Chapter Thirteen
Wade spent most of the day working on action items for Sheriff Nava.
He tried to put Mary out of his mind. Memories from last night’s encounter reemerged at frequent intervals, taunting and tantalizing.
He regretted the moment of weakness, but he couldn’t dwell on it.
The list of responsibilities kept growing as new crimes were reported and disaster efforts stabilized.
Wade listened to the radio with one ear as he barreled through a stack of paperwork.
Although he didn’t have a lot of spare time to devote to his John Doe, he sent an email to the coroner’s office to inquire about the forensic sketch he’d requested.
Then he went to Rocksprings to follow up on an auto theft.
He was on his way back to the station when a call came in from Jackson Nava.
“What’s up?” Wade asked.
“You got a minute?”
“Sure.”
“I’m at Delia’s.”
Delia’s Diner was a fixture in Lost Lake and a frequent hangout for cops due to its prime location in the center of downtown.
It was less than a block from the Crazy Horse Saloon.
Jackson was outside, leaning against his squad car with a pensive expression.
Wade pulled into the parking space next to him and got out.
“Is my mother on another crime spree?” Wade asked, only half joking.
Jackson didn’t smile. “I wanted to tell you about the interview with Elvira Franklin.”
“Okay.”
“Have you seen her before?”
Wade searched his memory. He’d gone into the bar looking for his mother once. “Black hair, red lipstick, very … curvy?”
“That’s her,” Jackson said. “I stopped by the bar to do the interview because of the sensitive nature of the questions. I figured she wouldn’t admit to an affair at home, in front of her husband.”
“Makes sense.”
“She corroborated Paul Murphy’s story. She was having car trouble, and he gave her a jump.”
“That’s all he gave her?”
Jackson lowered his voice. “Apparently she invited him over for a drink that afternoon, at her husband’s request.”
Wade gave him a puzzled look.
“According to Elvira, Charlie encourages her to sleep with other men. He gets off on it. The whole thing is, like, a kinky game. She seduces someone at a set time, and he barges in on them.”
Wade arched a brow. “That puts a different spin on it.”
“Right.”
“Did Murphy come over?”
“He did not.”
“So why did Charlie suspect him of theft?”
“I asked her that,” Jackson said.
“And?”
He moistened his lips, hesitating. “She said maybe Charlie wanted to check me out, because they’ve been looking for a third, and Murphy wasn’t cooperating.”
Wade couldn’t help but laugh at Jackson’s uncomfortable grimace. Clearly, he wasn’t interested in getting frisky with the Franklins, and he didn’t find the situation humorous. “Do you think she was serious?”
“I don’t know. I got flustered and ended the interview.”
Wade patted Jackson on the shoulder. “It happens.”
“Oh, really? Have you been invited to bang a chick in front of her husband?”
“Well, no. But I’ve fielded some pretty weird come-ons.”
“How do you handle it?”
“You decline the offer, try not to let it rattle you, and move on.”
Jackson adjusted his Stetson. “I’m supposed to follow up with Charlie.”
“Do you want company?”
“Sure,” Jackson said. “Let’s do it.”
They drove the short distance to the Franklin residence in Lakeside. Wade noted that the place appeared tidy and well-maintained. Any tornado debris had been cleared, and the yard was freshly mowed.
Charlie Franklin answered at Jackson’s knock. He was a grizzled-looking man of about fifty. Elvira couldn’t be more than thirty, so there was a significant age difference between them. Charlie crossed his arms over his chest. “You find my pistol?”
“No, sir,” Jackson replied. “Your neighbor says he doesn’t have it.”
Charlie grunted with displeasure. “Maybe I need to go over and get it myself.”
“He claims he’s never been inside your residence.”
“He’s a damned liar.”
“Your wife corroborated his statements.”
Charlie went as still as a statue. “You talked to Elvie?”
“She said she invited him over for a drink, and he declined.”
“That doesn’t mean he didn’t steal my .38!” Charlie blustered. “Search his cabin!”
Jackson kept his voice cool and calm. “We don’t have cause to search him. If he was here with your wife, he was a guest, not an intruder.”
“Cocky son of a bitch thinks he can break in and help himself.”
“Was there any sign of a break-in?”
“No.”
“Elvira told me you’re the one who likes to break in. You like to catch her in the act. Is that right?”
Charlie’s face flushed a deep red. “That’s none of your business.”
“You made it my business when you reported a crime.”
“Making false statements to law officers is a misdemeanor,” Wade added. “People go to jail for it.”
“I didn’t make false statements,” Charlie said through clenched teeth. “There was a man in my house, damn it. My gun’s missing, and Elvira…”
“Elvira what?”
He cursed under his breath. “She’s seeing someone else.”
