Chapter Five #2
Moments later, they’d shrugged into their coats and put on their cowboy hats. The elevator’s clang faded behind them as they stepped onto the main floor, and into a flurry of heavy snow. Huge flakes drifted down.
“Damn,” Rawley said, brushing a gloved hand across his brow. “Wasn’t snowing when I came in.”
“You know how the weather is here,” Case replied.
They jumped into Case’s pickup. The engine growled to life, and they tore out of the lot onto icy backroads, the truck cutting through the swirling white.
At the ranch, the barns stood ahead, their red paint dusted white. Case killed the engine then checked his sidearm as Rawley did the same. Case nodded. “Let’s do this.”
They stomped across the frozen yard, the snow crunching underfoot, and entered the barn. The air was thick with hay and livestock musk. Their flashlights carved lonely beams through the stalls.
“Someone’s got to be here,” Case said.
Rawley shook his head. “You’d think so.”
Case moved toward a door marked “Office.” He knocked, got no answer, then eased it open. Empty. A cluttered desk, a cold cup of coffee.
“Shit,” Case muttered.
Rawley appeared beside him, head shaking. “Maybe they’re out with the horses.”
Case exhaled, gaze drifting to the dark barn doors. “I’m going to check the house. Gibbs is usually holed up there.”
“He acts like he owns the place,” Rawley observed. “Did Tillman’s boots match?”
Case shrugged. “No, but I bet he knows something.”
“You’d probably win that bet.”
They crossed the yard to the ranch house. Case rapped on the door; Rawley stamped his feet, breath fogging the air.
After a long pause, the door swung open. Gibbs stood framed in warm lamplight, pale and eyes wide.
Case stepped forward. “We need to talk.”
Gibbs’s voice wavered. “About what?”
“What the hell do you think?” Case’s tone sharpened. Gibbs swallowed hard. Case took another step closer. “We can do this out here, or inside. Your call.” He held his gaze, cold air pressing in around them.
“Come inside,” Gibbs said as he opened the door wider and waved for them to enter.
Case wiped his feet on the mat, removed his hat and entered the house. Rawley did the same and stood behind him.
“We can go in the living room.” Gibbs led them to the room where he sat in a recliner and Case and Rawley sat on the sofa.
Case stared at him, but Gibbs seemed to have trouble looking at either one of them.
“Your boot prints were at the ranch the horse was stolen from,” Case said, and kept his eyes on him for a reaction. “Well?” Case said, when Gibbs didn’t say anything.
“I don’t know what to tell you.”
“How about the truth?”
“Am I going to be arrested?”
“If you took that horse, yes. Where is it?”
“I want a lawyer.”
Rawley stood. “You’re going to need one.”
Case got up too. “As soon as you get a lawyer, you have him call me, or if you decide you want to talk.” He removed a card from his wallet and tossed it onto the coffee table, then he and Rawley walked out. When they climbed into the truck, Case slammed the door.
“Damn it,” he swore.
“We should’ve known that was coming.” Rawley removed his hat, raked his fingers through his hair, then resettled the hat. “Little rich kid thinks he’ll get away with it.”
“I need to talk to Rachel again. She must know something.”
Rawley’s phone buzzed from his pocket, and he removed it.
“It’s Dave.” He hit answer. “Yeah, Dave?”
Case sat there staring out the windshield. He was pissed. He knew Gibbs stole the horse and he had him, until he lawyered up.
“I have to get back to the office. Dave has a case for me.”
“Alright.” Case put the truck in gear and drove back to the office, swearing under his breath almost the entire way.
A little while later, he drove to Rachel Norton’s apartment. He climbed the stairs, knocked on the door and waited. It opened to the same kid that answered twice before.
“Yeah?”
Case mentally shook his head. “Is Rachel here?”
“No, man. She’s at work.”
“Where does she work?”
“At Beckett Boots factory.”
“What time will she be home?”
“Around five.” The kid yawned, scratched his head, then closed the door.
Case stared at the door. He was tired of having them shut in his face. Turning, he jogged down the stairs, then climbed into his truck. He knew he couldn’t go to Rachel’s place of work, and he got off work at four most days.
Entering the office, he removed his hat and coat, then sat in his chair, staring at the computer.
Gibbs was involved, there was no doubt there but there was another set of prints that he was sure were Tillman’s, but since most cowboy boots had smooth soles, he didn’t know how he’d prove it, unless Gibbs told him Tillman participated.
“What happened with Rachel Norton?” Rawley asked as he sat down.
“She’s at work and won’t get home until five.”
“Damn. What are you going to do?”
“I think I’ll grab dinner at the diner after work. That should give me enough time for her to get home.”
“Good idea. If Gibbs took that horse, she must know.”
