Dead Wrong

“That Ruth and Rory had somehow arranged to substitute Lisa Marie’s baby for Aileen’s? According to Leslie, Aileen was eager for Leslie to be married so that if and when she did develop HD, she’d have someone to take care of her. But if Aileen had known about the switch, then she’d also have known that there was no reason for her to worry about the possibility of Leslie developing Huntington‘s.”

Ernie wasn’t buying it. “Women usually know when they have babies. Rose sure as hell did. How’s that possible?”

“Leslie told me she was born at home-on the ranch-the same day Lisa Marie Evans disappeared. Aileen’s mother was a nurse. Maybe she exchanged one baby for another without Aileen’s knowledge. Who knows? But when Ruth arrived at the hospital later on that day with a newborn baby and with a woman who had clearly just given birth in tow, no one would have thought to question whether or not the baby was really hers.”

“So when Bradley Evans turns up claiming Leslie Markham is his daughter, it’s news to everybody.”

“News to everybody except Rory,” Joa

“You’re right,” Ernie agreed. “That scenario provides some motive, but I still don’t think it’s possible. How could Rory and the grandmother pull it off? Someone had to lure Lisa away from the dry cleaner’s. Someone else had to deal with Bradley Evans. And then there’s the question of being there at the ranch when Aileen gave birth. How could Ruth and Rory manage all of that by themselves?”

“Maybe they didn’t,” Joa

“Who?”

“What about Joaquin Mattias?”

“The guy whose wife reported him missing this morning?” Ernie asked.

Joa

“But what makes you think…?”

“A hunch,” Joa

Ernie emitted a long-suffering sigh. “I always hate it when you go off on one of these ‘woman’s intuition’ routines,” he said. “It’s not professional.”

“But it sometimes gets results,” Joa

A few minutes later, when they pulled into the yard at the Mattias place, Dolores hurried out to meet them as they exited the car. “He’s not here,” she said.

Joa

“This is Detective Ernie Carpenter,” Joa

“I’m busy right now,” Dolores objected. “Couldn’t we do this later?”

“It won’t take long,” Joa

Dolores Mattias stood absolutely still. She seemed to be holding her breath. “Yes,” she said finally. “Yes, he did.”

“Who was she?” Joa

“I don’t see how that can matter now,” Dolores said. “It’s over. She’s dead.”

“Was Joaquin’s lover Ruth Houlihan?” Joa

Dolores’s mouth dropped open, then she closed it again and said nothing.

“Was she?” Joa

“What if she was?” Dolores said finally. “I never told anyone. Certainly not Senor Houlihan, and not Aileen either. Joaquin told me it was over, and there was no reason to carry tales. It would have been too hurtful. It would have killed Senor Houlihan to know his wife had been unfaithful, and it would have embarrassed Aileen. Why bring it up?”

“You never told anyone?”

“No. Joaquin told me it had happened, and I could see why. Senora Ruth was a very beautiful woman. But when he said it was over and begged my forgiveness, I forgave him, and we moved on.”

“Did you know Ruth Houlihan was thought to be having an affair with Rory Markham at the same time?”

Dolores Mattias seemed to be astonished by that news. “No,” she said. “Rory was Aileen’s friend, not her mother’s.”

While Joa

Ernie reholstered his gun and returned to where Joa

“Where is he, Mrs. Mattias?” Joa

“I can’t tell you.”

“You have to tell us,” Joa

“He’s afraid,” Dolores said. “Someone is after him.”

“Besides us, you mean?”

Dolores nodded.

“Then let us protect him. Where is he?”

Tipping her head, Dolores gestured toward the mountains. “Up there,” she said.

“In the Whetstones?” Joa

“No,” Dolores said. “I wanted to leave two hours ago, but he said there was something he had to do first-some kind of unfinished business.”

“And where are you going?”

“Back to Mexico,” Dolores said. “None of Joaquin’s people are there anymore, but I thought if we once crossed the border, maybe no one would know where to look for us.”

“What’s Joaquin doing in the mountains?” Ernie asked.

“I already told you, I don’t know,” Dolores replied. “He wouldn’t tell me. Just something he had to do.”

“Is he armed?”

“Maybe.”

“Can you tell us how to get where he is?” Ernie asked.

“No,” Dolores said. “But I can take you there. I dropped him off and came back here to finish packing. I’m to pick him up at four o’clock.”

Joa

Dolores looked stricken. She turned and started for the garage and the pickup. Ernie caught her arm and pulled her back. “No,” he said.

“But I’ve got to go,” she pleaded. “Didn’t you hear that?”

“Tell us how to get there,” Joa

“It’s too complicated. You’ll never find it. Please, let me go.”

“Get in the back of the Crown Victoria, Mrs. Mattias,” Joa

“But the road’s too rough,” Dolores objected. “You’ll never make it without four-wheel drive.”

“We’ll make it as far as we can and then we’ll walk.”

Without further objection, Dolores allowed herself to be ushered into the Crown Victoria. Once Joa

“Shots fired,” she said. “On the Triple H. We need backup.”

“Whereabouts?” Tica Romero asked. “That ranch is a big place.”

“We don’t know exactly,” Joa

At the point where the main road continued on to the ranch house, Dolores directed them off to the left and onto a much smaller dirt track. Ernie got out and collected the Crown Victoria’s supply of flares. He lit one and left it in the middle of the road they were following, then he returned to the driver’s seat and turned the remaining flares over to Joa

“Dispatch has three cars on the way,” she said. “I’ve given them verbal instructions as well.”

Half a mile later, Dolores directed them to the right along a dry creek bed and into a narrow canyon. This time Joa