The Territory (Josie Gray Mysteries #1)(44)
“I don’t think these guys are into blending in. Maybe they want it known they’re making a serious run on Medrano. They see Piedra Labrada and Artemis as the place to do it. We’re controllable in their eyes.”
Josie stood and paced the office. “We need to camp out on the watchtower for a few nights. Watch traffic just outside the city.”
Otto nodded, sitting up in his seat.
“Until we figure out who is coming into Artemis, we can’t know their motivation. We have to figure it out to get the connection to Red.”
“I agree.”
“And we have to know what they want with Artemis. We cannot allow them to win, not one round,” Josie said.
“We’ll get interdiction clued in to Interstate 10. That’s got to be where they head once they get across the border. They’re taking farm roads across the desert and up to the interstate. I’ll make contact with each of the surrounding counties and let them know to involve us on any gun or narcotic stops that may involve Medrano or La Bestia.”
Josie and Otto spent the next hour on the phone with the Marfa Sector Border Patrol and the Department of Public Safety Narcotics Division and Interdiction discussing their suspicions. The interdiction team was trained to look for specific signs that often signaled illegal activity: illegal crossings, drug trafficking, and so forth. BP said they would take the watchtower that night, and Josie agreed to man it the next night, on Saturday. Interdiction said they would have an undercover car watching Interstate 10, the closest interstate to Artemis. After setting up the logistics, Josie called Sheriff Martínez and asked to meet him before lunch. She sent Otto to Red’s house to gather every last piece of paper, label where it came from in the house, and put it in a box for Dillon, who had agreed to sift through it all.
Josie heard the good-natured banter between the sheriff and Lou from downstairs and then the heavy booted footsteps of a large man clumping up the wooden stairs to the office.
Martínez rapped on the open door with his knuckles and entered. Josie was already carrying them both mugs of black coffee from the coffeemaker. She placed the cups on the conference table, and they small-talked the weather and the Astros, a favorite conversation topic of the sheriff’s, before getting down to business.
“Have you talked to Deputy Bloster about Red Goff’s death?” Josie asked.
“I have. He came in the evening after he found out about it. He’d just left Red’s house after running into you and Otto.”
“What was his response?” she asked.
“He was angry. Thought our office should have taken the call even though he knew we didn’t have anyone available to take it. He thought you should have handed it over. I told him it was a conflict of interest, and he finally let it go. I told him to cool his jets and stay away from the investigation. I take it that hasn’t happened.”
She slid the Gunners’ policy manual toward him. “Take a look at the section titled ‘Friends and Foes.’ We’re on the Foes list. Bloster is a member of an organization that lists his own boss as the enemy. I haven’t figured out exactly what that means yet.”
Martínez barely glanced at the manual. “Bloster told me about it. Said it was nothing more than a list of people who might feel hostile toward their organization.”
“That doesn’t bother you? Your name on the short list?”
Martínez snorted. “We got our names on shorter lists than that one.”
All right, she thought, that’s the way we’re going to play this.
“Otto interviewed Bloster yesterday, in this office, and he punched Fallow in the mouth during the interview. Otto encouraged Fallow to file charges, but he wouldn’t. He’s lucky Fallow is terrified of him.” She paused and Martínez remained silent. “You have a time bomb on your staff.”
Martínez’s expression grew still. “I don’t guess my employees are any of your concern.”
“Let me throw one more at you.” Josie handed him the two invoices that Dillon had showed her the night before. She watched Martínez study the paper, but he said nothing.
“Did you sign for those guns?” Josie asked.
“What is this? You accusing me of running a crooked department?”
“I’m just trying to figure out how you can afford guns when I can’t afford soap for the bathrooms.”
He didn’t smile at her attempt at humor. Josie watched as he studied the invoice and the price of the guns. Finally he looked up at her, his shoulders slumped. “Bloster’s been taking care of bills for the department. I don’t have time to get it all done. You know how undermanned we are. I figured with his short fuse, I’d get him off the road some and put him in charge of accounts.”
“How long has he been taking care of finances?”
Martínez frowned. “Since December, when Stephanie left. I can’t hardly operate without a secretary. Moss wouldn’t let us hire a replacement and suggested I get Bloster to help out. He just helped with some of the bills. Helped me keep things organized.” He looked at Josie, his face aged ten years. “I knew nothing about these guns.” He pushed his chair away from the table and stood. “You know what’s even worse? You found out about these guns by accident. What else has he passed through for payment?”