Tied With a Bow and No Place to Go (Tizzy/Ridge Trilogy Book 3) by Ann Everett Page B

and
schedule as many as you can over the next few days. Before noon is best for me,
but I’ll work around their schedules if necessary. Any word on a funeral?”
    “Not yet. The family wants a service with the body present,
but the autopsy isn’t finished.”
    “I’ll check on that. I want to get footage from the toll
road and first two Highway 31 traffic cameras going into Tyler for the day
before yesterday.”
    Rita glanced up at him. “That new toll road is nice. I love
that it doesn’t have booths. They depend on cameras for billing.”
    “Also, contact police departments and probation offices in
surrounding counties with a suspect description.” Ridge tore a page from his
notebook and handed it to her. “It’s vague, but maybe the tattoos will get us
something on the mystery man who bought the strawberries and had Pattiecake
deliver them to Jay Roy.”
    “Okay. Will Henderson, Van Zandt, Smith, Cherokee, and
Anderson counties be enough?”
    “Let’s add Navarro and Kaufman.” He walked away, then called
over his shoulder, “Perchance the scallywag will show up on their radar.”
    “You can’t help yourself, can you?”
    He chuckled. “Nope.”
    Dan and Police Chief Earl Dean Ramsey glanced up when Ridge
entered. “Damn, it seems Dan’s always here and you’re not. What’s that about?”
Ridge asked Earl Dean.
    The chief shrugged. “I’m retiring in three months and I have
so much vacation accumulated, I’m only working on Bubba’s off days. I check in
ever’ day, but then head back to the house. Its hay season and I’ve been baling
for a week.”
    Dan nodded. “I have the whole county to protect. Since I
live here, I start my day here.”
    Ridge removed his hat and placed it on the table. “Earl
Dean, any word on who will take your place?”
    “I’ll recommend Bubba. Hell, the boy’s been with the
department long enough and he’s a lifetime resident, so he’d be happy to stay
in the position until retirement. That means a lot in a small town.”
    “Great choice. He’ll do a good job,” Ridge said.
    “I hear you had a good time at Sweet Thangs yesterday.” Dan
laughed.
    “Not the way I’d describe it. It’s crazy. This is the first
time I’ve investigated a case with fifteen women involved and none are
hookers.”
    From the next room, Willie Nelson squawked. “If you’ve
got the money honey, I’ve got the time.”
    “That is one smart parrot.” Earl Dean’s round body shook
with laughter.
    “How’s that possible?” Ridge asked. “He makes a connection
between the word hookers and money? That’s crazy.”
    “Maybe his original owner taught him the connection,” Earl
Dean said.
    “Still, it’s kinda spooky,” Dan said and stood. “I’ve got to
get going. Ridge, holler if you need me for anything.”
    “Okay. I’ve sent a partial description of a person of
interest to your office. You may have him in your files. Today, I start
questioning all the girls involved with Jay Roy.”
    “To all the girls I’ve ever loved before.”
    The men burst into laughter.
    Rita appeared in the doorway. “Ridge, Mayor Patton will be
here in thirty minutes. Husband Doyle is scheduled at ten, and I’ve got Kassie
Shields scheduled for one o’clock. Is that okay?”
    “Perfect. Thanks.”
    “I couldn’t get in touch with Deborah.” Rita stuck a pencil
behind her ear. “I’ll keep trying and work on tomorrow’s line-up. How early do
you want the first interview?”
    “We’ve started sending Gracie to the Mother’s Day Out
program at the church. It’s my day to take her, so let’s say nine.”
    Rita retrieved the pencil and made a note. “Nine. Got it.
That’ll be good for Gracie.”
    “It’s just one day a week, but she loves it and Annie Mae
gets an extra day off.”
    “Well, I’ll let you know when Lounell arrives,” Rita said
and headed to her desk.
    Earl Dean rose from his chair. “I’m running radar on High
School Hill to slow those eighteen wheelers