Chapter 3

“I’m sorry Sheriff,” the barely five foot tall Hispanic receptionist at the Carr County Courthouse said.  “Sheriff Myrr isn’t in his office.”

“How convenient,” Deputy Adams muttered.

Jake wasn’t having any luck today, getting to work late and missing Ike Miller, then his truck not being ready, and now a new receptionist when he was on fairly good terms with the old one.  “Where’s Rita?”

The petite woman straightened.  “She was fired.  I just started.”

Deputy Adams sighed.

Jake glanced at the name plate on the desk behind her.  His eyes widened.  He might just catch a break today.  “You’re a Locamama?”

Her brown eyes widened a little in surprise.  “Yes.”  Then she remembered the name plate on the desk, her lips tightened.  “Very perceptive Sheriff.”

“You wouldn’t by any chance be related to the Ramero Locamama?  Played for the Sun Devils in the 80’s?”

A perfect white smile lit up her face, warm eyes shining.  “He’s my cousin.  Well, my second cousin.  Do you know him?”

“I played football with him while attending Arizona State.  How’s he doing?”  Jake asked.

Deputy Adams rolled her eyes.

“He owns a drywall business in Phoenix,” she leaned against the counter and tilted her head.  “He’s married, three kids.  I haven’t seen him since I moved down here last month.  I ran a home day care and watched his kids a lot.”

Jake smiled.  “Ram was always a good man.  I’m glad to hear things are going so well for him.”

She sighed and gave him a small lopsided grin.  “It’s really great meeting someone I know.  I mean I don’t know you, but you know someone in my familia.  My name is Rosita by the way, but you can call me Rose.” 

Jake smiled.  “I’m Jake and this is Tr….”  Deputy Adams scowled.  “Deputy Adams.”

Rose’s eyes lingered on the thin lipped deputy.  “This isn’t the friendliest town I ever lived in.”  Her eyes returned to Jake and so did her smile.  “But I didn’t move here for the job, know what I mean?”

“Boyfriend?”  Jake asked and rested his elbows on the oak veneer counter top.

“Yeah,” she nodded and rolled her eyes.  “His family owns a ranch here and I don’t think he’ll ever leave.”

Jake smiled.  “Happens a lot round here.”

Deputy Adams cleared her throat.

Jake stood.  “Well Rose, since the Sheriff isn’t here, we have other fish to fry.”

Rose bit her bottom lip.  A child sized hand, with a tiny boned wrist wrapped in colorful beaded bracelets, rested on his sleeve.  “I didn’t say he wasn’t here.  I said he isn’t in his office.”  She looked quickly down the marble hallway.  “Have you ever seen the county coroner’s office?”

Jake’s smile was genuine.  His large warm hand closed over her smaller one for a quick squeeze.  “Thank you Rose.”  He said.  “Tell Ram I said hello.”

Rose laughed.  “I will.  Hope to see you again sometime.”

“That was sickening,” Deputy Adams said as they walked down the stairs toward the coroner’s office in the basement.

Jake waited for two men in black suits to pass on their way up before responding.

“What do you mean?”  He asked.

“Do you really even know Ram Locamama?”  Adams asked.

Jake looked askance at his deputy.  On some basic level he knew Tracy was frustrated with a county job.  She was up and coming with the state troopers when the semi changed her life.

She wasn’t married, no kids, no boyfriend, the job and Cesar were all she claimed.  Over the past few years she was becoming more cynical and judgmental.  Cynicism and law enforcement were uncomfortable bed buddies.  Kicking against it was the only way to  keep it from tainting everyday perspectives. 

Comments like this, especially over the last year, were beginning to worry Jake.   Tracy stopped kicking it away and was occasionally wrapping herself in it.

“Tracy,” he said.  “Do you think I would lie about knowing the man?”

Tracy shrugged.

Jake didn’t know whether to laugh or be offended.  He chose the former.  “I do know him.  We were team mates.  And when Rose mentions my name, he will remember me.  Just so we’re clear, I am not in the habit of lying and using women.”

Tracy’s head nodded in assent, but doubt owned her eyes.

Jake sighed.  He and Deputy Adams were going to have a heart to heart soon.

They reached the basement and followed the signs pointing toward the Coroner’s Office. 

They stopped outside a heavy red metal door with a large smoked glass panel.  “Carr County Coroner, Trident Zoo, PH.D.” was stenciled on the glass.

Deputy Adams snickered.  “Gah.  Imagine going through life with a name like Trident Zoo.”

