Kane smiled. “I have one in my car.” He glanced at Rowley. “Go to the garage and remain there. Make sure no one goes near the car. We’ll relieve you in about ten minutes.”
“Yes, sir.” Rowley jumped to his feet and headed for the door.
“He seems efficient.” Kane cut into a slice of succulent honey ham and pushed it into his mouth.
“He’s getting there.” Alton lifted a slice of toast and sighed. “It amazes me. Without fail, every Saturday something comes along to spoil my day.”
Kane reached for his coffee and flicked her a gaze. “I’m sure this won’t take more than an hour.” He finished his coffee. “I would like to chase down the pickup ASAP.”
“If you want to go through the DMV records be my guest, but take me home first.” Alton puffed out a tired sigh that lifted her bangs. She pushed her plate to one side and stared at him. “I have two officers on duty this weekend and I’ll need to introduce you. If the headache becomes a problem, you can access the DMV records from home when you recover but I would suggest utilizing one of the other deputies.”
He imagined her slipping back into her pink slippers and leaving her cop persona at the door. “I’m fine now and I’d prefer to work at the office so I can delegate some of the work. I want to familiarize myself with the missing persons’ cases as well.” He stood and reached for his wallet. “Ready?”
“Yeah.” Alton pulled bills from the pocket of her jeans and tossed them on the table. “My treat, to say welcome to Black Rock Falls.”
“Thanks.”
“Don’t get used to it.” She picked up the camera, then, head erect and eyes front, marched toward the door. “Don’t forget to grab the forensics kit from your car. The garage is right across the street.”
He grinned at her and snatched his coat from the back of the chair. “Yes, ma’am.”
Seven
Jenna made her way across the street to Miller’s Garage and stamped the snow from her boots before entering. She winced at the sight of the crumpled police cruiser, glad to have escaped the wreck without serious injury. Deputy Rowley ambled up to her and gave her a boyish smile.
“George will fill out a damage report for the insurance company but he thinks you’ll need a replacement.” He wiggled his eyebrows. “You did mention wanting a new patrol car.”
Jenna shook her head, annoyed at his insinuation. “I wouldn’t risk my life for a new car, and spinning upside down in the snow in the middle of the night wasn’t my idea of fun.”
“Someone driving a dark Ford pickup caused the accident.” Kane moved to her side and his intent stare at Rowley made the young man’s cheeks color. “I can identify the vehicle. What is the name of the road with the barn on the corner, not far from the scene? The one with the shot-up stop sign.”
“That would be Smith’s Road.” Rowley rubbed his chin as if in deep thought. “There are a large number of Ford pickups in town, but from the paint scrape the vehicle is dark blue. That might narrow our search a bit and I can name a few owners.”
“Make a list of everyone you know in the area with the same vehicle and check them for damage. If you are delayed getting back to the office, send me a list of those we can discount.” Kane straightened to his full six five, took a card out of his wallet, and handed it to him. “I’m going to be checking the DMV records this afternoon and we can follow up any leads when you return.”
?
?Yes, sir.” Rowley glanced at the card. “If you don’t need me here, I’ll start on this right away.”
“Okay.” Jenna smiled at him. “I’m heading home soon, and before you hear any gossip, Kane is living in the cottage on my ranch until he finds somewhere else to live.” She flicked a glance in Kane’s direction. “Unless he decides to stay.”
“The cottage suits me fine.” Kane made a great show of walking around the wreck, examining every inch. “Rowley, wait until I collect the paint samples. I’ll need you to countersign the sealed baggies; the sheriff can’t touch the evidence.” He grimaced. “Conflict of interest.”
“I understand.” Rowley’s brow crinkled into a frown. “Oh yeah, I almost forgot, Sarah Woodward called late yesterday afternoon. She said she had some more information about her grandmother and wanted to drop by the office this morning.” He met her gaze “Do you want me to interview her?”
“Yeah.” Jenna remembered the prisoner in the lock-up. “And then, when you’ve checked out the Ford pickups, go down to the Cattleman’s Hotel and get a list of the other men involved in the poker game on Thursday night. Go and speak with them, and if Billy Watts’ story checks out, release him with a warning.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
Her attention moved to Kane bent over inspecting the back panel of the patrol car. He impressed her by the meticulous way he collected and bagged the paint samples. When he straightened and moved away to label each piece of evidence, she moved to his side. “What do you think? Accident or attempted murder?”
“Attempted murder.” Kane passed the bags to Rowley for his signature. “The paint evidence and the scene photographs disprove the accident theory. The vehicle couldn’t have accidentally slid into your car.” He took a notepad out of his pocket and drew a diagram. “The road at the point of impact is a tight left-hand bend, and at the speed the driver took the corner, the centrifugal force would pull the back end of the pickup to the right away from your vehicle. As there is no evidence the driver lost control and left the road or fishtailed into the cruiser, the driver was in control when he clipped the back of your car.”
“It sounds like an ambush to me.” Deputy Rowley flashed her a look of concern.
“I can’t say for sure. I didn’t see a thing and only caught the flash of his headlights before he hit me.” Jenna chewed on her bottom lip. “It sure looks like an attempt on my life. The thing is I haven’t upset anyone in town enough to make them want to murder me.” She pushed her hair back and stared at Kane’s diagram. “Sure, I’ve ruffled a few feathers but there aren’t any crime syndicates operating in Black Rock Falls.”
“Okay, leave the investigation with me until you’re back on duty.” Kane’s mouth turned down and he glanced at Rowley. “You’d better get going.”