The Territory (Josie Gray Mysteries #1)(78)
After a massive burrito, coffee, Coke, and two doses of Visine, Josie felt as if she might survive the shift. The waitress cleared the plates away and Otto paid the bill while Josie started the jeep to get the air conditioner blowing cool. Otto finally got into the passenger seat carrying chocolate chip cookies for dessert.
The mudflats were located north of Sauly Magson’s property about three miles from the river. The land around Sauly’s and up into the mudflats was the greenest area in Artemis. Prairie grasses covered the ground, not just in clumps as in the rest of Artemis, but in thick swaths of green that rustled in the never-ending wind. Natural springs and mountain runoff kept the area green most of the year, a nice change of pace in the desert. Vie and Smokey’s place was located on a road that wound through the hills and the grass. A house dotted the road every half mile or so. Red’s place and Winning’s trailer were north of the mudflats by another mile, where the land turned suddenly barren and bereft of color.
Josie pulled her jeep along the edge of the road and looked across the field. Otto pointed out a camper set up a half mile away, barely noticeable down the slight embankment. Viewed from a distance, the grass was silken and feathery and moved in gentle waves in response to the breeze. But walking through the three-foot-high blades of grass left thin cuts along any exposed skin, which burned for hours. Josie knew that fact was moving through Otto’s brain at that very moment.
She pointed toward the camper. “No tire tracks. If the owner of the camper approached from this road, the grass would still be mashed down in places. He had to have come in from behind Red’s place.” Josie looked over and found Otto staring out his side window, drumming his fingers on his thighs. “Feel like taking a walk?”
“Not really.” Otto opened his car door and affixed his radio to his gun belt. “You owe me a Coke when we’re done.”
“Deal,” she said, and got out to follow him.
The temperature had dropped into the eighties, and while Josie thought the light breeze and temperature were ideal, she knew Otto would be sweating. The sunset to their right was still high, but the reds and oranges were already spreading out like spilled paint.
After a five-minute walk through a field, they came upon a campsite with a ten-foot pop-up camper facing toward them. The camper was fully extended, its closed door facing a small fire pit with a coffeepot lying on the ground beside it. A ten-foot pull-behind U-Haul trailer, most likely hauled by a pickup truck or SUV, was to the right of the camper. Otto pointed out the bumper sticker on the back of it that identified a local rental company. Josie pulled her cell phone out and dialed the number.
“Loan to Own. This is Cammie speaking.”
“Hi, Cammie. This is Chief Josie Gray with the Artemis Police. How are you today?”
The young girl was chirpy and helpful. Last year, Josie had stopped her three times for a blown headlight and finally followed her to a local auto parts store, where she helped the girl change the broken light. Cammie recognized Josie and thanked her again for helping her with the light, then said she would be happy to look up the plate number.
After several minutes of waiting on hold, Cammie came back on the line and said she’d found the number Josie gave her from the back of the storage unit. Josie wrote down the specific rental information, then thanked her and asked her to keep the information confidential.
“Dr. Fallow,” she told Otto after she’d hung up.
Otto raised his eyebrows. “Why would Paul Fallow need to set up a camper, rent a trailer, and then hide them both out here?”
Josie smiled. “Here’s the kicker. He rented the trailer the same day Red Goff was killed.”
Otto pointed a finger at her. “The same day Red’s guns were stolen.” He shook his head. “That little bastard.”
Otto approached the trailer door, and Josie called him back. “I don’t trust this guy. He may have traps set. We need to get back and cook up a warrant and open this trailer up.”
They walked around the perimeter of the campsite, looking for something else that might tie the area to Fallow but without finding anything useful. Once back in the jeep on the side of the road, Josie stared out the window, thinking through the day.
“Why is Medrano spending so much time here? Coming in person? Pegasus saw the car at Red’s place several days ago. They know there’s nothing in Red’s house. They know the guns are gone.”
“Unless there’s something there we didn’t discover.”
“We’ve been through that house, thoroughly, three different times. Marta went out again and walked the property and searched the garage. Nothing.”
“What’s the draw, then, if it’s not Red’s place?”
“What if it’s Fallow?” she asked. “Maybe Medrano came to meet with him today, and I got in his way. Maybe Medrano wasn’t going to Red’s place at all. Maybe he was headed back the lane to meet up with Fallow.”
“He’s buying the guns Fallow stole from Red’s place.” Otto smoothed the flyaway hair down on his head. “That guy’s got more gumption than I gave him credit for.”
“Fallow is taking over Red’s business. Could be that Medrano was here for a lot more than Red’s guns.” She pointed past the camper toward the direction of Red’s house.
“You think Fallow could have killed Red, manipulated Bloster?” Otto asked.