Chapter 26
Twenty-Six
Black Rock Falls
Rio, along with Raven and Rowley, had spent long hours the previous day going through each of the notebooks Kane discovered in the safe at Rhett’s ranch house.
Lawson had meticulously written notes on seasonal workers who’d left early without any explanation and not collected their paycheck.
The notebooks included sketches and maps of the ranch layout, each marked with places he’d found things he couldn’t explain.
These included clumps of hair, scraps of clothing, footprints, or disturbed soil.
Any particularly interesting segments Rio added to the whiteboard using a photocopy of the entry or a list. He’d just finished a list of dates when the women had disappeared when Jenna and Kane walked into the conference room.
He put down his pen and turned to greet them. “Morning, how’s the murder case going?”
“We’re still interviewing hands on the ranch.” Jenna dumped her things on the table, and Kane went to the bench and poured two cups of coffee. She looked at the whiteboard. “It seems that you’ve made progress.” She scanned the room and nodded to Rowley. “Where’s Raven?”
“He worked late last night so we could get everything of interest copied and uploaded onto the server.” Rowley leaned back in his chair and met her gaze. “He has someone coming by to see him about a dog this morning, so he’ll be in around eleven.”
“Okay, well that’s in his employment agreement.” Jenna sat down and arranged her things in front of her. She took the cup of coffee from Kane with a smile and then turned her attention back to Rio. “What have you got for me so far?”
Rio turned back to the whiteboard. “The search warrant, for one. The judge issued it without a problem.” He lifted a folder from the desk and handed it to her.
“The notebooks contain some very interesting information, but apart from a list of women who left suddenly, he doesn’t name any of the men he suspected.
It’s as if he wrote the notes as a terrified man attempting to document a crime he didn’t fully understand.
We’ll need to investigate the places on the maps he drew, as they point to unusual happenings around the ranch at the time.
If they produce physical evidence, it might prove why someone wanted to silence him. ”
“I found something interesting.” Rowley went to the whiteboard and pinned up a list. “This is a list of dates when a few of the ranch hands suddenly quit. As seasonal workers continued to go missing after these men left the ranch, I don’t believe they were involved, however they are people we can speak to.
It would be interesting to know why they left. ”
“Yeah, it would. If they can remember after all this time.” Jenna nodded as she stared at the whiteboard.
“Start tracking them down. I figure it would be okay to call them, as it’s been so long.
If we do get anything interesting and they’re not from around here, we could ask their local law enforcement officers to go and take a statement.
If there’s nothing unusual, cross them off the list. Hopefully they’ll all have left for usual reasons.
We really need to cut down the suspects, so move on this.
Bring any who stand out to my attention. ”
Rio listed the maps in chronological order and pointed to the first one.
“Lawson’s observations written on this one are particularly intriguing.
Lawson had scrawled a hurried note in the margin of a map marked clearly with an X.
It reads: I saw a man carrying something wrapped in a tarp.
I was some distance away but I believe I saw blonde hair hanging from one end.
That following week, Taylor Smith didn’t show for her paycheck.
No one had seen her leave.” He moved to another map.
“By using this aerial map, I worked out Lawson was referring to the machinery shed.” He pointed to the old well.
“That’s still there and the notation is: The dogs won’t go near the old well.
” He moved on to the next one. “This one is marked as a cattle grave, but it’s not distinguishable on the aerial shots.
The notation on this one says: No cattle buried here for a month.
I found tire tracks, footprints, and drag marks.
The soil had been disturbed. I spoke to Bowman and he figured one of the ranch dogs was buried there.
He seemed rattled, like I’d hit a nerve.
I shrugged it off but I’m watching him closely. ”
“Does the next one show where he found the items inside the small tin box?” Kane leaned back in his chair and sipped his coffee. “I can see Xs all over it.”
Rio nodded. “Yeah, he made a list, with the dates he found them. The other map marks places, including the old well, the burn pit, which is likely different nowadays. A disused root cellar in one of the old cabins is marked as a no-go area because it was dangerous. The entry in his notebook we cross-referenced with the old root cellar. He mentioned he’d been drawn there because he believed he’d heard someone crying.
He’d ridden back to the ranch house to get his flashlight, and Wade—who I assume was his leading hand at the time, Wade Cutter—had gone back.
They found the cabin door locked. Lawson forced it but the access to the root cellar had rotted away.
He found the earring in the grass outside but doesn’t mention telling anyone.
From the following entries, it’s obvious he didn’t trust anyone. ”
“Hmm.” Kane twirled a pen in his fingers.
“This must be the same Wade who found Rhett’s parents’ bodies in the fire and freaked out.
The story goes that he became so traumatized he took his own life.
” He blew out a long breath. “So either someone murdered him because he knew too much, like Lawson, or he really did have PTSD and suicide would be very possible. Reliving trauma repeatedly becomes too much for some people. I would like to interview his wife. Apparently, she still lives on the ranch and her son is a wrangler.”
“For what reason?” Jenna frowned. “I can’t see the point.”
“Mainly because men confide in their wives.” Kane shrugged. “As the leading hand, he’d have valuable information. We don’t know if Lawson confided in him about his concerns, do we? Maybe he did and Cutter told his wife.”
“I’m sure you can handle Ms. Cutter.” Jenna scanned the whiteboard with interest. “And the other map, what’s that about?”
“Oh, that one is interesting.” Rowley smiled.
“I figure everything started to fall into place. He was worried after finding scorched women’s clothes in the burn barrel.
Here.” He pointed to an X on the map. “These other Xs are a number of cattle graves. He mentions these in the diary: I don’t know what goes on here overnight.
I’ve often heard vehicles, seen lights. I’ve investigated, and seen things that don’t seem right.
Women are going missing and I believe they’re killing them and burying them in the cattle graves.
It could be a group of men who murder the women or one man, but could one man do all that alone?
There’s no one I can trust—not the sheriff, he’s likely in on it.
The man is always here drinking with the hands.
Last night I found a driver’s license and today Paloma Cortes is nowhere to be seen.
No one is talking, but I’ve kicked a hornet’s nest. I’ll get Rhett away and safe.
I need to see a lawyer and then I’ll call the FBI.
I don’t know what else to do.” He looked at Jenna.
“He has Cutter as his leading hand at this time and he can’t confide in him. Who else could he have spoken to?”
“Maybe Bowman?” Jenna twirled her empty coffee cup with her fingertips.
“We interviewed him and he didn’t send up any red flags.
” She leaned back in her chair and stared at the ceiling.
“If he’s a serial killer, he would be well practiced by now at deceiving people.
I don’t know for sure, but I figure we need to visit him again.
There are other men who have been there for over twenty years.
Rhett has made all the current files available and Kalo is going to make a list for you.
He believes the current digital files will give a date when the men first started work on the ranch.
These will be your main targets, both men and women.
I want to know if they’re reluctant to talk about the past or seem afraid of telling you anything. ”
Rio looked from her to Kane and back. “Do you figure the past and current murders are connected?”
“I hope not.” Jenna blew out a sigh and stood slowly.
“But I’m not discounting it. Beth made a good point yesterday.
She said that serial killers keep on murdering people until someone stops them.
If there’s one on the ranch and he’s been there for over twenty years, I figure he’ll be in his late forties at least by now. Age doesn’t stop them, but we will.”
“We’re heading over to see Wolfe and Norrell.” Kane stood, collected the cups, and took them to the sink. “Hopefully we’ll get an update on what’s happening in the pigpens.”
Nodding, Rio smiled at them. “We’ll finish up here and then head out to the ranch to interview Ms. Cutter.”