Jake chuckled.  “He’s probably working with dead bodies to avoid live ones after being traumatized as a child.”  Jake sobered.  “He’s fairly new.  The other guy died last year.  What are the chances, you think, that he’s a friend of Sheriff Myrr?”

“What are the chances you went to school with his cousin?”  Tracy smiled, turned, and knocked on the door.

“Come on in!”  A baritone male voice shouted from the other side of the doorway.

Jake and Deputy Adams entered a windowless twelve by twelve room dominated by a huge steel and glass desk.  The rest of the room’s furnishings consisted of the chair behind the desk, two small folding chairs in front of the desk, and a tall gray file cabinet in the corner.  A chipped white enamel door with a small window at the top was on the opposite wall.

The man standing behind the desk was younger than Jake expected.  He held a cell phone to his ear, and one finger in the air, bidding them wait.  His blunt jaw was accentuated by long blond hair pulled back into a pony tail.  Cat shaped moss green eyes gave them both a once over, lingering Jake thought, a moment longer than necessary on Tracy’s face, then focused again on the pad of paper on his desk.  He was taller than Jake, and that slouching.  He was also a leftie.

Viking, Jake thought.  He’s a damned young Viking.

Deputy Adams sharp intake of breath confirmed what Jake suspected.  The guy was also a lady magnet. 

“Got it,” the man said with a slight Australian accent.  “I will get that out right away.  Zoo, out.”  He clicked the silver phone shut.  “May I help you?”

He addressed the question to Deputy Adams.

“I am Sheriff Steel from Drake County.  This is Deputy Ada...”

“Tracy,” Adams interjected quickly.  “You can call me Tracy.”

The Doctor smiled.  “Call me Zoo, or Trident if you must.”

Jake looked at Adams from the corner of his eye.  He stepped forward to shake hands and direct the coroner’s focus.  “We’re here about the leg found last night.”

Zoo’s hand was warm and calloused, his shake firm and solid.  The direct look and smile he gave Jake was genuine, which meant Sheriff Myrr didn’t own him.  Yet.  He shook Adams’ hand and invited them to sit.

“There isn’t much to tell about the leg,” Zoo sat.  “I arrived an hour or so before the feds.  So didn’t have much time to look at it.”

Jake was stunned.  “The Feds?”

The doctor looked from Adams to Steel.  “I’m sorry Sheriff, what exactly do you have to do with this case?”

Jake moaned inside.  Damn.  Technically until he knew where the leg was found, this man wasn’t required to speak with him.

Jake made a decision.  “There are two stories at the moment about that leg,” he said.  “One, it was found on Ike Miller’s ranch.  That would mean it happened in Drake County, my jurisdiction.  The other story, which is probably more familiar to you, is it was found on Wallace Miller’s land and therefore under Carr County jurisdiction.”

“Ah,” the Viking said flashing large white teeth.  “Things are making more sense now.”

“How so?”  Jake asked.

“I wasn’t called.”  The Aussie accent more pronounced with irritation.  “I don’t just mean I wasn’t called to pick up the leg.  I wasn’t called at all.  I didn’t know there was a severed leg on my autopsy table until briefed by my assistant when I arrived.  The only legal way to keep me out of the loop is if I have no jurisdiction in the first place.  An ambulance brought it in.”

“That’s not S.O.P.  Were you given an explanation?”  Deputy Adams asked.

Dr. Zoo shook his head and pursed his lips.  “No.  I was checking the paper work and starting to make calls when the feds showed up.  Rude bastards.  They didn’t even let me bag it, did it them selves.”

“They didn’t tell you anything?”  Jake asked.

Zoo leaned back in his chair.  “They told me the leg was part of an on going federal investigation.  In other words, they told me to mind my own business.  Oh, and sign the chain of custody paperwork.  That’s it.”

“What did Sheriff Myrr say about all this?”  Jake asked certain the Sheriff was still fuming.

“He was right there with them.  He didn’t say anything except it was all tied together with a Jon Doe found three months ago.  He said the feds were handling it now like they did then.  I wasn’t here three months ago, and can’t even find the files on that case.”

“What about a chain of custody document?”  Deputy Adams asked.

Zoo shook his head, “Nadda.”

Something was wrong, really wrong.  This was bigger than Sheriff Myrr not sharing information because of Sally.  It was bigger than Drake County, bigger than Carr.  The feds were covering up this incident, and the previous one.  Why?

Body parts were showing up in his county or at the very least the one next door.  He should have received something official by now.  And why was Myrr helping the feds?  If there was one thing Jake knew about Steven Myrr.  He didn’t like anyone encroaching on what he believed was “his.”

