“What did Kasey tell you about the gambling debt?” Stella asked.
“She said he’d been to Vegas and racked up debt on all their credit cards,” Tom said. “I remembered Nate telling me that he’d been driving from California to Nebraska a lot and was tired of it, but I was shocked to learn he had a gambling problem. And once I promised Kasey I’d get back to her about the life insurance, she couldn’t get off the phone fast enough. Then Helen and I started talking, and we got worried.”
Repetitive trips from California to Nebraska—to Mattie, that meant drug running.
“Did Nate say why he was making these trips back and forth across the country?” Stella asked.
“He said it was for his business. Supplies and working to get clients. In hindsight, I have to wonder about that.” Tom paused while his gaze shifted between Stella and the sheriff. Mattie wondered exactly what he was thinking. He’d brought up some hard information with serious consequences that implicated Kasey.
Stella leaned forward, placing her elbows against her legs in a posture that matched Tom’s, although unlike his downtrodden body language, her energy fairly snapped between them. “Is Kasey the only beneficiary on the insurance policy?”
Tom nodded. “I suggested that Nate make the change shortly after he married. In those days, it seemed like he’d found the love of his life.”
“Kasey is our daughter-in-law, and we’ve always thought she was a sweet girl.” The pain caused by thinking anything different was evident on Helen’s face. “If it turns out that she has nothing to do with Nate’s murder, it would be devastating to let her know we’ve even brought it up. I hope you can understand our position.”
“We handle these things carefully, Mrs. Fletcher,” McCoy said. “It’s a theory that should be examined, and you can be assured that we’ll proceed with discretion.”
Tom cleared his throat. “The Redmans are important people in Timber Creek.”
“Like Detective LoSasso said, that won’t influence our investigation,” McCoy told him.
But Mattie knew that statement wasn’t necessarily true. Status had an impact on judgments no matter where people lived or in what profession they were involved. Even the local judge sometimes seemed to sign search warrants based on family connections.
“We’re dedicated to finding your son’s killer,” Stella said. “Do you have any other concerns you’d like to discuss?”
As Tom shook his head, he looked at his wife. “I think that’s all.”
“Will you be staying in Timber Creek?”
“At least for a few days. We need to see Kasey and help her with arrangements for our son’s funeral.” Helen’s cheeks were flushed with stress. “It’s hard to explain, but Kasey was our son’s choice, and we’ve loved her as if she were one of our own. It’s a terrible thing to harbor such an evil suspicion about someone you love. What if we’re wrong? We don’t want to color her life with such a horrible accusation.”
Mattie thought these two were perhaps among the wisest people she’d ever encountered. Even in the face of their own grief, they were weighing their words and striving to protect another from unwarranted suspicion.
Stella retrieved her card from her pants pocket. “You can call me to talk anytime, day or night. And let us have your contact information in case we need to get in touch.”
After the Fletchers gave Stella their cell phone numbers, the meeting broke up. Mattie opened the door she’d been standing beside, asking Robo to heel as she stepped back out of the way.
On his way out, Tom made eye contact before glancing down at her dog. “I admire the work you do. And he’s a beauty.”
“Robo’s responsible for finding the bulk of the evidence we have in your son’s case,” McCoy said.
Tom’s gaze conveyed intense sincerity. “Thank you for that.”
“We’ll stay on it.” And as Tom reached to pet her dog’s head, Mattie was quick to prompt Robo. “It’s okay, Robo. Say hello.”
Robo stood and wagged his tail. Most people didn’t seem to realize how dangerous it was to reach out toward a strange dog, especially a protective one like hers. But good genetics and years of training paid off. Take a dog with a friendly personality, add socialization and behavioral training as a puppy, and then top it off with months and months of continuous training in police work and obedience, and here was the result. This type of police dog earned back every one of the thousands of dollars spent to acquire him. Mattie never took having such a valuable asset for granted.
Tom stroked Robo’s head and then escorted his wife through the lobby to leave. McCoy held the door for them as he said goodbye.
“That’s the best motive we’ve got, at least in Nate’s case,” Stella muttered under her breath to Mattie.
“Wives have killed for less,” she replied. “So evidently Nate’s been stopping in Vegas, and he told his wife he was in Nebraska when he wasn’t. Things between them aren’t as rosy as she’s led us to believe.”
“It’s time I pulled her in and talked to her here at the station,” Stella said.
Mattie nodded. “The insurance money works as a motive for Nate, but what about Wilson?”
“Maybe there was some kind of a love triangle gone bad. Right now, I’m skeptical about any of the information we’ve learned from Kasey Redman.”
“Cross-country trips could mean drug running, but you know who else is from California?” Mattie eyed Stella.
“Zach Irving and Ben Underwood. And right now they’re supposedly on a fishing trip up in the mountains north of town with our first victim’s brother-in-law.”
“Do we know that for sure?”
Stella nodded. “Their car’s parked out at the Redman Ranch. Spotted it there early this morning.”
McCoy came back through the lobby to join them. “Let’s take a thirty-minute break and then meet in the briefing room before Glenna Dalton and Dr. Walker arrive. We need to plan how we’re going to keep our promise to proceed with the utmost care when what we really need to do is bring in the victim’s wife and sweat her.”
NINETEEN
During her break, Mattie caught up on paperwork while Robo sacked out on his cushion. Soon, a light snore coming from his direction made her look to see him settled on his chest, his front legs splayed to each side in a position that looked far from comfortable.
Her partner made her smile, even in the most serious of times.
She’d grown to love him more and more as the months passed. He was her friend, her protector, and her comfort when she was feeling down. She was one lucky cop.
She turned back to her computer to check her email, scrolling through the list, replying to those that needed her attention. There was one from Jim Madsen, Robo’s trainer, setting up an interdepartmental training session in Denver in a few weeks, which caught her eye. It was always fun to mingle with other K-9 handlers, and any day spent with Sergeant Jim Madsen was a good day. But there were still no results on the DNA she’d submitted to the database previously, and she wondered how much longer it would take. She was growing impatient with the wait.
At three, she rose from her chair, and that movement alone sent Robo scrambling to his feet. He yawned and stretched, blinking the sleep from his eyes before standing on his bed, ears pricked and fully alert.
“Let’s go to the briefing room,” she told him, and he headed off in that direction.
The others were already there, including Brody, and Mattie took a seat at the front table while Robo settled beside her chair. She had a disturbing thought: all of her colleagues seated at this table knew her childhood secrets, whereas before she’d thought only Stella knew. She pushed the thought away, unwilling to let it interfere with her work. Nothing had changed except her own awareness—these people were professionals, and their interactions had remained the same as always during the past month.