Page 76 of Backtrack

“I was thinking,” Johnson said. “Maybe we should get some horses and ride back in there from the lakeside. If they’re hiding out, we’ll be able to creep up on them. If they’ve moved on, maybe they left something behind that will point to where they’ve gone.”

“Not a bad idea,” Cutter said. “I’ll get in touch with the chief and see if we can borrow some from him—”

Garza broke squelch over the radio.

“Parker County 65. I need a supervisor and the medical examiner at my location.”

A cold chill ran up Cutter’s spine.

He stood, walking to the wall-mounted telephone as he pulled the handheld radio from his belt. “Six-Two to 65,” he said. “Call me as soon as possible in reference to that subject you’re with.” He looked at the phone number printed in the center of the rotary dial. “I’m at 63’s residence. Do you need the number?”

“I have it,” Garza said. “Call you in two minutes.”

“Ten-four,” Cutter said.

Clem Morton’s voice came over the radio next. He was out with the chief, working the scene for Cutter’s shooting.

“Everything alright there, 62?”

“All good, Clem,” Cutter said. “Nothing to worry about here.” Then, to Johnson over the phone, “I need to hang up. I want to keep this off the radio. Stand by. I’ll call you right back after I talk to Garza.”

Cutter had no sooner hung up the phone than it rang again. Theresa Morton poked her head in the kitchen, thinking she was getting another call. Cutter forced a smile and waved her off.

“For me,” he said as he picked up. “This is Cutter.”

“What’s up?” It was Garza, and he sounded distant, as Cutter expected he would.

“You mentioned the medical examiner,” Cutter said. “Are we talking Trina Foster?”

“We are,” Garza said.

“Shot?”

“No,” Garza said. “Cut. A lot. The assholes who did this took their time, Wayne. I nearly puked when I came in.”

“They’re still after those diamonds.” Cutter nodded to himself. It was exactly what he’d feared. “Okay. Best guess. How long do you think she’s been dead?”

“Not too damn long,” Garza said. “Body’s still warm. No lividity. Ten minutes earlier and I would have walked in on them.”

“Got it,” Cutter said. “Stand by a second. I need to call the chief.”

“What’s going on?”

Cutter grabbed his radio off Theresa Morton’s kitchen table. “Hold on.” Then into the radio. “Parker County 62 to Parker County 63.”

As a chief deputy, Smith was bad about leaving his handheld radio on the seat of his car. Cutter reached out to Clem Morton directly.

“Go for 63,” Morton said.

“I need to talk to the chief.”

“Whatcha got?” Smith said a moment later.

“How close are you to a telephone?”

“I am right where you left me,” Smith said, sounding exasperated. “Unless there’s a phone in the house, I’m at least ten minutes away from that little stop-and-rob at the edge of town.”

“Okay,” Cutter said, his mind going into overdrive. “It’s not optimum, but trust me, it’s the best we have. Get to a phone ASAP and call Garza at his location. I’ll let him know what’s going on and he’ll brief you.”