Dead Wrong

Joa

“It’s Jea

“What about her?”

“Her damaged truck was found abandoned in the westbound rest area at Texas Canyon,” Tica said.

There was a terrible sinking feeling in the pit of Joa

“What do you mean, damaged?” Joa

“Somebody put a rock through the passenger window. Officer Phillips is nowhere to be found.”

“When’s the last time someone heard from her?”

“She radioed in to Dispatch at midnight to say that everything was fine and she was going off shift.”

“Did she give her location at that time?”

“No.”

“Has someone secured the vehicle?” Joa

“Yes. Deputy Raymond is on the scene.”

“Tell him to hold the fort. Then call everyone else-Dave Hollicker, Casey Ledford, and Chief Montoya. Tell them to meet me at the scene.”

“What about Homicide?” Tica asked tentatively. “Should I call them?”

Tica’s question confirmed Joa

Butch came into the bedroom while Joa

“It is,” Joa

Don and Margaret Dixon were at the table eating bacon and eggs when Joa

“Aren’t you going to have some breakfast?” Margaret asked Joa

“She is having breakfast, Mom,” Butch corrected. “I made her order to go.”

He followed Joa

“Be careful,” he said, kissing her good-bye. “Be really, really careful.”

“I will,” she said.

She downed the muffins before she even reached Highway 80. Once there, she turned on her lights and siren and drove like hell, fuming as she went. After all, Joa

The first order of business, though, was to find Jea

“Where are you?” she asked.

“On the far side of the Divide.” Frank’s home in Old Bisbee put him a good seven or eight miles ahead of her.

“Have you put out an APB on Jea

“Tica is handling that,” he said. “I’m sure it’s been issued by now, but I doubt it’ll do much good. We have no idea what kind of vehicle she might be traveling in or even if she’s in a vehicle.

And if she was dumped out in the desert somewhere, it could be months before we find the body.“

“Or years,” Joa

“Do you think she was still working the O’Dwyer angle?” Frank asked.

“Probably,” Joa

Joa

“Sheriff Brady?” someone said.

“Yes.”

“It’s Millicent Ross. I hope you don’t mind my calling you on your cell phone. I had the number in my files.”

“No,” Joa

“Well…” Dr. Ross hesitated before saying in a rush, “Jean-nine didn’t come home last night.”

Joa

“I’m up so early every day that when she comes in off night shift, I don’t even hear her,” Millicent continued. “But when she wasn’t home this morning when I woke up, I wasn’t sure what to do. I didn’t know if I should call in and report her missing or what. And then I decided I’d call you and ask your advice. I mean, if anyone would know what to do, it would be the sheriff, right?”

“You and Jea

Millicent Ross hesitated. “We’re actually a little more than roommates,” she admitted. “In fact, we’re a lot more than roommates, but we haven’t exactly advertised it. Bisbee’s such a small place and all. Once gossip gets going, it can be vicious.”

Joa

“Missing,” Millicent Ross echoed. “What do you mean, missing?”

“I mean her truck was found over in Texas Canyon, but she’s not in it. The last time anyone heard from her was when she radioed in to the department at the end of her shift. Did you hear from her last night?”

But Millicent didn’t seem capable of hearing or acknowledging the question. “How can she be missing?” she demanded. “Where would she go?”

“That’s what we’re trying to find out,” Joa

“She was still upset about the dogfights,” Millicent answered after a pause. “She traded shifts with Ma

She must have done more than that, Joa

“Do you really think they’d hurt her?” Millicent asked.

Joa

“We don’t know,” Joa

“Do you think she’s dead?”

Probably, Joa

“She may be,” Joa

There was a long pause after that. Joa

“You’re right,” Joa

“All right then,” Millicent agreed. “I have animals that need to be attended to and appointments that are due in. But please call me. Please.”

“I will,” Joa

When she came through the tu

A few miles later, she had another thought. Once again she radioed in and asked to be put through to Animal Control. Ma

“You’ve heard?” she asked.

“Tica called me,” he said. “Any news?”

“Not yet.”

“What are we going to do about the workload?” Ma