Page 36 of Dark Angel
“Is there somewhere we can talk?” Styles stared at him.
“The breakroom is just through there.” He indicated to a passageway on the other side of a set of swinging doors.
“After you.” Styles walked beside Beth.
They waited for Rice to speak to the other nurse on duty and then followed him out of the ward. The breakroom was spotlessly clean but small, with lockers down one side. A kitchenette and tables had chairs set around them.
“I can’t be missing from the ward for too long.” Rice indicated to the table and pulled out a chair. “What’s this all about? Why do you need to speak to me? I pay my taxes.”
Beth took her time sitting down and placing her notebook and pen on the table before her. She looked up at Rice. It was pointless asking him about his patients and she doubted he’d ever risk grooming his victims at the hospital. “It’s not about taxes, Mr. Rice. I’m not interested in anything that happens between you and the IRS. We’re speaking to people who were in Rainbow or Serenity over the last week.”
“Why?” Rice smiled at her. “What could possibly happen in those two small towns that would interest the FBI? We have very capable sheriffs in our towns. So is it drug related?” He leaned back in the chair and looked from one to the other. “That’s why you want to speak to me, isn’t it? I work in a hospital, so you would naturally assume that I have access to drugs. The truth is the pharmacy here is very diligent. Even if I had a headache, I’d have to go down to the general store to buy some Tylenol.” He pointed to himself with both thumbs. “Aw come on, Agent Katz, do I look like a drug dealer?”
Tapping the pen on the table, Beth looked at him. Trying to get inside information on a case was typical psychopathic behavior. Often, they would try and insert themselves in the investigation by being helpful. Good-looking and with an arrogant confidence, he believed he would win her over, but in fact it was the opposite. She dug in her heels and stared at him. “I’m not in a position to discuss the details of the case at this time, but if you want to remove yourself from our list, I suggest you cooperate. Let me narrow it down for you a little. We know you had a shift from nine through two Monday last at the Rainbow hospital. We’re aware you worked in Serenity on the same shift Thursday last. What we’d like to know are your whereabouts between the time you left the hospital and returned to Rattlesnake Creek. I need to know if you stopped along the way and spoke to anyone. If you could give me a timeline, it would be very helpful.”
“Your list for what?” Rice glanced at Styles and shrugged. “If one of my ladies is shouting rape, it’s a lie.”
“If you’d raped someone Mr. Rice, and been named as a possible suspect, the local sheriff would be hauling you downtown.” Styles leaned on the table. He looked over at Beth and shrugged. “We’re hunting down a serial killer who’s possibly been seen in the towns we’ve mentioned. People who frequently visit or work in these towns are more likely to notice a stranger. Answer the questions, Mr. Rice.”
“Ah, the kid who went missing in Rainbow? Was she murdered?” Rice stared straight into Beth’s eyes. “I figured she’d been taken by a bear, like the kid in Serenity.”
How he’d obtained this information sent up a red flag for Beth. “Where did you get the information about the bear attack?”
“I was working at the hospital in Serenity yesterday and someone mentioned the local sheriff found body parts all over. So, I assumed it was a bear.” He leaned on the table. “Yeah, I was in Serenity and Rainbow on the days you mentioned, and I work there all the time. Where do I spend my time after my shift? It depends. I date a lot of married women. Their husbands are often away working at the mining camps and their wives get lonely.” He chuckled. “Don’t look so shocked. We’re not living in the Dark Ages anymore and women set their own rules.”
After being held a virtual prisoner in a pedophile’s brothel, nothing would ever shock Beth again. “I don’t really care about your sordid lifestyle, Mr. Rice, but I would like the names of people who’ll corroborate your story.”
“I always go to the local diner. I go there after my shift every time I’m in town. That’s where I meet my friends. You’re welcome to ask the servers in the diners if I was there, but there’s no way I am giving you the names of the women I see. Some of their husbands are violent and interference from someone like you would cause trouble.” His eyes flashed with triumph as if he’d won. “And that wouldn’t be very nice, would it?”
Beside her Styles pressed his boot against hers. He’d noticed the smug expression on the man’s face as well. Beth could go two ways with this interview and she glanced down to make a few notes in her book to give herself a couple of seconds to think. She lifted her head slowly and met his gaze with a smile of her own. “Well, I don’t figure it would be very good for you. I mean, gossip spreads like wildfire in these small towns, and I hear those miners can be, let’s say, unpredictable, especially when they travel in gangs. Riling them wouldn’t be a good idea. I can’t imagine what would happen if someone let it slip about your affairs to one of them. I sure wouldn’t like a group of them hunting me down.” She sighed and folded her notebook and slid it back inside her pocket. “Unfortunately, if that happens, we wouldn’t be able to assist you. I’m afraid you’d be on your own.”
With her gut feeling screaming at her, Beth got slowly to her feet, and allowed her dark side to slide to the surface. She didn’t trust Ainsley Rice and gave him the full force of her dislike. His face froze as their eyes met as if he’d stared into the face of Medusa.
THIRTY-SIX
Styles noticed a change in Beth as they walked back to the truck. She hadn’t looked at him and kept her eyes front all the way back to the parking lot. “What do you think of him?”
“I think he let it slip about the girls to see our reaction.” Beth pushed both hands into her pockets and headed for the passenger door. “The part about it being a bear attack was interesting. Nothing was mentioned about a bear at any time. We all know who killed the girl. So, either he’s getting his information secondhand or he’s the murderer. For me, the way he acted was way too smooth. All that stuff about taxes was fake. He seemed to enjoy being interviewed by us as if it made him the center of attention. Right now, he is at the top of my list. What about you? What did you get from him?”
Impressed by her astuteness, Styles stared at her over the hood of his truck. “Not quite as much as you did. For me, he seemed a bit overkeen to find out what was happening. I’d like to make my decision when we’ve spoken to the others.”
“That’s a given.” Beth sighed. “You wanted my first impressions and that was it. I didn’t like the fact that he liked little girls. When he said that it made my skin crawl.” She climbed inside the truck.
As Styles slid behind the wheel, Bear gave them a friendly woof. The dog hadn’t slept as he’d expected, and by the trails of saliva all over the window, something outside had piqued his interest. He gave him a pat on the head and then turned back and started the engine. “Bear is active. I figure he’s been barking at someone.”
“I hope no one has planted a bomb under the truck.” Beth went to open the door.
Styles touched her arm and it froze under his touch. “He’d be going nuts if someone tampered with the truck. He went on missions and he can smell explosives. Don’t worry.” He started the engine. “See? It’s all good.”
“I’m not that confident with his abilities.” Beth looked at Bear and her hand sneaked out to scratch his ears. “Although he is very intelligent. I’m sure he knows what you’re saying. What do you think spooked him?”
Styles headed back to the office. “Maybe someone got too close, is all. Unless he saw a chicken.”
“A chicken, huh?” Beth leaned back in her seat staring at him. “Do tell.”
Driving back to the highway, Styles shrugged. “He has this thing about chickens, as in they frighten him.” He looked at her astonished expression. “Maybe he was pecked as a pup. I don’t know but he’ll run away and hide if he sees a chicken.”
“I’m sure that was a problem when he was on active duty.” Beth frowned. “There were chickens running all over most of the war zones. Didn’t anyone mention it before?”
