“Okay thanks. Tell him to wait and I’ll speak to him.”
Turning, he raised both eyebrows at Jenna. “The sheriff has given me the lead in the murder case and my main concern is stopping a maniac before he kills again. We need to prioritize. Right now, we don’t have a positive ID for the man in the barrel. We’re assuming the victim is John Helms and I’ve asked Father Maguire to find the name of Helms’s dentist. If it is him, then I’ll request the local police contact the wife.” He massaged the plate in his head and winced at the throb of discomfort. “Someone will need to contact Sarah Woodward’s mother and get her down here to view the body.”
“I’ll ask Magnolia to make the calls. She is very good at handling delicate situations.” Alton pushed a strand of black hair from her forehead. “I wish I had more men. I need an update on the DMV files and someone to help Walters search for Miss Woodward’s purse.” She sighed. “Has anyone heard back from Mr. Davis on the whereabouts of Stan Clough?”
“I completed the DMV search yesterday; it’s in the file.” Daniels lifted his bushy eyebrows. “I’ll call my brothers on the off chance they know where Stan Clough lives.” He smiled. “Then I’ll help Walters if you like? Do you have a description of Miss Woodward’s purse?”
Kane gave him the description and turned to Rowley. “Interview Susie Hartwig and see if she can corroborate Rockford’s alibi.”
“Did you find Sarah Woodward’s body at the Old Mitcham Ranch?” Daniels gave him a worried look and rubbed his chin. “I mean, you are hunting for her purse from there to the motel, so what’s happening? I am entitled to know.”
“Are you now?” Kane narrowed his gaze. “All you need to know is we found her body and I’m conducting enquiries.”
Kane waved the deputies out and shut the door behind them then turned to face Alton. “Why did you tell the deputies about the tracker in your earring? As you are so concerned about a leak in the office, doesn’t them knowing defeat the aim?
“I agree it was a stupid thing to do.” Jenna shrugged. “It’s too late to do anything about it now, so forget it.” She straightened. “I can see your mind working. What else have you figured out about the case?”
“Seeing Billy Watts hanging around in the hallway triggered a few things in my mind.” He moved to the whiteboard and picked up a marker. “I don’t know if he is involved in the attempts on your life but coincidentally he’s been in the right place at the right time to collect information pertinent to one of our other cases.”
“Billy Watts? Really?” Jenna’s face creased into a frown. She stood and joined him at the whiteboard. “What makes you believe he’s involved? Watts is the quieter one of Rockford’s friends; in fact, more of an outsider. Hence the fight over money in the Cattleman’s Hotel. Which case?”
/> “I’m wondering if he is involved in Mrs. Woodward’s disappearance.” Kane wrote the man’s name at the top of a space on the board. “Let’s for a moment assume he murdered Mrs. Woodward. Watts gambles, so the money motive is a possibility.” Kane added the information to the board. “He thinks he’s home free and then Sarah comes into town looking for her grandma. He would not have been aware of her existence, but during my interview with her, he happened to be waiting in the next booth for Daniels to complete his paperwork. He could have easily overheard the information about the letters and would have been privy to her plans.” He scribbled on the board. “It would make sense for him to destroy the evidence if it implicated him. I did wonder how he discovered Sarah’s room number because the motel’s proprietor refuses to give out information on guests.” He snapped his fingers. “Then I remembered. Billy Watts was chatting to Sarah in the parking lot the night her car broke down. He overheard our conversation about her plans to search for her grandma on Monday and the intention to have her car serviced. He was not five feet away when I ordered Daniels to escort her to her motel. Billy Watts drove out in their direction and could have followed her to discover her room number.” He added the last incidents to the list. “If Watts is involved in the disappearance of Mrs. Woodward, then I think we may have found Sarah’s killer.”
“That sounds solid but I wouldn’t discount Stan Clough just yet. He is the only suspect we have with a prior conviction.”
Kane nodded. “Yes, but not if the torture was to extract information, for instance the PIN for the victim’s bank account. Hell, I’ve seen kids beaten to death for their shoes.”