“Pardon?” Jackson asked.
“Elvira is seeing someone else, outside of our arrangement.”
Jackson’s brows rose. “How do you know?”
“I can smell him. Smells like gun oil and fabric starch.” Charlie glared at both of them. “I think he’s a cop.”
Jackson seemed at a loss for words, so Wade took over. “You think your wife is having an affair with a cop?”
“She’s screwing somebody,” Charlie said. “Maybe it’s that big bruiser from the cabins. Maybe it’s one of you two.”
Wade exchanged a glance with Jackson, who shook his head. “Mr. Franklin, we can’t investigate theft without direct evidence. You can file a report for your missing property online or come down to the station in person.”
“Never mind,” Charlie growled. “Just get out of my sight.”
They both retreated with caution, happy to oblige. Jackson suggested that they rendezvous at Delia’s Diner again. Wade followed him back to the parking lot. He had to admit that he found the Franklin case entertaining, and a welcome diversion from his paperwork. It was like a hillbilly soap opera.
Jackson exited his vehicle and approached Wade. He didn’t return Wade’s smile. “Elvira mentioned my dad during the interview.”
“In what context?”
“She said she’d like to find out how we measure up.”
Wade nodded his understanding. “I assume she was making a sexual reference.”
“Yes.”
“Do you think he slept with her?”
“I wouldn’t be surprised.”
Wade glanced away, contemplative. No wonder Jackson Nava wasn’t amused by the Franklins’ sordid escapades. He was concerned about his father’s involvement in this business. It sounded as if the sheriff had been caught with his hand in the cookie jar before. “What about Murphy?”
“What about him?”
“You think he smells like gun oil and fabric starch?”
Jackson considered the possibility. “I don’t see him wearing a starched shirt with his shoulder injury. My dad, on the other hand, starches his uniform religiously.”
“Would he remove the gun from the premises?”
“That would be illegal.”
“Illegal, but a smart preventative measure for a man engaging in an affair with a married woman.”
Jackson digested that idea, his mouth thin. “He might have done it.”
“If he did, the gun is off the streets, and not in the hands of a jealous husband.”
“So, I should just look the other way?”
“Sometimes it’s the best option.”
“I don’t understand Charlie,” Jackson said. “Why would he encourage his wife to sleep around, and then fly into a rage when she does it?”
“He wants her to do it in front of him, not behind his back.”
Jackson’s lip curled with distaste.
“The longer you’re a cop, the more you learn about the human condition,” Wade said. “You’ll be a jaded old man before you hit thirty.”
Jackson fell silent, his expression grave.
Wade didn’t tell him not to worry about his father’s involvement in a sticky situation.
Wade knew how difficult it could be to work through family issues as a law officer with a moral code.
He’d done things he wasn’t proud of in the line of duty.
The field was a landmine of dark deeds, regardless of who you took orders from.
Cops saw the worst of humanity on a daily basis.
“I appreciate you calling about my mother last night,” Wade said.
Jackson brightened. “Of course.”
“She got home safe.”
“Who’s her friend?”
Wade bristled at the question, though he should have expected it. Mary was the kind of woman who attracted male attention. She’d been a siren in that curve-hugging red dress. “She works for us on the ranch.”
“Oh yeah?”
“Yeah.”
“She doesn’t look like a ranch hand.”
Wade said nothing. Her beauty wasn’t up for debate. It wasn’t even up for discussion, as far as he was concerned. “You haven’t seen her around?”
“No. I’d remember her.”
“Do me a favor.”
“Sure.”
“Keep an eye out for her and call me if there’s trouble.”
Jackson nodded eagerly, and they shook hands to seal the deal. “Thanks again for your help with Charlie.”
Wade wondered if Jackson would talk to his father about Elvira.
He decided it was none of his business. Wade hadn’t even begun to sort through his feelings about his own father.
He was still processing the fallout from his brother’s death, and the shameful cover-up.
Family issues could wear a man down to the bone.
Darkness fell as he returned to the station.
He worked in his office for another hour before calling it quits.
Wade drove toward Nolan Ranch with the music cranked up and the windows rolled down, enjoying the evening air.
He was looking forward to a quiet night.
Mary’s barn remodel made it possible for him to retreat to a private, comfortable space.
He planned to put it to good use. Mary wouldn’t be falling on his lap or working him into a lather again.
He didn’t have to answer her impertinent questions or fend off her ill-mannered dogs.
He could avoid her luscious body and irrepressible laughter. He could be at peace.
As he pulled into the driveway, those plans went up in smoke. The Subaru was parked haphazardly with the hatchback open. Mary staggered toward it, carrying a blanket-wrapped bundle about the size of his mother.