Peril by Ponytail (A Bad Hair Day Mystery) (28 page)

“Franks works on the dude ranch where we’re staying. We’ve experienced acts of sabotage there and at the ghost town my uncle is renovating. What’s curious to me is how Uncle Ray and other homesteaders on the mountain have had offers to buy their property. I’m wondering if the potential buyer is causing these incidents.”

“Is that so?” Otto’s eyes narrowed into two tight beams. “I find this interesting, Mr. Vail, but I don’t see how it’s my concern.”

“My wife saw Franks in discussion with Matthew Brigham. Wouldn’t you want to know why your plant inspector and a known E.F.A. member were meeting together?”

“It could have nothing to do with my affairs.” Otto withdrew his pocket watch and gave an exclamation of dismay. “I’m afraid I shall have to cut our time short.” He stood, and they followed suit. “Come along, I’ll drive you back to the house. I mustn’t get a moment off schedule. That’s the only way to get things done, you know. It’s all about precision.”

Marla mulled over his words once she and Dalton were on their way back to the ranch. “There’s something smarmy about that man. You’d think Otto would be more curious about Kevin Franks. I’m sure he didn’t tell us the whole
megillah.
And did you notice how many times he tugged on his ear? That’s one of your ‘tells,’ isn’t it?”

“Yes, I picked up on that. He’s lying about something.” Dalton focused forward during the drive down the mountain. “Did you feel that vibration inside his facility? I doubt it’s coming from a simple subsidiary operation next door.”

“It could originate below ground.”

“You may be right. We should return to the mines and investigate further.”

“Or not? Maybe we should forget about this stuff and enjoy the last few days on the ranch. I didn’t even get to sit by the pool.”

“You can do that at home. The threat to Uncle Ray’s property won’t go away unless we expose whoever is behind it. They’re my family, Marla. I can’t abandon them.”

“Well then, we should all get together again and compare notes. I’ll call Carol and ask her when she and Wayne can meet us along with Uncle Ray and Annie. We could offer to treat everyone to dinner at a restaurant in town for a change.”

“Sounds like a plan.”

They were just turning in to the dude ranch when Dalton’s phone rang. Since he was busy driving, Marla answered.

“Luke Beresby here. I have some news. Kevin Franks has been found dead.”

“What?” Her heart skipped a beat. “I don’t believe it. How did that happen?”

“Here’s the address if you can come by. I’d like Detective Vail to take a look.”

“Of course.” Marla grabbed a pen and paper from her purse and scribbled down the info. When she’d hung up, she told Dalton the latest development.

“Franks is dead? That’s incredible.” He made a U-turn and headed in the direction she indicated.

“I know. What do you think this means?”

“We’ll have to wait and see. How did he die?”

“The sheriff didn’t say.”

“Damn, there goes our best lead.”

They zoomed through town to a seedier section and an apartment where sheriff department’s vehicles were parked amid flashing lights and yellow police tape. People were coming and going from an open door while bystanders gawked.

Beresby greeted them upon arrival. “Here, you’ll need these,” he said, giving Dalton the standard gear to wear for a crime scene inspection. “Ma’am, you’ll have to wait outside.”

“That’s fine with me.” She had no wish to view the gory scene. How had the man been killed? Or had he died from natural causes? Maybe the neighbors would know.

Passing an open apartment that smelled like laundry detergent, Marla wandered toward a woman who’d wrapped her head in old-fashioned curlers. Working at the salon would seem like a balm after this holiday. Her gaze swept past the parking lot to the dry earth beyond and its sporadic plant life. Enough of the desert already. She yearned for the lush tropical landscape of South Florida and her daily routine.

“Hi, can you tell me what’s going on?” she said to the middle-aged woman who wore a rumpled top and faded jeans.

“They say Mr. Franks is dead. Nobody heard any shots or other suspicious sounds coming from his place. Maybe his heart gave out, although he was fairly young.”

“I think it may have been his allergies,” said a young man with a pockmarked face who’d sauntered over. “Whenever we had a block party, he steered clear of foods with peanuts.”

“Really?” Marla glanced with interest at the victim’s door. Could that be the case? He’d been alone and eaten something tainted? But if he had a known allergy, he’d have kept epinephrine at hand. Maybe he couldn’t get to it in time. What an awful way to go.

