The Wild Hog Murders (24 page)

“He’s not going to make anybody forget Gene Autry,” Rhodes said, as Benton started to sing.

“Much less Riders in the Sky,” Ivy said. “The group, I mean, not the song.” She paused. “Do you think the Eccles cousins are spiritual?”

Rhodes looked over at the two men, who both seemed to be listening intently to the song. Their apparent absorption didn’t change his opinion of them.

“Not in the least,” he said.

Chapter 22

Rhodes dropped Ivy at home after they’d eaten and listened to a couple of songs by Seepy Benton. Then he drove out toward Arvid Fowler’s place, thinking all the way about spirituality and the Eccles cousins. It hadn’t been too long since Rhodes had experienced something strange with some turtles, something he’d never mentioned to Benton and never would. It had been close enough to a mystical experience to baffle Rhodes, however, so maybe Benton had a point about Lance and Hugh. Not that Rhodes would ever admit it.

While they were driving home from Max’s Place, Rhodes had told Ivy about Arvid Fowler’s vacations and asked if she had any thoughts about how to find out when Fowler had left town.

As usual, Ivy had come up with a good idea. “I can just call Bennie Fowler and ask her. I’ll tell her that you and I are thinking about taking some time off, and we’d like to know where she and Arvid went.”

Rhodes had said he didn’t know how that would help.

“I’ll tell them that we’d like to know the best time of year to go to those places.”

That would work, Rhodes thought. Even if the Fowlers hadn’t gone where they said they’d be going, Bennie would give away the times when they’d left town. The times might not be exact, but they’d be close enough to give Rhodes something to work with.

He got Hack on the radio and asked where Duke was.

“He just checked in about five minutes ago. He was about to drive by Fowler’s again. He says it’s been clear the last couple of times.”

Rhodes looked at the green glow of the dashboard clock. It was three minutes past eight. Rhodes didn’t think Rapper would do anything so early in the evening, and maybe he wouldn’t do anything at all. It didn’t hurt to be careful, however.

Fowler lived out toward Milsby, just outside the Clearview city limits. Beside his house he had a little shop building made of sheet metal where he did minor electrical repairs and stored parts. There were other houses nearby, but in the back there were open fields. It would be simple for Rapper to find a way to get to the house or the shop without being seen. He’d be heard, of course, if he rode his motorcycle, but Rapper was sneakier than that. Rhodes knew he’d figure out a way to get there without being detected if he wanted to get at Fowler.

Rhodes saw the red taillights of a car just ahead of him. It was Duke’s county car, so Rhodes popped his flasher. Duke pulled over. Rhodes parked behind him and got out.

“I swear I wasn’t speeding,” Duke said as Rhodes approached.

It was an old joke, but Rhodes smiled anyway. Duke Pearson was an experienced cop who’d come back to Clearview so his wife could care for her mother, who had some form of dementia. He’d been looking for a job, and his experience made him a perfect fit for the sheriff’s department.

“How’s your wife’s mother?” Rhodes asked.

“About as well as can be expected. Callie’s helping out with her tonight.”

Callie was Callie Swan, a local woman who sat with the sick or helped out around the house or did whatever needed to be done. She was a good person to know.

“Seen anything around Fowler’s house?”

“It’s all quiet as far as I can tell the couple of times I’ve been by. Haven’t heard or seen anything unusual.”

“Let’s drive past and take a look,” Rhodes said. “I’ll ride with you.”

He got in on the passenger side, and Duke drove down the road past Fowler’s house. A light glowed in one of the rooms, and Rhodes caught a glimpse of a TV screen through the window. Everything seemed normal, but Rhodes thought it wasn’t quite right. It took him a second to figure out why.

“Where’s Fowler’s pickup?” he asked.

“It was parked by his shop the last time I drove by,” Duke said.

“Go back and stop,” Rhodes said.

Pearson turned the car around as soon as he could and drove back to the house. Rhodes got out of the car, went to the door, and knocked.

Bennie Fowler answered the knock. She was a short woman, not more than five feet tall. She wore a faded blue robe and blue bunny slippers. Rhodes hadn’t seen any bunny slippers in years.

“Sheriff Rhodes,” she said. “What brings you out here?”

“I’m looking for Arvid. Is he home?”

“No, he got an emergency call. Somebody in Milsby’s heating system went out, and they needed it fixed. Had to have it done right now, they said. It’s supposed to get cold tonight, and they didn’t want to be without heat. Arvid told them it would cost them double if he made a trip at night, but they said they’d pay.”

“Who’s this
they
?”

“I can’t remember the name. Arvid took the call, and he might not have mentioned the name to me. It’s the second house on the left on County Road 265, though. I remember Arvid saying that.”

“I’ll look for him there,” Rhodes said.

“Your wife called about your trip,” Bennie said. “I didn’t know you ever took a vacation.”

“We’re going to try,” Rhodes said.

He thanked her for her help and jogged back to the car. He had a feeling that Arvid was in for a surprise when he got to the house.

“That’s Wex Mallory’s house,” Duke said when Rhodes told him the story. “Wex’s in the hospital in Dallas with heart trouble, and his wife’s staying up there till he can come home. She let me know so I could take a look at the house now and then. There’s nobody there.”

“It’s a setup for sure,” Rhodes said. “You go on ahead. I’ll follow you there.”

“Siren?”

“No siren. We need to be quiet and careful. Stop about a hundred yards from the house.”

Rhodes went back to his own car and followed Duke’s taillights down the road. They made a couple of turns and passed a house where lights showed in the windows. Mallory’s house wasn’t much farther down the road.

