And then, some twelve or fifteen minutes later, China called back.
“It wasn’t an accident,” she said tersely. “It was a homicide. The PETA crew with the drone was out there making a video. They’ve got surveillance camera footage—drone footage—of the whole thing, start to finish. And a clear image of the man driving the truck that forced Sue Ellen off the road.”
“Homicide?” Mack was dumbfounded. “Drone footage? You mean—”
“Right. You and whoever is working the wreck need to take a look at this, Mack. I’m temporarily representing this trio. Do you want to come here to see it and question them, or should I load them up and bring them and the video to where you are?”
“Bring them here,” Mack replied. If this was going to be a homicide investigation, they were shorthanded. Ethan had told her that Sheriff Rogers was attending a meeting in Austin. Two deputies were attending a training seminar in Houston. One deputy was on vacation, another out sick, and two others—Davenport and Murphy—were working a meth lab situation on the other side of the county. She and Ethan were the only law enforcement officers immediately available.
Thinking fast, she added, “If you’ve got video, can you see whether Krause was involved? When he showed up here at the scene, he said he was running some kind of shooting event nearby and heard the sirens and—”
“A pigeon shoot,” China interrupted dryly.
“Yeah,” Mack said, surprised. “How’d you know?”
“Tell you later. He’s still there?”
“He’s down at the wreck.” She glanced down the hill where the men were working, three VFD men in firefighter turnout gear, two EMS guys in white, Ethan in uniform, Krause in camo. “They got the car cooled down. Looks like they’re trying to get the body out now.” She turned away. It wasn’t a pretty sight.
“Detain him,” China said grimly. “Put him somewhere and keep an eye on him.”
Mack was surprised. “I can do that, but—”
“Just do it,” China said. “I don’t know what Krause looks like, so I can’t tell you if he was the one driving the truck. Maybe, maybe not.”
Mack climbed down the hill, pulled Ethan aside, and told him what China had said. He gave her a startled, questioning look, then made a quick decision. When Krause and the EMS team got up the hill with Sue Ellen’s badly burned body in a Stokes basket, he pulled Krause aside, patted him down and took his driver’s license, then instructed him to wait in the rear cab of Mack’s truck while they “sorted things out.”
Looking confused, Krause complied without objection—until Ethan took his cell phone. “What the hell you doing that for?” he demanded angrily. “I gotta call my boss and tell him where I am and what happened. And somebody’s gotta break the news to Sue Ellen’s family. Oughta be me.”
“Warden Chambers will make the call for you, and we’ll handle the notifications.” Ethan tossed the phone to Mack. “When you’re done,” he said in a low voice, “lock him in your truck, Mack. And don’t give him his phone back.”
“Hey, wait!” Krause protested heatedly. “My wife ran off the road and killed herself and you’re acting like I’ve done something wrong. What’s this about?”
“Just a few things we need to clear up,” Mack said, and slipped the phone in her pocket and said to Krause, “We’ll get back to you as soon as we’ve cleared up a few things.” She closed the rear cab door and locked it.
The EMS crew left with Sue Ellen’s body. Most accident victims would be taken directly to a funeral home, but Ethan told them to take her to the county morgue in Uvalde. If this turned out to be a homicide, there’d be an autopsy. The VFD hung around a little longer, making sure that the fire was completely out. They were just pulling out when China arrived in her red panel van, leading the black SUV containing the three members of the PETA squad. She left them in their vehicle and walked over to where Mack and Ethan were standing beside Ethan’s white truck. She was still wearing the gray fleece hoodie, green tee, and dirty jeans that she’d had on this morning. She was carrying an iPad.
“Attorney China Bayles, Deputy Ethan Conroy,” Mack said, introducing them. “She’s a friend from Pecan Springs—and she’s temporarily representing the kids who made the video.”
Ethan’s eyes were narrowed. “Warden Chambers says that what we’ve got here isn’t an accident. What do you know about it, Ms. Bayles?”
Mack listened as China swiftly and economically sketched out the story that Amy, Chris, and Sharon had told her, using the iPad map display to show them where the three drone crew members were when the video was taken. Then she played the surveillance video.
