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Styles barked a laugh. “Okay, you’ve made your point.”
“What’s so funny?” Beth’s lips curled into a smile.
Styles snorted and grinned at her. “That means you could be one too, right?”
“Like I said before.” Beth’s smile widened. “You’d never know.”
As Ryder took off in his cruiser to collect the warrant, they walked across the road to TJ’s and the smell of delicious food greeted them. Styles hadn’t been hungry until he walked inside. He needed to refuel and always did during a case when the opportunity arose. The next few hours would be intense, so eating now was the best option. They stopped at the counter inside, both ordering the special of the day: pumpkin soup followed by a steak burger and fries. They sat opposite each other in silence. Styles was making a plan of action. He looked up as Ryder joined them at the table. “Are we good to go?”
“Yeah, but we need a plan to catch this guy.” Ryder frowned. “He’s a mass murderer. I don’t plan on him getting away.”
“I’ve been thinking the same.” Beth held a fry between finger and thumb. “Styles is the best person to confront him, so he should be inside when Cody arrives. We can take position each side of Cody’s truck to prevent him running. The three of us should be able to take him down.”
Styles nodded. “That works for me. I had much the same idea, but I suggest Cash blocks the alleyway with his cruiser just in case Cody tries to use his van to make a break for it.”
“That works for me.” Ryder leaned back as TJ delivered his meal. “Thanks.”
Looking at Beth over his coffee cup, Styles met her gaze. “We want him alive, right?”
“Sure, anything you say, Styles.” Beth’s mouth curled into a smile. “Just make sure you take him down, because he won’t be getting past me.”
FORTY-TWO
As Beth placed her coffee cup in the saucer, Ryder’s phone buzzed. She leaned back in her chair and waited for him to answer. They needed to move along to catch Cody and she didn’t want any unexpected delays.
“Calm down.” Ryder took out his notebook and pen. “The Cody house?” He pointed to his phone to get their attention. “Give me the details, and are you sure she’s dead?” He made notes and swallowed hard. “Okay, lock yourself inside your vehicle and head for the highway. We’ll meet you there. A blue Nissan. Okay, we’re five minutes away.” He disconnected and stood. “That was Cody’s aunt. She just found his mom beaten to death.” He ran for the door.
“What?” Styles slammed his hat on his head and headed after him with Bear at his heels.
Beth rushed after them and climbed into Styles’ red truck. Ryder’s cruiser was already disappearing along Main with lights and sirens blazing. “You figure Cody has murdered his mom?”
“I’d say that’s a distinct possibility.” Styles took off at high speed. “This throws a cog in the works. It’s unlikely he’ll be doing his deliveries; he’ll be in the wind.”
Beth pulled out her phone. “Maybe not. He should be leaving his last stop by now and is planning on using his deliveries as an alibi.” She made the call and, getting the confirmation from the store, disconnected. “Oh, this guy is smooth. He’s carrying on as usual. He’s not content to murder Cheyenne. He decided to kill his mom and make like he was at work all day.” She checked his schedule. “He was in town at lunchtime, so he shot Cheyenne and came back to Rattlesnake Creek for lunch, killed his mom, and then left to make his next delivery.”
“Odds are he set up a nice alibi in town.” Styles shot her a glance. “Call TJ and ask him if he knows Cody. As this guy delivers all over it’s likely he drops by TJ’s as well.”
Calling TJ, Beth waited a time for TJ to answer. It was busy at this time of day. Finally he answered. “Hi, TJ, it’s Beth. Do you know Wyatt Cody, a delivery driver who lives in town?”
“Yeah, he drops by for lunch. Usually takeout. He was by earlier today. Mentioned he was going to eat in the park and watch the river.”
Beth glanced at Styles. “Do you recall what time that was?”
“Sorry, I don’t recall. Maybe around midday. It’s always busy here between twelve and two.”
Disappointed he couldn’t pin down the time, Beth frowned. “Okay thanks. Catch you later.” She disconnected before he had time to ask her any questions.
The truck slowed to a halt behind Ryder’s cruiser and they jumped out to follow him to a blue Nissan. Inside an elderly woman was sitting bolt upright, her hands white-knuckled on the steering wheel. Beth looked at Ryder. “Do you want me to speak to her?”
“No, I know her. She looks afraid. Don’t spook her.” Ryder opened the vehicle’s door and leaned in to speak to her. Moments later he closed the door and she took off like a jackrabbit, wheels spinning in the gravel.
Beth stared after her. “Is that the woman who found Mrs. Cody? Won’t you need a statement?”
“I told her to go to my office and wait for me.” Ryder indicated with his chin toward a driveway farther along the highway. “She said she came by to check on Mrs. Cody. She found her in the kitchen. Panicked and ran out. There’s blood everywhere and she stepped in it. We’ll need to suit up before we head inside. I figure, we’ll need to call in the medical examiner. It’s obvious she didn’t murder herself.” He looked from one to the other. “Do you figure Cody killed his ma so he could get away? As in, keep us busy so he could make a break for it?”
“It’s possible.” Styles shrugged. “We’ll take a look and secure the scene. We can’t wait around here. We have a limited time to take down Cody. We’ll need to hand it over to the medical examiner.”
The tension in the air thrummed around her. The need to move on Cody right now spiked Beth’s adrenaline. Needing them to understand the urgency, she looked from one to the other. “If he’s killed his mom, he’s escalating. Like a rabid dog. He needs to be stopped. We’d better make this super fast. I agree our priority is stopping Cody before he kills again.” She looked at Ryder. “It’s your call, Cash.”
