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“What do you remember about it?”
The chief sighed. “Poor guy was found lying dead in the middle of a road up on the mesa. Single point-blank gunshot to his chest. The newspaper was calling it ‘Murder Mesa’ for a while. His pickup truck was parked on the edge of the road, the driver’s-side door hanging open and the engine still running when he was found.”
“What kind of leads did you get?”
“A lot of chatter, but not much physical evidence. There were a couple of suspects that looked good for it, but both got cleared for some reason or other.” He shook his head. “It’s a shame we were never able to lock anybody up for it. Josh Ford worked on the O’Connell ranch, it was payday and they paid cash, and his wallet was missing. Most of us figured it for a robbery gone bad.
“There were some wild theories about there being a psycho on the loose up there, but on the whole, most people wanted to believe the killer was some transient who was long gone. They get some seasonal workers up there who come and go and nobody ever knows who they really are. Could have been one of them, I suppose.” The chief shrugged and Levi got the feeling he didn’t really believe that was the case. “There was also talk that murder might have been the motive and the scene was just set up to look like a robbery. But nobody could ever find anything to prove that.”
Levi flipped open the lid on his own coffee and took a sip. “What do you know about Josh Ford?”
When he was a kid, Levi and his family had been fans of the young cowboy. They were all heartbroken when their local hero was murdered, but Levi had been especially devastated. In his young mind it had felt to him like a member of his own family had died. Maybe because each time he’d seen Josh compete, it had been as part of a Hawk family outing. Now, with the perspective of an adult, Levi realized he didn’t really know much at all about Vanessa’s father.
“I didn’t know him personally,” the chief said. “Just knew of him. He was a good calf roper. Won a lot of competitions. His wife, Claire, was a pretty decent barrel racer. She and her daughter used to dress in matching fancy fringed shirts with lots of rhinestones when they were at a rodeo.”
Levi unwrapped his sandwich. “Do you think it’s a coincidence their little girl is the woman who was attacked on the mesa last night? Especially since the attack came after she’d spent the day asking questions about the murder?”
“I feel the same way most cops do about coincidence. It makes me suspect something more is going on.” The chief set down his sandwich and wiped the crumbs from his hands. “So you want to reopen the Josh Ford case?” He raised an eyebrow. “In addition to the workload you already have?”
“Yes, sir, I do. Vanessa’s questions could be what triggered the attack. She thinks there could be somebody with information who won’t talk to a cop, but who will talk to her. And if the attack truly is connected, that means there’s information out there someone doesn’t want her to find.”
The chief took a bite of his sandwich and thought for a moment, then shook his head. “I don’t like the idea of a civilian putting herself in danger to do something that’s technically police business.”
“Yeah, but she seems determined to ask her questions and try to develop some kind of lead. At least if I work with her, I can protect her if she ends up in a dangerous situation.”
The chief looked doubtful.
“It’s only for a couple of weeks,” Levi added. “And then she has to get back to her job in Las Vegas.”
“I do like the idea of you keeping an eye on her, especially if there are any additional attacks.” The chief leaned back in his chair and crossed his arms over his chest. For a few seconds he turned his gaze away from Levi and toward the window into the squad room where he could watch his officers work. “First the murder, then that stepfather of hers.”
“What about the stepfather?” Levi asked. And could he be a suspect for the attack on the mesa?
The chief shifted his gaze back to Levi. “Her mother, Claire Ford, was a young woman when her husband was murdered. She got remarried pretty quickly to Jason Taylor, a regional rodeo star who turned out to have issues with drinking and violence. He moved them out of town, isolated them. Sadly, Claire had to call the cops out to the house a couple of times when he lost his temper and got physical with her. Each time, the same officer responded.
“I don’t know what exactly happened. Maybe the stepfather hit the mom and she hit him back. Maybe the stepfather was an excellent liar, or a personal friend of the officer’s. In any event, the cop was not correctly trained for domestic violence calls. He told Claire if she pressed charges against her husband, she could be locked up alongside him and possibly lose custody of her daughter. I imagine she didn’t know who to turn to for help.
“One night in a drunken rage, Jason fired his gun and nearly hit Vanessa. Her mom grabbed her and ran. She went to the police despite her fears of going to jail and losing her daughter.” The chief sighed. “Jason served time. The police officer eventually took a job in another town.”
That helped answer a question Levi had been turning over in his mind. Why would a woman whose father had been murdered become a defense attorney rather than working for a prosecutor? Maybe it was because her mother could have gotten out of a dangerous situation sooner if she’d gotten some good legal advice.
Life had given Vanessa Ford some hard knocks. But she’d survived them and she was strong. Levi had already seen evidence of that. Still, it wouldn’t hurt if she had someone by her side, helping her for a little while. And Levi would like to do exactly that.
“Just don’t get tunnel vision,” the chief said and he balled up the paper wrapper from his sandwich and tossed it in the trash. “We’ve got a modern-day crime to solve with the attack on the mesa last night. The perp you’re looking for might try to attack Vanessa again. That case is your priority. We don’t know for certain if the murder twenty years ago has anything to do with it.”
“Yes, sir.” Levi’s heart ached at the thought of everything Vanessa had already suffered. And there was likely more trouble still to come.
Please, Lord, help me keep her safe.
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