Dalton stayed inside for an inordinately long period. Marla chatted up the other neighbors but didn’t learn much of value, except Franks didn’t appear to have a girlfriend and kept to himself most of the time. He seemed amiable enough when he encountered anyone.

Finally, Dalton emerged and signaled her over, his face grim. “You won’t believe what’s inside. Franks had a whole wall with photos pinned up.”

“Photos? What do you mean?” Clutching her purse under one arm, she accompanied him toward their car.

“It’s E.F.A. stuff. He’s got pictures of the ghost town and the ranch as well as the bottling plant, maps of the buildings, a journal where he’s ranted at length about his beliefs. He had photos of us, too, plus Wayne and Carol and Uncle Ray.”

A shudder gripped her. “How did Franks die?”

“The coroner believes he may have gone into anaphylactic shock. He was lying on the bathroom floor, an epi-pen in his hand. We’ll know more after the autopsy.”

“Why did the sheriff summon you here? To confirm his observations?”

Dalton nodded, his jaw resolute. “His techs seem competent. He said he’ll contact me later with more information.”

“Do you think Franks was part of a domestic terrorist cell in the area?”

“It’s too early to tell. Luke has a paper trail to follow, phone calls to trace.”

“How about the offers to buy people’s properties? Surely the wrangler wouldn’t have had the financial means to be the buyer?”

“His bank accounts will have to be examined. But it’s a valid point.”

“Who alerted the police to check his apartment?”

Dalton held the car door open for her. “Jesse Parker.”

“No kidding? He’s another man on our person of interest list.”

“Jesse got concerned when Franks didn’t report in to work, since the guy rarely missed a day. He notified the sheriff’s office.”

“Wouldn’t it be nice if this wrapped up the case so we could enjoy our last few days here?” She slid into the vehicle, sniffing its leathery scent.

Dalton shut the door and strode around to his side. After they hit the road, he shot her a regretful glance. “We still need more answers. The only option is to pay another visit to the copper mine. Somebody is running a covert operation there, and the sheriff didn’t seem impressed when we told him. If we could trace the ore’s route, and it surfaces near Lovelace’s facility, this might give Luke adequate cause to get a search warrant for the bottling plant.”

“It’s too dangerous.”

His hands tightened on the steering wheel. “One of the stores in town sells historical costumes. It has outfits similar to those worn by the miners. That’ll provide a disguise for me to blend in with the workmen, at least on first glance.”

“You’re not meaning to go alone?”

“I’ll call the sheriff to see if he can spare one of his deputies to accompany me. Luke might be busy with his current investigation, but he could send someone else in his place. We need proof about what’s going on. It’s the only way to identify who’s calling the shots behind the scenes.”

Downtown in Rustler Ridge, Dalton searched for a parking space while Marla phoned Annie to see if she could join them for lunch.

“Sure, I’d love to meet you. Where shall we go?”

Fifteen minutes later, their cousin arrived and plopped in the seat they’d reserved for her at a popular café. She wore a patterned brick-red top over slim black pants with a colorful scarf around her neck.

“I’m so glad you called. I haven’t seen you guys nearly enough.”

Dalton cupped his coffee mug. “I know. We’d like to invite the family out to dinner at a restaurant when both you and Uncle Ray are available.”

The brackets framing Annie’s mouth deepened. “Dad won’t leave his project until it gets dark outside every night. He’s afraid something bad will happen if he’s not there. And the workers think the town is jinxed by ghosts. It’s supposed to be a ghost town, isn’t it?”

“He should hire a security force.” Marla took a sip of iced tea, while her companions stared at her as though she’d reinvented electricity.

“That’s a brilliant idea.” Dalton gave her an approving grin.

“Yes, but does he have the money?” If Raymond was hard-pressed to make his payroll each month, he might not have anything left over.

“It shouldn’t be a problem now that he owns Garrett Long’s share.” Annie’s gaze averted. “He admitted they’d each signed a right of survivorship clause.”

Marla tilted her head. “Didn’t we hear Garrett came from a wealthy family, and that’s where he got the cash to invest in their business? Who inherits the rest of his estate?”

“I imagine it’s his wife, Sherry,” Annie said. “Too bad you missed his funeral, or you would have met her then.”

