Scratchgravel Road (Josie Gray Mysteries #2)(74)

Inside, once the fluorescent lights had flickered on and warmed enough to light up the dark room, Josie found the smaller of the two evidence boxes for the Santiago case and carried it to the examination table. She turned on the table lamp and lifted the box lid. Inside, she found the plastic bag labeled LIBRARY RECEIPT. She opened it and lifted out the receipt that Leo Monaco had provided her for his visit to the library during the time that Cassidy Harper was finding the dead body.

It had occurred to her that she couldn’t remember Leo’s purpose for driving all the way to Presidio to check out library books. Granted, the Arroyo County Library was nothing to brag about, but most people didn’t drive out of county, especially with an interlibrary loan program.

She unfolded the small white slip of paper and read the light purple ink. He had checked out four items: Radioanalytical and Nuclear Chemistry; Physics and Chemistry of Fission; Concepts and Trends in Radiation Dosimetry; and the one Josie could have kicked herself for not seeing before: Dirty Bombs.

She carried the library slip to the photocopier in the main office and made a copy, then tucked the receipt back into the plastic bag and replaced it in the box. She put the evidence box back on the shelf, signed out on the clipboard, and handed the key back to Lou, who was talking on the phone.

Josie took the stairs to the second floor two at a time and found Otto sitting in front of his computer looking glum.

She pulled her rolling chair over to his desk and sat down, facing him.

“Not only do we know someone stole Santiago’s keys and stole his money either before or after his death, we also finally have a lucrative connection to Cassidy Harper.”

Otto raised his eyebrows.

“I just went back to the library receipt that Leo gave me. He used it to prove he had nothing to do with Cassidy being in the desert.”

Otto nodded. “Yeah?”

“Guess what books he checked out?” she asked. Grinning, she handed him the copy of the receipt.

Otto read the list. “Son of a buck.” He looked up at Josie, his expression incredulous. “You suppose he’s plotting something?”

“Dirty bombs?”

“What if he was working with Santiago? Maybe they were selling uranium on the black market.” Otto slapped his knee. “When I interviewed Colt, she mentioned seeing Santiago talking to men in suits. She even thought it was odd.”

Josie shrugged. “I say we pay Mr. Paiva a visit.”

“What about Leo? Any chance we can get a warrant? Check for the missing box, the missing keys? We’ve already found Santaigo’s wallet in his car.”

Josie shook her head. “Not his car. Cassidy’s. I don’t think a judge would see a close enough connection to Leo at this point. So he has some library books on radiation. He was a science instructor.”

“Cassidy’s dad told me he doesn’t have a job. Didn’t you say he’s got something part time?”

“He said he’s doing research part time. He made it sound like the books he checked out were used for his research. Let’s find out if he’s telling the truth,” she said.

Otto stood and walked to the back of the office where his gunbelt hung on a hook. As he buckled it around his waist, he glanced out the back window in the office and stopped. “We may have bigger issues to deal with. I talked to Smokey. He said if this rain keeps up today, we’ll probably have to start evacuations by tomorrow.”

Josie rubbed at the muscles in her neck and felt her energy drain. “Have you thought about how this flooding may affect the Feed Plant?”

Otto gave her a look that said he had not.

“I keep thinking about those metal barrels at the back of the plant. If the foothills north of the plant start washing we could have a mess,” she said.

Josie pulled her cell phone out of her shirt pocket and dialed the sheriff.

“Martínez.”

“It’s Josie. You doing okay?”

“Been better. Figure out how to keep people from driving down flooded roads I’d be a hell of a lot better,” he said.

“What’s the flooding status?”

“We’ve shut down four county roads. Pulled out three cars from flooded roadways. All three drivers were people who should’ve known better.”

“Anybody hurt?” she asked.

“No injuries. South Branch Road is the worst. We’ve got two houses we’ll need to evacuate by tomorrow.”

“What do you know about the Feed Plant?” she asked.

“What about it?”

“I need to catch you up on the body that was found off Scratchgravel. The deceased worked at the Feed Plant so we’ve spent some time out there. I’m just wondering if they have any kind of evacuation or emergency plan.”

“They have an emergency plan. I’ve got a copy in the office. I don’t imagine there’s a big contingency for flooding. That area has a decent slope to it.”

“As long as it doesn’t wash out.”

“Why do you ask?”

“Have you seen the number of old rusty barrels they have stacked behind the plant?”

He made a noise but didn’t respond.

“I’m wondering about runoff from the mountains surrounding the plant.”

“I can’t take any more men off the road right now.”