Striking Range

by Margaret Mizushima

  Ben came forward to shake hands, and Mattie noticed that he looked like he might have been crying recently as well.

  Eliza led the way toward the cluster of seats, her steps slow and careful, her posture bent, same as Mattie had noticed yesterday at Cole’s clinic. Stella sat on one end of a plush sofa, looking tired and drawn as she sank into the cushions, while Mattie took a seat at the other. As Ben sat in a chair beyond a glass coffee table, Kip zeroed in on Mattie, coming to sniff her pants thoroughly.

  “You smell Robo, don’t you?” Mattie leaned forward to scratch Kip behind the ears until Ben called her over to him and told her to sit at his feet. The border collie did as she was told, and Mattie murmured, “Good dog,” before settling back on the sofa.

  Corey remained standing with one shoulder against the stonework of the fireplace, his arms crossed. “What can you tell us?”

  Stella answered. “I think Sheriff McCoy has already told you that we couldn’t find any sign of an infant at the campground. I wish I had better news to report.”

  Mattie watched Eliza settle onto the edge of a straight-backed chair. Her eyes held a dreamy look as she eased into her seat as if trying to get comfortable. She’s on something for pain, Mattie thought, wondering how or if that related to Tonya.

  Stella continued, “We hope you can provide us with some thoughts on this situation, Mr. Greenfield. What was going on in Tonya’s life? Who are the people she might have interacted with today? That kind of thing.”

  “It’s Corey—no need for formality here. As I told the sheriff, Tonya has only been with us for a few weeks. She’s my brother’s child, and they live in Nebraska. They’re devastated, but as soon as this weather clears, they’ll drive here. Hopefully, they can make it tomorrow.”

  “The forecast calls for a warm-up. The roads will probably be clear by midmorning.” Mattie tried to project her sympathy as she removed a notepad and pen from her shirt pocket. “We’ve been told that Tonya had a midwife appointment this morning. Could you tell us more about that?”

  “Tonya left home about seven fifteen to make an eight o’clock appointment in Hightower.” Corey looked at his wife as if for confirmation, and she nodded vaguely. “I gave that name and phone number to the sheriff earlier.”

  He paused for a moment before going on. “She connected with this midwife even before she moved here and has been seeing her once a week. Tonya wanted a nonhospital delivery, which this midwife offers in a birthing center that she built as an extension to her home. The adoptive parents live in Willow Springs, so Tonya thought it would be more convenient for them to come get the baby if she delivered here instead of Nebraska. She said she didn’t want the little one to have a long ride home after coming into the world.”

  That bit of information made Mattie’s chest ache.

  Sorrow was evident on Stella’s face, something the detective rarely allowed herself to show. “We need the names and contact information for the adoptive parents.”

  “Eliza, do you have a phone number for the Thompsons?” Corey asked.

  “I’ll get it.” Eliza stood and straightened carefully, placing her hand on her lower back.

  Ben spoke for the first time, his voice deep but tight with tension. “Tell them about Skylar, Dad.”

  Mattie studied Ben for a few beats. He’d leaned forward to brace his elbows against his knees, and he looked taut as a cat ready to pounce.

  Corey glanced at his son. “I was going to mention him next. Skylar Kincaid is the baby’s father. He arrived in town last night.”

  Their stress set off Mattie’s alarm system. “Was Tonya expecting him?”

  “Not at all. In fact, she was upset that he was here,” Corey said.

  Ben gripped his knees with both hands, his knuckles white. “She was pissed. She didn’t want anything more to do with him.”

  Stella straightened, looking much more like herself. “Tell us who Skylar is and where he’s from.”

  Corey answered, although Ben looked like he had something to say too. “Skylar is a student at the University of Nebraska, where Tonya planned to go in January. They knew each other from high school, although he’s a year older than she is.” His shoulders slumped. “Uh … was.”

  Mattie wanted to hear more from the son; she would bet the two teens had bonded while Tonya lived here in this house. “Ben, what did Tonya say about Skylar?”

