Hunter said, “Montoya is showing us the Dallas way to do it. Shuffle your feet to stir up dust, wipe the sunglasses for five minutes, and huff out air to show how hard you’re working. I’ve got to give it to him, he’s a pro.”
Raymond said, “He’s only been here eight months. Maybe he’ll come around.”
Coraline said, “The County Commissioners hired him because of his administrative skills, they said. He got a Superior Achievement award for developing additional filing categories to the Dallas County Sheriff’s Office arrest reports. Hangs in a frame on his wall at the Marfa office. That’s a handy thing to have out here.”
Hunter said, “He’s forceful. Told us to sit and here we are, in the shade. You can’t argue with that kind of leadership.”
Coraline said, “You don’t like him because he told you – and I’m quoting you quoting him, ‘He was going to educate you hicks on how it is done.’”
“He’s showing it here with his incredible sign-cutting ability.”
Raymond said, “If he’d brought one of the other deputies, or Lee Rodriguez from Presidio, we really could have sat back. Lee’s the best deputy in the county.”
Hunter said, “Good tracker, too. I hope he gets the Sheriff’s job.”
Coraline said, “Me too.”
Montoya walked down the arroyo to where they sat. Sweat ran in muddy lines down his dust coated, flushed face. He said, “See if you can find anything.”
Before Hunter could open her mouth, Raymond said, “You bet.”
Despite deputies’ tracks everywhere, Hunter and Raymond found sign. They called Montoya over and Raymond said, “Three people came down into the draw and took out the body. One of them evidently is a tracker and followed the original sign out of here for a hundred yards or so, then returned and got in the copter, and they left with the body and the briefcase.”
Montoya said to Hunter, “Where’s the cut-off hand you said was here? Or did you make that up?”
Hunter said, “They ate it. Had themselves a little barbecue right over there by that mesquite and left a note saying it was finger-licking good.”
Raymond said under his breath, “Damn.”
Montoya’s eyes bugged, “If you don’t want to help with the investigation, Kincaid, you can haul your butt on out of here.”
Hunter said, “Relax, they took the hand, too. And they left in a helicopter. The same way they got here.”
“Which way did they go?”
“I can’t track in the air.”
Raymond spoke up before they shot each other, “I think they went north, judging from the impressions of the skids.”
“What’s up that way?”
Hunter started to speak but Raymond quickly said, “Ranches.”
Montoya polished his sunglasses again and said, “What about the copter?”
Hunter was first, “Look, Danny, you know as much as we do at this point. We didn’t see it.”
“It’s Sheriff, not Danny.”
“Why don’t you pull that stick-”
“We’re through here,” Raymond said, tugging on Hunter’s arm. “Hunter and I will be working a trail and we won’t have any radio contact. Leave us a message at the Marfa station if you need something.”
As they hopped in their vehicle, Hunter said, “I’m sorry. He gets under my skin without even trying.”
“Really? I didn’t notice.”
***