Silver Wilderness Range Page 13

  “Anything he’s saying isn’t true, Amber. He’s bluffing. I didn’t say anything about you or anyone else. In confidence, I was there this morning. He had been caught speeding. I went there to talk with him about that. I didn’t mention anything other than asking him if he had a drug addiction. He claimed everyone took a drug test, and he always passed. And once before I had questioned the way drugs were dispensed because of Daisy Barnaby. But you were never mentioned. I promise you that. Trust me, Amber, no one mentioned you. Or will mention you. Act naturally, and don’t worry.”

  The sounds of sniffles began to slow. “I just don’t want to lose my job. I love those people, and they depend on me. I always try to calm them.”

  “I promise it will be okay.”

  “He’s always acting out. Saying women are ingrates. Saying women snitch. It’s almost as though if I don’t do as he tells me, he’ll put me on days. I feel trapped.”

  “Amber, I know it’s difficult for you. In the past have you ever reported him to management?”

  “Yes. I told Rhonda. I think she tried to explain to him that he can’t treat women like this. But it didn’t do any good. So, I went to Eileen.”

  “Was she helpful?”

  “She said when she was younger, just getting started, she always flirted just enough.”

  “Just enough?” Royce felt enraged. “What did she mean by that?”

  “She was acting as though she was taking me aside to let me know about how the game is played. She told me that sex is often the admission ticket to keep a job or get a promotion. That’s so convoluted. I mentioned that wasn’t how things are in this generation.”

  “And her reply was?”

  Amber’s voice was weak, wispy as she said, “The men in her generation were still running the world. And we had to make allowances for that.”

  “I’m sorry, Amber. We are working on solving several things, and I can’t right that wrong at this moment. There will be an empowerment revolution. And when we’ve resolved this case, I can assure you, things will change. That is something that we can and will remedy for you. I hope you’ll trust me.”

  “I do, Sheriff. And you can trust me.”

  “Amber, have there ever been any patients – patients without families that have run out of funds, and they died sooner than you would have thought?”

  There was silence. Suddenly with a gush of words, she reported, “Several. But with elderly, it’s difficult to say anything. We’ve always relied on what the doctor has said. But there have been times when I’ve wondered. Some patients have spiraled down quickly.”

  “We’ll talk about it later. For now, just keep your eyes and ears open. And let me know if Alec bothers you.”

  When Royce hung up, she realized that the four major players were Dr. Verner, Eileen and Larry Austin, and Alec Zellner. And they were getting antsy. Nervous. They were now probably rushing to use the drug dosages correctly and to keep the books straightened.

  The executive branch of Silver Wilderness Center noticed that a small-town sheriff was suspicious. And they believed that sheriff to be inept. They counted on that sheriff to miscalculate.

  They had no idea that one of nation’s toughest prosecutors was lining them up in her site. And the crosshairs were a precarious placed. When Lyn Evans took prosecutorial aim, she never miscalculated.

  When Royce Madison took aim, if she miscalculated, her second shot was deadly.

  Royce suddenly chuckled. Alec the womanizer, the chaser, the harasser, didn’t give women any kind of nocturnal shivers of delight. He turned them off. His attempt to bed them by threatening them into submission was a crime. An often it was an unreported crime. What a bozo.

  The story of womankind needed a revision. Alec’s behavior – twisted motives of sexual harassment, might be the only crime that would take him down, but assuredly Royce planned to make it happen. Cronyism, sexism, and harassing anyone were outdated in Timber County, Colorado.

  “Come on, Chance, let’s get back to the cabin for some shuteye.” Royce lightly slapped her leg, a sign for Chance to follow her. “I’ll bet you’re getting hungry.”

  Chapter 14

  That morning after the deputy’s meeting was disbursed, Royce decided to drive up the Granite Bluff back road, which was on the other side of the Silver Wilderness Range property. She first stopped off to check the Stony Basin Creek bed.

  She walked along the edge of the creek. Certainly, if Seth were trying to keep from being tracked, he could easily cross over on the large stones where it could be achieved. And where the bed dried was, he could leap across the trickling stream.

