Stalking Ground

by Margaret Mizushima

  “He’s moving around fine. He shouldn’t have any trouble with it. You can go about your business as usual.” Cole clicked his tongue, and Mountaineer stepped into the trailer. He followed him in to exchange his bridle for a halter and to tie him to the trailer’s side.

  “I’ll make an appointment for ten days from now, then.” Mattie loaded Robo into her own vehicle, noticing that he was moving freely.

  When they entered their home, it felt like she’d been gone for ages instead of one night. Even though she’d fed him that morning up on the mountain, Robo trotted into the kitchen to check out his food bowl. She could hear him slurping water while she stretched her sore calf and thigh muscles. She decided to give him an extra ration, and he gobbled it before joining her in her bedroom, circling on his dog bed, and plopping down with a sigh.

  “I bet you’re exhausted.” Even prior to the lion attack, he’d covered twice the miles she had as he ran ahead and then back on the trail yesterday, and he’d been awake through most of the night. “Get some sleep while I clean up.”

  Feeling refreshed from her shower, Mattie toweled her hair as she padded into the kitchen in sweats and stocking feet. Robo slept while she made and ate a peanut butter and jelly sandwich and scoured her pantry for anything that might give her some energy. Settling on an apple and a bag of trail mix to take with her, she drank some orange juice and then went to her bedroom to get dressed in her uniform. Although his brow and ears twitched, Robo didn’t open his eyes. She decided to leave him at home while she went to her meeting. She could pick him up later after she’d established her plan for the day.

  At the station, the first person Mattie met was Rainbow, something she’d been dreading. Noticing the dispatcher’s swollen, reddened eyes, she felt somehow responsible. “Rainbow, I thought you had a day off today.”

  “I had to know, so I traded a day with Sam,” she said, referring to Sam Corns, the other dispatcher.

  In a gesture of sympathy, Mattie touched the back of her wrist, and Rainbow turned her hand up to grasp Mattie’s.

  “I’m sorry, Rainbow.”

  Tears welled, and one spilled over to roll down Rainbow’s cheek. “Me too. I really can’t believe it. She was such a great person, you know? She loved her new life here and everything about it.”

  “Do you know anything about her from before she came to Timber Creek? We’re going to need to know everything.”

  “Some. Nothing sinister. I can’t think of anything that will help.”

  “Most of the time, it’s hard to know what might help or not. I’m going to mention to Stella that you knew her. She’s probably going to want to interview you.”

  “Okay.” Rainbow sniffed and used a tissue to blot her eyes. “But I don’t think she likes me.”

  Mattie knew that to be true, although she believed the detective had judged Rainbow for her flower child–like, ditzy appearance and not for any reason of substance. “That shouldn’t make a difference.”

  She squeezed Rainbow’s hand and released it, making a mental note to sit in on that interview. “Are the others here yet?”

  “In the briefing room.”

  “I’d better get in there. We’ll talk more later.”

  When Mattie entered the room, she found Stella, McCoy, and Brody at the front table engaged in discussion. All but Brody turned to see who’d entered. Sheriff McCoy gestured for her to come in and take a seat.

  “I was just addressing the elephant in the room,” Stella said after Mattie sat.

  Mattie swept her eyes across the faces of the others and then settled on Brody. Familiar with his rage, she could tell it was full blown: neck and cheeks crimson, face stony, lips tight.

  “I’ve proposed that Deputy Brody excuse himself from this investigation,” Stella said.

  I wondered about that myself. Grateful that Stella was the one who’d brought it up, she nodded. Brody locked eyes with Mattie.

  Sheriff McCoy asked Brody what he thought about the suggestion. Without taking his eyes off Mattie he said, “I think it’s bullshit.” His voice was almost a growl.

  “I can see how you would. But you know how this investigation will go. We’ll look at everyone who knew her. You included.”

  “Then look.”

  “You need to go home, Chief Deputy,” McCoy said. “Take the rest of the day. Put everything you know into a report, including a detailed list of your time and activities since noon on Wednesday until yesterday morning. I’ll take a look at it, verify what I can, and consider your role in the investigation. Get that report to me as quickly as you can. I’ll take it under advisement and give you an answer ASAP.”

