Scratchgravel Road (Josie Gray Mysteries #2)(31)

“Who arrested him?” Josie asked.

“Sheriff’s deputy. Pulled him over for speeding, driving toward Marfa. Deputy found the drugs in the glove compartment. Boy wasn’t even smart enough to throw it out the window.”

Josie sighed heavily. “How did Teresa find out about Enrico getting arrested?”

“Supposedly the jailer allowed him two phone calls. He placed two collect calls, one to his grandpa, who didn’t answer. Then he called Teresa.”

“How can a kid with so much potential be so hell-bent on destroying her life?”

“Teresa claims he was framed. He’s the love of her life and all that garbage. Marta’s ready to rip her kid’s eyes out over it.”

*

Josie shook her head and walked toward the stairs in the back of the office. Gossip, especially accurate gossip, was torture in a small town. Marta would be living in her own private circle of hell when word got out on the streets that her daughter had bailed out a drug dealer.

Josie saw Otto leaning against the office doorway when she reached the top of the stairs, his expression grim. “Lou filled you in, I have no doubt.”

Josie nodded.

Marta was sitting at her desk talking loudly into the phone.

“Who’s she talking to?” Josie asked.

“Wee Wetzel.”

“You’ve got to be kidding,” she said.

Otto poured them both a cup of coffee, placed Josie’s on her desk, and carried his back to his chair. “Marta wants to know how a bail bondsman could let a minor bail out a convicted felon,” he said in a loud whisper. “Wetzel said Marta’s daughter paid cash, and she had picture identification. Nothing he could do about it. Marta is threatening to sue him and throw his butt in jail.”

“Where’s Teresa?” Josie asked.

Before Otto could answer, Marta slammed the phone down, stood from her desk, and planted her hands on her hips. “I will have his ass in jail by nightfall. I don’t care if I arrest him for loitering or jaywalking or peeing on a tire, he will break a law by sundown.” She was breathing heavily and her voice was low and measured.

“Hold on. Let’s think this through,” Josie said.

“How could Wetzel allow a sixteen-year-old girl to implicate herself with a sleazy bastard like Gomez? Why didn’t he call me first? No professional courtesy?”

Josie stood and shut the door to the office and pointed to the conference table. The three sat down and allowed Marta to rant against the bail bondsman for several minutes.

Josie finally cut her off. “Wetzel is scum. He has no concept of professionalism or courtesy. Don’t waste your time trying to figure someone like that out. You can’t do it.” She leaned forward in her seat, watching Marta closely. “You know we’re behind you on this, one hundred percent, but my advice is to slow down.”

“She had to sign a contract—a legally binding contract—to bail him out of jail. You can’t tell me a sixteen-year-old can legally do that!”

Otto cleared his throat. “The worst thing you can do is go after him and have it backfire. You need to make sure you can wrap him up tight before you do anything.”

Josie nodded agreement. “I’ll call the county attorney and ask his opinion first. We need to make sure the law backs you up. Then we’ll take care of Wetzel.”

Marta blew air out as if a balloon deflated in her chest. “That girl is going to kill me. She will literally be my death.”

“She’s just being a kid,” Josie said.

Marta closed her eyes. “Please. Do not make excuses for my daughter’s behavior. She’s gone too far this time.” She ran her hands back through her hair several times, blinking her eyes, trying to keep the tears from coming. “I appreciate you both, more than you can imagine.” She took a deep breath and looked away from Josie, her voice softer. “I hope this doesn’t cause problems for you.”

“You let me deal with that. Your conduct isn’t at issue,” Josie said. She imagined the notion had been weighing on Marta since the sheriff had called her with the news.

Marta’s expression lightened and she nodded slowly as if forcing herself to move on. “I’m okay then. Tell me where we are with the body.”

Josie smiled. “This’ll take your mind off Teresa. I think I know where our dead man worked.” She was pleased at their startled expressions. “The old Feed Plant.”

“The dead guy was on the cleanup crew?” Otto asked.

“It’s a good possibility.” She watched Otto’s expression turn to dread.

“Is that where the sores came from? He was exposed to radiation? And we were exposed. You better call Cowan ASAP.”

She tilted her head and held a hand up. “Don’t panic yet. The old cobbler—Jeremiah Joplin? He worked there for years during full production. He said he never saw anyone with sores like what we saw. If anyone in the community had seen wounds like that they would have exposed it when the big cancer scare took place.”

Otto shook his head. “This is bad.”

“Sauly worked at the plant when they first started cleanup. He worked there for years,” Marta said. “I’m sure he’d talk to you.”

“I’ll go visit him tomorrow.” Sauly Magson was one of Josie’s favorite local characters. He was an old hippy who lived by his own set of standards and was one of the most content and happy people she had ever met.