Page 15 of Slay Bells

The tracks went away from the main ranch as well, probably down the side of the corrals and on to the nearby road that went east and west. If whoever it was had turned to the right, they’d head to Missoula, if they went left, they headed west to who knew where.

Just then he spotted three patrol cars heading in his direction. Jeremy jumped over the side railing to fresh snow. He motioned for them to pull over across from the cabin to keep from driving over the tread marks.

His partner was the first to get out of a vehicle. “Family all right?” Williams asked, his flat gaze raking over him before moving to the doorway and lastly the ground leading away from the cabin.

“Yeah, but Kevin Maloney isn’t. He’s the victim.” Jeremy motioned inside with his thumb. The forensics team donned shoe covers near the bottom of the stairs with gear bags hanging from their shoulders.

As the forensics team carefully picked their way up the stairs. The three stopped at the porch and looked to him.

“He’s inside straight ahead, to the right on the floor in front of the couch.”

Head of forensics was a woman by the name of Glenda Struthers. Glenda was not a nice person. Jeremy and Glenda rarely agreed on anything except for the fact they did not like each other. “Who’s the DB?”

“Kevin Maloney.”

“The council guy?”

“Yep.”

Glenda shrugged and looked to Williams. “You going in or waiting on the snow to melt?”

His partner walked inside, ignoring Glenda. Jeremy followed, mostly to avoid anything else the woman would throw at him.

“Holy shit. He is most definitely dead. Who would want to kill this guy? He’s as white bread as they come.” Williams shook his head.

“Not really,” Jeremy mumbled as he and Williams began what would turn into hours of work.

Gabriela’s hand trembled as she pushed back an errant curl from her wet face. She’d splashed water on it and now stared at herself in the mirror. Her eyes were red and slightly puffy, the tip of her nose the same. She’d never seen a dead person before, and especially not like that. She’d only been to one funeral. It was for one of her uncles who had died in a car accident, so the casket had been closed.

When she walked back into the front room, only Natalie remained. “Rick and Henry are outside. They’re armed and keeping an eye on things just to be sure no one’s around trying something.” Natalie went to the window and looked out. “I think they should stay in here, not run around out there trying to be heroes.”

Gabriela agreed. “Maybe you should call them back inside.” She didn’t dare go to the window to peer out. The picture of the dead man’s face kept flashing in her mind and she let out a long breath. “Are you all right Natalie?”

Her hostess turned around. “Yes. I keep wondering who the victim is. Hopefully Jeremy will come tell us something.”

It really wouldn’t make much of a difference to Gabriela who the person was since she didn’t know anyone. However, if the investigation took over the ranch, it could mean the festival would be put off. And that could possibly mean she could go home early.

“Has something like this happened before?”

Natalie turned from the window. “No. Never. Crime here is very low.”

Going onto the Hawkins’s land and then luring someone into the cabin had taken some planning. “I wonder why they chose your land then?” Gabriela asked.

“It could be they know nobody uses the cabins during the winter. And being winter, there wouldn’t be a smell or any telltale sign of the murder until spring. If you hadn’t happened upon it, it could’ve been months before someone discovered him.”

“It seems I may have ruined their plans somehow.” Gabriela went to the closest chair and lowered into it. Snap. Snap. Snap. The sound of her knuckles cracking replaced the silence in the room. Hopefully the killer wouldn’t be the vengeful kind.

Kevin Maloney. The name had been repeated several times since Jeremy finally returned. It was almost dinnertime by the time he walked through the front door. Eyes flat and sidearm snug in its holster, he was every inch the detective.

Jeremy sat on the couch and blew out a long breath. Everyone’s gaze was locked on him, anxious to know what happened. Gabriela was certainly curious although she imagined there wasn’t much to tell other than the dead man’s identity.

“The victim is Kevin Maloney, the council guy.” Everyone nodded in acknowledgement. They already knew about his neck being cut open since Gabriela had described it. It felt so wrong that the entire time he talked, she fought harder not to stare at his lips or eyes than to remember every detail of what she’d seen or heard when heading to the cabin.

“Detective Sanders is coming over here. He’ll need to ask you questions, Gabriela.”

“Oh…yes…of course.” She’d thought Jeremy would be the one questioning her.

Moments later, the doorbell sounded and a stout man with beady eyes entered the room. He wore a blue shirt, black pants and black tie. The man had bags under his eyes and the look of that one professor who never smiled.