Chapter Twenty-Seven
CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN
As Cade promised, when the sheriff and Deputy Dobbs drove into the ranch Joe was waiting with the ATV. Climbing on board, they headed off and were soon making their way up the trail. But when the sheriff spotted Cade and Karen with their horses and the two dogs at their side, he immediately sensed something was wrong. Cade had a deep frown across his brow and was holding Karen.
“What’s happened?” he asked, hastily climbing off the moment the ATV came to a stop. “Did he get away?”
“Far from it,” Cade replied solemnly. “He’s just up there off to the left. He must have been attacked by a wolf, or maybe even a cougar. Odd thing is we didn’t hear anything.”
“Just hang tight. Come on, Dobbs.”
Gino’s lifeless body was just a short walk away. Gazing down at the man lying hogtied and in a pool of blood, the sheriff knew he had not been savaged by a animal. Though it was a gruesome sight, his experienced eye told him Gino’s neck had been expertly sliced.
“What the hell did that?” the deputy muttered.
“This man was not the victim of an animal attack,” the sheriff grunted. “He was murdered. Start takin’ pictures, but be careful, and try not to disturb the leaves and dirt. I’m callin’ Detective Hawthorne. Wait—what’s that smell?” he added, giving the body a wide berth as he moved carefully around the area.
“It’s like chicken, barbecued chicken,” the deputy replied, sniffing the air. “The kind they sell at the diner.”
“Damn, you’re right…look…”
Cautiously walking forward he stood beside the sheriff, and the two men stared down at the bits of white meat in the dark brown dirt.
“What does this mean, sheriff?”
“It means we have a very clever killer on our hands. He used this to keep the dogs busy so they wouldn’t interfere with his work,” the sheriff replied. “When you’ve finished takin’ the pictures call an ambulance in from Fairview. I need to call Detective Hawthorne in Dallas.”
* * *
As he waited for the sheriff to return Cade’s mind was racing. Though he’d told Karen a wild animal must have attacked Gino Stallone, he didn’t believe it. Not only had he seen the neat slice across Gino’s neck, it appeared to be the only wound. If a predator had attacked there would be more injuries.
“I’ll be scared every time I come up here now,” she stammered, pulling back and looking up at him. “In fact, I don’t think I ever want to.”
“We’ll talk about this back at the house, but I’ve lived here a long time and I’ve never seen an attack like this.”
“Could the animal be rabid?”
“Possibly, but if that was the case it would have been more likely to go after Jack and Diane.”
“The whole thing is weird. Can we please go home?”
“As soon as the sheriff says we can,” then pausing, he added, “Karen I have another theory about this. I just don’t want to talk about it here.”
“Ah, Cade,” the sheriff exclaimed reappearing from the trees, then pausing his step he moved his eyes from Cade’s boots, up his body to his hat.
“No, sheriff, I had nothing to do with this,” Cade said firmly.
“Yeah, sorry, I had to check, but I can’t imagine you doin’ anything like that.”
“Wait, you two think Gino was killed by someone?”
“Seems likely,” the sheriff declared.
“Oh, my God, I don’t know which is worse. A lunatic on the loose or a wild beast.”
“I don’t think either of you have to worry,” the sheriff said firmly. “Gino Stallone was a bad guy with plenty of enemies. I’m guessin’ one of them followed him here and took care of business when he had the chance.”
“But he was still up here when we were,” Karen continued. “Please can we go now? I’m really creeped out.”
“Sure, but first, did Jack and Diane disappear for a bit?”
“They did. We found them diggin’ near Gino. Why do you ask?”
“Whoever did this planted some chicken under the dirt to keep them busy,” the sheriff said with a sigh. “This was carefully planned.”
“But how would the killer know we’d come up here?”
“I think that was coincidental. He knew his victim, and I’m guessin’ he’s been watchin’ him while he was watchin’ you, so he knew about the dogs. He had that chicken ready for whenever he was goin’ to strike.”
“That sounds like the work of a pro,” Cade murmured. “I guess I shouldn’t be surprise, not after everything I’ve heard about Gino Stallone.”
“Yep, it was done by a pro for sure.”
“Uh, Sheriff Cooper, is it safe for us to stay here at the ranch?” Karen asked nervously. “Whoever this is might come back.”
“If they’d wanted to harm you they would have, but if you’d feel safer stayin’ somewhere else for a while I wouldn’t blame you. But now you’ll have to excuse me, and I need to ask you to leave. I have to secure the scene, and the ambulance is on its way. Oh, and Karen, my detective friend from Dallas is comin’ in. I’m sure he’ll want to talk to you.”
“Okay, Sheriff, thanks for gettin’ here so quickly,” Cade said gratefully. “Karen, are you okay to get back on Lily?”
“Yes, in fact I want to. I loved sitting on her coming up here and my legs are a bit shaky at the moment. It’s terrible what’s happened to Gino, but at least I don’t have to worry about him anymore.”
“No, you don’t,” Cade replied as they moved to Lily’s side so he could give her a leg up. “I just wonder who it was and if he’ll be caught.”