  Brody’s chair screeched on the linoleum as he shoved back from the table and stood. “You won’t shut me out,” he said to Stella and turned to leave.

  “I’ll keep you apprised of what I can,” she said to his back.

  “Excuse me a moment,” Mattie said, hurrying after Brody on a whim. Something begged to be said between them. Perhaps their time together on the mountain required it.

  He charged out of the station with her close behind. “Brody,” she called to him as he strode toward his cruiser. He stopped and turned, grim-faced and silent.

  “I’m sorry for your loss. But you have to think about it. This is standard operating procedure, and you’ll be far more help to Adrienne if you keep a level head. Cool off and then put everything you can think of in writing to help us develop some leads.”

  He shrugged, looking down at the pavement. “I don’t know much about her past.”

  That confession must hurt. “Put some thought into it. And get some rest. Are you back on duty tomorrow?”

  “Day off, but I’ll be here.”

  “I’ll see you then.” She started to turn away, but stayed to say one more thing. “I know you loved her.”

  His eyes filled, and he turned his back to get into his car. Mattie stayed in place to watch him drive away; she lifted a hand in farewell, though he didn’t look her way. She’d once suspected Brody of involvement with Grace Hartman’s murder. This time, her gut insisted that he was an innocent man.

  When Mattie reentered the briefing room, Stella was cleaning the dry-erase board. She finished and laid the eraser on the metal shelf below it.

  “Somebody had to say it, Mattie,” Stella said.

  Mattie nodded, taking a seat back at the table.

  “I’ll assume the responsibility for checking Deputy Brody’s schedule and clearing his alibi,” McCoy said. “He’s a fine officer, Detective. I stand behind him.”

  Stella gave McCoy an unwavering gaze. “I’m sure he is, Sheriff, and I’m willing to bet he had nothing to do with his girlfriend’s death. It’s not about how fine an officer he is. He’s too close to this one. He needs to take a step back and become an officer instead of a boyfriend. If he’s able to do that, he might be of assistance. If not, he needs to be at the perimeter of this investigation instead of at the center.”

  Mattie agreed with Stella and thought she’d expressed the underlying concern well. McCoy nodded and appeared to agree, too.

  “Where’s your partner?” Stella asked.

  “Home asleep.”

  “Looks like you could use some of that yourself.” Stella brushed her hands together. “Let’s lay out this case, brainstorm on it, and decide where we’re going next.”

  Stella turned back to the board and wrote Victim—Adrienne Howard at the top. “Let’s lay out the grid. We’ll start with the information you’ve gleaned over the past few days.”

  She looked down at her notebook lying open on the table. Evidently she’d copied the board before erasing it. “First—History,” she said, writing as she spoke. “Raised in Hightower. Mother—Velda Howard/Hightower/estranged. What else do we know?”

  “Not much,” Mattie said. “But we should interview our dispatcher, Rainbow, and the massage therapist at Valley Vista, Anya Yamamoto. Both were close friends.”

  Stella nodded, pursing
her lips. Skipping over to the far side of the board, she started a new list titled Interview and wrote Rainbow beneath it. “What’s her last name?”

  “Sanderson.”

  After writing it down, Stella added the name and then recorded Anya Yamamoto. “What about my old buddy Dean Hornsby?”

  “I doubt if he knows any personal information, but we now have a warrant, so we can take a look at Adrienne’s employment records. A résumé would give us information to fill in the gaps between Hightower and Timber Creek,” McCoy said.

  Moving her pen slightly to the right of her first category, Stella wrote Evidence and started a new list under the word. “We casted the prints at the crime scene: a partial cowboy boot and horseshoes. There appeared to be nothing unique about them, so they may not be too helpful. We’ll see if the crime scene unit can give us an estimate on boot size. The cigarette butt Robo found might provide DNA, assuming it was left by the person who buried our victim.”

  “We traced the phone call on the tip that sent us up there,” McCoy said. “It was a TracFone, purchased at a Walmart store in Willow Springs last March.”

