Total pages in book: 109
Estimated words: 101501 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 508(@200wpm)___ 406(@250wpm)___ 338(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 101501 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 508(@200wpm)___ 406(@250wpm)___ 338(@300wpm)
_______________
Ty was waiting for Logan when he pulled in front of the courthouse with two coffees. Logan had planned on calling him when he got to Duke’s office, so he’d saved Logan the trouble of hunting him down. He needed to pick Ty’s brain about his suspicions before he reported to the mayor. Logan knew the town didn’t like Chance Bear, but not liking him and having him arrested for murder were two different things. If Duke’s warning about Bear lining the pockets of area law enforcement and judges were true, then it was likely that no matter how much evidence he gathered, Chance wouldn’t see jail time for his crimes. Short of being caught in the act of murder, he was certain Chance would be acquitted of all charges. And that stuck in his craw.
“Peace offering,” Ty stated when Logan folded out of his truck. “I’ll let her blubber without interference in the future.”
Logan reached out for what looked like truck stop coffee and took a sip. It tasted like swill. “You’re making peace by poisoning me with shit coffee?”
“Never said it was good coffee.”
“I’m not sure it’s coffee. It’s closer to motor oil.”
Ty grinned. “Never said it was good motor oil.”
Logan eyed the nearest trash can and dropped the Styrofoam cup in the receptacle. “We need to talk,” Logan said, heading for the courthouse door.
Ty dropped his coffee in the trash and followed Logan up the flight of stairs until they reached Duke’s office. It was just past eight, but he noted the mayor kept banker’s hours, so he had time to lay out what he and Josh came up with the night before.
When he sat in his chair, the bottle of whiskey Duke had left in the open was still sitting on the desk. Logan picked it up and studied the label, sniffing the open top. “Johnnie Walker XR. This shit is a hundred and sixty a bottle.”
Ty whistled low. “Duke had good taste.”
The bottle was more than half full, so Logan dug around the desk for the cap and screwed it on tight. He’d take it to the bar later. He doubted there were many top-shelf whiskey drinkers in Ennis, but he knew Skylar would want to keep it in memory of Duke.
After setting the bottle aside, he turned his attention to Ty. “If I told you I believe Chance Bear killed Duke, Frank, Rip Jackson, and his father, would you be surprised?”
It took Ty all of a second to think it over. “I think that man is capable of anything.”
Logan dropped his head back on his shoulders and muttered, “Fuck. I was afraid you’d say that.”
“What makes you suspect him?”
Logan tipped his head back, leaned both elbows on the desk, and got down to the brass tacks. When he was done, Ty whistled again. “You think he killed Duke and put him in the cremator with his father?”
“I’ve left three messages with the man to call me back about his father’s remains. He’s avoiding me, so we’ll have to wait and see if they can extract any DNA from the few bones we found.”
“Wouldn’t there be more than a few bones if he burned two bodies?”
“Not if he thought he got them all.”
“So you’re guessing he burned the bodies to get rid of evidence then pulled out the bones, and what? Buried them somewhere?”
Logan nodded. “From everything I’ve heard about Frank, he was meticulous. I can’t see him leaving a single bone in the cremator, let alone a dozen. And one of them still had burnt flesh on it as if the process hadn’t been fully completed. Rushed for time.”
“If Rip and Butch Johnson saw him burying the bones, that would explain why he went after them.”
“It all fits,” Logan agreed. “But proving it and getting it to stick is a different matter.”
“What about Skylar and the boys? Are they in danger?”
That was the million-dollar question.
“If he killed the others to cover his tracks then I doubt he poses a threat to anyone else, but I’m not taking any chances until I’m certain it’s him and what his motives are.”
Ty leaned forward and braced his arms on his knees. “What’s your next move?”
“I need evidence to present to the mayor before I tip my hand. Mac Macey told me Chance was headed to Twin Bridges yesterday afternoon before I was attacked. He said he had business but would be staying the night since he has a woman there. You got any idea who that might be?”
Ty blinked, surprised by the information. “News to me. He’s got business interests in a few ranches over by Twin Bridges and Virginia City, so he could have had a meeting. As for the woman, I bet someone in the Madison County Sheriff’s Department would know. You’re carrying a badge now, so you could make an inquiry.”