Killing Trail: A Timber Creek K-9 Mystery

by Margaret Mizushima

  Mattie wondered if this was how Belle had gotten away after being force-fed balloons filled with cocaine. “I’d like to go get Robo now if it’s all right with you, Sheriff.”

  Attention fixed on the dead man, McCoy agreed, allowing Mattie to leave the house and return to her cruiser. On the way out, she met Brody.

  “What were you doing here, Cobb?”

  “Welfare check.”

  “What made you think a welfare check was needed?”

  Although he used a combative tone, she reined in her temper and told him about the salmonella concern. “And by the way, Chadron’s door was open. Was it that way when you checked this morning?”

  He frowned. “No, it was not. He must’ve come home tonight.”

  “Must have. Now, the sheriff wants me to go get Robo to do a drug sweep here, so I’d better go do it.”

  “Did any of the neighbors see anything?”

  “I couldn’t find anyone who’d seen or heard anything, but not everyone was home. We might have to check that again tomorrow.”

  “I’d think it would have been called in if someone heard a gunshot,” Brody said.

  “People still take potshots at coyotes and skunks over here on the edge of town.”

  “Okay,” he said, waving her off. “Go on, now.”

  As she drove down the street to get Robo, Mattie thought about Chadron trying to poison him. She assumed he’d been planning it for a while, possibly even before Grace’s death. She realized how easy it must’ve been for him to scope it all out, since he lived so close to her.

  Robo met her at the door with his usual exuberance, loading up quickly when she told him he was going to work. Back at the crime scene, she left him in the car until the detective told her to bring him in. Using the same approach she’d used to sweep the cabin, it took Mattie the better part of an hour to sweep the house. Robo alerted twice, once at the kitchen cabinet under the sink and once at the living room sofa. In both instances, they found what appeared to be a packet of cocaine.

  By the time Mattie finished, things were wrapping up. Brody had searched the outside premises and found Mike’s truck parked inside an old shed, but the dog trailer and dogs were still missing. The CSU had gleaned all they could from the scene and had left. After putting Robo in the car, she went to make sure it was all right with the sheriff if she clocked out.

  McCoy was talking to the detective. “It’s late. Let me offer you a place to stay tonight in our guest room. My wife would be glad to have you.”

  LoSasso turned her frosty-blue stare on Mattie. “Thanks, but I’m staying at Deputy Cobb’s house. We need to work through some things.”

  Taken aback, Mattie swallowed. She’d never had a houseguest before, and the last thing she wanted was a hostile one. But she didn’t feel she could protest, so she nodded agreement despite the pit in her stomach.

  Mattie watched the detective’s headlights in her rearview mirror as LoSasso followed her home. Once parked, LoSasso stepped out of her car and then turned to retrieve a small overnight case and a hanging bag from the back seat. Clearly, she’d come prepared to stay the night somewhere.

  Robo dashed over to welcome her, apparently delighted. Traitor! LoSasso set her bag on the car trunk, clicked the door lock on the remote, and patted Robo’s side while he leaned on her legs.

  “At least someone’s happy to have me stay. Let’s go inside.”

  Robo led the way, tail waving, while Mattie stepped up on the porch to unlock the door. She entered the house, switching on lights as she passed through the front room. “I’ll get you sheets and a blanket. You can have the couch.”

  “First, let’s get this other thing out of the way,” LoSasso called to her.

  LoSasso was standing by the sofa when Mattie reentered the room. She’d hung her bag of clothing on the door jam and placed her overnight bag on a chair. She was removing her jewelry, her hands at her ears. She took off one turquoise, bear-claw earring and put the small piece back on the post. She raised her hands to take off the other.

  Mattie placed the bedding on the sofa and then stood with her arms at her sides, waiting for LoSasso to speak. Robo lay down near her, ears pricked, looking back and forth between them. Mattie could tell he sensed the tension.

  LoSasso pinned the small piece to the post of the second earring, examining it as if she’d never seen it before. “I’ll tell you what pisses me off the most. The fact that you went ahead on your own and left me out of this investigation.”

