of his van. The twenty-by-twenty-inch grid pieces can be clicked together and used to create temporary parking. In this case Dave laid them out across the debris field where they formed a two-inch-thick firm pathway that investigators could use to come and go from the body without further disturbing the field of churned sand that surrounded the victim.
“Is that all then?” Robbins asked, glancing first at the two detectives and then at Joanna. “No more questions?”
“Not right now,” Deb said.
“If you don’t mind, then,” Maury said, “I’ll pack up and head out. I was looking forward to having some quiet time to myself to relax. I wasn’t planning on finding a homicide victim. Detective Howell has all my numbers. I’m not due back at work until Wednesday afternoon, though,” he added. “I work four P.M. to midnight. If you need anything at all, feel free to give me a call.”
His last comment seemed to be aimed directly at Detective Howell rather than anyone else. The way he said it made Joanna think he wasn’t just wanting to talk about the case.
“Good,” Deb told him. “We’ll be in touch.”
“I saw the way he was looking at you,” Ernie said to Deb as Robbins sped away on his ATV. “I think you made yourself a conquest.” Joanna suppressed a smile when she realized Ernie had shared that same impression.
“Leave me alone,” Debra said impatiently. “All I did was interview the man. I was just doing my job.”
“Sure you were,” Ernie said, “but he sounded like he was more interested in you than he was in answering your questions.”
There was a squawk from the radio in Ernie’s Yukon. He was still talking on the radio when Joanna heard the sound of another approaching vehicle. Ernie reemerged, waving in the direction of the new arrival. “Victim’s sister is on her way,” he called to Joanna. “Natalie tried to give us a heads-up, but it took this long to relay the message.”
When Animal Control had been folded into Joanna’s department on a “temporary” basis, she had soon discovered that the two radio systems involved were incompatible. Requests to replace Animal Control’s system with new and compatible equipment had been disallowed on the grounds that the situation was “temporary.” Permanently temporary. Relaying messages back and forth was cumbersome, time-consuming, and, in this case, pointless. By the time Joanna knew someone was coming, she was pretty much there.
The three officers watched as an antique jeep careened over the top of the dune behind them. Ernie moved forward to flag down the vehicle. For a time it appeared that the jeep was going to plow right into him. The female driver stopped only a couple of feet from where Ernie was standing. The woman, tanned and weather-beaten, wore a man’s Western shirt and a faded baseball cap. A foot-long gray ponytail stuck out through the hole in the back of the cap. Looking at her, Joanna estimated the woman to be in her late sixties or early seventies. There was no need to guess about her state of mind. She was mad as hell.
“Where’s my brother?” she demanded. “What’s happened andwhat have you done with him? That’s Lester’s ATV over there. It looks like it’s been wrecked.” She pointed at the fallen ATV. “Is he all right? And who the hell are all of you?”
Since Ernie was right in front of the bumper, he was closer to the newly arrived vehicle than anyone else. Producing his badge and ID wallet, he held them up. “I’m Detective Ernie Carpenter with the Cochise County Sheriff’s Department. That’s Sheriff Brady and Detective Howell,” he added, pointing in their direction. “I’m afraid there’s been an accident.”
“I can see that!” the woman snapped. “What do you think I am, blind or something? Now get the hell out of my way.”
The engine was still idling. She gunned it determinedly, as though she fully intended to hit the gas and barge right past him. Or over
“Is that all then?” Robbins asked, glancing first at the two detectives and then at Joanna. “No more questions?”
“Not right now,” Deb said.
“If you don’t mind, then,” Maury said, “I’ll pack up and head out. I was looking forward to having some quiet time to myself to relax. I wasn’t planning on finding a homicide victim. Detective Howell has all my numbers. I’m not due back at work until Wednesday afternoon, though,” he added. “I work four P.M. to midnight. If you need anything at all, feel free to give me a call.”
His last comment seemed to be aimed directly at Detective Howell rather than anyone else. The way he said it made Joanna think he wasn’t just wanting to talk about the case.
“Good,” Deb told him. “We’ll be in touch.”
“I saw the way he was looking at you,” Ernie said to Deb as Robbins sped away on his ATV. “I think you made yourself a conquest.” Joanna suppressed a smile when she realized Ernie had shared that same impression.
“Leave me alone,” Debra said impatiently. “All I did was interview the man. I was just doing my job.”
“Sure you were,” Ernie said, “but he sounded like he was more interested in you than he was in answering your questions.”
There was a squawk from the radio in Ernie’s Yukon. He was still talking on the radio when Joanna heard the sound of another approaching vehicle. Ernie reemerged, waving in the direction of the new arrival. “Victim’s sister is on her way,” he called to Joanna. “Natalie tried to give us a heads-up, but it took this long to relay the message.”
When Animal Control had been folded into Joanna’s department on a “temporary” basis, she had soon discovered that the two radio systems involved were incompatible. Requests to replace Animal Control’s system with new and compatible equipment had been disallowed on the grounds that the situation was “temporary.” Permanently temporary. Relaying messages back and forth was cumbersome, time-consuming, and, in this case, pointless. By the time Joanna knew someone was coming, she was pretty much there.
The three officers watched as an antique jeep careened over the top of the dune behind them. Ernie moved forward to flag down the vehicle. For a time it appeared that the jeep was going to plow right into him. The female driver stopped only a couple of feet from where Ernie was standing. The woman, tanned and weather-beaten, wore a man’s Western shirt and a faded baseball cap. A foot-long gray ponytail stuck out through the hole in the back of the cap. Looking at her, Joanna estimated the woman to be in her late sixties or early seventies. There was no need to guess about her state of mind. She was mad as hell.
“Where’s my brother?” she demanded. “What’s happened andwhat have you done with him? That’s Lester’s ATV over there. It looks like it’s been wrecked.” She pointed at the fallen ATV. “Is he all right? And who the hell are all of you?”
Since Ernie was right in front of the bumper, he was closer to the newly arrived vehicle than anyone else. Producing his badge and ID wallet, he held them up. “I’m Detective Ernie Carpenter with the Cochise County Sheriff’s Department. That’s Sheriff Brady and Detective Howell,” he added, pointing in their direction. “I’m afraid there’s been an accident.”
“I can see that!” the woman snapped. “What do you think I am, blind or something? Now get the hell out of my way.”
The engine was still idling. She gunned it determinedly, as though she fully intended to hit the gas and barge right past him. Or over
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