Remains of Innocence (Joanna Brady Mysteries) by J. A. Jance

Author:J. A. Jance [Jance, J. A.]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Publisher: HarperCollins
Published: 2014-07-22T00:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER 15

IT WAS ALMOST MIDNIGHT WHEN JOANNA FINALLY PULLED INTO the garage at High Lonesome Ranch. She stopped long enough to key in the alarm code and lock her weapons away in the laundry room safe.

It was strange to come into a house that was dead quiet and empty. No Butch; no Jenny; no Dennis; no dogs running over one another as they raced to greet her. She couldn’t remember when that had happened any time in recent history. Lucky and Lady were spending the weekend at Carol’s house just up the road, and Desi, as part of his service dog training experience, was in Silver City with Jenny attending his first-ever rodeo.

Having spent a very long day in a pair of unfamiliar boots, Joanna’s feet were killing her. The first thing she did upon entering the kitchen was drop into the breakfast nook and strip off the offending footwear. Then, in her stocking feet, she went looking for food. That was something else about being home alone. No Butch meant foraging for herself.

She had made a peanut butter and jelly sandwich and was about to take the first bite when the landline phone rang.

“You’re home,” Butch said, sounding relieved.

“Just got in,” she replied.

“I know. I’ve been calling every fifteen minutes.”

“Why didn’t you call my cell?”

“Because I knew you were dealing with a homicide,” Butch said. “I figured you had your hands full and thought it would be better if I talked to you after you got home. You were gone a long time. How are things?”

Joanna had taken a bite out of her sandwich and had to finish chewing and swallowing before she could answer. She gave him a shorthand version of Guy Machett’s death, ending with the waterboarding followed by the failed attempt at resuscitation.

“In other words, he didn’t tell them what they wanted to hear or give them what they came to get,” Butch replied.

Joanna had come to rely on bouncing ideas off Butch. Now was no exception.

After pouring herself a glass of milk, she told him about the problem with Guy’s next-of-kin notification.

“Calling her a person of interest is bogus,” Butch observed. “You know as well as I do that’s just a way of splitting legal hairs to keep Franklin from having to give her the Miranda warning the moment he lays eyes on her. And if Guy’s sister has gone underground, how do you handle the press when you can’t do a next-of-kin notification?”

“That’s one of the things Alvin and I were huddling about. Everyone who lives on the Vista already knows who died. We can’t very well hold up releasing Machett’s name until Liza Machett is found. According to the people in Great Barrington, she’s Guy’s only living relative. We talked to Madge Livingston. She says she remembers the sister calling sometime in the last month. She said it wasn’t a terribly long conversation and that it ended with Guy raising his voice. Madge claims that after that one call, Guy told her that if Liza ever phoned again, she should take a message rather than putting the call through.

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