  Mattie lifted her chin. “When I went to Chadron’s house this evening, there was nothing to investigate. I was simply doing a welfare check.”

  “Just don’t forget that this is my case.”

  “It’s our case, Detective. I know you’re the lead, but this is our jurisdiction. I have as much ownership in solving this case as you do, possibly more.” Mattie drew a breath to steady her temper. “Have you ever lived in a town as small as Timber Creek? We check on each other. It’s the way we do things.”

  LoSasso pursed her lips. “If you were a man, I’d have your ass in a sling. But since it’s hard to find a good cop, much less a good female cop, I’m going to let this one go. Just don’t ever cross me again.”

  Mattie was in no mood to accept the left-handed compliment. “I’m not quite sure what your problem is, Detective, but I’ve worked with a lot of decent cops before. And if I see a situation where I need to act, I can’t promise that I’ll take the time to decide if I’m crossing you or not.”

  They stared hard at each other for several seconds. Robo barked once, followed by a deep rumble in his chest causing them both to look at him. He was staring at the detective.

  LoSasso’s lips started to twitch at the corners, ending in a slight smile. She said, “Well, I can see that I can’t bully you into submission, especially with your bodyguard ready to pounce.”

  Mattie raised a brow. “Why would you want to?”

  LoSasso shrugged, slipping a silver bracelet off her wrist. “It’s what I do.”

  “Okay . . .” Mattie raised the tone of her voice to indicate she believed there must be more.

  “Suffice it to say, I’ve had some bad experiences in the past. Used to be married to a cop who was a real asshole. It . . . colors my perspective.” LoSasso sat down on the sofa, her voice taking on a sweet tone while she patted her thigh. “That’s okay, Robo. I’m done being a bitch. Come here and see me.”

  His tail thumped once, but he didn’t budge.

  LoSasso gave an exaggerated sigh. “Maybe later. Would you have a beer for me, Mattie?”

  Amazed at the swing in the woman’s mood, Mattie responded, “Sure, I’ll get you one. But if we’re done with this, I think I’ll go to bed now. I get up early in the morning to take Robo on his run.”

  LoSasso kicked off her shoes and put her feet up on the coffee table, stretching her legs out in front of her. “Don’t get unfriendly on my account. Have a beer with me.”

  Mattie went to the kitchen, popped the tops on a couple beers, and returned to hand one to Stella. Even though it wasn’t very comfortable, she settled in the only chair in the room so she wouldn’t have to sit next to the detective on the sofa. Not sure how to start a conversation, she focused on sipping her beer, hoping it would relax her.

  Stella didn’t seem to have a problem with starting conversations. “Brody was sure mad at your ass.”

  “Oh, yeah?”

  “Came in all ruffled up and complained to the sheriff about you not following protocol. McCoy seems to have your back. Told Brody, ‘Since when have we changed the protocol to do welfare checks on citizens of Timber Creek?’ Brody grumbled about you going off half-cocked and acting on your own.”

  “I guess you and Brody have something to agree on.”

  Stella made a dismissive sound. “Then I seriously doubt that we could find two things to agree on. Just thought I’d let you know that he seems to have it in for you. What did you ever do to him?”

  Mattie
shrugged. “He’s been mad ever since I got back from the academy. We had a cross-country competition to see who would be Robo’s handler. He seems to resent that I beat him.”

  Stella made a low whistle. “Wish I’d been here to see that. Well, as far as I’m concerned, the best man won. He’d have made a lousy K-9 handler.”

  Mattie peeled part of the label on her beer, which was now near empty. It had calmed her somewhat, and it felt good to be able to talk to someone about Brody’s attitude, especially someone who agreed with her about Brody’s disposition to be a handler. The thought of him being in charge of Robo soured her stomach.

  Stella changed the subject. “Our crime scene tonight may have looked like a suicide, but I’m not convinced.”

  Mattie had begun to wonder about that herself.