Mack was astonished. As she watched, she thought about the driver of the red car and the sheer panic she must have felt, fighting for control as the truck deliberately sideswiped her car and sent it over the edge. She felt a swift, hard-burning flash of anger as she watched the man with the rifle lift his fist in celebration, and a distinct jolt of pleasure as she jotted down the clearly visible license plate. That guy was going to pay for what he had done. Big-time.
But he wasn’t Jack Krause. That much was clear. And that’s what she said in answer to China’s question.
“No. Krause is over there, in my truck. He’s a big guy, burly. This is somebody else.”
“Let’s see that again,” Ethan said. China handed him the iPad, and he replayed the video, freezing it on the zoom. “The video looks legit,” he said, shaking his head. “There’s even a date and time stamp.”
“You can match up this display with the video that’s still in the drone camera,” China said. “The drone owner has volunteered to turn over this iPad and the camera, as well, so it can be used to document the crime when the case goes to court. You may not have an eyewitness to this murder, but you’ve got the next best thing, an eye-in-the-sky witness.” She grinned crookedly. “All I need is a receipt for whatever you’re taking. The owner will want it back when this is all over.”
“He’ll get it.” Ethan shook his head, still half-disbelieving. “Don’t know what the county prosecutor is going to say, though. She’ll have a lot of questions, for sure. This whole thing is a pretty bizarre coincidence.”
China chuckled. “She may have questions to start with, but when push comes to shove, she’s going to tell the jury that the drone team may have been trespassing, but they were at the right place at exactly the right time. She may even hint at divine intervention. And when the verdict is in, she’ll thank the kids for helping her get a conviction. Of course, you’ve got to catch the guy first, before she can prosecute. Any idea who he is?”
Ethan squinted at the image. “Don’t recognize him. You, Mack?”
“No, I don’t,” Mack replied, and added wryly, “Too bad it wasn’t Krause. That would have made it easy.”
“Just because Krause wasn’t driving doesn’t mean he wasn’t involved,” China said. “He could have arranged to be at that pigeon shoot to give himself an alibi, while somebody else did the dirty work.”
“True thing,” Ethan agreed. “Let’s play this video back to the zoom. I want to run that plate.”
“I’ve already copied it,” Mack said, and handed it to Ethan.
While Mack and China stood by, Ethan unhooked his mike from his epaulettes and called Dispatch. “I’d like a ten-twenty-eight on Texas bravo kilo niner alpha three two three. And while you’re at it, a ten-twenty-nine on the owner of that vehicle and on”—he took Jack Krause’s driver’s license out of his breast pocket—“John Russell Krause.”
“Ten-twenty-eight gets us the registration information,” Mack said to China. “Ten-twenty-nine, outstanding wants and warrants.” China raised one eyebrow and nodded, and Mack said, “Guess you knew that, huh?” They both chuckled.
In a couple of minutes, they learned that the 2001 Dodge pickup was registered to Thomas Perry, at an address on Route 1051, who
was wanted for parole violations. And that Jack Krause had an outstanding misdemeanor warrant—he hadn’t paid his speeding fines.
Mack and China exchanged startled glances. “Thomas Perry,” China said. “He’s one of the men at the Bar Bee ranch, isn’t he?”
“It’s beginning to add up,” Mack said.
“Bar Bee?” Ethan asked.
Mack replied, “I went to the vet clinic this morning to check the billing records and try to find out where Doc Masters saw those tattooed fawns. After some digging, the office manager found out that Masters had been at the Bar Bee Ranch, on 1051, north of Reagan Wells. A couple of guys named Ronald and Thomas Perry live there.”
“Ronald and Thomas. Brothers?” Ethan asked.
“Maybe. I did a quick search in the state criminal history database. Ronald is thirty-seven years old, Thomas, thirty-three—could be brothers, or maybe cousins. Ronald is mostly clean here in Texas, just a DUI and a contested speeding ticket, both local and both in the past couple of years. Thomas—he goes by the nickname Lucky—is another matter. Killed a guy in a barroom brawl over in Corpus, which got him seven years. He served five. The probation violations are probably related to his release from prison.”
