Page 21 of Their Haunted Hearts
“Where can we find him?” Rowley moved forward. “We need to speak to him and we’re running out of time.”
“Just a minute.” The woman clicked on her computer keyboard. “He works with the horses, so at this time of the morning he’ll be in the barn mucking out, I’d say. They turn out the horses into the corral each morning until it starts snowing.”
Touching his hat, Rio turned and headed out of the door. They walked between the buildings until they found the barn. As he stepped inside the dim interior, he waited for a few seconds to allow his eyes to adjust. Three men worked together using pitchforks and chatting loudly. The banter stopped abruptly when they turned to see him. He recognized Cash from his DMV photograph: tall and broad with dark blond hair curling to his collar from under a brown cowboy hat. He dropped his pitchfork to the floor and the steel tips clunked against the concrete. Cash leaned against the handle, watching them with a measured stare. He didn’t act concerned, just wary. Rio moved closer. “Dale Cash? We need a word with you.”
“Why?” Cash lifted his chin, his grip tightening on the handle. “I ain’t done nothin’.”
“Maybe you should ask for a lawyer?” One of his coworkers tipped back his hat and his lip curled. “You can’t trust law enforcement. You know that, right?”
“I know it.” Cash hadn’t moved and his defiant expression spoke volumes. “I ain’t done nothing, Deputy. What’s this all about?” He swiped at the end of his nose. “If Laura is tellin’ you I been hassling her, she’s a liar. I haven’t left Black Rock Falls in the past two months—ask anyone. I hang around this place like a bad smell.”
His workmates chuckled and Rio glanced at Rowley and then back to Cash. “I didn’t say we planned to arrest you. We just need some information, is all. You can give it to us here, or we can take you downtown to speak to the sheriff.” He shrugged. “It makes no difference to us. We’re just doing our job. Like you, some of us need to shovel the shit from time to time.”
Anger flashed in Cash’s eyes but he managed to keep himself under control. Rio had hit a nerve. He reached for the cuffs on his belt and the small action had an immediate effect on Cash.
“Okay.” Cash propped the pitchfork against the stall and walked across the barn toward them. He indicated to a tack room. “We can talk in private in there.” Once inside, he spun around to look at them. “Okay, ask your questions but I reserve the right to refuse to answer on the grounds it may incriminate me.”
Rio glanced at Rowley and rolled his eyes. “If it makes you happier, I can Mirandize you. It seems pointless when I only want to ask you about your visit to the Triple Z Bar on Monday evening. You were seen talking to a woman clearing the tables. We would like to know what you talked about.”
“Many guys were speaking to her—she’s a looker.” Cash rubbed his chin and looked at them thoughtfully as if trying to think of what to say. “I asked her if she was new in town because I haven’t seen her before. I asked if she’d like to have a drink with me later, when she finished work.”
“What did she say?” Rowley rested one hand on the grip of his pistol, but his stance was casual.
“She said that she worked until after closing, finishing around midnight and she didn’t make a habit of having a drink with anyone. She was too darn tired.” Cash smiled. “I asked her if she’d like to have a drink with me or even a meal on one of the days she wasn’t working. She told me she worked seven days a week and that she was trying to save up for some form of transport. Maybe a bicycle. I told her I will be happy to give her a ride anywhere she wanted to go but she refused.” He leaned against a saddle rack and shrugged. “That was all we talked about. I left after that and came back here. We start at daybreak and I needed to get some sleep. I only went there to play pool with my buddies. We don’t usually go there during the week.”
Rio glanced at Rowley, who was making notes, to see if he had any questions for Cash. “Did she mention that she walked home each night?”
“I figured that was kind of obvious as she didn’t have any transport.” Cash snorted and looked away. “I may be shoveling shit all day but I’m not stupid.” He scratched his cheek. “Why are you asking me all these questions? Has something happened to Bunny?”
“Do you sleep in the bunkhouse?” Rowley’s attention had moved to Cash.
“Yeah.” Cash’s eyes darkened with suspicion. “Why?”
“We need to see your belongings and then we’ll leave you be.” Rowley straightened.
“I don’t believe it.” Cash shook his head slowly. “Bunny sent you here because I took her bandana? I told her I’d give it back when I next went to the bar. I was teasing her, is all.”
Surprised, Rio cleared his throat. “We need it back. Why did you want it?”
“It smells good, like her.” Cash waved a hand around. “In case you didn’t notice, women are thin on the ground here. The two female ranch hands who work here are older than my ma.” He sighed. “Follow me, I’ll get it for you.” He shook his head. “She didn’t seem the type to cause me trouble. I figured she liked me.”
Rio followed Cash to the bunkhouse and waited for him to open a footlocker at the end of his cot. He leaned forward to peer inside. “Take everything out and place it on the bed.”
“Okay. I’ve got nothing to hide.” Cash took out a pile of jeans, shirts, a couple of winter jackets, gloves, socks, and underwear. Underneath was a Glock 22 in a shoulder holster, a box of ammo, and a red and white bandana. He handed the bandana to Rio.
Possession of the weapon was fine; Cash didn’t have a felony. Rio opened an evidence bag and Cash dropped it inside. “When was that weapon last fired?”
“Last time I went to the range.” Cash sighed. “Is that all? I need to get back to work before I’m missed.” He stared into Rio’s eyes. “Is Bunny okay? I don’t believe she sent you after me.”
Rio didn’t blink. “She didn’t.” He looked away and sighed. “I’m afraid she’s dead. You might have been the last person to have spoken to her.”
“Dead?” Cash looked from one to the other. “What happened to her?”
“The cause of death is undetermined at this time.” Rowley frowned. “Did she mention anything about her family or where she came from?”
“No.” Cash shook his head slowly. “She just wanted a better life. I figured she must have hit rock bottom if she believed cleaning at the Triple Z was a better life.”
Rio nodded. “You can put your things away now. One thing, did you see anyone chatting to her before you left the bar?”
