Page 45 of Rocky Ride

We entered the office first and spoke to the manager, so we didn’t interrupt the running of his business too much.

Billy held up his badge. “We need to speak to two of your employees, sir. Paul Granby and Mick Slater. I’d prefer to speak to them in private. I’ll call them outside and talk to them one at a time. Won’t take too long.”

“Yeah, okay. What’s this about, Sheriff?”

“A few questions. We won’t interrupt your work schedule too much.”

“Okay. Who do you want to see first?”

“Send Mick Slater out and I’ll talk to him outside the door.”

Billy and I stepped out into the cold and the snow was coming down steady. The ground was covered in a fresh layer already.

Mick came out the front door, lit up a smoke and leaned on the brick wall. “Boss said you wanted to see me. What’s up?”

“We’re investigating Sandra Ellington’s murder, Mick, and your Jeep was seen parked in her driveway on more than one occasion.”

“Okay. You got me there, Sheriff. Sandy and I were friendly, but that don’t mean I killed her.” Mick smiled. “I feel kinda bad she’s dead because we had a good thing going. Know what I’m saying? Mostly lunch hours and on the way home from work.”

“I do. Yes.” Billy asked about the day and time of the murder and Mick said he was at work and could prove it.

Next up was the owner of the pickup.

Paul Granby was younger than Mick Slater and he wasn’t wearing a wedding ring.

“We’re investigating Sandra Ellington’s murder, Paul, and I was wondering how well you knew her.”

“Didn’t know her at all but I know who she is...or was. Mick was banging her every chance he got, but I never got to meet her. I couldn’t even tell you what she looked like.”

“A truck like yours was seen at her place many times, Paul. Can you explain that?”

“Nope. Because I don’t even know where the bitch lived, so it wasn’t my truck. You boys will have to look a lot harder.”

“I guess we will,” said Billy. “Thanks for your time, Paul. You have a good day.”

Billy and I walked around to the parking lot. “You believe him, boss?”

“Yeah, I did. Either we have the wrong truck or somebody from this shop used Paul’s truck to visit Mrs. Ellington more than once.”

“Huh. Like another guy in this shop…or it’s another truck altogether.”

“Yep. There’s a lot of dark red pickups driving around, Harlan. Keep your eyes open because we’ll have to check every fuckin one of them.”

“Would Sunday or Molly be able to come up with a list of them we could start checking?”

Billy pointed across the console at me. “I’m putting you in charge of that, Harlan. You find us some more dark red pickups with addresses not too far away from Coyote Creek.”

“Copy that, boss.”

Sheriff’s Office. Coyote Creek.

Ted came back from the package store with prints from the cash drawer and from the door of the safe the thieves couldn’t open. Originally we thought the boys didn’t try for the safe, but turned out their prints were on it. They just weren’t successful in opening it.

Ted ran the prints and came up with two in boys already in the system.

“Here you go, Billy. Mike Roach and Jason Kassinger. Both have juvie records and both of them were recently released from the detention center in Great Falls.”

“Nice going, Ted. Got addresses for them?”

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