AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Exactly. How about watching over our Mr. Whatley? I’m fond of him, too.”
“I’ll keep an eye on him,” Cody promised. “He bought a ranch here, and he’s become sort of a mascot to the town. It’s a very small town, very clannish, but he fits right in. And he’s actually doing a good job of ranch management. He had some radical ideas that we all downplayed, but he’s put them into effect on his ranch and it’s making money for him. Pretty soon, he’ll be solvent.”
“Nice to know. I always liked him. Nita Whatley had a fiancé who was killed in the Middle East during the invasion of Iraq, one of the men in my unit. She never got over it. She wouldn’t even talk to men for all those years. Then she met this high-flying opportunist a few weeks ago and now she’s a teenager again, in her mind,” he growled. “Pity. She’s a sweet, levelheaded woman, usually. She deserves better.”
“I hope you’re keeping an eye on him,” Cody said.
“You’d better believe I am.” He paused. “You know, there was a similar case, when I checked him out on VICAP, in Denver, of all places. He was courting a woman there. A death was involved, her sister, but he denied ever having anything to do with it. The police checked him out but couldn’t find enough evidence to prosecute and he left the state soon after and I inherited him when he moved to Dade County. If you want to drive over there to Denver and check it out, I’ll give you the woman’s address.”
He thought about his late wife, Debby, living in Denver. He wanted to go to her old apartment and talk to people who knew her. It would comfort him. He still loved her and missed her. He missed Anyu, too.
“I’ll do that,” Cody said. “Can you text me the information? This is my cell phone number.” He gave it to the other man. “And I’ll appreciate any other information you get. I’m working a bank robbery, of all things, in Catelow. It’s the first one we’ve had in years.”
“Good luck. We had two this week. Crime doesn’t take a vacation. I wish it did. We’re overworked and underfunded.”
“Aren’t we all,” Cody chuckled. “Thanks for the help.”
“Any time.”
CODYWENTOUTto the Whatley Ranch, which was called “Pride’s Run,” of all things, to talk to Horace Whatley.
He was met at the door by a smiling woman, Julia Donovan, Whatley’s housekeeper. “Sheriff Banks, how nice to see you! Come on in.”
She led him into the kitchen, where her boss was drinking coffee and reading a newspaper.
He looked up and smiled. “Sheriff! Nice to see you! Coffee?”
“I’d love a cup,” Cody replied, sailing his hat into an empty chair before he sat down. “It’s been a long day.”
“How do you take it, Sheriff?” Julia asked.
“Black and strong,” he replied. He laughed. “It keeps me awake.”
“What can I do for you?” Mr. Whatley asked, and he smiled. No indecision, no fidgeting, no signs that the sheriff’s visit might be a bad sign.
“I spoke to your sister.”
Whatley’s smile fell and he sighed. “Yes. So did I. That man! He sold our mother’s favorite antique painting and she let him! I’m so mad!”
Cody thanked Julia for the coffee. He took a sip. It was perfect, strong and flavorful. “Your sister’s boyfriend has a rap sheet,” he said, and Mr. Whatley perked up at once.
“He’s been convicted of something?” the other man asked, interested.
Cody nodded. “Assault. He attacked and almost killed his girlfriend’s only sibling, her brother. There was gossip that he wanted the estate and the only way he could get it was to get her very suspicious brother out of the way.”
“Oh, my gosh!”
“That’s not all. We think he killed the sister of another victim, in Denver. He escaped any charges in that one, but it was known that the sister opposed him and was the only other heir to the fortune.”
“My poor sister,” Whatley said softly. “She’s been alone so long. I guess she was vulnerable to sudden attention from a man and he took advantage of it.”
“That’s what I think. It’s what the local police chief thinks as well.”
“He’s in love with her. Always has been. But he was the commanding officer in the unit her fiancé was in when he died. The association killed any hopes he had. But now she’s fancy-free. He might have a chance. Sadly, her fortune is what holds him back. He doesn’t want to be accused of courting her for her money.”
“Oh, that sounds familiar,” Cody said. “That happened to a friend of mine, years ago. But they overcame it.”
“That reminds me. Do you know anybody with the wildlife service locally? I need to talk to somebody about a moose that got attracted to our milk cow. I don’t want it harmed,” he added quickly, “I just want to see if it could be transported to a national forest somewhere and released.”
