Linda Crowder - Jake and Emma 01 - Too Cute to Kill (7 page)

Nick went on to tell how they had driven to town and bought a couple of metal detectors.  At Nick’s suggestion, they started at one end of the property and worked methodically.  They found old horseshoes, rusty nails, tin cans and other assorted metallic trash but no treasure.

In October, they heard that the ranch had sold to an out of town buyer.  They moved the search closer to the buildings, trying to cover as much ground as possible before the new owners showed up.

“But the new owners never did show up,” Nick told Emma.  “We kept watch for them and every time we saw a car we didn’t recognize, we dove for cover hoping they wouldn’t catch us there, but nobody ever came.”

Nick fell silent.  Emma gave him a few minutes to collect his thoughts but when he remained quiet, she prompted him to finish his story.  He closed his eyes and rested his forehead on his hands.

“I used to go to town every few days,” Nick finally continued.  “They had shut off the electricity so there wasn’t any water.  My dad didn’t seem to mind the grunge but I couldn’t go more than a few days without a shower so I’d go into town and hit the truck stop showers.”

Emma nodded.  The ranch would have used well water but the pump ran on electricity.  They had found lanterns for light, but generally didn’t use them because they didn’t want people to see lights in what was supposed to be a vacant home.  It had just started being cold enough to light a fire in the wood stove for heat but without electricity, they would have had no water.

“Anyway, I came home from taking a shower.  As I turned off the main road, I saw a strange car in the yard so I pulled off behind some trees and watched.  I figured it was finally the new owners come and we’d have to leave.”

He stopped again.  “Was it the new owner?” asked Emma.

Nick shrugged.  “All I could see was that it was a woman and she was arguing with my dad.  I assumed she was telling him to get off her property, but she was the one who left.  Drove past where I was parked without even seeing me.”

“What did your father say about it?”

“He said she was the realtor who handled the sale of the ranch.”  Emma again tried to hide her surprise, wondering what Sherry Thorne would have been doing arguing with Nate Carver at his parents’ ranch.

“What were they arguing about?” was all Emma could get out without her voice betraying her.

“He wouldn’t tell me, but he said we’d have to leave soon so we’d better get to searching while we still had a chance to find the treasure.”

“And did you ever find any treasure?” asked Emma.

Nick shook his head.  “Never did.  We were going to look all that night – even light the lanterns and search in the dark but a big storm came up.  Couldn’t see two feet in front of you so we gave up and hunkered down by the fire all night.  Next morning we packed up and left.”

“Where did you go?”

“Crashed in town with some of my dad’s friends,” Nick snorted.  “That was a joke.  We stayed there a couple of weeks.  Finally I told him I was going to talk to my PO about going back to school.”

“Was he supportive of you doing that?”

“He told me I could do whatever I wanted.  I told him he ought to get out of Casper; come back to Sheridan with me and start fresh.”

“Did he want to do that?” asked Emma.

Nick shook his head again, this time sadly.  “He said he’d be coming into some money soon and once he did, then he could think about making a fresh start somewhere.”  Nick’s eyes watered.  “Only he wanted us to go somewhere warm.”

“Was that when he started acting mysterious?” asked Emma.

“I asked him what money he was talking about, since there wasn’t any treasure and we both knew Grandmother wouldn’t have left the ranch to either of us.”

“He wouldn’t tell you?” guessed Emma.

“No.  He said it was better for me not to know.  So one night he told me he had somebody to see, I decided to follow him.”

Emma waited but Nick didn’t offer anything further.  “Did you see what happened at the bridge?” she asked softly.

“I saw him meet up with someone.  I saw them go onto the bridge.  I saw my dad slump against the railing and I saw the other person walk away.  I waited for my Dad to go back to his car but he just stood there, leaning on the railing.”

Nick’s voice trailed off.  He hid his face in his hands.  Emma put one hand on his back and the other on his arm.  There would be time later for more talk.  For now, she simply comforted the young man who had watched in the cold and the darkness until the museum staff arrived and the terrible realization sunk in that his father was dead.

12

Emma decided not to ask Nick anymore questions.  She thought he could use some time to regain his composure after reliving the night he had watched unknowingly his father’s murder. 

She put in a call to Jake’s office and left a voice mail on his cell phone, asking him to meet her at her office as soon as he got out of court.  Kristy made a pot of coffee and the three sat in Emma’s office, waiting for Jake to arrive.

Kristy and Nick talked about the football playoffs while Emma sat deep in thought about what the youth had told her.  Sherry Thorne had handled the sale of the ranch.  The sale had closed in October, why would she go out there in November? 

There had only been one major storm before Thanksgiving.  Sherry must have argued with Nate the day she died.  Where did she go after she drove off, too upset to even notice Nick parked beside the road?  She’d left the ranch in the afternoon, what happened between that moment and the fateful moment Sherry Thorne had stepped into her killer’s car?

Jake arrived as they were finishing off the last of the coffee.  He was shocked to find his former client sitting in his wife’s office.  Kristy insisted on staying late, posting herself in the reception area.  “We need a look-out,” she whispered to Emma “in case those people come after Nick.”

