My sisters and I stared at Mama, who stared right back.
“No, ma’am,’’ she said to Wynonna. “Belle surely did not mention that.’’
A hard knock rattled the RV’s door.
Wynonna shook her head and whispered, “I can’t see anybody right now. Tell them I’m resting, or I’ve gone to bed. Just tell them to go away.’’
All four of them looked at me, waiting. I got up and opened the door a crack. A big man in sheriff’s department green and a light-colored felt Western hat filled every inch of the frame.
“I’m sorry, Ms. Bramble’s had a terrible shock,’’ I said to him. “Would you mind coming back later?’’
“Yes, I would.’’ Unsmiling, he shifted a toothpick to one corner of his mouth. “Tell her Sheriff Roberts wants to talk to her.’’ He rose onto the doorstep, and the RV rocked with his weight.
“She’s not dressed,’’ I said quickly, closing the door a fraction of an inch.
“I’ll wait.’’ He stepped back to the ground and crossed his arms over his chest. The toothpick seemed to migrate on its own to the opposite corner of his mouth.
I pulled the door closed, and turned to shrug at Wynonna.
She stood up, smoothed her hair, and tucked her cowgirl shirt at her tiny waist.
“Go ahead and let him in, Mace,’’ she said. “Though the last thing I want to do right now is describe how I found Doc, you know? The sight of that blood and that poor man trying to speak is going to haunt my nightmares.’’
She stood up straight as I swung open the door. When the lawman came in, the spacious RV suddenly seemed tiny.
“Sheriff Roberts.’’ She offered him her hand. “Would you like a cup of coffee?’’
He shook his head and looked around. His gaze rested first on Maddie, then Marty, then Mama, then me. It made me nervous to have him looking at me so intently, even though I knew I hadn’t done a single thing wrong.
“Which one of you is her lawyer?’’
Wynonna’s face went a shade more pale. “Do I need a lawyer?’’
“No, ma’am. I only want to ask you a few questions. But I know how rich people are. You folks come prepared.’’
She slit her eyes at him. I saw a trace of the haughty Wynonna I’d seen that first night at Lawton’s cook site. “I can assure you,’’ she said, “I was not prepared to stumble upon a man who was my husband’s doctor and a close family friend bleeding to death on the ground. Now, Sheriff, if you’d like to sit down, I’ll tell you whatever I can.’’
His eyes showed the tiniest flicker of . . . what? Respect? Intimidation? Anger? I couldn’t be sure. The glimpse of emotion was gone almost before it registered.
“I’m sorry, ladies,’’ he said to us, sounding not at all sorry. “Y’all are uninvolved parties. I’m gonna have to ask you to leave.’’ The toothpick bobbed as he talked. “We’re investigating an attempted murder. It wouldn’t be right for you to be here when I talk to Ms. Bramble.’’
I was relieved when he said attempted murder. Doc was still alive. At least for now.
___
Maddie and I each hooked an arm around Mama’s waist, nearly carrying her from the RV to Camp Caddy. Marty followed, holding a paper plate with the rest of Wynonna’s cookies.
When Sal saw us limp into view, the relief on his face was evident, even by lantern light.
“I was about to call in the search dogs,’’ he said. “Where the hell have you four been?’’
We told him all about Wynonna, and how shaken she’d been. We felt sorry for her, the way Sheriff Roberts seemed to attack her, so soon after she’d lost her husband. He’d hustled us out of the RV before we had a chance to ask her anything else about Shotgun’s history with bees. That was definitely a line of questioning I wanted to follow up with Belle.
Sal upended my bottle of wine over one of the plastic goblets. One drop dribbled out.
“Well, there wasn’t much left anyway.’’ He looked at us guiltily. “And I sat here all alone for a long time.’’
“I thought you were helping with the investigation,’’ I said, fishing a beer from Sal’s cooler.
“Nah. I’ll let Carlos fight it out with the locals. He and that sheriff have already butted heads. Let’s just say the Dundee County boys aren’t eager for outside help.’’
I could picture it: Carlos, with his Miami manners and know-it-all attitude, would have started off on the wrong foot with the countrified, toothpick-chawin’ Sheriff Roberts. Then, the pair of them would keep rubbing each other wrong, like a wet sock over a blister. I wondered if they’d started rolling in the dirt yet, like Lawton and Johnny?
A gasp from Maddie brought me back to Camp Cadillac.
“Look lively, Mace,’’ she whispered. “You are not going to believe who is sashaying her way into Mama’s camp.’’
I turned to see Austin, wearing a nervous smile and carrying a second bottle of wine. If nothing else, the wine was welcome.
“You’re not going to throw anything at me, are you, Mace?’’ She held out the wine like a shield.
“If I recall, you’re the one with the killer aim, Austin.’’
“Be nice, Mace,’’ Mama said, grabbing the bottle and handing it to me. “The girl has gone out of her way to make up.’’
I mumbled something that might have been “thank-you’’ or “screw-you.’’
“You’re welcome,’’ Austin said, choosing to believe it was the former.
Uninvited, she settled herself into one of our camp chairs. “Now.’’ She leaned toward me, eyes burning with curiosity. “I’ve been hearing all about how you’re some kind of amateur detective. Who do you think shot Doc Abel?’’
“We haven’t had a chance to discuss it yet,’’ Marty said, sounding snippier than I’d ever heard her. “We keep getting interrupted.’’
Meow!
“Well, I have a theory I’ve been working on.’’ Austin plowed ahead, paying no heed to Marty’s insult. “Do you want to hear it?”
“Why not?’’ I shrugged.
“I think Wynonna killed her husband. Doc found out; and she tried to kill him to keep him quiet.’’ Austin beamed like a student awaiting a gold star.
“Do you have any evidence to support that?’’ I sounded like Carlos.
She smoothed her hair. “Woman’s intuition.’’
Maddie snorted.
“That and a buck will get you a cup of coffee at the courthouse,’’ Sal said.
I lifted myself from my chair. “As much as I’d like to sit around and chat, I need to check on my horse. Thanks for the wine, Austin. See you around.’’
She jumped up. “I’ll come with you, Mace. We can talk about the case.’’
Maddie rolled her eyes. Marty giggled behind her hand. Mama said, “That’s nice, honey. Mace could use a girlfriend.’’
“I’ve got two sisters and you, Mama. I don’t need any more women in my life.’’
“Amen to that,’’ Sal said.
I stalked out of the camp. Austin trailed behind me like a puppy dog.
“How’d you start solving cases, Mace?’’ she asked, as we picked our way through the pasture with flashlights.
“I’ve only solved one. And, so far, my record’s not so good on this one.’’ I shone the light ahead. “Watch that big cow paddy, Austin. It’s wet.’’
“Thanks.’’ She sidestepped. “But, I mean, how do you do it? How do you find the clues and everything?’’
“You have to start by being quiet. You have to look and listen. You can’t observe anything when you’re always jumping up, getting mad and running your mouth.’’