Page 47 of Death on Gallows Path

SATURDAY

CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

Clara picked me up. I had no say in that arrangement. No say in when (earlier than I liked.) No say in where we were going.

When we arrived at the post office, I shaved off a layer of morning unhappiness, thus proving my reasonableness.

The post office was open only a few hours Saturday mornings. Following up with Ruby was now or not until Monday, which felt a long way off, or tracking her down at home, which felt intrusive.

That didn’t mean that I followed Clara into the post office with a spring in my step, but I did follow her.

Ruby was finishing with a man in his twenties who thanked her, while appearing as if he hadn’t totally followed the details of the transaction. I suspected he wasn’t a post office veteran.

Clara and I opened a lane for the young man to leave as we finished our greetings to Ike, then took the two steps to the counter.

Palms flat on the surface, Ruby leaned toward us. “Have you figured it out?”

Clara covered Ruby’s hands with both of hers. “Oh, Ruby, you are so wonderful to have such faith in us that we’ll figure it out at all, much less this fast.”

“Ah, well, I thought if anybody could, it would be you two.”

“Have you heard anything new, Ruby?” I asked.

“Oh, my, yes. Had Tully in here, saying everything he saw. And then a friend of mine overheard a couple deputies — you do know women become invisible at a certain age. Plus, a tidbit or two folks mentioned to me,” she said modestly. “The word is he was shot with his own gun. Handgun he kept in his truck console.”

Surprised, I asked, “He had a license to keep a loaded gun in his truck’s console?”

Clara snorted. “Don’t need one. Anyone twenty-one and over who’s not expressly prohibited can keep a gun, loaded or unloaded, in a factory-installed container — glove compartment, console, seat pocket.”

“Seat pocket? But that’s open.”

“Yup. Doesn’t need to be closed or closeable.”

“People can drive around with loaded guns?”

“Can and many probably are.” She dismissed that topic by asking Ruby, “What else?”

“There are indications that another vehicle came up behind Swindell’s. But it stayed far enough back that the tire impressions wouldn’t have been great in the first place and then more vehicles were there before the sheriff’s department.

“Deputies weren’t happy about that. Seems like Tully — that’s who spotted Damon’s truck yesterday morning — drove right over the other tire tracks. They gave him a hard time about that. Though you’d think they’d appreciate him finding the truck at all, because could’ve been a good long while otherwise out there on Gallows Path.”

“Did they say anything about shoe impressions?”

“Something else they weren’t happy about. Whoever was there stayed on the grassy part, never into the dirt. What I heard was they could see indications of someone else being there, but not enough to identify.”

“Anything outside the passenger door?”

Ruby tipped her head at my question, apparently considering. “Might’ve said that’s where they saw indications of someone else being there, but didn’t make a big point of it. For sure no footprints. Don’t recall more being talked about that area.”

“What else?” Clara asked.

“His phone didn’t show anyone calling him that fit with setting up a meeting at Gallows Path. Possible someone set it up in person.” She leaned across the counter and lowered her voice. “They’re looking for a woman who was involved with Damon.”

Clara and I carefully didn’t look at each other.

Ruby correctly interpreted our non-look. “Not Zoley Georger. Word is that’s been frittering away. Someone new on the scene. New enough it’s not firm on who.”

“Ideas of who—?”