“They mostly do,” Joanna answered. “Jeannine picked the snake up out in Sierra Vista the other day. Some guy left town and abandoned his pet python in his old apartment. The landlady was evidently quite upset.”
“Well,” said Butch, “apparently the python is trying to become the next Houdini. He had made it out of his kennel or cage or whatever you call it and was on his way to find himself a tasty morsel of kitty-cat when Jim Bob and Eva Lou showed up. According to him, the clerk was a complete basket case, and Eva Lou spent most of the day taking care of her.”
“I so do not need a python right now,” Joanna said.
Butch grinned. “But you should have seen the effect hearing about it had on my mother. Gave a whole new meaning to her idea of what a ‘dogcatcher’s life’ is all about. Of course, if you like, we could always trade. I’ll go into the office for you or go help out around the pound, and you can stay here with my parents.”
“No deal,” Joanna returned. “I didn’t think so.”
Joanna arrived at the office at nine-thirty. She hadn’t come in all day yesterday, so her desk was buried under one day’s worth of paperwork, and Kristin was already hard at work sorting out the latest batch. Instead of starting to play catch-up, Joanna picked up her phone and dialed University Medical Center. When she asked to be put through to Jeannine Phillips’s room, Millicent Ross answered.
“How’s she doing?” Joanna asked.
“It was a rough night,” Millicent replied. “But they finally upped her pain meds. She’s sleeping now. The phone didn’t even wake her.”
“And how are you?” Joanna asked.
“Tired but okay,” Millicent said, although she didn’t sound okay.
“I know about the rape,” Joanna said.
“The lousy bastards!” Millicent breathed. “I always thought Jeannine was strong as an ox. How did they…?”
“The guy who chased them away said there were at least six of them. She didn’t stand a chance.”
“Did the O’Dwyers do it?” Millicent asked. “Are they the ones responsible?”
“We don’t know one way or the other,” Joanna said. “We’re investigating, of course. And that’s going to take time. How is she? The doctor wouldn’t give me any information.”
“I’m not surprised. I thought Waller was going to have a heart attack when he realized I wasn’t Jeannine’s mother. Thank you for that, by the way,” Millicent added. “It meant a lot to both of us. At least I’m able to be here for her. As for her long-term prospects? They’re not very good. The broken bones will mend. A decent plastic surgeon may be able to do something with her face, but her internal injuries are still life-threatening. As for her right eye? It’s gone.”
“Gone?” Joanna repeated.
“She’ll be totally blind in that eye.”
“I’m so sorry,” Joanna murmured.
“Don’t be sorry,” Millicent said. “Just get the bastards.”
“We’re doing our best,” Joanna said. “But how are you managing? Is everything under control at your clinic?”
“Yes. I dropped off all the animals from my clinic-including the little pit bull Jeannine found-with Dr. Tompkins out in Sierra Vista. If I have any emergencies, they’ll be directed to him as well.”
“You’re going to stay there then?” Joanna asked.
“Yes,” Millicent said. “For as long as it takes.”
Kristin came to the door and mimed that Joanna had another call. “Sorry to cut you off,” Joanna said, “but I have to go.” She hung up. “Who is it?” she asked Kristin.
“Tom Hadlock,” Kristin replied.
Tom was Joanna’s jail commander. “We’ve had a little incident,” he said when Joanna came on the line.
Fresh from the disturbing news about Jeannine’s injuries, the idea of any kind of jail incident-little or otherwise-made Joanna’s blood run cold. “What kind of incident?” she asked.
“There was a dustup with some cell-made weapons out in the exercise yard.”
“Was anyone hurt?”
“Not badly enough for stitches. The guards broke it up right away. The two guys involved are in solitary, and the whole jail is under lockdown while we search for additional weapons. In other words, it’s all under control, but I wanted you to know what’s going on.”
“Thanks, Tom,” she said. “I appreciate it.”
For a few minutes after the second phone call she sat staring into space. Then she picked up the notebook she took to the briefings and wrote: “Discuss with Frank. Need new ACO.”
Moments later, the man himself appeared in her doorway. “Time for the briefing,” he said.
“You heard about the problem at the jail?”
Frank nodded. “It’s a good thing the guards stopped it when they did. It could have been a lot worse, but there is some good news.”
“What’s that?”
“Casey Ledford rides again,” he said with a grin.
“Are you saying she got a hit on AFIS?” Joanna asked. “What kind?”
“She didn’t give me the details,” Frank returned. “She said she’d meet us in the conference room to go over what she’s found.”
Casey, Jaime Carbajal, and Debbie Howell were already assembled by the time Joanna and Frank got there. Dave Hollicker came rushing in a few minutes later as Joanna was giving the group an update on Jeannine’s condition, including the disturbing news that the animal control officer had been raped.
“In other words,” Frank said when Joanna finished, “we’ve got to nail these guys!”
“Exactly,” Joanna said. “Not only the ones who actually did the dirty work, but the ones who are behind it.”
“The O’Dwyers?” Frank asked.
“That would be my guess.” She turned to Casey. “Now, then, I understand you may have found something?”
“I found lots of somethings,” Casey said. “For one thing, I lifted prints from the boulder that was used to smash the window on Jeannine’s truck. AFIS says those prints belong to a guy named Antonio Zavala, a nineteen-year-old gangbanger from Tucson. He’s got a string of moving violations, including driving while suspended. Pima County has a warrant out on him for suspicion of grand theft auto. And the guy who got left behind and drove away in Jeannine’s vehicle? His name is Juan Mendoza. He was released from Fort Grant just two months ago on the occasion of his twenty-first birthday. He was sixteen when he got locked up in juvie for vehicular manslaughter, which probably should have been Murder One. The guy who got run over just happened to be dating Juan’s ex-girlfriend.”
“Do we have addresses on those two guys?” Joanna asked.
“Possibly,” Casey said. “But not for sure. Pima County is in the process of forwarding whatever they have.”
“Back to the prints. Are those the only ones you have?” Joanna asked.
“No,” Casey replied. “There are lots more that I haven’t been able to process yet. Dave collected a whole bunch of rocks where Luminol located blood spatter. Once he gets what he needs from those, I’ll process them to see if I can lift any prints from them as well.”
Joanna turned to Detective Carbajal. “You and Debbie will head up to Tucson?” she asked.
“Yes, ma’am,” he said. “As soon as we get the info from Tucson, we’re on our way. Should we go by the hospital while we’re there?” he added. “Is Jeannine in any shape to be interviewed?”
“I doubt it,” Joanna returned. “But since you’re going to be in Tucson anyway, you could just as well check and see. Millicent will be able to say whether or not Jeannine can handle visitors or questions.”
“Millicent?” Jaime said. “Millicent who?”
“Millicent Ross, the vet. She and Jeannine are together.”