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 fall.”
“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?”