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“She and Quint are getting the twins dressed. They will be down shortly, I imagine.”
“Good. I just saw Logan drive in.” He lifted the lid on one of the dishes, releasing a fresh wave of steam, scented with the aroma of seasoned beef.
It was a tantalizing aroma, but it failed to stir Jessy’s appetite. She ate because the day would be long and she would need the energy food could give her.
“Maybe he’ll have some news for us,” she said as the front door opened. Seconds later Logan entered the dining room. “There’s plenty of food over there. Help yourself,” Jessy told him.
“Thanks, but I’ll just have coffee. I ate about an hour ago.” He poured a cup from the coffee urn and carried it to the table. “Is Cat up?”
“She should be down shortly.” Chase sliced into his steak.
“I spoke to Sally this morning. She should be home in a few hours. One of the household staff in Fort Worth is flying up to stay with Tara,” Logan said.
“Probably Brownsmith. He’s been with the family for years,” Chase said, then paused, his gaze searching Logan’s face. “Anything new with the investigation?”
“Not yet.”
Logan’s voice and expression were a bit too bland for Chase’s liking. It made him suspicious. “What about Buck? He’s been questioned by now, hasn’t he?”
“No.”
As good as Logan was at his job, Chase could think of only one reason for that. “Buck has disappeared, hasn’t he?”
“It looks that way,” Logan admitted. “A couple workers remember seeing him yesterday morning, but they aren’t sure of the time—early or late. Virgil claims they had lunch together. Obviously I haven’t been able to verify that.”
“Virgil would swear the sky was green if he thought it would help Buck,” Chase scoffed. “Where did he say Buck was going?”
“He said he didn’t know, and the helicopter never left the ground at all yesterday. Plus the construction foreman was able to account for all the vehicles.”
“What about the horses?”
“According to
Garcia,” Logan replied, referring to one of the deputies, “the gray was the only horse in the corral when he arrived yesterday afternoon. Around five o’clock, he noticed a chestnut gelding drinking from the tank, grabbed a bucket of oats, and caught it.”
“No saddle or bridle?” Chase guessed.
“None,” Logan confirmed. “Virgil said it probably jumped the corral fence then wandered back when it got thirsty.”
“Possible but not likely.” Chase speared the bite of steak with his fork. “The chestnut was too flashy, too easily recognized. Buck probably switched to another horse. Did Garcia check the tack room to see if any saddles were missing?”
Logan nodded and took a sip of his coffee. “None of the saddle racks were empty, but no one seems to know how many saddles were there. Garcia tried to get a number from Tara. Before she answered, she insisted on knowing why he was asking—and you know what happened after that.”
“There really is no doubt that Buck did it, is there?” There was a hint of anger in the grim set of Jessy’s features. “He wouldn’t have taken off before Garcia got there unless he was guilty. He wouldn’t have even known about it.”
“That’s not quite true. He might have,” Logan said. “Garcia said there was a police scanner in the trailer. I plan to find out today whether Virgil had it turned on yesterday. If he did, then Buck could have heard something before Garcia arrived.”
Cat’s arrival with Quint and the twins signaled an end to the subject. The conversation quickly turned general with heavy emphasis on the demands of the twins.
After a second cup of coffee, Logan rose from the table, kissed Cat goodbye, rumpled Quint’s hair, and headed for the door. Finished with his breakfast, Chase walked with him.
Trey, as usual, was more interested in playing with Quint than in eating his breakfast. Judging by the amount of cereal smeared on his face, in his hair, and on his clothes, Jessy suspected Trey had more food on him than in him. The bowl had three bites left when Trey began splatting his spoon in it.
“That’s enough, young man.” She took the sticky spoon from his equally sticky fingers, grabbed the wet washcloth she always kept handy, and wiped his face and hands with it before freeing him from his highchair. “You definitely need a bath before your grandma gets here.”
“Gamma come?” Trey cocked his head at an inquiring angle.
“That’s right.” Jessy noticed a glob of cereal on the sleeve of his T-shirt and picked it off. “The brave woman is going to watch you two today.”