  Willow Springs was one of the larger towns in Timber Creek County and was located about twenty miles beyond Hightower.

  Sheriff McCoy continued. “It was paid for with cash, so it was impossible to find out who purchased it. At least we’ve got the phone number. And I’ve got a warrant to determine what tower the call pinged from, so we can determine an approximate location of our caller. Though I’m not sure how much help that will be in these mountains.”

  “That’s good, Sheriff. Very good,” Stella said. “What else can I add?”

  “Her cell phone is also missing,” Mattie said. “Purple cover.”

  “Not missing anymore,” Stella said. “It was in her pants pocket, turned off and smashed. We’ll see if the lab can lift any prints other than the victim’s from it.”

  “I’ve initiated a court order for production of records,” McCoy said, “so we can access her cell phone records, texts, and her e-mail account. I put a STAT on it.”

  Stella had been recording everything Mattie and the sheriff said. “We can look to see if that TracFone number ever contacted our victim. The autopsy will take place in Byers County at eight o’clock tomorrow morning. I plan to go home tonight and stay for the autopsy, so I won’t be back until later in the morning. We’ll have more to add here after that. Anything else?”

  After waiting a few moments but getting no response, she moved her pen to the right to write a new category, Persons of Interest. She wrote Kevin Conrad, something she’d copied from their first grid. “What do we know about this guy?”

  “Ex-boyfriend, high school sweetheart,” Mattie said.

  “He lives in California,” McCoy said. “Deputy Brody talked with him first, and I followed up yesterday. Denies knowing where Adrienne lived. He has a tight alibi with his employer who says he was at work this past week. Has a wife and kids.”

  “Did they part amicably?”

  “He says yes,” McCoy said. “They haven’t been in touch for five years. He says he’s moved on.”

  “Any reason to hire a hit?” Stella asked.

  “None that I can turn up,” McCoy said.

  “Okay,” Stella said. “Let’s add Adrienne’s mother to our list of people to interview.”

  “And we’ve got to notify her of the death,” Mattie said.

  “I’ve taken care of that already,” McCoy said.

  Mattie felt relief that family notification of death wouldn’t fall to her. It was a task that no one embraced, but one the sheriff was good at. “What about the people at the hot springs?”

  “I decided it would be best to take care of that in person, when you go out to search,” McCoy said.

  It made sense, but Mattie predicted that Anya would be devastated.

  “I’ll do it,” Stella said, looking at Mattie. “Be sure to observe how they react.”

  “We also need to get a complete list of Adrienne’s current massage therapy clients,” Mattie said.

  “Okay, let’s head out to the hot springs now,” Stella said, putting down her marking pen. “We have a good investigation started here. Nice job on the lead work. Let’s all meet back here tomorrow at eleven so I can brief you on the autopsy. And I do not want to include Brody in that meeting, Sheriff, no matter what you find in his report. I’ll talk to him separately to brief him on what he needs to know, and then we’ll decide his level of participation.”

  The flinty look in Stella’s gaze told Mattie that the detective meant what she said, and there would be no negotiation.

  Chapter 14

  Mattie drove and Stella rode shotgun on the trip to Valley Vista hot springs. Once they were on the way, Stella leaned back in her seat, and Mattie could feel the detective studying her.

  “What?” Mattie asked, giving her a sideways glance while keeping an eye on the road.

  Stella gave her a knowing smile. “So you spent the night all alone with the handsome vet.”

  Mattie snorted, shaking her head. “Not alone exactly. We had a corpse with us.”

  “Well, I guess there was that.”

  “Yes, there was that. He patched Robo up, and we stayed up all night guarding the gravesite. Strictly business.”

  “Hmm. I see.” Stella looked out her window, pursing her lips.

  Mattie let the silence lengthen. After reaching the turnoff, she turned onto the gravel road that led to the hot springs. It ran straight up into the foothills like a flat, gray ribbon. The health resort sat one-third of the way up the mountain, surrounded by a cluster of white yurts. Both she and Stella had been to it once before, when they were investigating Grace’s murder.

