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“No clues?” Nolan looked defeated.
Carter shook his head. “We have zip. The possible suspects we’re chasing down are just men who meet a suggested profile for someone who might abduct people. We’re really chasing shadows and hoping something comes up.” He followed him into the squad room. “How are things progressing with the explosion?”
“Slowly.” Nolan lifted his hat to run a hand through his hair and then pushed it back on his head. “The people carrying ID were easy, but identifying the truck driver has been a nightmare. We believed it was one guy and sent someone to speak to his wife, only to discover he was sick at home and someone else took out the tanker.” He held up a hand. “We’ve since notified the next of kin. The auto forensic team is very slow, so I have all my deputies working around the clock to help them pull all the evidence together. I know Sheriff Alton has her team on it too.”
“Yeah, and she was in the explosion.” Jo turned around to look at them. “Both of them are banged up but they’re still out there chasing down the abductor.”
“That’s good to know.” The sheriff went to a desk and pulled out a set of keys and then tossed them to Carter. “The cruiser is out front. I’ll leave you to it.” He tipped his hat to Jo and walked away.
Carter stared after him and then looked at Jo. “Okay, you navigate. I’ll drive. Who is first on our list?”
“Wiley James, the realtor. He has his office here in town.” She checked her phone. “It’s the other end of Main. We’ll drive. It’s too cold and windy to walk, unless Zorro needs to pee?”
Carter rubbed his dog’s ears. “He’ll tell me if he needs to stretch his legs.” He walked beside her to the door. “I hope this cruiser doesn’t stink like the last one. It smelled like a trash can.”
“Yeah.” Jo grimaced. “I had gum stuck to my jacket too but that was when the last sheriff held office. Maybe this one sends his vehicles through the carwash and spends a little time cleaning out the garbage.”
Laughing, Carter pushed his shoulder against the door and carried the Thermos in the hand without the car keys. “We can live in hope.”
They found the realtor easily enough. He had a twelve-feet tall pink blow-up figure out front that waved and jiggled, its long ribbons of hair moving wildly to get attention. Carter pulled into the off-street parking area and they climbed out. The wind gusted around them in a flurry of snowflakes and sent a freezing chill through his clothes. He grabbed his hat just in time before it was ripped from his head. “Remind me to wear more layers when we go out tomorrow. It’s colder than I expected.” He headed for the door, noticing icicles hanging down between the blue and yellow flags attached to the gutters.
“Fasten your jacket. It will help.” Jo pulled down her knitted cap snugly over her ears. “Oh, look at that, even Zorro wants to stay in the cruiser.”
Taking her advice, Carter pulled up the zipper on his jacket and then stared at his unmoving dog. It was unusual for Zorro to not want to go with him. “That’s strange. He never usually worries about the cold. He’ll be fine in the cruiser. I’m glad I put on his warm coat this morning. I don’t blame him at all for wanting to stay inside the cruiser.” He rubbed Zorro’s ears and then closed the door. “Let’s see what this guy has to say for himself.” He led the way to the office.
Concerned, Carter glanced behind him, suddenly worried about his dog. Having a constant companion for so long, the thought Zorro might be getting old tore into him. They’d faced death so many times together and come out on top, and during his time off the grid, Zorro was his only companion. He stopped walking and touched Jo’s arm. “What if Zorro is sick?”
“He doesn’t look sick.” Jo’s glance flicked back to the vehicle. “His eyes are bright, he’s alert, eating, and he has a wet nose.” She squeezed his arm in a comforting gesture. “Animals are like us. As we age, we feel the cold. He has a thin coat, and because he is inside all the time with you, he’d feel the cold just like we do.” She smiled. “We’ll take him to Duke’s vet the moment we touch down in Black Rock Falls to give you peace of mind. How old is he?”
Carter thought for a time. He should know but time went so fast. “Maybe six. I had him during my last year of deployment. I’ll need to check his papers.”
“His last checkup was good and that was only a few months ago.” Jo cleared her throat. “I’m sure they live longer than six years. Let’s get at it, as he is not in any danger, and get back to Black Rock Falls ASAP. I’ll call ahead and make an appointment when we’re in the air.”
Carter nodded and tried to force his mind back to the case. “Just a minute.” He hurried back to the cruiser, slipped inside and started the engine. He cranked up the heater and looked at Zorro. “There you go. It will be nice and warm in here for you soon.” He leaned over the back and rubbed him all over. Tears stung the backs of his eyes at the thought of losing his best friend. “Stay, I’ll be back soon.” He reached into his pocket for a doggy treat and gave it to him. “Good boy.”
Following Jo inside, he glanced around the comfortable room. A desk out front and to one side a sofa and chairs around a coffee table. Images of properties lined the walls. The man behind the counter, tall and broad, wearing a cowboy hat and holding a cup of steaming coffee greeted them with a wide smile. It was obvious not many people had dropped by today. Carter reached inside his pocket for his cred pack and held it up. “Special Agents Ty Carter and Jo Wells. We’d like to ask you a few questions.”
“Me?” The man placed his cup on the counter, spilling the coffee on the polished top. He mopped it up with tissues.
“Yes, are we speaking to Wiley James?” Jo held out her creds.
“Yeah.” James cleared his throat and his gaze flicked from one to the other. His cheeks pinked like the blush on a ripe apple. “I hope this isn’t about any of the properties I’ve sold. I’ve paid my taxes. I always report all my income. This place is legit.”
Carter had a list of things to ask him. First up he needed to know about his ride. “We’re not with the IRS. This refers to missing persons.”
“At this time, we’re hunting down people who work in a certain radius of where the people went missing, mainly to discover if they noticed anything unusual.” Jo made a show of slowly taking out a notepad and pen from her inside pocket. “Establishing people’s movements will assist us in working out a timeline around the missing persons.”
“Ah, okay.” James avoided Jo’s gaze and then shrugged. “Shoot.”
Carter pushed up the rim of his Stetson to better see the man’s face. He figured this guy was taller than Kane. “What vehicle do you own?”
“A Ram 1500 Classic Express truck, with quad cab.” James tossed the tissues in a bin. “Why?”
Running the image of the vehicle through his mind, he nodded. It would be large enough to carry the missing family. “I’m asking the questions, Mr. James.” He narrowed his gaze on the man. “Do you run a RunFlat system on it with snow tires?”
“Yeah, I go all over in my truck and take clients with me.” James blew out a long breath. “I can’t risk getting stuck somewhere, especially with snow threatening daily.”
Carter nodded. “Yeah, everyone is using them these days.” He indicated with his chin toward the computer on the desk. “Do you keep a record of where you go to see clients?”
