as he sat calmly at his handler’s heel, but she refrained from taking such a liberty. Handlers didn’t appreciate others reaching out toward their dogs unless invited or given permission.

  She went on to tell him about the drug she and Robo had turned up the day before. “Field test says it’s fentanyl, and we should get confirmation today. So be careful.”

  Madsen nodded as he pointed at a beautiful dog that had the solid build of a shepherd and a tawny coat with a black facial marking that covered his muzzle and spread up toward his eyes like a mask. “That Belgian Malinois is cross-trained for patrol and narcotics detection.” He went on to point out the other two. “The black Lab over there has explosives training, and the yellow Lab is experienced in cadaver work. We can handle it all.”

  “You sure can.”

  “It’s a great training opportunity, not knowing what or even if something’s buried up there.” Madsen waved the others over to introduce them to Mattie, and they talked about the day’s plan. The sergeant told her that he’d met Detective Hauck already and that they were all leaving as soon as the ice had melted enough on the road.

  The dawn light promised that the sun would warm the highway, and the temperature had already started to rise. After Mattie filled them in regarding the terrain they should expect to cover, it was time for her to exchange handshakes all around and go to the station.

  She would have loved nothing more than to take her dog up into the high country with the team, and she knew Robo would feel the same way. Sharing a mutual mission and camaraderie with fellow dog handlers cemented a special bond among K-9 officers. But the need to investigate Tonya’s death overruled any personal desire to work on her father’s cold case.

  Her cell phone rang in her pocket. It was Stella. “Skylar Kincaid called me back. He’s come in, so we can talk to him before we go to Hightower.”

  Mattie’s hopes lifted at the good news. This guy seemed like one of their most important leads. “I’ll be right there. I’m just a couple minutes away.”

  “I’ll go ahead and get started.”

  SEVENTEEN

  A black Jeep Grand Cherokee covered with road sludge and bearing dirty Nebraska plates was parked at the station beside Stella’s Honda. Clearly, this vehicle had been on the road during the storm yesterday, and Mattie wondered what story Skylar Kincaid would have to tell about it.

  Robo was bouncing around from one window to the other, apparently still worked up about seeing the other dogs, so she decided to leave him in his compartment while she spent the next half hour in the interrogation room. He was more likely to keep out of trouble here in their unit than if she tried to make him stay alone in the staff office. Telling him she’d be back, she made sure his climate control was set for automatic, though she doubted the temperature would rise enough to turn on the air conditioning.

  She found Stella inside an interview room with its door ajar, where she tapped before entering. Skylar stood and offered a handshake, apparently a nod to social etiquette, as Stella introduced them.

  “Go ahead and leave the door open, Deputy Cobb,” Stella said. “I’ve explained to Mr. Kincaid that we’re just needing some information and he’s free to go at any time.”

  Mattie left the door the way she’d found it, and after she and Skylar took their seats, Stella got down to business. “Mr. Kincaid stayed in Hightower last night at the Sleepy Owl Motel,” she said.

  “Call me Skylar, please,” he said. “Otherwise, I’ll think you’re talking to my dad.”

  “You’re here in Timber Creek early,” Mattie said.

  “My dad woke me up, said the police were looking for me. He suggested I check in with you.”

  Skylar looked older than the twenty years stated on his driver’s license. He wore clothing suitable for the outdoors: jeans, a flannel shirt covered by a down vest, and heavy hiking boots. He was of average height but muscular and compact.

  “I appreciate you coming in to talk to us,” Stella said. “You must be wondering why I called.”

  “Absolutely. What’s going on?”

  So Stella hasn’t informed him of Tonya’s death yet, Mattie thought, watching Skylar carefully.

  Stella placed her hand on the case file in front of her. “We want to talk to you about Tonya Greenfield.”

  He narrowed his eyes. “All right. What do the police have to do with Tonya?”

  Stella ignored the question. “Did you see Tonya yesterday?”

  “I did. We met
yesterday morning in Hightower right after her doctor’s appointment.”

  “Where did you meet, and what time?”

  “We met in the parking lot by that little discount store—Double Dollar or something like that—at about ten o’clock.” An impatient look crossed his face. “I’m sorry, but I don’t know what this has to do with you.”

  Stella tapped the file lightly with one finger. “Tonya was found dead just outside of town yesterday evening.”

  Mattie observed him closely as he collapsed back in his chair and his eyes widened in astonishment. He opened and closed his mouth before speaking. “Are you sure?”

  “Yes, completely sure.” Stella leaned back in her chair as if to match his posture. She remained silent, and Mattie waited with her for Skylar to speak.

  He shoved back his chair. “What about the baby?”

  “Tonya was no longer pregnant,” Stella said. “We don’t know where the baby is.”

  Skylar leaned forward, bracing his elbows on his knees. “This is unbelievable.”

  They waited as he seemed to turn things over in his mind.

  Stella broke the silence. “Where did you and Tonya go after leaving the parking lot?”

  His face shut down as if to hide his emotions. “We didn’t go anywhere together, if that’s what you mean. We sat and talked in her car for about a half hour, I guess.”

  Mattie decided it was time for her to throw questions at him too, to establish a rhythm that sometimes seemed to force people into saying more than they wanted to. “What did you talk about?”

  “I told her I wanted the baby. I have rights as the baby’s father.”

  Which was absolutely true for adoptions in Colorado, but it was strange that this conversation had occurred so late in the game. “You want to raise the baby?”

  “My sister does. I told Tonya we would exert our rights to get the baby.” His face had flushed with what appeared to be anger. Though he was still trying to hide his emotion, a clenched muscle at his jaw gave him away.