Shattered Justice by Susan Furlong

Author:Susan Furlong
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Kensington Books
Published: 2019-10-23T16:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER 23

Pusser sat at his desk, working over a toothpick. “What’s your take on those militia people?”

It was Monday morning, and I was back in my boss’s office, discussing the case. “I can’t figure out a motive. They’re just a bunch of good ol’ boys playing war games out there in the woods. And there’s nothing that connects Walker and Bannock to them.”

“Then why would Bannock have been going up there?”

I shook my head. “I don’t know. There must have been something else up there.”

Wilco, still tired from the ordeal at the vet, circled a spot by Pusser’s desk and plopped down. He yawned and made a long whiny sound, then swiped his tongue over his lips before settling his head down and closing his eyes.

Pusser tossed his toothpick and replaced it with another. “Damn woods. Forty percent of my county is wooded. Trees as far as you can see. I used to think the forests were beautiful. Not no more. Them woods out there ain’t nothing but cover for a bunch of criminals and weirdos.”

I agreed. I slumped back in my chair. Things had caught up to me, too. My weary eyes settled over my boss’s desk. The framed photo of his long-missing daughter was in a different spot than usual. He’d been looking at it recently. Probably spurred by Gideon Ridley’s mentioning of her. Jo’s disappearance had never been resolved. No body, no answers, no closure. Much like our current case.

“The Ridley boy didn’t mention a horse. Just Bannock, on foot,” I said.

“That’s right. But whoever he thought was after him might have been on a horse.”

“And the horse ran off and got snared in that pit trap? But why sever its head?”

Pusser’s eyes narrowed. “Because it was of value to someone?”

“Like a pet. But then what? Pack it out of there? And what about Bannock? Dead or alive, he would have needed to be transported out of the woods. My dog didn’t pick up anything. No human blood, no flesh decay.”

“So, Bannock walked out of the woods alive.”

I nodded. “If he was being forced at gunpoint, I don’t think the assailant would have taken the horse head. It’d be too much to juggle with a gun. Not to mention a saddle and bridle. The horse didn’t have either, so if it was ridden into the woods, those things would have been removed. And I don’t think the perp would have risked returning for them later.”

“What are you getting at, Callahan?”

“Two possibilities. Whoever chased Bannock never did get the guy, and Bannock has kept running. Or someone walked him out of there while someone else packed out the horse head and tack. Or rode out with it on another horse.”

Pusser tore the toothpick from his mouth. “So, we could be looking for two perps.”

* * *

I spent the next two workdays at my desk, compiling research and chasing leads, none of which got me anywhere. Pusser had asked me to follow up on anyone Bannock knew, although we’d pretty much done that already.

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