Mattie found that news disappointing. “Any word on the glove?”
“Yes,” Stella said, scanning the laptop screen. “They found gunshot residue on the exterior, and they’ve swabbed the interior for DNA. I’ve asked them to fast-track those results, but we’re looking at Thursday at the earliest.”
That sounded more positive to Mattie. “We can still collect DNA samples from people of interest and get them into the lab for comparison as soon as possible. All we have to do is ask.”
“And of course refusal always raises a red flag,” Stella said before turning back to the computer screen. “The glove is a Wells Lamont cowhide work glove with adjustable wrist, men’s size large, and I’ve got some photos of it that I’ll email to you for your phones.”
Mattie’s phone beeped as the email came through, followed by an echo from Brody’s. She opened hers to download the photo. “What’s the status on that .38 Special Robo found?”
“The registration number on it was clear as a bell, and I submitted it to the Tracing Center,” Stella said. “I hope to know its ownership within forty-eight hours.”
That was better news than she thought they’d get. “Have we heard anything from the fire investigators yet?”
“I talked to the lead investigator,” Brody said as he swiped and tapped his phone. “He’ll get a report to us when they’re done, but he shared some preliminary information. The gas cap was removed from the gas tank, making it more likely for it to ignite.”
And showing intent to cause as much damage as possible, Mattie thought.
“The Molotov cocktail contained diesel and cotton fabric similar to that found in a white cotton bed sheet,” Brody continued. “They’ll pin down the exact fabric in the lab, but this will at least give us something to look for. The accelerant used inside the van was also diesel. It’s common for an arsonist to burn a vehicle from the inside out, since the interior materials are flammable.”
Mattie wanted to bring the conversation back to the cocaine inside the van’s door panel. “Cole, Flint, and Rainbow have all indicated that Nate Fletcher wasn’t the type to use drugs, and according to Flint, he wasn’t supplying narcotics to clients for parties in the mountains. But trace amounts of cocaine in the door panel begs the question—was Nate into drug running? Is that what got him killed?”
Brody rolled his head, making his neck pop. “He’s got clients coming in from all over. Perfect setup for trafficking.”
Mattie felt her excitement start to build. This was something she and Robo could sort through, which might lead them to Nate’s killer. “That could open up a whole new group of suspects. A drug ring? These two men from out of town? We need to find out what Kasey knows about this.”
Stella frowned as she nodded. “This is important, Mattie. We’re going to have to see if we can search Nate and Kasey’s house for narcotics. I hate to put her through it, but we need to determine if she’s somehow involved in this as well.”
Mattie agreed with Stella. So far, everything indicated that Kasey was a victim here as well as Nate, but maybe they would turn up something to indicate differently. “Right. It’s important to see what she has to say, and we can tread lightly. First, I’ll ask her permission to search.”
“And if she refuses, we have enough that I can get a warrant,” Brody said. “It’s a shame for the family, but in this case, we’ve got to dig into Nate’s past. That’s probably where we’ll find the person who killed him.”
NINE
Stella decided they should stop at the Big Sky Motel to meet the out-of-towners before driving out to the Redman Ranch. Mattie pulled into the motel and parked outside the office, marked clearly by a sign located on the outer left wing of the U-shaped building. The walls were painted turquoise with white trim, and boxes of newly planted petunias and geraniums adorned the sidewalk that ran along the front of the rooms. Two white metal lounge chairs sat outside each door.
“I’ll find out what room they’re in,” Stella said as she opened her door and stepped out.
The place had only about twelve rooms and there were no cars to be seen in the lot, making Mattie worry that the fishermen had already checked out. It took only a few minutes for Stella to return from the office.
“Ben Underwood is in room eight,” Stella said. “He’s still checked in, but he and his friend drove away early this morning. Maid cleaned and their baggage is still there, so I expect they’ll be back and we can catch them later. We might as well go out to the ranch.”
“All right. Did you get the vehicle info and license plate?”
“I did.”
“Let me call it in to Rainbow and let her run a registration check.”
As Mattie pulled out onto the highway and headed west, she radioed dispatch. After giving Rainbow the information, she drove in silence while Stella gazed out the passenger window and brooded about the case, one of her habits that Mattie had grown used to over the past months.
Within minutes, Rainbow called back. “The vehicle is a silver Cadillac Escalade, Luxury model SUV, registered to Zach Irving of Los Angeles, California. I ran a background on him: no priors, no warrants.”
“Thanks, Rainbow.”
When Mattie glanced at Stella, she nodded acknowledgment that she’d heard and was taking notes in her notebook.
At about six miles outside town, Mattie turned into the entryway of the Redman Ranch and scanned the layout by the light of day. The headquarters for the place had been built near the actual stream called Timber Creek, and the buildings were surrounded by a leafy canopy of trees: cottonwoods, elms, even maples. Off to the left, a stand of flowering trees, some with rose-colored blossoms and some with white, suggested some kind of orchard.
The white-painted homes were readily apparent, and it looked like there were two of them separated by an ancient barn. The barn was huge, its open door a darkened maw. It had been built of rough-cut lumber and log, weathered by decades of standing resolute out in the elements and the sun. A rusted tin roof covered the top.
A log cabin sat off to the far right, which must be Tyler’s home, leaving the second white house as Kasey’s.
Mattie took a narrow right fork in the road and followed the gravel path to the front of a boxy white stucco house that looked much smaller than that of her parents. There were two cars parked in front—a silver Honda Civic and a cherry-red Kia sedan—so she assumed Kasey might be at home.
After parking, she told Robo to stay in the car, and she and Stella exited to walk a stone pathway. This home wasn’t graced with a cozy outdoor room like Lillian’s. Instead its porch consisted of a square slab of concrete with an awning.
They went up onto the porch. Mattie opened the screen door and knocked on a solid wooden one that had been painted green to match the trim on the windows. When no one answered, she knocked harder, thinking she would try one more time before going to look for Kasey at her parents’ house.
Kasey’s voice came from inside. “Just a minute.” A moment later, she opened the door, her eyes reddened and swollen from crying. She wore cotton pajamas beneath a knitted shawl that she clutched tightly around her shoulders with both hands.
A brunette with long, curly hair, fully dressed in jeans and a teal blouse, stood behind Kasey, as if offering support. The way she hovered made Mattie think she must be a friend.
“I’m sorry to bother you, Kasey, but Detective LoSasso and I have something we need to discuss with you,” Mattie said, looking pointedly at the unfamiliar woman.