“Lucky!” China put in. “That’s the name of one of the men Jack Krause was involved with, according to Sue Ellen. She called the other one Duke. What do you want to bet that Duke and Ronald Perry are the same?”
“Hold it,” Ethan said, putting up his hand. “Too many moving parts. Let’s back up.” His expression was tense. “Tattooed fawns, Mack. Those are the fawns you were telling me about yesterday? The ones you and the doc thought were stolen?”
“Yes,” Mack said. “Doc Masters told me he was pretty sure that the tattoo had been altered. The number he saw was four-eight-two, but it looked to him like the eight had originally been a three. He told me that Three Gates Ranch holds the permit number four-three-two. I think he’d pretty much decided that the fawns originally came from there.”
“Ah.” Ethan got out of the truck and straightened, hitching up his duty belt. “Now we’re making sense. So these two guys at the Bar Bee are holding some stolen animals that came from Three Gates. And the guy who just slammed Sue Ellen Krause off the road could be one of them. One of the Perrys.”
Mack turned to China. “Tell Ethan what Sue Ellen Krause told you, China. That helps confirm what we’re dealing with here.”
China nodded. “Her husband was involved with two men—Duke and Lucky—in a plan to set up a game ranch. The two men already had the land—the Bar Bee, I suppose. They were stocking it, and paying for the fencing they needed to get the permit, with deer they were smuggling in from Oklahoma.”
“Lacey Act violations,” Mack put in, speaking to Ethan. “Like that case over in East Texas.”
“Got it,” Ethan said. “Go on, Ms. Bayles.”
“According to Sue Ellen, Jack was helping with the smuggling and buying into the business with stuff he was stealing from Three Gates. We were interrupted before she could tell me exactly what that was, but it likely included those fawns the vet happened to see. Possibly semen, as well, and maybe equipment. If that’s true, you might be able to find the stolen items somewhere on the Perrys’ ranch.”
A thought occurred to Mack, and she pulled Krause’s cell phone out of her pocket. She scrolled to recent calls, and there it was. Perry, with a long string of recent text messages. She held it up. “May be something here to document some of their transactions, meet-ups, plans.” She handed the phone to Ethan.
“Good thought, Mack.” Ethan looked inquiringly at China. “If Ms. Krause told you all this, she must have been thinking of going to the police.”
China nodded. “That’s right. She was asking me for advice. She knew Jack was stealing and was afraid he’d be caught. She felt she needed to protect herself from being charged as an accomplice. She tried to get him to pull out of the relationship with these guys, and when he refused, she told him she was getting a divorce. In fact, she was in the process of moving into the guest lodge on my mother’s ranch.” She gestured toward the boxes and bags scattered on the rocky hillside. “That’s why her car was loaded with all that stuff. If you ask me, she was killed to keep her quiet. And the vet was killed for the same reason.”
Ethan asked, “Do you have any reason to suspect that Krause was involved in either death?”
“No idea,” China replied. “I could see it going either way. He may be involved only in the thefts and the smuggling. Or he could have been involved in one or both of the murders, as well.”
Ethan looked at his watch, then squinted up at the sky. “It’s nearly four, and we’ll be losing the light pretty quick. We can arrest Krause on that misdemeanor warrant and hold him overnight for questioning in his wife’s murder.” He nodded toward the black SUV. “We also need to take statements from the drone bunch and secure the surveillance video and the camera. And the two Perrys have to be picked up—probably at their ranch—and brought in for questioning.”
“I can see that the drone team gets down to the Uvalde sheriff’s office to leave their statements,” China offered. “I’ll drive down there with them and stay until it’s done.”
Mack grinned at her. “I guess you don’t trust us to treat them right. You’re thinking rubber hoses, maybe?”
“Just doing my job,” China said with a laugh. “When that’s done, they can be on their way. If you need them again, I’ll make sure they’re available.”