“Can you tell me anything about the leg?”  Jake asked.

“It was cut off post mortem by what was most likely a bow saw,” Zoo said.  “There were little scratches on the leg, like from a branch, dragging, a small animal, coulda been anything, also post mortem.  I only was able to do a cursory evaluation, but I think from the lack of any real decomposition, it was a fairly recent death.”  He spread his large hands.  “I’m sorry that is all I have.”

“When did you see the Sheriff last?”  Jake asked.

Zoo grunted.  “Half hour before you arrived.  He left before the last two agents.  Two men in black suits.  You should have passed them to get to me.”

“We did,” Jake said remembering the suits in the stairwell.

Jake stood and stuck out his hand.  “It was nice to meet you Dr. Zoo.  I appreciate your willingness to share information.  I certainly hope I can return the favor.”

The Viking stood and took Jake’s hand.  “My pleasure mate.”

They turned toward the door.  “May I have a moment Dep, I mean Tracy?”  The Viking’s baritone was soft.

Jake turned to look at the Dr.  “It’s nothing to do with this case,” Zoo said.  “It’s personal.”

Jake looked quizzically at his deputy.  Her face was a little red, highlighting the criss cross patterns of scars.  She gave a stiff nod.

“I’ll wait upstairs,” Jake said.  “I am going to make a few calls.”

Chapter 4

“Two of those feds are staying at the Ward’s Bed and Breakfast.”   Jake said once on the road back to Jude.

Deputy Adams white knuckled the steering wheel and gritted her teeth.  Jake turned and studied her profile.

“What was all that about back there?”  He asked.

Tracy studied the road ahead as if expecting something to dodge out in front of them.

“Deputy?”  Jake asked.

“What a pervert,” Adams bit not taking her eyes from the road.

“The Viking?” 

“Yes, the god dammed Viking!”  Tracy seethed.

In the six years Deputy Adams worked for him she never lost her professional cool.  Ever.  So this really was personal.

“What happened?”  Jake queried.

She shook her head.

Jake frowned.  Did he misjudge the man?  “Is this something I need to know about Tracy?  Professional misconduct?”

Her shoulder’s sagged, just a little.  “No, no Sheriff.  There was no professional misconduct.”

“So why’s the Viking a pervert?”  Jake asked.

“Because,” Tracy said.  “Once you left he turned on that Australian accent big time, crowded up close to me, then proceeded to drill me about the scars on my face.”

“That makes him a pervert?”  Jake was confused.

Tracy’s hands strangled the steering wheel.  “No Sheriff, that doesn’t make him a pervert.  What makes him a pervert is, I think he got off on my scars.”  She swallowed hard.  “Worse, when I didn’t want to discuss them and turned to leave, he asked me on a date.”

Jake whistled.

Tracy continued.  “You saw him Sheriff.  That kind of man has more women than a beauty pageant.  So why is he asking a deformed deputy out unless he’s a pervert?”

“Maybe he thinks you’re more than the scars of your face,” Jake said baldly.

“Maybe,” she said sarcastically, “if he knew me.  But seeings how we just met, that’s not really a viable scenario is it?”

Jake shrugged.

“Well its not,” Tracy said.  “Add to that the fact he works with dead bodies and his ridiculous name.  The man has to be a pervert.”

“So when is the big date?”  Jake poked.

Tracy’s eyes narrowed.  “There won’t be a date.”

Jake sighed and rubbed a thick hand down his face.  “Tracy its your life, do what you want.  But I consider myself a pretty good judge of character, and that Viking back there seemed like good people to me.”

Tracy snorted.

Jake wasn’t sure how to interpret that uncharacteristic outburst.

They rode in silence for a few moments.  The car radio clicked.  “Sheriff?  Sheriff you on?”

Jake picked up the radio.  “This is Esther.”

“Who else?”  Deputy Adams muttered.

Jake grinned.  Esther Row, a sixty year old widow, and retired secretary of the church on Hunt Street, was their stand in dispatcher when both he and Adams were out of the office. 

No amount of coaching could convince the woman she talked on a radio and not a telephone.

“Go ahead,” Jake said.

“Sheriff Myrr is here and wants to see you,” she said.

Jake’s grip tightened on the receiver, the smile sliding from his face.  “We’re on our way back.”

“He says there’s no hurry.  He’s going to Kelly’s for lunch and asks you to join him there.”  She said.

“I’ll meet him there in twenty minutes,” Jake said.

“Ok Sheriff.  I’ll tell him.  Bye bye.”  Esther crooned.

It was Tracy’s turn to whistle.  “Things just got interesting.”