“You’d think so,” Case said, as Rawley stood up.
“I’m heading out. I’ll talk to you later.”
“Sure. Be safe out there.”
“You too,” Rawley said as he left the office.
Later, Case sat at the counter at the diner, eating his dinner.
Each time the door opened, a blast of cold air would come in.
Mentally shaking his head, he knew he shouldn’t have sat at the counter, but he wasn’t going to sit in a booth and take up space if someone else needed it.
All the tables were full and most of the booths.
Once he finished, he paid Connie, waved away the change, and stepped outside, then immediately wanted to go back inside. The wind had picked up, blowing snow sideways, and with the sun setting, the temperatures were dropping.
He held his hat on his head, climbed into his truck, then drove to Rachel Norton’s apartment. He parked, ran up the steps, and knocked on the door. It opened to show the same kid. Didn’t he have a job?
“Is Rachel home now?”
“Yeah, let me get her.” He shoved the door closed.
“No, thanks, I didn’t need to come in to get out of the cold,” Case murmured.
The door opened again, and Rachel waved him inside.
“Take a seat, Agent. ”
“Alright. After you.”
Rachel seemed surprised but she sat down, then he did.
“I’m pretty sure you know why I’m here.”
“No, I don’t. I already told you what I know.”
“I don’t think you did. We found evidence that Bobby Gibbs took the horse and the only reason he’d do that is you.”
“Evidence? What evidence?”
“That doesn’t matter. Where’s the horse, Rachel?”
A tear slid down her cheek. “I honestly don’t know.”
“Are you going to sit there and tell me that you didn’t know your boyfriend stole the horse for you?”
“I didn’t know about it.”
“So, he just stole it for no damn reason?” Case scoffed.
“If he stole it, he didn’t tell me.”
“That makes no sense.”
Rachel gasped. “Oh, no.”
“What?”
“My birthday is next Saturday. Do you think…”
“Yes, I do. I’ll have a talk with him.”
“I didn’t know about it, Agent Anderson. I swear.”
“I believe you.” He walked to the door, put his hand on the knob, and looked at her. “I’ll be in touch.” Then he opened it and walked out.
After getting into his truck, he decided to stop by Sydney’s on the way home. He’d tell her he was on to something but that was all for now.
He pulled up to the house, shut the truck off, stepped out, and climbed the steps. Before he could knock, it opened, and Sydney stood there.
“Hi, come inside before you freeze.”
Case entered the house after removing his hat and wiping his feet on the welcome mat.
“Thank you.”
“Would you like a cup of coffee? It’s cold out there,” Sydney asked.
“If it’s not too much trouble.” He spun his hat by the brim in his hands.
“Of course not.” She smiled then walked to the coffee machine on the counter, then looked over her shoulder. “Hang your hat and coat up and have a seat. This will just be a minute.”
“I’ll stand for now, thank you.” He hung his hat and coat on pegs by the door.
“Okay.”
Once the coffee sputtered out, she handed him the cup, and he took a sip.
“That should warm me up.”
“What did you come by for?” Sydney pulled out a chair and sat down, then smiled when Case did the same.
“I know who was involved in stealing your horse, but he lawyered up. So, it might take a while to get it out of him.”
“Did he say anything?”
“No.”
“But who is he?”
“Just a kid. Maybe twenty, if that.”
“What did I do to him?”
“He didn’t do it because of you. He did it for his girlfriend. The horse had belonged to her, and he wanted to get it back for her.”
“But why?”
“I know why, but I’m not saying right now.” Case picked up his cup as Sydney stared at him and he shook his head. “I am not saying.”
“Damn, you’re hardheaded, Agent Anderson. ”
Case grinned. “Maybe, but I’m not saying because I don’t want you going off half-cocked.”
“Trust me, it wouldn’t be half-cocked. I’d go fully prepared.”
“Yeah, that’s why I’m not saying until I have it all figured out.”
“How long will that be?”
“Come on, Sydney. How could I know that? It could be over in a few days or take months. I don’t know.”
“I suppose you don’t.”
“I’m good at a lot of things but telling the future isn’t one of them.
” He pushed his chair back, walked to the sink, rinsed the cup, set it down, then he turned to look at her.
He could never seem to catch his breath anytime he saw her.
The light overhead made her red hair shine, and those green eyes made his heart skip a beat.
He watched her push her chair back, stand, put her cup in the sink, then turned to look at him as she folded her arms across her chest. They didn’t take their eyes off each other. He shook his head slightly when a smile lifted her lips.
“You act like you’re afraid of me, Agent Anderson.”
“Any man who’s not afraid of a woman is a fool.”
Sydney laughed. “Why? We’re harmless.”
Case chuckled. “Bullshit.”