Best Kept Secrets(103)
He rubbed the back of his neck. "To hear the governor
yesterday, Angus Minton is a cross between the tooth fairy
and Buffalo Bill Cody."
Alex smiled at the analogy, which was uncannily accurate.
"That's a fair assessment, but that doesn't mean he's incapable
of killing someone."
"What happened to his barn the other night?"
"How'd you know about that?"
"Just tell me what happened."
Reluctantly, she told him about Fergus Plummet and the
vandalism done to the Minton ranch. When she was finished,
Greg ran a hand down his face. "You've upset a real big apple cart, full of shiny, bright apples." He selected another
cigarette and spoke around it. It bobbed up and down with
each word, making lighting it difficult. "I didn't like this
case to start with."
"You loved it." Alex's nerves were already frayed, so it
annoyed her even more that he was shifting all the blame to
her. "You thought it might embarrass the governor, and you
relished that thought."
He braced his arms on his desk and leaned over it. "You
said you were going out there to reopen your mother's murder
case. I didn't know you were going to get a loony preacher
whipped into a frenzy, a man's barn nearly burned down, a
valuable racehorse shot in the head, and offend a respected
judge, who has a reputation as spotless as God's."
"Wallace?"
"Wallace. Apparently, he called our esteemed governor
and complained about your unprofessional conduct, your handling
of the case, and your unfounded accusations." He
sucked smoke into his lungs and blew it out in a gust. "Shall I go on?"
"Please," she said wearily, knowing he would anyway.
"Okay. Chastain's scared shitless of Wallace."
"Chastain's scared shitless of his own shadow. He won't
even return my calls."
"He's disclaimed you, washed his hands cleaner of you
than Ivory soap could have done. He says you've been seen
partying with your suspects."
" 'Partying'? I've seen them on a few social occasions.'
"Dangerous business, Alex. We've got three gentlemen
suspects and one lady prosecutor whose association with each
goes way back. It's all as murky as file" gumbo."
She tried not to squirm under his incisive stare. "New
tack." Standing, she circled her chair. "This is an unsolved
murder case. The investigation is viable, no matter who conducts
it."
"Okay," he said complacently, folding his hands behind
his head and leaning his chair back, "I'll play. What have
you got? No body to dig up. No murder weapon. No--"
"It was lifted out of the vet's bag."
"What?"
"The murder weapon." She told him what Dr. Ely Collins
had told her. "The scalpel was never returned to the elder
Dr. Collins. I've been meaning to check the evidence room
on the outside chance that it's still there, but I doubt that it
is."
"So do I. The bottom line is that you've still got no
weapon. Has an eyewitness come forward?"
She sighed. "During this telephone call, did the governor
Mention a ranch hand named Pasty Hickam?"
' "So, it's true."
"It's true. And please don't insult me by trying to trap me
like that again. I was going to tell you."
"When? When were you going to slip it into the conversation
that a representative of this office got involved with a
cowboy who turned up dead?"
"Care to hear my side of it?" She told him about Pasty.
He was frowning more man ever when she finished. "If
you're right, not only is it stupid and politically imprudent
to continue this investigation, it's dangerous. I don't suppose
anyone's confessed."
She made a face at him. "No. But one of them killed
Celina, and probably Hickam."
Cursing, he mashed out his cigarette. "Let's stick to one
murder at a time. If you had to arrest one of them tomorrow
for killing your mother, who would it be?"
"I'm not sure."
"Why would the old man have iced her?"
"Angus is cantankerous and shrewd. He wields a lot of
power, and definitely enjoys being the boss."
"You're smiling."
"He's extremely likable, I'll admit." She kept Angus's
comment about having a daughter like her to herself. "He's
inordinately rough on Junior. But, a slasher?" she asked
rhetorically, shaking her head. "I don't think so. It's not his
style. Besides, Angus didn't have a motive."
"What about Junior?"
"There's a possibility there. He's glib and very charming.