“What are you going to do if some killer comes walking in the reception room?” Emma whispered back.  Kristy beckoned Emma over to her desk.  She unlocked and opened the top drawer to reveal a pretty but deadly 9mm handgun.  “When did you get that?” Emma asked, keeping her voice low so the men wouldn’t hear them.

“When you started working with those women from Heath House,” explained Kristy.  “I thought someday some abusive husband or boyfriend might show up so I went out and got a concealed carry permit.”

“You don’t leave it there overnight do you?” asked Emma, picturing the surprise of a janitor if Kristy forgot to lock the drawer.

“Nah, I carry it in my purse.  I only have it in the drawer for quick access while I’m here.”  Emma smiled and shook her head.  Trust Kristy to be looking out for their safety.  She locked the door to the reception area and returned to her office, leaving a watchful Kristy on duty. 

Nick had filled Jake in on his story by the time she returned.  They were both looking grave as she resumed her seat behind the desk.  “Did you tell Jake about someone trying to kill you, Nick?”

Jake looked concerned.  “He did, though it may not have been a deliberate attempt.  When you’re scared, sometimes an accident seems sinister.”

“It wasn’t an accident,” insisted Nick.  “That car deliberately swerved at me in the parking lot.  I had to jump onto somebody’s hood and roll across it to get away.”

“Oh my,” said Emma.  “Did you see who it was?” 

“No,” said Nick, dejectedly.  “The car got out of there after that.”

“Did you see the driver?” asked Jake.

“I didn’t even see the car until it almost hit me,” answered Nick.  “I’ve been walking around in a daze since Dad died.”

“When did this happen?” asked Emma.

“This morning.  That’s why I came here.”  He looked at Jake.  “It scared me.  What if whoever killed Dad is trying to kill me?”

“Did you see the man on the bridge that night?” asked Jake. 

Nick shook his head.  “It was dark.  There’s a light over by the Fort but it doesn’t light the bridge very well.  I could make out two people.  He was taller than my Dad, I could see that.”

“You said the man walked off and left your dad on the bridge?”  Nick nodded.  “Did you see where he went?”

“He went back toward the museum,” Nick said after thinking about it.  “I didn’t watch him for long, I was more interested in watching my dad.”

Jake looked at Emma.  “Do you remember anyone coming in from the Fort area, how long did you say it was Nick, between when the man left and when the museum staff went over to your dad?”

Nick thought it had been about half an hour but he hadn’t had a watch.  “Long enough I was getting really cold out there.  I was just getting ready to go find out what Dad was doing when I saw the guys from the museum head over.”

Emma thought back to that night.  There had been people in and out of both the front and back doors all evening.  At one point, she’d left the desk to go into the storeroom. 

A gift shop customer needed a t-shirt in a size not on display so she’d gone to get it.  She didn’t remember any one person passing through the lobby during the last half hour. 

“He wouldn’t have had to come through the museum,” she reminded her husband.  “He could have left the Fort area and gone around the building to the parking lot.” 

Jake nodded, remembering the ornamental fence that was in keeping with the Fort’s rustic feel.  It would be easy for a tall man to simply step over the fence if he didn’t want to be seen.  For that matter, it would have been just as easy for him to enter by stepping over the fence, as both Nick and his father had done.

“So what do we do?” asked Nick.

“First we go home,” answered Jake.  “You need a place to stay and we have a perfectly good guest room.”  He looked at Emma who nodded.

Nick relaxed.  “I thought you were going to tell me I had to go to the police.”

“No,” said Jake.  “I’m going to call the detective in charge of the investigation and ask that he come out to the house to speak with you.”

Nick looked ready to argue but Jake was firm.  “You haven’t done anything wrong, except trespassing on your grandparents’ property after the sale was final.  Unless the new owners file a complaint that really isn’t an issue.”  Nick looked slightly mollified. 

“You have to tell them what you know about your father’s murder,” said Emma gently.  “It may somehow help them find out who did that to him.  You owe your father that much.”

Nick held Emma’s gaze for a minute then looked down.  “I wish I had realized what was happening,” he said.  “I would have helped, I would have at least yelled or something.  Maybe he wouldn’t have gotten away.”

“I know,” said Emma, her voice brimming with sympathy.  “All you can do now is tell the police what you know and hope it helps.”

As she locked the door to the counseling office, Emma raised her eyebrows questioningly at Kristy.  Her assistant smiled and patted her purse.  They all walked out to the parking lot together.  Nick, who had walked to the office, rode with Jake.  Emma and Kristy were parked nearby and Emma waved at Kristy’s cheerful toot of her horn as she left the lot.

Jake had remembered the plan and stopped for Mexican food on the way home.  Emma had stopped at the mailboxes that sat just off the highway before heading up the mountain.  She had been home long enough to turn up the fire in the pellet stove and feed the demanding indoor cats.

Emma was just coming in from the barn after feeding the dogs and completing the nightly barn cat count when Jake’s truck turned off the county road and started up the drive.  It was cold but she waited at the door for them and the three trooped into the house together.

Jake disappeared into his office while Emma and Nick transferred the food to plates and set the table.  When Jake returned, he informed them that he’d caught the detective just heading out of the office.  “I told him we had lots of food so he’s heading right over.”

