“Why, Sheriff Harter, what brings you out this way?”
“Is Alan home?” Dan asked.
Mabel looked puzzled and then responded. “Yes, he’s in the study. Is there something I can help you with?”
“No. I just want a few words with him.”
Mabel set the dustpan and broom down and then turned and motioned for Dan to follow her. They walked through a house that was more like a mansion. And Mabel looked more like the housekeeper than the lady of the manor.
Mable tapped lightly on the door before opening it. Alan sat at the desk looking at his stamp collection.
“I told you I didn’t want to,” Alan snapped but then did not continue when he saw Dan.
Dan was somewhat surprised at the curt response Alan gave his wife. He never would have treated Kay like that. And it bothered him that even in marriage Alan had a way of appearing superior to his wife. He clearly should be thankful she provided him a continuance of his affluent lifestyle.
“Sheriff Harter is here to see you, dear. I didn’t think you’d mind.”
Alan waved his hand, dismissing Mabel as if she were his servant. Dan looked uncomfortable as Mabel turned and walked out of the room. He wondered if the woman was that desperate to have a man in her life that she would put up with such abuse. Alan walked around the desk and took Dan’s hand.
“Long time,” Alan said shaking Dan’s hand profusely.
“Yeah.”
“I was meaning to stop after the funeral.”
Dan was uneasy at the mention of Kay’s name, especially coming from Alan.
Alan would not let go of his hand or his apology and continued. “It was too bad. Did you ever find out what caused the accident?” he asked.
“Faulty brakes,” was all Dan said. The accident happened up in Little Rock and he had to trust that they did their job, but he had his doubts. Always did. He was meticulous in maintaining his vehicles and it bothered him to this day that Kay’s death was the result of faulty equipment.
“What are the odds,” Alan said as he walked back to his desk and then turned back to Dan. “What brings you out?”
“Your car,” Dan said.
Alan rolled his eyes a moment and then with the look of innocence said. “Oh that. I was meaning to call that in.” But the he hesitated for a moment. “Fact of the matter I thought Finnegan would have had it out of the ditch by now.”
“He didn’t get around to it. Too busy at the ranch, I guess.” Dan said as he looked around. “It’s against the law to leave the scene of an accident.”
“What accident? A deer crossed in front of me. I swerved to miss him and landed in the ditch. I didn’t hit anything”
Dan studied Alan for a moment. “Were you alone?” he asked.
Alan swallowed hard. He looked at the door and then turned back to Dan.
“Close the door, will you?”
Dan walked over to the door and then shut it and turned back to Alan.
“You saw Mabel.” Alan paused for a moment. “She spends her days cleaning this place whether it needs it or not.” Alan looked around in disgust. “She’s a freak.”
“You married her.”
“Yeah, the biggest mistake I ever made.”
Dan laughed thinking of Allan washing cars for a living instead of working on a stamp collection. Somehow it would serve him right to do menial labor
“She seems to be taking care of you nicely.”
“Money isn’t everything.”
It was funny listening to Alan talk about money. He was born with a silver spoon in his mouth and never really had to work for anything. Even marrying a woman for her money and then he had the nerve to turn it around and say money was not everything. Dan laughed to himself.
“Who was with you?” Dan asked.
“Does it matter?”
“Yeah, it matters.”
Alan wrote down the name on a piece of paper and then handed it to Dan.
“Be discreet, she’s married.”
“Were you drinking?”
“That isn’t what caused the accident if you know what I mean.”
Dan studied the name. He smiled to himself and then glanced up. Alan always had a way of getting what he wanted no matter whose life he ruined in the process.
“Were you at your father’s two days ago?”
“For a little while.”
“Did you see Richie Ames?”
“Isn’t he the boy you found dead?”
“Yes,” Dan said. “He worked for your father.”
“I don’t know their names. They’re just the hired help.”
It angered Dan hearing the words come out of Alan’s mouth because that was something Dan always felt Allan thought about him. It was strange hearing Alan just then. Dan just stared at Alan intently before speaking.
“I thought it odd the amount of rope you carry in the trunk,” Dan added.
“You opened my trunk?” Alan asked with a puzzled look.
“It was the same type used in the murder of the Ames boy.”
“Go to Frank’s Hardware. Half the town buys the same rope. I picked it up for Mabel. You’re welcome to ask her why she needed so much. I opened the one because I was going to try and use it to get out of the ditch but then gave up on that idea. I had more important things to do at the time.”
“I just thought it was odd.”
Dan looked around the room. He stared at the black bear rug in front of the fireplace. Things were not looking good for Alan at that point.
“That’s a big bear,” Dan said as he turned and walked over to it.
Dan bent down and ran his hand across the fur with one hand while pulling out a few hairs with the other. He got up and put his hand in his pants pocket, and then turns to Alan.
“Dad and I each took one down in ’89. You ever go hunting in Jackson Hole?”
“That in Wyoming?” Dan asked.
“Yeah.”
“My old man was too busy working,” Dan said curtly.
Alan looked curiously at Dan. “What are you really here for?”
“I just stopped by to make sure you were okay?”
“Thanks for your concern. I’ll see you out,” Alan said in a way that it was a clear invitation for Dan to leave.
Alan walked to the door and motioned to Dan. It was a clear indication for Dan to follow and leave. Dan in turn obliged. He would give Alan this one, but once he had more information and if it pointed to Alan he would definitely be back, and it would be Alan leaving in handcuffs.
CHAPTER 12
Dan walked into his living room. He took off his gun belt and put it along with his hat on the hat rack by the door, and quickly slipped off his shoes. Dan walked over to the mantel and stared at the pictures of Kay. He reached up and touched the cool glass that separated him from the one he loved. Kelly walked in from the kitchen.
“You miss her, too.” Kelly said walking up to her father.
“Not a day goes by that I don’t relive that day.”
“I think about all the things I wanted to tell her, but never took the time to.”
Dan turned to Kelly and forced a smile. “If only I could have been there. I should have. She called, but I was too busy,” Dan stopped.
“Don’t go there,” Kelly replied and then tried to change the subject. “I made your favorite dinner.”
“I should have called. I won’t be eating here tonight.”
“But,” she said with a look of disappointment.
“I’m sorry, honey.”
Dan glanced over at the pictures of Kay and then he put his arms around Kelly and hugged her. He felt guilty but did not want to cancel his plans just then. For the past eighteen months he had always tried to be there for Kelly when she was having one of those down days.