“Did you have a good sleep? Hmm?” She dodged his tongue as he revved up for a serious face licking. “Stop that now.” She grasped the ruff at the back of his neck and gave it a gentle shake, an imitation of the way a mother dog disciplines her pup. Although Mattie allowed a small amount of licking now and then, it was always important with Robo to remind him of who was alpha in their two-member pack. She’d been taught this at academy and time had proven that consistency kept him from testing her boundaries, as these high-drive male dogs were prone to do.
“Do you want to go outside? Come on, let’s take a break.”
After letting Robo outside in the backyard, she heard the doorbell ring. Stepping back into the kitchen, she hurried through to the living room to open the front door for Stella. The detective’s eyes were red-rimmed and bloodshot from strain, and Mattie could tell that she wasn’t the only one running on empty.
Stella came inside, shucking her jacket and kicking off her loafers before making a beeline for the kitchen. “You got a beer in here for me?”
“Sure.”
“You want one?”
“No, thanks.” Although she kept a supply on hand for Stella, Mattie avoided alcohol after learning the hard way that she didn’t handle it well. She drank an occasional beer, but the last thing she wanted was to end up being a drunk like her father.
She opened the back door for Robo, and he trotted inside, rushing to greet their guest. Stella gave him a playful ear rub. “Look at you, all full of pep. I see running up and down the mountain hasn’t interfered with your mojo.”
“He’ll be ready to go again by tomorrow.”
“I can see that.” Examining Mattie’s face, Stella popped the cap off her beer. “And how are you doing?”
“I’m okay.”
“I’m afraid I’ve got some bad news from the autopsy that I need to share with you.”
“I thought that might be the case.”
They settled on opposite ends of the couch—Stella with her legs stretched out and feet on the coffee table, Mattie with both legs bent, hugging her knees. Robo leaned against the couch beside Mattie, his head against her hip as if aware that she needed him.
Stella finished a few swallows of her drink, apparently fortifying herself. They’d been in this position before, and they’d learned there was no need to soften the blow with each other. “The medical examiner found soot in William’s trachea.”
Even though Mattie suspected bad news of some kind, the words hit her hard. “Meaning he was alive when he was set on fire.”
“Yes.”
Curling into herself, Mattie put her forehead on her knees and closed her eyes. Robo nosed her side, and she rested one hand on his head.
“I’m sorry, Mattie. Damn it all anyway.”
Her eyes were blurry with unshed tears when she looked at Stella, but there was nothing she could dredge up to say.
“The ME confirmed ligature marks on his legs and multiple marks at the back of his neck. Although his wrists were too damaged by fire to tell, it appears that he’d been bound prior to death, and he was possibly strangled more than once. That’s speculation of course, but … that’s what the evidence points to. There are some marks on his back that look like cigarette burns. No sign of bullets or being shot.”
Willie had been tortured. Mattie buried her face against her knees, unable to respond.
“I hate having to tell you this.” Stella sighed. “We sent blood tests for drugs and other substances to the lab. We’ll have results in a few days.”
Drawing a deep breath, Mattie focused on Robo’s upturned face. He was staring at her as if trying to determine why she was upset. She stroked his ears. “Thank you for telling me this tonight, before I have to hear it in the meeting tomorrow.”
“Well, that’s the other thing. Sheriff McCoy sent the message that you can sit this one out if you want to. I can meet with you separately.”
Mattie shook her head. “That won’t be necessary. I’ll be at the meeting in the morning. What time will it be?”
“Seven o’clock. Rick Lawson will be there, too.”
With her eyes still fixed on Robo, Mattie nodded. She owed it to Willie to do whatever she could to bring his killer to justice, and she would stay on the job no matter what.
EIGHTEEN
After Stella left, Mattie wasn’t sure what to do with herself. Thoughts of Willie’s last hours on earth chased through her mind like demons, taunting her. There was only one thing she could do to roust out of this state, and that was to run. Even though her legs felt rubbery with fatigue, she had to stay on the move to escape the torment of her thoughts.
She changed into sweats and running shoes, dodging Robo as she went back to the living room. He gamboled in front of her, his mouth wide in a happy grin, alternating between leaping about and play posing. “Yes, we’re going for a run.”
His nails skittered on the hardwood floor as he whirled to retrieve the leash that was hanging by the front door. Before she could snap it on his collar, the doorbell rang, sending him back to the door to bark.
“Robo, it’s me.” Cole’s voice.
With mixed feelings, Mattie shushed Robo and clipped his leash to his collar. She was in such turmoil, she wasn’t sure she could deal with another person, even someone she loved. Or maybe especially someone she loved. She opened the door.
Cole wore a sheepish expression. “Sorry to drop in on you like this, but I happened to be in the neighborhood and saw you were home.”
Mattie lived on a quiet street that led to nowhere, and she doubted that Cole just happened to drive by. Nevertheless, she felt glad to see him. And from the way Robo was acting the fool by pressing his body against Cole’s legs, he must be glad to see him, too.
“I should have called you after I got home from Mama T’s house, but it’s been just one thing after another,” she said.
“I had to see you tonight.”
He was still standing on the porch. Since he was dressed in jeans, western shirt, and boots, Mattie guessed she would need to postpone her run for a few minutes instead of inviting him to join her. She opened the door wide. “Do you want to come in?”
He hesitated. “Were you about to go somewhere?”
“I thought I’d go for a run.”
He looked surprised. “Weren’t you up at Redstone Ridge today?”
She nodded, bending down to settle Robo beside her with a touch. “Sometimes I just need to run. You know, before I can turn in at night. It relaxes me.”
“I would’ve thought you’d had enough exercise for the day.”
She felt an overwhelming urge to confide in him, to share her sorrow with someone she could trust, someone who would be sympathetic. “I got some bad news tonight.”
Without saying a word, he stepped inside, away from the spotlight on the well-lit porch, and took her in his arms. The tension that had quivered inside her like a bowstring eased somewhat as Mattie allowed herself to lean against Cole’s broad chest. She clenched her teeth to hold back tears.
He spoke in a soft voice. “Do you want to talk about it?”
“I think so.” The walls of her home felt like they were closing in on her, and she needed to escape into the outdoors. “But I don’t want to sit in here right now.”
He paused, still holding her close. “Would you like to take a drive?”
It sounded like a solution for her tired body. “That sounds good.”
He squeezed her before letting go. “Robo can come too.”
Mattie locked the front door behind her and Cole led the way to his truck, going to the passenger side to open the rear door. Robo hopped into the back seat and Mattie unclipped his leash. After Cole moved the passenger seat back into position, Mattie settled in while he went around to the driver’s side.