Emma got out another plate and set a fourth place at the table.  She shooed the cats into the sunroom, which doubled as a “kitty jail” whenever they had company, and turned on the room heater for them.  She shut the door on a loud protest from Peachy and joined the men at the table.

Detective Matt Joyner had been on the Casper Police force since he got out of the Marines in 1985.  He worked his way up from patrol and was now the department’s senior investigative officer.  There weren’t many murders in Casper, for which he was grateful. 

He hadn’t liked Nate Carver, having busted him a couple of times when he was working narcotics.  Still, he didn’t like the idea of anyone committing murder so close to a museum full of kids and families. 

He hadn’t had many breaks in this case.  There had been two sets of footprints leading from the Fort area to the bridge and one set leading away. 

They’d followed Nate’s footprints back through the snow, around the museum building to where his car was parked in a turnout across from the museum’s staff parking lot.   The car had been duly torn apart but nothing of any interest had been found.

The other footprints, which they assumed were the killer’s, entered the bridge from the Fort area.  At that point, they became impossible to distinguish from all the other footprints of people who had come out to decorate the tree.

Following the presumed killer’s footprints leading away from the bridge was equally frustrating.  They skirted the crowds and led around the building but they ended at the staff parking lot.  Since the walkway from the staff lot to the museum and from the museum to the public lot had been plowed, there was no way of knowing in which lot the killer had parked.

The tech team took pictures of the footprints and determined they were from work boots, men’s size 13.  That meant the killer was likely at least six feet tall.  From the depth of the prints in the snow they estimated he was of average weight for his height.

The autopsy showed no drugs in Carver’s system.  The knife wound was deep, possibly caused by a hunting knife, driven in with much force and some apparent knowledge of anatomy but not necessarily expert knowledge.  From the wound the killer would have been taller than Carver and that meshed with the footprints.

That was the full extent of their knowledge.  There had been no whispers on the street that any of his informants had heard.  No one had seen Carver for months until he turned up at a crash house with a kid he told people was his son. 

No one knew where the son was but since he’d disappeared the on same night as his father’s murder, they considered him a person of interest.  When Jake Rand called to say the kid was waiting as his home and wanted to speak to the police, Detective Joyner had readily agreed to drive up the mountain to see him.  The invitation to stay for dinner was a bonus.

Shaking hands with the young man, Detective Joyner noted Nick was a few inches too short and probably 30 pounds lighter than they believed the killer to be.  He took notes as Nick told his story for the third time that day.  He asked a few pertinent questions then put away his notebook and turned his attention to his food.

“What do you think, Matt?” asked Jake.  “Do you think you’ll be needing Nick anymore tonight?”

“No, no,” answered the Detective.  He’d seen the youth was fighting to stay awake.  Despite the early hour, Nick had spent too many sleepless nights over the last few weeks.  Emma showed Nick to the guest room and the teen went thankfully to bed.

“I wouldn’t be surprised if he’s asleep already,” said Emma, returning to the dining room.  “Detective, can I get you some coffee?”

“Call me Matt,” answered the detective.  “Yes, I’d appreciate that.”

Emma went to the kitchen as the men discussed the case.  “He’ll need to talk to the Sheriff too,” said Matt.  “That argument the realtor had with his father had to have been on the same day she was killed.”

“That’s what I thought too,” said Emma, returning from the kitchen.  “But what would Sherry Thorne have been doing at the ranch more than a month after the sale closed?”

“I don’t know,” said Matt.  “It’s a link between the two though.  For now at least, I think we’d better consider their murders related too.”

Jake started to get up.  “I’d better call Reggie then.” 

Matt stopped him.  “Nah, there’s no emergency.  Let him have a night off for a change.  I’ll call him myself in the morning.  He’ll probably want you to bring the kid in so he can hear the story for himself.”

Jake sat down again and the three sat talking for the next hour.  Matt rose to leave and thanked Jake and Emma for their hospitality.  Jake walked the detective to his car.  “About this idea Nick has that somebody is trying to kill him.  How much of that is his imagination?”

Detective Joyner opened the door to his unmarked car.  He looked up at the clouds that were starting to block out the stars.  “Storm’s coming in,” he observed.  He looked at the house then looked at Jake.  “I doubt you’d have anything to worry about.  There’s no indication that the killer saw Nick.  His footprints go from the body and straight out around the building.  No stops, no turning around to see if he’d been observed.”

“Sometimes a bad driver is just a bad driver,” concluded Jake.

“Something like that.”  The detective got into his car and shut the door.  He turned on the ignition then rolled down the window.  “Never hurts to keep an eye out though,” he said.

Jake waved his agreement and stepped back to let the detective swing out and around the driveway.  He stood thinking, watching the tail lights get smaller.  Snow started drifting down around him and he remembered the storm the night of Sherry Thorne’s death.

Emma had a point.  Why was the realtor at the ranch after the sale had closed?  If neighbors had seen Nate and Nick searching the property, they would have recognized them.  They would have assumed the father and son had permission to be there since the new owner had not taken occupancy yet.