  Ben appeared eager to talk, and the words spilled out of him. “When she first found out she was pregnant with his kid, he wanted her to get rid of it. Told her he’d pay. It pissed him off when she decided on adoption. He told her he didn’t want someone else raising his kid. When he showed up last night, Tonya was upset. She didn’t know what he wanted from her. They were supposed to meet and talk after her midwife appointment.”

  “Trouble comes from bad choices,” Eliza murmured to her son as she came back into the room. She handed a slip of paper with the Thompsons’ phone number on it to Stella.

  Though the mother might have wanted to take advantage of a teachable moment, Mattie thought it inappropriate under the circumstances. And clearly Corey as Tonya’s uncle and Ben as her cousin had felt more connected to the girl. What are Eliza’s feelings toward her niece?

  “Geez, Mom, would you give it a break?”

  Ben’s response partially answered Mattie’s question. It looked like Eliza hadn’t been completely on board with sheltering the pregnant girl here at her home, and Mattie couldn’t help but wonder how her attitude had affected Tonya. But this Skylar kid seemed like a solid lead, and they needed to find him ASAP. “Where did Skylar stay last night?”

  “I don’t know,” Corey said.

  “He was going to sleep in his car.” Ben narrowed his eyes as if thinking. “I think he planned to stay in the park next to the gas station.”

  The cold front had moved in during the day, so car camping seemed possible last night. Typically, Garcia moved squatters out of the park, but if the kid had moved his car around, he might have gone unnoticed. Mattie wrote a note to herself to see if Garcia had encountered Skylar or had recorded a license plate number for someone who’d appeared to be loitering during the night.

  “Do you have a phone number for Skylar?” Stella asked.

  “No, but Tonya had his number in her phone.” Ben’s eyebrows rose in a hopeful expression.

  Stella shook her head. “We didn’t find a cell phone at the scene. We have a bulletin out in the region to be on the lookout for her car, but so far no one’s seen it. Did she have a locator on her phone?”

  “I can ask my brother. Maybe he’ll know. He wanted me to call him after I talked to you, so he’ll be waiting.” Corey drew his own cell phone from his sweatpants pocket. “I’ve got Tonya’s number right here, though.”

  He read it aloud while Mattie recorded it. They could try pinging the phone if there was no locator on it.

  Corey looked at Stella. “I can call my brother now. He might know how to contact Skylar. Do you want to talk to him?”

  “I do, but let’s finish up with you first, and then I’ll call him as we drive back to the station. What’s his number?” Stella and Mattie both jotted it down before Stella went on. “Is there anyone else we should know about who could have played a role in Tonya’s death?”

  Corey frowned. “None that I know of. Another question for my brother.”

  Ben leaned forward to pet Kip. “There’s an old lady Tonya met at the midwife’s who acted all judgy about private adoption. She really hurt Tonya’s feelings.”

  “It’s good to think about this from all angles, Ben,” Stella said. “Was this woman one of the patients?”

  “No, she works there. Tonya said she told her to think about using an adoption agency instead of selling her baby. But it was nothing like that. Tonya found someone who would help with her medical expenses, but she wasn’t getting money for the baby. I told Tonya to tell the midwife—she needs to know what her people say to her patients.”

  M
attie wondered if this could lead to something. “And did Tonya complain to the midwife?”

  Ben shook his head. “I don’t know. If she did, it would’ve been this morning at her appointment.”

  Retaliation such as murder for a patient complaint would have been a huge overreaction. But still … it felt like something they should follow up, and now Mattie believed a trip to Hightower would be in order. “You’ve been a big help to us, Ben. Is there anything else you can think of?”

  He shook his head, his expression sad. “I can’t believe someone would hurt Tonya. Everyone liked her, and she always wanted to have fun.”

  “Maybe too much fun,” Eliza murmured.

  “How can you say that, Mom? What’s wrong with wanting to have some fun?”

  “Ben! That’s enough.”

  The sharp words from Corey made Ben glance his father’s way before bending to pet Kip. Mattie wondered how the family dynamics had affected Tonya. Had the girl been uncomfortable living here? And were Tonya’s parents as disapproving as Eliza appeared to be? Did any of this figure into the girl’s death? It felt like information to tuck away.