  Royce wanted to explore every possibility. At times, life presented its own ideas. Something inside would direct Royce to certain areas, or suspects. She and Chance got back into the vehicle. As she drove, she wondered why nothing was making a completed path of events. Were the suspects of Silver Wilderness Center all involved?

  Finding that the rangeland belonged to Daisy was an additional reason any of the Center’s executives would want her silenced. Rick Durant had only signed one deed. Secondly, Lyn had called that morning to tell Royce that they had a big break. Although the Center had immediately tried to sell the home, they had not sold the property. And it was no longer available for sale. Had they been worried the signature would be challenged?

  As for any attempt to sell the rangeland, the land had never been for sale. According to D.A. Mark Parker, one of the people interested in purchasing the home asked about the adjoining property. Larry Austin had relayed the plans of the Center. They would not be liquidating that property. The client had recalled it because of Austin’s enthusiasm. It would be used as a retirement development for people over fifty. Patio homes, a small nine-hole golf course, pool, club house, and all the amenities tucked perfectly into that area.

  Lyn stated that had violated the agreement about the land not going up for sale. It was a legal ‘gotcha’, she had said. According to the habendum clause, the part of the deed that describes ownership rights being transferred was corrupted. It was a violation of the contract.

  Royce’s concerns about the case were eased. Lyn warned that they weren’t ready to charge in yet. It was important to line the ducks up with military perfection. The roundup need some fine-tuning.

  ***

  With thoughts churning, Royce drove slowly. Suddenly, her radio blared and emergency alarm. A body had been found. The dispatcher gave the directions. Luckily Royce was on the way to location. The body was found beneath the sheer ledge of the Wilderness area. Nick got on his radio. “We’re on it.”

  “I’m nearby, I was on my way out to the area,” Royce said as she sped up. “Seth Egan?” the sheriff questioned.

  The dispatcher corrected, “It wasn’t Seth. A woman found the body. She just called in. She identified him as the administrator of the Center.”

  “What?” both Royce and Nick incredulously exclaimed.

  “This woman said that she was hiking and found the body of Alec Zellner.”

  Royce hit her siren and lit up her light bar. As she turned onto the dirt road, she drove quickly until the road evaporated into grasslands. She carefully crossed the bumpy field. She saw Doctor Melvin Verner and a young woman standing over the body.

  As Royce exited her vehicle, she saw Verner kneel down over Zellner’s crumpled and bloody body. Verner looked up at her. “This woman found him, Sally…”

  “Price,” the woman added. “I was beginning my morning run. I thought someone had lost their backpack. So, I ran over to get a closer look. I saw the bike was all wrecked. As I approached, I saw his body. I didn’t touch anything. I called the Center. I knew they had a medical staff. And I recognized him. I knew he worked there. I’d seen him when I’d visited my friend’s grandmother.”

  “We’re going to want to talk with you. To get your statement. Can I ask you both to stand back?” Royce instructed. A squad car was arriving. The sheriff motioned to put the crime tape up. Dr. V
erner still hadn’t moved. “Verner, we need to you move.”

  “Damn it, I’m a doctor,” he yelled.

  “You aren’t the Medical Examiner. So, get behind the tape.”

  “Sheriff, he’s my colleague.”

  Royce pointed behind him. “We’ve got vehicles coming, and I don’t want anyone getting in their way. And we’ll want to take your statement.”

  He glared at her, then walked slowly back to where the deputy was winding the yellow tape.

  Continuing to study the body, and the blood impact splatter, Royce cautiously took a visual study. Looping around, she saw a pattern that bothered her.

  When the coroner arrived, he began shooting photos. Royce approached him. “Dr. Verner was near him, so the scene has been compromised.”

  “Looks pretty self-evident,” M.E. Ben Prichard stated in his calm deep voice. “The guy went off of the path. Bike slid, and he fell down the cliff.”

