1 Death on Canvas by Mary Ann Cherry

Author:Mary Ann Cherry [Cherry, Mary Ann]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2016-02-03T05:00:00+00:00

Chapter 29

Sage Bluff, present day

Lenny bypassed the gasoline pumps and pulled under the metal carport where loud rock music filled the Get and Go parking lot. He got out of the patrol car and went resignedly into the convenience store. Last time he'd tried to talk to Duane it had been as easy as herding ducks, and he didn't expect it to be any different today.

He walked in and plunked the photos of Travis Simpson and Cassy Adams down in front of the skinny kid behind the counter and turned them toward him. The kid looked worse than usual, Lenny thought. His face was an acne farm, his shirt had seen cleaner days, and a lump was purpling to impressive blue-black on his cheekbone. He looked like a kid who'd get sand kicked in his face at the beach, if Sage Bluff had sandy beaches instead of amber waves of grain.

"Duane, seen these two lately? Either gassing up or stopping for snacks? And did you ever see them together?"

The clerk swallowed visibly, his Adam's apple bobbing on his scrawny neck. It reminded Lenny of the chicken necks he'd plucked on the farm where he grew up and, unfortunately, of the thin, lanky, insecure kid he himself had once been. And sometimes still was, deep down. The thought made Lenny scowl fiercely at the clerk.

"Nuh uh," Duane stammered. "I haven't seen Cassy all week. Don't know the guy. He gets gas here at the pumps but he pays outside . . . never comes in except for a Mocha Grande once in a while. I don't think he's been in for a couple weeks. Leastwise, not while I've been working." He pushed the photos back toward Lenny. "What's up?"

"Missing, both of them, and we're trying to figure out if there's anything to worry about is all. Cassy normally lets her boss know if she's not coming to work, but not this time. You ever see her with a boyfriend, Duane?"

The clerk looked uncomfortable, eyes flicking left to right before he answered Lenny.

"Nah, can't say I ever saw Cassy with a guy except another EMT. Then, only because she was working." He looked away from Lenny. "I'm sorry she's missing, though," he said.

"When you did see this man, Travis Simpson, did he ever have someone else along?"

"Don't think so."

"Travis Simpson drives a blue ford Taurus with a dented fender. You remember seeing someone else gassing one up the past four days, maybe?"

"Not that I remember." Duane looked at the door as a middle aged man walked through it and made a beeline to the back restroom. "I'm gonna need to get back to work."

"Yeah, I can see you're real busy," Lenny said sarcastically. He handed Duane one of his cards. "Listen, remember when I came in and asked you if you knew Jake Ward, the truck driver who drove an oil field supply loop? He's in custody up in North Dakota for selling and receiving drugs across state lines. You feel like changing your story on that?"

"Don't know him.

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