think that’s the way things work. But we have limited manpower and equipment. I’m not making excuses, just telling you what to expect.” The expression on his face pled for understanding.
“Okaaaay. Disclaimer duly noted. It’s possible I’m a bit thick, but what does that actually mean when it comes to Tim’s murder?”
“Look, there are only two of us working this whole county. That’s an area of several hundred square miles apiece. There will not be a group of highly trained, well-equipped crime and forensic specialists focused solely on this case.” The deputy sighed.
Heat flared up from the soles of Frankie’s feet and into her face. She glared into the deputy’s eyes. “I see. So what you’re saying is that I should just move along?”
Rollins blinked as if he’d been slapped. “No. I’m trying to bring you up to speed. I’ve spoken to every storefront operator in Eagle Nest, Angel Fire and Red River. We’ve found no less than six green pickups, but none with tires that match the impressions.”
“Then you haven’t found the right pickup.” The muscles in Frankie’s jaw and neck tightened. “What’s the bottom line, Deputy Rollins?”
“We’re still looking.”
“And what about my Jeep?”
“After forensics is done with it you can pick it up in Santa Fe. It looked like someone went through your luggage, probably looking for valuables. We dusted for prints, but got nothing.” He looked closely at Frankie. “I thought you said you were only planning to stay at the cabin a couple of days.”
“That’s right.”
“Then how do you explain the fact that your Jeep was completely filled with canned and packaged food?”
Frankie avoided the deputy’s eyes. “I…I try to keep the cabin well provisioned in case we make a spur of the moment trip, or in case we get snowed in. Hard weather came early this year.”
Good God, was that the best explanation she could drum up? Everything she said made her look more and more suspicious—even to herself.
Rollins nodded his head as if to say he was trying to understand, but the perplexed look remained in his eyes.
“What do we do now?”
“Look Miss O’Neil, I appreciate how you feel. But there is no ‘we.’”
“Then I guess that leaves only me.”
The deputy cocked his head to one side and squinted. He shook his head a couple of times. “You’ve heard of something called ‘obstruction of justice’?”
Frankie held her hands up palms out. “I’m not obstructing anything. I’m just a concerned citizen.” She lowered her hands, stood, and glared down at the deputy, her arms ramrod straight at her sides. “But it is good to know you’ll wait a few more days before tossing my brother’s file on top of the rest of your cold cases.”
Rollins reached into his shirt pocket and pulled out a business card identical to the one he’d given Frankie at their first meeting. He pulled a pen from the same pocket and scribbled on the back of the card.
“I’m giving you my personal cell phone number. In the event you remember something, call and I’ll drop whatever I’m doing.” He held the card toward Frankie. “And please don’t try to do anything on your own. Think about it—if someone was willing to shoot your brother in front of you, they wouldn’t hesitate to shoot you.”
And they know who you are, Uncle Mike’s voice intoned.
“Now you tell me,” Frankie said out loud.
Rollins looked surprised. “It’s just logic.”
“Sorry, I was talking to…I mean…” Her face aflame, Frankie yanked the card from the deputy’s fingers and stuffed it into her handbag. She squared her shoulders and strode toward the cash register.
Deputy Rollins’ chair scraped on the hard wood floor behind her, but she didn’t look back.
Chapter Fourteen
“Right on time,” Bellamy said into the phone. “That’s more like it. Anything new to report?”
“Not really,” the voice at the other end said.
Bellamy held the
“Okaaaay. Disclaimer duly noted. It’s possible I’m a bit thick, but what does that actually mean when it comes to Tim’s murder?”
“Look, there are only two of us working this whole county. That’s an area of several hundred square miles apiece. There will not be a group of highly trained, well-equipped crime and forensic specialists focused solely on this case.” The deputy sighed.
Heat flared up from the soles of Frankie’s feet and into her face. She glared into the deputy’s eyes. “I see. So what you’re saying is that I should just move along?”
Rollins blinked as if he’d been slapped. “No. I’m trying to bring you up to speed. I’ve spoken to every storefront operator in Eagle Nest, Angel Fire and Red River. We’ve found no less than six green pickups, but none with tires that match the impressions.”
“Then you haven’t found the right pickup.” The muscles in Frankie’s jaw and neck tightened. “What’s the bottom line, Deputy Rollins?”
“We’re still looking.”
“And what about my Jeep?”
“After forensics is done with it you can pick it up in Santa Fe. It looked like someone went through your luggage, probably looking for valuables. We dusted for prints, but got nothing.” He looked closely at Frankie. “I thought you said you were only planning to stay at the cabin a couple of days.”
“That’s right.”
“Then how do you explain the fact that your Jeep was completely filled with canned and packaged food?”
Frankie avoided the deputy’s eyes. “I…I try to keep the cabin well provisioned in case we make a spur of the moment trip, or in case we get snowed in. Hard weather came early this year.”
Good God, was that the best explanation she could drum up? Everything she said made her look more and more suspicious—even to herself.
Rollins nodded his head as if to say he was trying to understand, but the perplexed look remained in his eyes.
“What do we do now?”
“Look Miss O’Neil, I appreciate how you feel. But there is no ‘we.’”
“Then I guess that leaves only me.”
The deputy cocked his head to one side and squinted. He shook his head a couple of times. “You’ve heard of something called ‘obstruction of justice’?”
Frankie held her hands up palms out. “I’m not obstructing anything. I’m just a concerned citizen.” She lowered her hands, stood, and glared down at the deputy, her arms ramrod straight at her sides. “But it is good to know you’ll wait a few more days before tossing my brother’s file on top of the rest of your cold cases.”
Rollins reached into his shirt pocket and pulled out a business card identical to the one he’d given Frankie at their first meeting. He pulled a pen from the same pocket and scribbled on the back of the card.
“I’m giving you my personal cell phone number. In the event you remember something, call and I’ll drop whatever I’m doing.” He held the card toward Frankie. “And please don’t try to do anything on your own. Think about it—if someone was willing to shoot your brother in front of you, they wouldn’t hesitate to shoot you.”
And they know who you are, Uncle Mike’s voice intoned.
“Now you tell me,” Frankie said out loud.
Rollins looked surprised. “It’s just logic.”
“Sorry, I was talking to…I mean…” Her face aflame, Frankie yanked the card from the deputy’s fingers and stuffed it into her handbag. She squared her shoulders and strode toward the cash register.
Deputy Rollins’ chair scraped on the hard wood floor behind her, but she didn’t look back.
Chapter Fourteen
“Right on time,” Bellamy said into the phone. “That’s more like it. Anything new to report?”
“Not really,” the voice at the other end said.
Bellamy held the
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