  “I don’t think that was all there was to it,” Royce commented. “His face looks as if it has been struck several times by a bat.” She leaned over the shoulder of the medical examiner. “See, the blood spray going in different directions from the wounds.”

  “Could be, Sheriff.” Carefully staring, Ben agreed. “Yes. I see. It looks suspicious. Could have been the fall as the body bounced against the sheer. But your theory also looks plausible.”

  “Until we prove otherwise, we need to keep the site as fresh as possible.”

  Nick arrived, and came immediately to Royce’s side. “I’ll have a deputy get the reports started. Zellner was a speed freak.”

  “Nick, it’s a homicide.”

  “Someone threw him off?” Nick was perplexed.

  “I think so. I’m going to take that little path up to the trail.”

  “Be careful, Sheriff.”

  Royce hiked up the path, and when she reached the top, she went directly to the place where Alec’s bike went off the trail. As she spotted the tire marks, she saw a skid area deepening the mark. At the side along the narrow trail, she saw a sturdy bush with a stump protruding. She knelt to look at it. There had been a rope around it. It left a mark – a rope burn. She looked carefully across the trail. She could see indentations where a rope drug across the path. The sheriff followed the markings to behind thick brush.

  Someone had rigged a rope from the tree stump across the trail. A murderer had lain in wait for Alec to bike past by the trap. The rope was pulled as the bike began to go over it. The bike skidded slightly, then toppled down the rock sheer.

  Royce radioed to Nick. “It’s a homicide. Have the investigative team come up here and get it taped and photographed. I’m on my way down.”

  When Royce got back to the body, she examined it again. She explained her theory to Nick. “Someone battered him with a bat, a club – maybe a tree limb after he fell. Whatever it was, it’s gone now. And there was definitely a rope around the base of that bush. A rope burn was left. There had been pressure against the bark. Both an instrument that struck Alec, and the rope are missing.”

  Royce motioned to where Chance was sitting directly beside vehicle. “Here, Chance. Track.” Chance approached the body. She sniffed, and her head turned. “Trace, Chance!”

  Chance glanced around again, then took off out into the field. Royce jogged after the German shepherd. When Chance stopped, Royce rushed to where her K-9 Deputy was pointing. She had carefully moved in a circular route, avoiding the exact trail that the dog had run. The direct route might have destroyed any shoe or boot prints the murderer left.

  At the point where Chance was standing, beneath her was a recently dug mound. She alerted. Royce called for the investigation team to get photos prior to their uncovering the area. As well as shoe print impressions. Royce already was certain that beneath the dirt, they would find a rope and a club. As the digging began, a scent of medicine, perhaps Clorox, and other chemicals, lifted. Royce hoped there would be trace DNA on the items. But she worried if it had been entirely denigrated by the chemicals.

  Within fifteen minutes of careful digging, a twenty-foot rope, along with what appeared to be an approximately fifteen-inch broken limb, and a cleaner’s bottle of Clorox, were found.

  Nick stood next to Royce as the murder weapons were retrieved. They were bagged for evidence. Nick turned away. “Royce, the guy was probably dead when he landed. Doc Prichard said he had a broken neck. The limb or club beating was over-kill. Or someone wanting to make sure there was no way Zeller did survive the fall. Either way, they guy is dead.”

  Royce speculated, “Maybe the body twitched, and that made the murderer nervous. Alec was hammered hard. Could have been a revenge homicide. So, it could be wanting to make certain the job was done, or the brutalization was pay back.”

  As the team placed the bagged body into the M.E.’s van, Royce and Nick walked back to the crowd. Nick reported as they disburse. “We’ve got all the information and the first two witnesses on the scene.”

  “Who have you got on the roster that wouldn’t mind guarding this area until we see if there’s anything else that needs to be processed?” Royce asked her undersheriff.

  Nick hadn’t wanted to laugh while there were a few looky-loos on site. He turned to a different direction, and sputtered, “You’re asking for the laziest deputy.”

  “Yep. You make the call.”