“That’ll work. Thanks,” Ethan said. “Mack, take Krause down to the county jail and book him on that warrant. That’ll give him some time by himself to think about what he’s been up to. If he gives you any trouble, tack on a charge of obstruction. Oh, and you take the iPad, the video camera, and Krause’s cell phone and log them into the evidence locker. We’ll want to go through all that before we question Krause and the Perrys.” He paused. “And can you take the witness statements from the drone people?”
“On it,” Mack said promptly. She wasn’t sure who he meant by “we,” but for the moment, she was going to assume that she would be involved. She eyed him. “And you?”
Ethan pulled out his cell phone. “I’m going to call Sheriff Rogers and tell him I need approval to assemble a criminal apprehension team to go after the Perrys. It has to be done tonight—the border is just an hour away, and I don’t want to risk flight. I’ll follow you as far south as Sabinal and get the justice of the peace there to issue an arrest warrant for Thomas Perry on the parole violation charge, and for Ronald Perry on suspicion of multiple Lacey Act violations. I’ll throw in conspiracy, as well.”
“Get a search warrant for the Bar Bee, too,” Mack said. “We may not be able to prove Lacey without documentation, but the fawns are evidence of theft. Semen, too, if we can find it.”
Ethan nodded. “I’ll talk to John Coxey—he’s the Sabinal chief of police—and see if he’ll round up a couple of his officers and meet me in the Baptist church parking lot over in Reagan Wells. By that time, Davenport and Murphy should be available. Six of us ought to be a big enough team to corral the Perrys.”
“Seven,” Mack said firmly. “I’m in, too, Ethan.” She handed him Krause’s cell phone. “And if we’re going after the Perrys, you’ll want to take this. It’s got their number—and the call will display Krause’s caller ID. They’ll think it’s their partner and will pick up.”
“Shoulda thought of that myself. Good idea.” Ethan took the phone and slipped it into his uniform pocket. Shifting uncomfortably, he shook his head. “But I’m sorry, Mack. You’re not in on this. We don’t know these guys or what kind of arsenal they’ve got stashed at their place. We don’t know the lay of the land, either. That’s pretty rugged country over there, and it’ll be dark by the time we go in. They won’t expect us until we’re on top of them, but serving that warrant will not be a piece of cake. Could be troubl
e. Could be shooting.” His eyes were on hers, dark and troubled, and she knew that he would have reached out and touched her if China hadn’t been standing there with them. “Please understand, Mack,” he said more softly. “I don’t want you to get hurt, that’s all.”
Mack stepped back, out of reach and unmoved by his appeal. Damn! He might be trying to soften it, but bottom line, Ethan was telling her that she couldn’t handle a tough job, that he didn’t trust her to do her part along with the male officers, that she’d just be in the way. Well, he could forget that. She wasn’t going to let him get away with it. And if she pissed him off, so be it. His response would be a measure of him, not of her. He could accept her as a professional or not, his choice. But she was a conservation officer, a law enforcement officer, and a woman, all at the same time. If he couldn’t accept her as a professional, there was no future in their personal relationship.
She pulled herself up to her full height and put her hand on her holster. “Knock it off, Ethan,” she said in a level tone, meeting his eyes. “You tell Sheriff Rogers that Warden Chambers will be the Parks and Wildlife member of your team, to secure any stolen animals and take custody of whatever deer semen she can locate.” She narrowed her eyes, willing him to understand just how much was hanging on his answer. “Nonnegotiable. You got that?”
Holding himself stiffly, his jaw working, Ethan studied her for a long moment. Then he relaxed. “Top dog, I guess,” he said ruefully, and chuckled. His glance went from China back to Mack, and he threw up his hands in mock despair. “What are we going to do with you pushy broads?”
“Get behind us,” China said promptly. “Then we won’t have to push.”
Mack tilted her head and pursed her lips as if she were thinking through a puzzle. “I could come up with a suggestion or two. Maybe involving ‘exceptional circumstances.’”
Ethan’s eyes lit up and he grinned at her. “Yeah, okay. I got it.” His mouth tightened, stern. “If you’re on my team, you’re taking orders. I’m assuming you have a ballistics vest. Right?”
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