  She parked beside the bathhouse that had been under construction when she’d first visited, noticing that it now appeared to be finished. They left the vehicle and followed the pathway that led to the office. The flaps at the entryway, which had been open last summer, were now closed tightly against the autumn chill. Mattie couldn’t imagine going through a Timber Creek winter with canvas walls. Standing outside the secured doorway, she gave Stella a questioning look, which the detective answered with a shrug. Mattie rapped lightly on one of the yurt’s wooden supports.

  Anya Yamamoto opened the flap and gestured for them to come inside. Dean Hornsby sat at his desk, working on his computer, its light reflecting off the lenses of his glasses. He stood, slightly stooped, a look of surprise crossing his face. On the other hand, Anya’s emotions remained hidden behind her typical, inscrutable expression.

  “Detective, Miss Cobb,” Hornsby said, looking at each of them in turn, “to what do we owe the pleasure?”

  It irritated Mattie that Hornsby refused to address her by her title. She’d corrected him before, but this time she let it go.

  “It’s about Adrienne,” Anya said, her dark eyes riveted on Mattie.

  Mattie nodded, meeting her gaze.

  “We’re here in an official capacity,” Stella said. “I regret to have to tell you this, but Adrienne Howard has been found dead.”

  Pain registered on Anya’s face before she turned it downward to stare at her clasped hands.

  Hornsby looked stunned. “That can’t be.”

  “I’m sorry,” Stella said. She waited a few beats while Hornsby looked helplessly about the room.

  Anya raised her eyes to look at Stella. “What happened to her?”

  “Her death is under investigation as a homicide,” Stella said.

  Anya’s lips parted as her breath caught. “Someone killed her?”

  “Yes.”

  “Where did you find her?” Anya asked.

  “In the mountains. We’re not releasing the exact location,” Stella said. “I understand you reported Adrienne missing on Thursday. Do either of you have a theory as to where she might have gone when she left here?”

  “I have no idea,” Hornsby said.

  “I thought she went hiking, but I didn’t k
now where,” Anya said, her face starting to show the strain of trying to control her emotions. A tear slipped down her cheek, and she swiped it with a finger. “She goes hiking alone quite often.”

  “Do you know of anyone who might do Adrienne harm?” Stella asked.

  Both denied that kind of knowledge.

  “That’s an important question, and I want you both to take your time thinking about it. You can call me if you come up with ideas,” Stella said. “Right now, we need to take a look at Adrienne’s employment records, her living quarters, and where she works.”

  “I can’t show you employment records,” Hornsby said.

  Stella took out the warrant she carried in her case. “Yes, you can, Mr. Hornsby. This is a homicide investigation, and I can show you our search warrant.”

  He shook his head. “I mean, I don’t keep employment records.”

  “A résumé? An application form?”

  Hornsby shrugged, casting a sidelong glance at Anya. “We don’t bother with those things. It’s hard to attract good therapists to Timber Creek. If one can show her credentials, and if Anya observes a good aura, we hire. Such was the case with Adrienne.”

  Stella raised a brow. “I see. That’s uh . . . rather unorthodox. Do you have any knowledge of Adrienne’s past work history or where she lived?”

  “She came from Willow Springs,” Anya said.

  “When did she move here?”

  “The end of April, soon after the rest of us.”

  “Where did she work in Willow Springs?” Mattie asked.

  “She worked for a chiropractor.” Anya paused to think. “I don’t recall her ever mentioning his name.”

  “Do you know where she worked and lived before Willow Springs?” Mattie asked.

  “No, Adrienne didn’t like to talk about her past.”

  Mattie found it hard to believe how little Adrienne’s employer and friend seemed to know about her, but then Brody was no better.

  “Could you show us Adrienne’s living quarters, Ms. Yamamoto?” Stella asked.

  “We share a yurt. You’re welcome to search the entire room,” Anya said, turning to get her coat.

  Stella handed a business card to Hornsby. “I’ll probably call you again, Mr. Hornsby. But in the meantime, if you think of anything that might help our investigation, please call.”