The Territory (Josie Gray Mysteries #1)(75)

*

Josie drove slowly down Winning’s lane, scoping out the deserted area. Other than Red’s place and Winning’s trailer, there wasn’t another house for miles. She pulled her jeep beside Winning’s black Eldorado and killed the engine. She scanned the area and saw no movement. The curtains were drawn on the trailer, and it appeared dark inside. Josie got out of her car and walked up to the trailer, tried the handle, found it locked, and was pleased Winning was taking precautions, although Josie couldn’t imagine whom the woman would leave with. She knew basically no one and was supposed to be at work.

She heard gunshots. A single, then three quick fires. Josie ran for her car, taking cover behind the front bumper. The shots were coming from Red’s place. Thirty seconds later, more shots in quick succession. Josie radioed Otto for backup, and then decided she would be less a target on foot than in the car. She ran down the line of pine trees that bordered the east side of the driveway. The shots were coming from behind the mound of dirt and bushes that covered the top of Red’s house. Easing slowly up the hill, her gun aimed and ready, the shots started again, two singles, then rapid fire. She had counted a total of ten shots, and assumed a magazine had been emptied.

Behind the thick stand of bushes she heard voices, a male and a female, laughing.

Inching closer, she found Pegasus Winning and the man she assumed was her brother, Kenny, target-shooting at paper plates duct-taped to a pile of scrap wood. Josie stood unnoticed for a few minutes, watching the two interact. It became obvious there was a shooting lesson being given. Kenny was taking the experience more seriously than Pegasus was.

Josie holstered her gun, approached them from behind, and yelled hello. Kenny Winning turned around in surprise tinged with something else: anger or panic, she couldn’t be sure.

“I’m Chief Josie Gray. And you are?”

He introduced himself but didn’t offer a handshake.

“So, you’re the elusive brother. How long have you been in town?” Josie asked.

“Couple days.”

“How long is a couple?”

“Two or three,” he said, shoving his pistol in his back pocket.

“Let’s narrow it down to an exact date. When did you arrive in Artemis?”

“What is this?” he asked.

“It’s a question, and I’d like an answer.”

“I don’t know. Tuesday, I think.”

“That’s funny. I talked to someone who saw you on Monday.”

He glared at her and pulled a bandanna from his back pocket to wipe the sweat out of his eyes. “Why’d you ask the question if you already had the answer?” he asked.

Winning rolled her eyes. “She’s talking smack, Kenny. She’s been looking for you all week. Don’t listen to this.”

Josie noticed the difference in her demeanor. She was tougher in front of her brother; she had always acted more bored with Josie.

Josie addressed Pegasus. “I think it’s the other way around. I’ve asked you about your brother several times. Each time you’ve denied he was here. Now it sounds like he’s been here since Monday. Why didn’t you just tell me if you weren’t trying to hide something?”

Pegasus took her ponytail down and angrily pulled her hair back again, getting the sweaty strands off her face. She started to speak, but Kenny interrupted her.

“You people kill me. Cops automatically assume the world should bare their collective soul to you at the asking. I got news: People aren’t aching to talk to you. That takes a little more trust than most people can give.”

“I really couldn’t care less about your soul, bared or otherwise. I’ve got a murder to solve and one awfully evasive suspect.”

“So, I’m a suspect now?”

“Until you can convince me otherwise.”

“What happened to—?”

Josie interrupted. “Innocent until proven guilty? I’ve heard it too many times to count. You give me an honest, straight-up answer, and I won’t have any reason to question your guilt.”

He stared at her and didn’t say a word.

She nodded, her face flushed with anger. “I’ll try this one more time. If you don’t want to be polite, I’ll handcuff you and take you down to the station, where I don’t have to be polite either. Puts us on a level playing field that way. So, here’s what I want from you.” She held a hand up in the air to tick each point off on a finger. “When did you arrive? What are you doing here? When are you leaving?”

“Tuesday. Visiting my sister. Tuesday.” He held his thumb up for the first answer, his first finger up for the second, and his middle finger up for the third. He smiled as he stood there, flipping her off.

“What was your relationship with Red Goff?”

“He was a cretin.”

“And?”

“He was a jerk. A pervert. I hated Pegasus living back here by him, and I’m glad he’s not around to harass her anymore.”

“Where were you last Sunday, the day Red was killed?” Josie asked.

“I was driving from New Orleans. I went down and stayed with friends for a while. I got a friend who can vouch I was still in New Orleans Sunday morning.”

“If you thought Red was so awful, why did you tell your sister to come up here, then leave her with no word on your whereabouts?”