“We were in Scottsdale that day. Nobody told us the plans. Did Garrett have any siblings?”

“Not to my knowledge.”

“Then he’d be sole heir to his parents’ fortune. They may not have been happy about his career choice. It could be a dangerous occupation. Not everyone he met in his job loved him.” Marla told Annie about the interviews she and Dalton had conducted.

“It doesn’t sound as though you learned much from those folks.”

“If anything, we’ve eliminated them as suspects. When we were in Sedona, I consulted a psychic. She told me to look closer to home for answers. How well acquainted are you with Sherry Long?”

“We’re not really friends. She’s involved in fund-raising activities around town.”

“Good for her.” Marla’s stomach growled as the waitress carried a sizzling dish past that smelled like garlic. Too bad the town didn’t have a good deli. She missed a nova smoked salmon and bagel sandwich.

“I remember Uncle Ray said Sherry had a son from a previous marriage. Where does he live?” Dalton asked, leaning back in his chair.

Annie picked up her spoon and twirled it. “He’s grown and lives in Phoenix.”

“What happened to the first husband? They get a divorce?”

“I think he died, but I don’t know much about her history.”

“Did you realize Kevin Franks, the wrangler on your dad’s ranch, was her brother?”

Annie’s brow furrowed. “Why do you speak about him in the past tense?”

“He’s dead.” Dalton explained the circumstances.

“Oh, my.” Annie clapped a hand to her mouth. “Poor man.”

“Who else might have known about his food allergies if not a family member?” Marla said, seized by an idea.

“What do you mean?” Dalton eyed the waitress as she carried another tray past their table. He must be hungry.

“This reinforces our theory that Sherry Long may have coaxed her brother into killing her husband. Garrett was cheating on her, and he had money. She’d get rid of a cheat and gain his bank balance at the same time.”

“So how did Franks end up dead?” Dalton asked in a challenging tone.

“Maybe he threatened to expose his sister if she didn’t increase his share of the money. Or else, she just wanted to get rid of a loose end that might lead back to her.”

“That’s cold-hearted. You’d think she would need her brother as an ally. And how about Tate Reardon? What possible reason would Sherry have to kill off the bottling plant manager?”

“He could be the one who suggested doing away with her husband in the first place.” Marla raised a hand at the doubtful look on Dalton’s face. “I know this is farfetched, but bear with me. Tate could have had a thing for Sherry. Getting rid of Garrett would clear the path for him.”

“You’ve got it reversed. Sherry’s husband was the one having a fling with Eleanor Reardon.”

“Wow, do you two do this all the time?” Annie appeared fascinated.

“Yes, unfortunately we often have these conversations at the dinner table,” Dalton replied in a wry tone.

Unabashed, Marla continued on. “You’re the one who told me to examine all the angles in a murder case. Then again, if Reardon wanted to cover anything up about their operation on the mountain, Garrett would be a target once he’d discovered the miners.”

Annie shook her head in puzzlement. “You’ve lost me again.”

“We paid a visit to Otto Lovelace, and he gave us a tour of his facility. Everything appears legitimate, but something isn’t right there. We believe it might relate to the copper mine underlying the ghost town.”

“What do you mean?”

“Somebody has secretly reopened the mine. We’ve been down there once already with a guide, but Dalton wants to get proof and see where the ore surfaces.”

Annie’s face paled. “Are you crazy? Exploring the mines is dangerous. If there’s a cave-in, or one of you falls—”

“Marla isn’t going,” Dalton reassured her. “I’ll ask the sheriff if he can send one of his deputies with me. It’s the best way for us to get the definitive answers we need.”

They fell silent as the server delivered their food. Marla dove into her turkey wrap while Dalton attacked his burger.

After finishing their meal, Dalton gave Quinn O’Malley a call to see if the former copper miner and hiking guide would be available to make a repeat visit to the mine with him. Unfortunately, the fellow was otherwise engaged for the next three days. Dalton called the sheriff next, wherein Beresby tried to persuade him to adopt a different strategy. When Dalton persisted, the lawman reluctantly agreed to send a deputy to join him.

“Can you call Carol to see when we can gather for dinner again?” Dalton said to Annie on their way from the restaurant.

“Sure, I’ll take care of it.” Annie paused on the sidewalk. “I’m worried for you. I don’t like this plan of yours.”