“I suppose if Sarah’s grandmother stayed with Watts, as a housekeeper for instance, and mentioned him in a letter, we would be able to track Mrs. Woodward to him. Watts lives alone on a ranch not far from the Larks stadium, which means he could easily have met Helms as well. If Helms was the type of fan we imagine, an invitation to stay with a player would be too good to refuse.” Alton turned to him and tapped one neat fingernail on her chin. “If Watts is involved in both murders and the motive is money, we’ll need evidence.”
Kane stared at the whiteboard. “We know both Woodward and Helms apparently left the county and suddenly had the desire to withdraw huge sums of money from ATMs in the same general area. We know Helms was tortured for a reason. If he gave up his PIN then it makes sense for his killer to withdraw money outside Black Rock Falls to give the appearance the victim had left the area. Before you ask, in the smaller towns the ATM cameras are useless. The pictures are grainy and in winter people are rugged up with hats and scarves.” He returned the marker to the magnetic holder. “We have the bank records, and if we can put Watts or any of our suspects in those locations at the same time, we have probable cause for an arrest—and for the record, Stan Clough is still firmly on my radar. The moment I discover his whereabouts, I’ll be on him like fleas on a dog.”
“I’ll go and see the judge personally and get warrants for as many phone and GPS records as I can.” Alton’s lips curled up at the corners. “I’ll be safe at the courthouse unless I run into James Stone but I doubt he’d cause a scene in front of the judge.” Her blue gaze moved over him. “Great deduction, by the way, I feel like I’m working with Sherlock Holmes.”
He followed Alton out the door, closing it behind him. Billy Watts sat on a chair in his booth, large hands clasped on his knees and his attention fixed on Sheriff Alton. Kane cleared his throat to get his attention then dropped into his chair. “Mr. Watts?”
“Billy Watts.” The man leaned back in his chair, taking his measure. “Call me Billy.” His mouth curled in a cocky, self-assured grin. “My pa is Mr. Watts.” He stretched out long, muscular legs clad in tight jeans and rolled his shoulders. “I gather you are Deputy Sheriff Kane?” He chuckled. “How’s it feel being ordered around by a woman?”
Kane composed his features to give him a long, bland stare then took a writing pad from the desk drawer and dropped it on the desk. “Much like being under the orders of a coach, I guess. I hear he has you on a tight curfew until the finals?”
“Yeah, since the disagreement at the Cattleman’s Hotel.” Watts snorted. “Man, some people can overreact. There was no need to call the cops. It was a misunderstanding between friends and now we all have to pay.”
“People have a right to enjoy themselves without being afraid of louts losing control and throwing punches.” Kane reached for a pen from the chipped coffee cup on his desk, admiring the picture of a beautiful hula dancer on a picturesque beach complete with palm trees. “You’re lucky Sheriff Alton let you off with a warning. I would have charged you with disturbing the peace.”
“Yeah?” Watts leaned forward in his chair and glared at him. “So I gather you don’t support the Larks, or did you bet on the other team this week?” His dark eyes narrowed. “Charging any of us would have left the team without its pivotal players and we don’t like to lose.”
Kane met his gaze without blinking. He had interviewed all types and only the stupid tried to intimidate him. He yawned and covered his mouth with one hand, noticing the man’s eye-roll. “Sorry. It’s been a long few days. Do you mind if we get down to the questions? What make and model of car you drive?”
“Car? I own a Chrysler pickup.” Watts jerked a dirty thumb toward the front window. “The one with the black diamond paint and tinted windows out front.”
“Okay.” Kane glanced at the glistening vehicle parked at the curb and jotted down the details. “Give me an account for your whereabouts on Friday night at around midnight.”
“I was here in the cells.” He chuckled and crossed his cowboy boots at the ankles. “I spoke to you when they released me, on Saturday, remember?”
“Sure, my mistake.” Kane stared at the sheet of paper. The enquiry had been a deliberate attempt to give him the impression the interview was a series of routine questions given to everyone. He lifted his gaze. “Do you know a person by the name of John Helms?”
“No.” Billy Watts’ gaze remained steady.
Kane kept his face expressionless. “Have you had an occasion to visit the landfill between Saturday and Monday?”