  “I think it was staged.” Stella continued. “The way the gun lay in his lap looked like someone placed it there. No gunpowder at the entry wound and no suicide note. But now we probably have the weapon that killed Grace Hartman. Ballistics may let me know as early as tomorrow if that gun matches the casing Robo found and the slug taken from her body. After Chadron’s autopsy, they can tell us if it’s the same weapon that killed him, too. But I’m not buying that he used it on himself.”

  “I agree. I thought the scene looked staged, too.” Mattie wanted Stella’s opinion on something dear to her heart. “What do you think about that box of rat poison in the kitchen?”

  “The rat poison? I don’t know. Maybe Chadron came back to town earlier in the day and tried to kill Robo, but it seems like a long shot. We’re checking the box for fingerprints. If he did it, his prints should be on it. I’ll know more about that tomorrow.”

  “I think he would have had easy access to my yard. You see how close our houses are.”

  “Yes, but has he been back in town that long?”

  Mattie shrugged.

  “And then we have the cocaine packets,” Stella said. “I have to wonder if they were planted. At this point, I’m pretty sure Mike Chadron is guilty of drug traffic, and he may even be the guy who killed Grace. But I don’t think he committed suicide. I think someone killed him.”

  “And if so, his killer might be the one who killed Grace.”

  “Right.” Stella drained her beer and raised the bottle toward Mattie. “You got another one of these for me?”

  “Sure.”

  Mattie took their empties to the kitchen and reached into the refrigerator to take out two more bottles. She hesitated and replaced one, deciding she’d had all she should allow herself. She popped the top on the other and carried it back into the living room. She sank down onto the far end of the sofa as she handed Stella her beer and began to unlace her boots. After slipping them off, she put her socked feet up on the table and slumped down into the sofa’s cushions. Robo lay with his head on his paws, eyebrows twitching, looking torn between keeping an eye on the detective and falling asleep.

  “What makes you tick, Mattie Cobb? You seem like a smart officer, independent. You seem capable of standing up to my shit.”

  “I’ve had a lot of practice,” Mattie said.

  “With Mom or Pop?”

  “My dad. He beat all of us, but mostly my mom.” Mattie slumped down even further into the cushions. “He was killed while serving time in prison for trying to kill her.”

  Stella remained silent and took a sip.

  “I’m the one who called the cops and got him arrested.”

  “Sounds like he deserved it.”

  Mattie told the story. The drinking, the yelling. Punches so hard, she could still hear the smack against her mother’s body. The knife in her father’s hand. How she’d sneaked into her parents’ bedroom and dialed 9-1-1.

  “You know, you probably saved your mother’s life that night,” Stella said.

  Mattie shrugged. “Maybe. Mom was in the hospital for a while. Dad went to jail, then prison. My brother and I went into foster care. When Mom recovered enough to come home, she didn’t want to. She said she couldn’t take care of us anymore and gave us over to the county. Then she disappeared. Haven’t heard from her since.”

  Stella sipped her beer, pursed her lips, and thought. Robo had let his guard down and seemed to be sound asleep.

  Eventually, Stella said, “Sounds like tough times. You still did the right thing.”

  On an adult level, Mattie knew that. But she also suspected her brother blamed her for splitting up the family, and she wondered if her mother blamed her as well.

  “It’s getting late.” Feeling older than her years, Mattie pushed herself up out of her chair. Robo’s eyes popped open and he stood, too. “Let me help you make your bed.”

  “No, I’ll do it.”

  Already, Mattie regretted sharing her story. She didn’t know what had gotten into her. “I shouldn’t have spilled my guts like that.”

  Stella shrugged, giving Mattie one of her searching gazes. “You needed it. Don’t worry, it doesn’t change anything between us.”

  Mattie gave her an abashed smile and then looked away, avoiding eye contact. “I’ll say good-night then.”

  As Mattie turned to leave, Robo dogging her tracks, Stella called her back. “And Mattie . . . don’t worry about me talking about it. I carry things to the grave.”

  This time Mattie looked Stella in the eye, liking the warmth she saw there. At least with the detective, a girl knew exactly where she stood. “I think I must have known that.”