  Nick radioed for one of the deputies to stand guard, then he followed Royce and Chance to her vehicle. Royce poured water for Chance, then leaned back against the fender. She said, “Alec Zellner wasn’t the most likeable guy in the world, but I wouldn’t say he was a candidate for murder.”

  After a murder, Royce realized that many enforcers felt that it cast a haze over the soul. She knew Nick’s sensitivity called for his jocularity to kick in. Homicide was an out-of-control conveyer belt speeding through a thin line between revulsion, and sympathy.

  True to fashion, Nick joked, “We had four fraud suspects. Looks like this one will definitely be arrested without incident.”

  Royce reached to take his arm. “This is never easy to see. Even if it’s the body of a fairly bad guy.”

  Nick commented, “I’d have put the Austins up there first. We don’t know how involved Verner was. But why would they take out Zellner?”

  “Apparently Eileen ordered the Center to do a major investigation concerning missing drugs. If she didn’t find something, the regulators certainly would. Not wanting that to draw attention to their land grab scheme, any one of the three remaining executives might have wanted him murdered. They might have feared he would talk. Make a deal.”

  Nick folded his arms. “Hell, he had a very reckless personality.” Nick frowned. “Maybe it was one of his many girlfriends. A jealousy thing.”

  “That would make one of our informants a suspect. Amber Kerr, the nurse, accused him of harassing her.”

  “Or her parents could have taken Zellner out. God help anyone who ever tries to mess with my kids.”

  Royce considered, she knew that feeling. She was now invested in loving two children. And being protective of Antero and Vannie. “I’m going to see if I can talk with someone at the Center.”

  “I’ll meet you back at the office. I’m going to drive home for lunch. When I see a homicide, I just want to hug my wife and kids.”

  Opening the car door, Royce pointed inside, and Chance jumped into the passenger seat. “Great job, Chance.” Royce crawled in, and then reached over and gave Chance a hug.

  As Nick drove by her, he lowered his window. “Which suspect do you want me to interrogate?”

  “I’ll go to the Center. Tackle Eileen Austin. She isn’t high on my list. She couldn’t get up the trail in her heels. And then I’ll talk with Dr. Verner. I don’t see him chasing through the trails either.”

  “So, you’re giving me the one most likely. Larry Austin.”

  “He’s more the woodsy type than the others. Plus, he’s got animosity against women. But I think they probably collud
ed.”

  Nick chuckled. “I won’t mention to Larry that I’m a woman’s rights advocate.”

  Royce grinned. “Good plan.”

  “At least we got one suspect off the list. He toppled over the ledge.”

  “Valiant Dude!” Royce shared, “I told him to slow down when I saw he was biking recklessly.”

  “Sheriff, he just didn’t have his listening ears on,” Nick chided.

  As Royce drove away, along the dirt road, she felt a sickness. She didn’t want to spend an afternoon talking with the mourning Eileen Austin or Melvin Verner. She forecasted Eileen would be displaying her acting skills. Melvin would be going for a stoical sorrow.

  And the suspect list was dwindling. Now it was the Holy Trinity of the Silver Wilderness Center’s higher echelon. And a nurse named Amber.

  ***

  Dr. Melvin Verner was in surgery. Emergency surgery, Royce was told. And he wasn’t expected to return to his office for several hours. The Austins were at a friend’s home, and couldn’t be located. They were in mourning.

  The sheriff decided that she would call Amber, but that was also to no avail. No answer. Royce telephoned the nurse’s home, and her mother said that Amber had a day off. She was shopping at the Crystal Mall. Then, her mother reported, she was going to take in a movie. When Royce said that she’d attempted to call her, her mother said that she would have turned her phone off while in the theater.

  Returning to her office, Royce admitted that she didn’t want to talk with any of the suspects, so it was fine with her. When Nick called to say he’d struck out, she echoed his words about the Austins being at a friend’s home. Nick then pried, “Do you know anything about Terry and Sam?”

  “They’re on duty. I’ve only got down that they checked out to see if they could come up with anything more on the pods, or on Seth’s victims list.”