Outlaw Mountain

After only a momentary delay, she dialed Frank Montoya’s number at the marshal’s office in Tombstone. “How are things?” she asked.

“Pretty quiet. I guess you heard about the fingerprints they found at Outlaw Mountain,” Frank said.

“I heard,” Joa

Over the next few minutes she explained about Casey’s call from the mysteriously nonexistent Detective Garfield. “So here’s the deal, Frank,” she finished. “I’m hoping you can tune up that hotshot computer of yours, go on the Internet, and find out anything and everything you can about someone named Jonathan Becker. Look for articles about the accident, obituaries, whatever.”

Frank Montoya, a self-taught technophile, had created a totally mobile and wonderfully high-tech office for himself that was usually based in his departmental Crown Victoria. The fact that he was always more than willing to go on-line it search of esoteric pieces of information made it u

“I’ll get on it right away,” he said. “By the way, did you hear about Alice Rogers’ funeral?”

“What about it?”

“Clete stopped by just a few minutes ago. He said it’s going to be Friday afternoon. The funeral itself will be at the Episcopal Church, with burial afterward in Tombstone Cemetery.”

“Did he say what time?” Joa

“Early afternoon. Two, I think.”

“I’d better plan on going.” Joa

“What’s happening out in Sierra Vista?” Frank asked, changing the subject. “Any word on the Oak Vista situation?”

“None so far,” Joa

Moments later she was on the horn with Dick Voland. “Any sign of monkey wrenchers revisited?” she asked.

“None whatsoever,” he growled back at her. “Here I am with half the deputies for this shift stuck out here in the middle of nowhere with nothing happening. Meanwhile, big chunks of the county are totally without patrol coverage.”

“Any more weapons turn up among the workers?”

“No. But that’s hardly surprising. As much hell as you raised earlier, if they brought guns to work with them, they’ve stowed them out of sight. I’m guessing they’re in tool chests and glove boxes. At the moment, though, we’ve got no probable cause, so they’ll most likely stay there.”

“What happened with the snakes?” Joa

“No. She let them go.”

“Right there?”

“On the spot,” Voland answered. “Elvira had a snake stick hidden back tip in the brush behind her car. Ranger Brooks used that to remove the snakes front the trunk and put them back where they belonged, more or less. According to Brooks, snakes are real homebodies, and they don’t like to he moved around at all. Naturally, it wasn’t possible to return them to exactly the places where they had been found. Which means the construction site is going to have snakes milling around for the next few days, looking for a way to get out of the cold once the sun goes down. That should make life interesting for Childers’ work crews. I wouldn’t be surprised if one or two of the workers gets bitten.”

“I’m voting for Rob Evans,” Joa

“Is there anything else?” Dick Voland asked. “Deputy Pakin just radioed me that Marliss Shackleford is down by the gate on the highway. She evidently wants to talk to me about something. I told him to tell her that Frank Montoya is in charge of media relations and she should talk to him, but that had absolutely no effect. She still wants to talk to me. Any idea what it’s about?”

Joa

“Right,” Voland growled. “Another one of Frank’s cock-eyed ideas. But why is she coming to see me about it? Shouldn’t she be talking to you?”

“We tried that,” Joa

“That’s probably not the best way to treat one of our local newsies.”

“I’m sure that’s true,” Joa

“I’ll see what I can do,” Voland replied. “But I’m not making any promises.”

Knowing Dick was about to be interviewed-make that grilled-by Marliss Shackleford, Joa

“As a matter of fact, he didn’t,” Voland replied. “That’s what happens with high-rollers, though. They can afford to take lunches that last all afternoon, and nobody gives a damn.”

“If you do see him,” Joa

“I’ll spread the word,” Voland said. “First chance I get.”

Cringing at the thought of what Marliss would have to say to Dick Voland, Joa

That was the first Joa

But she didn’t. Not right away. Instead, she sat staring at the phone and wondering how and when she was going to get around to telling Je

When Joa

“Me and Junior are playing video games.”

“Junior and I.” Joa

“Well, we are,” Je

“Busy, but things are begi

“Do you think Junior likes pizza?” Je

“I wasn’t asking Junior,” Joa

“You mean, just us? Not even Butch?”

“Not even.”

“How come? Am I in trouble or something?”

Joa

“I guess that’ll be okay,” Je

Joa

Kristin came in again, this time bearing a stack of documents that had come through the inter-departmental mail. Topmost on the stack were the transcribed minutes from the previous day’s board of supervisors meeting. Curious about what exactly had been said concerning Oak Vista Estates, Joa