  Chapter 15

  Sunday

  When Mattie got back from her run with Robo, she discovered that Stella had already left. She hurried to shower so she wouldn’t get to the office too far behind.

  At the station, she spotted Stella’s Honda parked with Brody’s and Sheriff McCoy’s county vehicles. Since the department was small and anyone could be called to cover an emergency, staff used their assigned vehicles to go to and from work. It also made law enforcement more visible throughout town during the night, when only a skeleton crew was on duty.

  Mattie entered the building with Robo walking obediently at her side. His early morning run ensured his best behavior at work.

  Rainbow, dressed in an expensive-looking silk blouse and tailored slacks, an unusual outfit for the department flower child, greeted Mattie with her usual friendly smile. “Good morning! I’m sorry you couldn’t come to my house for dinner last night. I mean, I know you said you probably wouldn’t, but I was hoping you’d change your mind at the last minute, and I’ve got so much leftovers, well, you know how it is.” She finally paused for a breath.

  Mattie had forgotten all about it. “Did you hear what we were doing last night?”

  Rainbow sobered. “About Mike Chadron?”

  “Yeah.”

  “I did when I got in this morning. That must’ve been a shock, huh?”

  Brody came out of the sheriff’s office, and his gaze went straight to Mattie. “You’re on patrol today, Cobb.”

  “I’m on it. Do we have report first?”

  “Nah, we’ll skip it since most of us were at the scene last night.”

  “Do you have someone to canvass that neighborhood today?”

  “What? You think you need to tell me how to do my job now?”

  Geez, sensitive.

  Mattie shook her head, holding out her hands in a submissive gesture. “No, Brody, just trying to help out if you need me over there.”

  “Johnson and I can take care of it.”

  She didn’t like the idea of having to take patrol while the rookie got to investigate. It didn’t make sense. But Brody was her superior in the department’s loosely linked chain of command, so she’d have to deal with it.

  “Well, I’ll grab a cup of coffee and get started early.” She wanted Brody to realize it was still a half hour before the start of her shift.

  He glanced at the clock, and as if somewhat mollified, he said, “Okay, then.”

  Brody left, went into his own office, and closed the door.

&nbs
p; “Okay, then,” Rainbow said, making a stern face and imitating Brody’s tough guy voice. Then back to normal: “There’s fresh coffee and some doughnuts in the break room. The sheriff brought in some fruit, too.”

  Mattie had never really joked around much in the office, even with Rainbow. Not knowing quite how to respond, she tried to keep it light. “Thanks, I’ll grab something, and Robo and I will go out there and try to track down some speeders.”

  After selecting an apple and pouring herself some coffee, Mattie left the break room and encountered Stella and the sheriff leaving his office.

  Mattie raised her cup. “Coffee?” she said to either or both of them.

  “Had some,” Stella said. “Thanks for the sofa last night. Do you have a minute?”

  Mattie glanced at the clock. “Sure, I have a few minutes before I need to get out on the streets.”

  She led Stella back to the staff office, where the two of them had the room to themselves.

  Mattie said, “What’s up?”

  “I just finished telling the sheriff that I doubt Mike Chadron died by suicide. He says he agrees.”

  Mattie took a sip of her coffee. “What’s the plan?”

  “This morning I’m talking with Chadron’s family and whatever friends they can give me, give forensics time to do their thing. By noon, we’ll have more information. I’ve set up a meeting then to go over the case. I want you here for it.”

  “Thanks for keeping me in the loop.”

  “Of course.” Stella paused. “There’s one thing you could think about this morning. The money. We need to follow the cash on this drug deal. Is there anyone who seems to have hit the jackpot lately? Anyone who seems to have more money than usual?”

  Instantly, Mattie thought of the hot springs crowd. Setting up a resort would take lots of money, but she knew nothing that tied them to the drug trade. “I’ll keep that in mind and get back to you later.”

  Rainbow appeared at the staff office doorway. “Mattie, there’s a call from Crane’s Market about a shoplifter. Mr. Crane is holding the suspect in custody.”

  Mattie looked at Stella. “Duty calls. I’ll see you back here around noon.”