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“Yeah.” Rowley fell into step beside him. “This looks bad.”
“I’ll speak to Mrs. Bolton and see if I can get any information. Call Sheriff Alton and tell her what we learned from Rosa, then contact the real estate agent and get a copy of the list he gave Sarah. Ask him what time she left his office and if she mentioned where she was heading.” He snorted. “I’m wondering why he didn’t forward one to me as requested.”
“I have no idea.” Rowley pulled out his cellphone and grimaced. “Someone sure as hell was after something from her.”
“Yeah, my guess is they wanted the information in her mother’s letters.” Kane knocked on number sixteen and heard shuffling before a white-haired old lady peered through a crack in the door. He smiled at her. “Mrs. Bolton? I’m Deputy Kane. I was wondering if you happened to notice anyone hanging around the motel this morning between eight and eleven?”
“No one unusual. The two men who checked out and you is all.” Mrs. Bolton shook her head, making her jowls wobble. “I’m letting the cold in. Anything else?”
Kane shook his head. “No. Thank you for your cooperation.”
The door shut and he waved Rowley to the cruiser and listened to his one-sided conversation with Davis. When the deputy disconnected, he moved to his side. “Any luck?”
“Yeah, he is sending the list to my cellphone and has added the contact details of the owners. He said he dropped into the station earlier and gave the list of properties to Maggie. Must have been after we left for lunch.” Rowley pushed the cellphone in his pocket then pulled a pair of gloves on to his bluish fingers. “Something interesting—Sarah mentioned to him she was taking her car over to Miller’s Garage. She asked him where she could hire an SUV to tackle the back roads. He informed her Miller’s had loaners.” Rowley rubbed his chin and his dark gaze drifted past Kane to the slush-covered road. “Mr. Davis said he tried to discourage her from traveling in this weather but she insisted on following in her grandmother’s footsteps. She intended to show her photo around in case someone remembered her.”
“His account doesn’t make sense. I already informed her our deputies had interviewed most of the outlying ranchers and hadn’t found a trace of her grandmother.” Kane stamped the debris from his boots before opening the car door. He slid into the seat and waited for Rowley to get behind the wheel. “She didn’t come across to me as stupid. What would you do in her situation, considering Davis has supplied her with a list of properties, the owners’ names, and phone numbers?”
“I’d go down the list and call first. I’d ask if they’d shown the property to her grandmother or had any enquiries from her.” Rowley pulled his cap down over his cold, reddened ears then started the car. “I mentioned the same thing to Davis and he said the list he’d given Samantha was a drive-by list; all except two are occupied and require an appointment for viewing. He made a point of insisting she contact him to arrange visits to properties that interested her. He said he gave Sarah the same information.”
Kane drummed his fingers on one knee, thinking through the situation, then turned to Rowley. “Head for Miller’s Garage. If the car she hired has a GPS, we might be able to track the location. What’s the range like for cellphones in this area?”
“There are black spots, closer to the mountains.” Rowley drove out of the parking lot and headed down the main street, slowing to allow a large, shaggy, brown dog to cross in front of the vehicle. “I’ll be… There’s George Pringle’s dog off the leash again. We’ll have Mrs. Gilly back in the station complaining before long. For some reason that dog stands outside her house barking all night. You’d think the owner would keep it locked in the yard.”
“Don’t we have a dog catcher?”
“Nope.” Rowley flicked him a meaningful gaze. “Another thing the mayor denied.” He turned into Miller’s Garage and pulled up outside the office.
“Then we’ll start handing out tickets.” Kane snorted. “That mutt is going to cause an accident.” He slid out the car and, zipping his jacket against the blast of freezing wind, headed toward the door.
A blast of heat hit him, laced with the smell of freshly brewed coffee. He inhaled and sighed. His next break could be hours away. A young attractive blonde sat behind the desk staring at a computer screen as if oblivious to their entry. He cleared his throat. “Good afternoon. My, that coffee smells good.”
“Well, I’m sure I can spare a couple of cups.” The woman stood slowly and gave him a slow, sultry smile. “You must be the new deputy, David Kane, I believe? I’ve heard so much about you. I’m Mary-Jo Miller. My dad owns this place.” She held out a hand tipped with bright red fingernails.
“Nice to meet you.” Kane removed a glove to shake her hand, and when she rubbed her thumb over the back of his hand, he raised an eyebrow. “I will take you up on your offer of coffee, thank you.” He disentangled his hand and caught Rowley’s snort of amusement.
“What else can I do for you? Are you here about the insurance claim? Because I’m sure the company will contact the sheriff direct.” Mary-Jo moved with a subtle swing of her hips toward the coffee maker and filled two takeout cups. “I know how Jake takes his coffee. Sugar and cream for you too, David?” She flicked him a sultry gaze from beneath mascaraed lashes as she handed out the drinks.
Are
all the women in Black Rock Falls sex-starved? “Yes. Thank you.” Kane straightened and pulled on his glove. “I’m making enquiries about Sarah Woodward. I believe she hired an SUV earlier today. What time would that have been?”
“I’ll take a look. It was early, just as we opened.” Mary-Jo Miller tapped on the computer keyboard and smiled. “Just before we opened.”
“Thanks. We are trying to contact her and her phone is out of range. Does the vehicle she hired have a GPS tracking system?”
“I have no idea.” Mary-Jo looked at him as if he had spoken in Martian. “I’ll go ask my dad.” She walked to a door at the back of the office, opened it, and called to her father.
Mr. Miller, dressed in stained coveralls, strolled into the room, wiping his hands on an oily rag. “Yeah, I have two loaners here.” He tipped his head toward a fire-engine-red SUV parked out front. “Both have GPS, and I can track them on my cellphone. Give me a second and I’ll give you the coordinates.” He took a cellphone from his top pocket and bent his balding head. “She is stationary, on Bluff Road out near the Old Mitcham Ranch. That’s a good forty-five minutes from here. If she leaves now, you’ll pass her on the road.”
Kane handed Rowley his coffee, took out his notebook, and scanned the pages before jotting down the address. He thought he recognized the name. “As in the late Sheriff Mitcham?”
“Not him, his granddaddy. The ranch house has been empty for fifty years. Locals believe it is haunted and no one will go near the place. As far as I know, before he died, the sheriff divided the land. He added part onto his grandson’s property and sold the rest to the adjoining ranches. I’m not sure what he planned for the house and remaining acre or two.”
“Okay.” Kane shoved the notebook back in his pocket and took the coffee from Rowley. “Thanks for the coffee, Miss Miller.”
“Any time, and call me Mary-Jo. Black Rock Falls is a friendly town.” She gave him a beatific smile.
Kane escaped through the door, following Rowley’s deep chuckle with annoyance. “Do you know Bluff Road?”