  Stella stood, reaching into her pocket for a business card, which she gave to Corey. While she told him to call if he thought of anything else that might help their investigation, Mattie gave one of her own cards to Ben. He seemed to know Tonya best, and he also seemed to care about her the most. Perhaps he would eventually recall something that would help solve this case.

  Kip rose and Mattie leaned down to pet her, murmuring a question to Ben. “What will happen with Kip?”

  “Uncle Gibb might take her home. I wish I could keep her, but Mom won’t let me.”

  Mattie nodded, hoping Tonya’s parents would provide a good home. Border collies like Kip needed a lot of attention to thrive, and this little dog would make a delightful pet for someone, especially someone who had lots of room for her to run.

  “Could we see Tonya’s room before we leave?” Stella asked.

  Eliza’s lips puckered with distaste. “It’s a mess.”

  “That doesn’t matter. We need to see if we can find anything that might give us access to her friends or anything that might point to an enemy.”

  Eliza led them into the hallway that Ben had come down earlier. Kip dogged Mattie’s heels until Eliza paused at a closed door, and then she ran forward, tail wagging. The dog’s eagerness to enter the bedroom she probably shared with Tonya almost broke Mattie’s heart.

  The bedroom did look like a whirlwind had come through: clothing scattered around and in piles on the floor, the bed covers rumpled and drooping off the double bed, a variety of cosmetics strewn across the dresser top. Kip jumped onto the bed and scraped the rumpled sheets with her paw to make a nest until Eliza shooed her off. Mattie wanted to intervene, but she knew it wasn’t her place and kept silent.

  Kip retreated to a dog cushion on the far side of the bed while Stella and Mattie quickly searched the room, finding nothing that would provide information for the case. No purse, no diary, no address book or calendar. But Mattie felt she’d gained a sense of the stark life Tonya had led in this house with only her clothes and some toiletries to call her own.

  Mattie decided to take advantage of being with Eliza. “I couldn’t help but notice that you might be having some back pain, Mrs. Greenfield. Is it severe?”

  Eliza looked at her, her eyes half closed. “It’s been bad. I think I’ll have to have surgery.”

  Mattie was thinking of the fentanyl patches. “Are you able to take something for the pain?”

  “I hate to, but I have a prescription for OxyContin. Not what I want to take, but nothing else seems to touch the pain.”

  Another high-powered opioid, commonly abused. “Have you ever used fentanyl patches?”

  Eliza squinted at her, shaking her head slowly. “I don’t know what that is. I take pills.”

  Mattie nodded and closed the subject as she and Stella ended their search and walked toward the door. Eliza called Kip from the room, and the border collie trotted back to Ben, making Mattie glad that the dog still had a friend in the house.

  They said their good-byes, and as they reentered the Explorer, Stella leaned back in her seat with an audible sigh.

  Mattie knew she was risking life and limb, but she couldn’t help but ask, “How’s your headache?”

  “I’m okay, Mattie. I really am, so quit worrying. It’s just this case that’s getting to me.” Stella pulled out her cell phone and opened her notebook, evidently getting ready to make the call to Tonya’s parents. But she hesitated, turning to face Mattie. “Have you ever been pregnant?”

  The question surprised her; Stella wasn’t one for digging into someone’s private life. The thought of pregnancy gave Mattie a mild chill, and she wondered why Stella had asked about it. She tried to treat the question lightly as she backed out of the driveway. “No, that’s one thing I’ve never had to deal with.”

  “I was once.”

  Though it was the last thing Mattie had thought she might hear, she tried not to react, pausing to shift her car into drive while her gaze connected with Stella’s. She didn’t know what to say. When Stella turned away to look out the windshield, Mattie decided to begin the drive downhill.

  Stella spoke in a voice that was flat and void of emotion. “Right after I decided to divorce my husband, I discovered I was pregnant. I never told him, but it complicated my own decisions tremendously. At first I was horrified and mad that I would be linked to this man forever by a child.”

