Kerney's thoughts turned to his visits with Lassiter's sister, Lurline Toler, and Verdie Mae McNutt. Had Lurline put him off about how to find Nita? What did Verdie Mae think he was smart enough to figure out?
Nita gestured at her companion.
"That's Uddy Hewett. I'm Nita Lassiter."
"Kevin Kerney."
Nita turned her attention to the foal.
"It's a girl," she announced.
"Let's get you cleaned up," Liddy Hewett said, as she retrieved Kerney's shirt and jacket.
"That would be nice," Kerney allowed, blinking through the manure, and dabbing the towel around his eyes.
"We don't usually have policemen come calling," Uddy said. She walked him to a utility sink outside the tack room and turned on me faucet.
"Is there a problem?"
"I came to see Dr. Lassiter," Kerney replied. Behind him, Nita Lassiter's stirring ceased and he thought he heard a sudden intake of breath.
"Well, I'm glad you came when you did," Liddy noted.
"We were having a hard time of it with the mare."
"Some births don't come easy." He scrubbed his hands clean, ran the basin full, and started washing the shit off his face and chest. He dirtied one large towel and Liddy handed him another.
"Can I offer you a cup of coffee after you've cleaned up?" Liddy asked.
"That sounds nice."
She handed him the last clean towel.
"I'll get the pot going. You and Nita come over to the house when you're ready."
Liddy walked off and Kerney turned to study Nita.
She was bent over the mare watching the horse lick the foal clean. She straightened up and forced a smile at Kerney.
"Thanks again. I think we would have lost the foal if you hadn't shown up."
"You're welcome," Kerney said as he tucked in his shirt and put on his jacket.
"So, you're a police officer."
"I'm an investigator with the state police."
"Why do you need to talk to me?" Stiffly, Nita walked to the sink and stood with her back to Kerney. A good five foot eight, she had a slender frame, much like Addie Randall's.
"I spoke with your sister earlier today."
She splashed water on her face, cleaned her arms, slipped on a plaid work shirt, and turned to face him.
"Really?"
"And Verdie Mae McNutt."
"I see."
"I also talked with Addie Randall. I understand you paid a visit to her in Socorro."
"Her mother and I have been friends since childhood Addie is someone I care about."
"Verdie Mae made that dear. You were seen talking to Robert Cordova in Mountainair on the day Paul Gillespie was murdered."
"I've known Robert for a long time."
"He was your foster brother."
"That's right."
"What secret do you want him to keep?"
Nita's eyes narrowed.
"Excuse me?"
"Where is Serpent Gate?"
"I've never heard of it."
"That's not what Robert said."
Nervously, Nita used her fingers to comb her hair.
"If you've talked to Robert, you know that he's not completely rational."
"Not always," Kerney agreed.
"But two thoughts seem to occupy his mind: a place called Serpent Gate and rape. Do you know why he spends so much time thinking about those two things?"
"I have no idea."
"Addie was raped, wasn't she?"
"I think that's a safe assumption."
"Did she tell you who did it?"
"Addie won't talk about it."
"Not with just anybody," Kerney said.
"But maybe she would tell someone close to her. Someone who would understand what happened."
"I don't know what you mean by that."
The more Kerney looked at Nita, the stronger her resemblance to Addle seemed. He dedded to roll the dice.
"Does Addie know you're her mother?"
"That's absurd." Nita's voice rose several notches.
"Why would Lurline lie to me about your friendship with Robert Cordova?"
"I have no idea."
"Then lie to me again about your family nickname?
It's Addie, isn't it?"
"I think I've heard enough." Nita walked to her medical bag and started repacking it. Her hands were shaking.
"I think it's more than a coinddence that you and Addie share the same name."
Nita snapped the bag closed.
"I have to go now." Her eyes blinked rapidly, filling with tears, and she walked quickly past Kerney into the biting late-afternoon wind.
"Did you kill Paul Gfflespie?"
"Why would I do that?" Nita opened the passenger door to her truck and put the bag on the seat, hiding her face from Kerney.
"Because he raped Addie."
Nita sagged against the door.
"Who told you that?"
"Addie," Kerney lied.
"Is she your daughter?"
"You'll have to figure that out by yourself." Nita closed the passenger door and walked to the driver's side of the truck. A sheen of perspiration showed on her upper lip.
Kerney followed and stopped at the front fender.
"You need to talk about this, Nita," he said softly.
"You can't keep carrying it around. It's eating you up. You're sweating and shaking."
"I don't want to talk to you," Nita responded, her voice drained. She opened the driver's door, got inside, and gave him a feeble smile.
"Good-bye, Mr. Kerney."
Kerney held the truck door open as she tried to pull it shut, and played his last card.
"Robert did tell me one thing that may interest you."
"What's that?"
"He saw you leaving the police station the night Gillespie was shot."
Nita sagged.
"Oh, poor Robert." The words came out in a whisper.
"Our friendship has cost him so much. Is he okay?"
"You saw him there, didn't you?"
Nita bit her lip and nodded.
"Tell me about your relationship with Paul Gillespie."
"Paul was my classmate in high school."
"Was he a friend?"
"Hardly that."
"You didn't like him?"
"I couldn't stand him."
"You wanted to confront him about Addie. I can understand that. He raped your daughter."
Nita laughed harshly.
"Addie was Paul's daughter, too, Mr. Kerney. I left town when I found out I was pregnant. He never knew about Addie and Addie doesn't know about him."
"You're leaving something out, Nita. Finish the story."
Nita's shoulders sagged further.
"Paul raped me during my senior year in high school. Robert saw it happen."
"When did you decide to kill him?"
"When Addie told me what Paul had done."
Kerney sidestepped around the door so he could have a dear view of Nita.
"Tell me how it happened."
"He was cleaning his pistol when I went to see him. I had a gun in my handbag. I was just going to kill him and leave. But I got scared. He grabbed me before I could walk out and gave me this hug-grinding himself against me. I felt like I was being raped all over again. I pushed him away, picked up his pistol from the desk, and pulled the trigger."
"Get out of the truck," Kerney said softly.
"Lurline called me right after you went to see her. I knew you would find me."
"Step out of the truck."
Nita shook her head. She turned her back to Kerney and her left hand disappeared into the center console between the bucket seats.
"Put your hands in plain view and get out of the truck." Kerney unholstered his weapon and leveled the nine-millimeter at Nita.
"I'm not a very good murderer," Nita said. As she turned to face Kerney, her hand came up holding a pistol.
She pressed the muzzle against her temple.
"Too much of a conscience, I guess."
"Drop the gun," Kerney said.
Nita shook her head and began to squeeze the trigger.
Too far away to make a grab, Kerney fired once. The bullet caught Nita below the shoulder and jarred her arm a fraction of a second before she squeezed the trigger.