  In the midst of everything going on, it seemed weird to be having such a private conversation. Mattie remained silent during a long pause, expecting that her friend would next tell her about a decision to have an abortion.

  “But then I kind of got used to the idea of being a mom,” Stella continued, sounding more like herself. “I thought I could just tell the creep that the baby belonged to someone else. It would tick him off to think I cheated, which was exactly what he was doing, but hey—I couldn’t have cared less about that at the time.”

  Stella paused, which prompted Mattie to ask, “What happened?”

  Stella shrugged. “One day at work, I started to cramp. By that evening, I lost the baby. There was no reason for the miscarriage—it was just one of those things. I hadn’t started to show yet, so no one even knew. It was probably one of the saddest days of my life.”

  “I’m sorry it went that way for you,” Mattie murmured, feeling an ache deep in her chest for her friend. “You would make a great mom.”

  “You think so?” Stella sounded surprised as she turned to study Mattie. “I ended up thinking it was all for the best, because I would have sucked at being a parent.”

  Despite her sadness, Mattie tried to smile. “You might be Momzilla, but you would raise great kids. Maybe you will someday.”

  Stella scoffed as she raised her phone and swiped it on. “No, that ship has passed. No more tripping down memory lane—time to call Tonya’s father.”

  FIFTEEN

  At the station Mattie parked between the sheriff’s Jeep and Brody’s cruiser, their vehicles splattered with grime from the highway. She unloaded Robo, and she and Stella trudged along the salted pathway that led to the door while her dog trotted briskly ahead. He waited under the spotlight at the door, alternating between staring up at it as if willing it to open and watching them approach.

  “Open sesame,” Stella murmured with a quiet chuckle.

  Mattie was always grateful when Robo lightened the mood. This had been a long day, starting with the hard trip to the backside of Redstone Ridge and ending with the unresolved tragedies of Tonya’s death and Johnson’s attack. A lot of moving parts had come into play today, perhaps none of them connected.

  But the possibility of connections swirled in her mind, dangling as if on strings that were waiting to be tied together. She needed time to think and to discuss these possibilities with her teammates.

  They entered the brightly lit l
obby, and Mattie spotted Rainbow sitting at the dispatcher’s desk across the room. Robo hurried over to greet her while Mattie and Stella followed at a slower pace.

  Mattie noticed that her friend still had on the same clothes she’d been wearing … could it have been yesterday afternoon? She watched her dog fawn against Rainbow’s legs while she patted him. “Why are you still here?”

  Rainbow glanced up, the pale skin beneath her eyes marred by ashen half-moons. “Pulling a double shift. Sam is sick.”

  Sam Corns, the night dispatcher. “Oh no, what are you going to do? You can’t work all weekend.”

  “I have someone lined up to take a shift in a few hours. I’ll go home, then, unless the sheriff needs me to stay.”

  Stella turned away to go toward the staff office. “Can I get you some coffee, Rainbow?”

  “No thanks, but I made a fresh pot,” Rainbow called to the detective’s retreating backside.

  Stella spoke over her shoulder. “You’re a lifesaver.”

  Rainbow flashed a pleased smile as she looked up at Mattie, but then she sobered and spoke quietly. “I feel terrible about Ed getting hurt. I was swamped with calls from stranded motorists, and I lost track of him.”

  The dispatchers usually checked in with their officers if they hadn’t heard from them in a while. “Has it been crazy here?”

  “I’ve been trying to find places for people to stay.”

  “Sometimes you can’t keep up with it all.”

  Rainbow shook her head and sighed. “The ambulance is back, but we haven’t heard anything about Ed since he made it to the hospital. Garcia is coming back to the station. Everyone finally seems to be off the roads. The Big Sky Motel is full, and so are the bed-and-breakfasts.”

  “It’s been a tough night. You haven’t heard from a young man named Skylar Kincaid, have you?”

  Rainbow frowned in thought as she referred to a list she’d made on a stenographer’s notepad. She scrolled her finger down the names before shaking her head. “No, although I did talk to several people before I thought I should start making a list. I’m sorry, Mattie; it’s been such a busy night, and I don’t have complete records. My fault—I should’ve done a better job.”