The pale moon was past the full now. It hung big in the sky, giving enough light to throw shadows on the ground. Duke pulled over to the side of the road, and Rhodes did the same. Both men got out of their cars. Rhodes had his shotgun.

“Better get yours,” Rhodes said. “If Rapper’s there, you might need it.”

Pearson got the shotgun, and the two of them jogged toward the house. When they got closer, Rhodes saw Fowler’s pickup in the dirt driveway. There were no lights anywhere.

Motorcycle engines roared to life and echoed off the back wall of the house. Rhodes began to run. Pearson tried to keep up but fell behind as Rhodes turned into the driveway.

When Rhodes was almost to the pickup, Rapper and Nellie came booming around the corner of the house. They weren’t wearing helmets tonight. They probably hadn’t thought they’d meet up with the sheriff.

When they saw Rhodes, Rapper yelled something to Nellie. Rhodes couldn’t hear what it was, but Nellie must have. The motorcycles swerved, and both of them headed straight for Rhodes. He jumped aside, pressing himself against the door of the pickup and wishing that he hadn’t eaten so much barbecue. Rapper went by him before he could make any defensive moves, but as Nellie passed, Rhodes made a quick jab with the shotgun. He hit Nellie in the upper arm.

Nellie wasn’t knocked off his motorcycle, but he was knocked off balance. The bike tipped and swerved wildly, first to the right and then to the left as Nellie tried to get control.

Rapper made a wide, curving turn, nearly running over Duke in the process. The deputy dived to the ground and rolled over as Rapper headed back toward Rhodes.

Rhodes opened the pickup door and jumped inside, aiming the shotgun out the window.

Rapper turned again, moving across the front yard. Nellie had his bike back under control, and both he and Rapper rode straight across the yard, parallel to the county road.

Duke was back on his feet, but there was nothing he could do other than try to shoot them or watch them ride away. He let them ride.

Rhodes got out of the pickup, and Duke walked up the driveway to meet him as Rapper and Nellie came to a fence and cut back toward the road. The front yard wasn’t fenced, so they got to the road easily. They zipped along it, turned at the corner, and disappeared from sight.

“Those two are real pieces of work,” Duke said. “Are we going after them?”

“We’d never catch them,” Rhodes said. “Let’s see if we can find Fowler.”

The electrician wasn’t hard to find. He lay not far from the pickup near the entrance to a detached garage that held an old Massey Ferguson tractor of faded red instead of a car.

Rhodes knelt down and felt for a pulse in Fowler’s neck. He found it beating steadily and strong. Duke turned on his flashlight and put the beam on Fowler’s face. There was a bruise under his left eye and a deep scratch on his cheek.

“They didn’t give him much of a chance, did they?” Duke asked.

“Probably slugged him a couple of times as soon as he got out of the pickup,” Rhodes said. “He’s lucky we got here when we did.”

Rhodes stood up, wondering if he should call the EMTs yet again. While he was considering it, Fowler groaned and moved around.

“Careful there,” Duke said.

The deputy bent down and helped Fowler sit up. Fowler put a hand to his head and said, “What the hell happened to me?”

“You got hit,” Rhodes said. “You don’t remember?”

“I remember getting out of the truck. Some guy came up to me, and I thought he was gonna tell me about the heater problem. That’s about it.”

“He must’ve hit you right about then,” Duke said.

“If he did, I don’t remember it. My head hurts like hell, though.”

Rhodes told Duke to go get his cruiser. When he was on his way, Rhodes turned to Fowler.

“Duke will take you to the ER so you can get checked out. He’ll drop you off, and you can have your wife pick you up. Better lock up your truck.”

Fowler didn’t argue. “Who hit me?”

“A guy who thinks you might’ve killed his brother. You didn’t kill him, did you?”

“I don’t even know what you’re talking about.” Fowler held up a hand to Rhodes. “I want to stand up.”

Rhodes wasn’t so sure that was a good idea, but he helped Fowler to his feet. Then he helped him walk the three steps to his pickup so he could brace himself against the hood.

“Who does the son of a bitch who hit me think I killed?” Fowler asked.

“Hoss Rapinski.”

“The bounty hunter? Why would I kill him? I didn’t even know him.”

“He was looking for somebody involved in some bank robberies up in Arkansas,” Rhodes said. “You ever take a vacation in Arkansas?”

“Bennie and I went one fall. Looked at the leaves.”

“That’s it?”

“You think I’m a bank robber? Lord a’mighty, Sheriff. I make enough money fixing heaters and air conditioners and such. I don’t need to rob banks.”

Ivy would agree, Rhodes thought.

The headlights from Duke’s cruiser threw long shadows as he turned into the driveway.

“I think I can manage for myself,” Fowler said.

“Best you don’t try,” Rhodes said, and Fowler didn’t argue.

Duke stopped the county car, and Rhodes got Fowler into the front seat. He seemed to be feeling okay, but it wouldn’t hurt him to get checked out. Rhodes got in the back, and Duke drove him to his own car.

“How does it feel in the perp seat?” Duke asked.

“Almost like home,” Rhodes said.

*   *   *

On his way back to town, Rhodes wondered about Rapper. Would he be satisfied now, or would he hang around and see what other damage he could do? It was hard to say. Rapper was never predictable.

Rhodes also wondered how badly Rapper’s leg had been hurt when he fell from the motorcycle the night before. If it was the same leg Rhodes had sunk the hay hook in, it had to be mighty sore.

One thing Rhodes had to say for Rapper, the guy could take punishment. He might be finished with his business in Blacklin County for the time being, but he’d be back. Rhodes wasn’t looking forward to that.

Chapter 23

Rhodes thought he’d stop by the jail on his way home and see if Ruth had left any notes about Fowler and Winston for him. He’d have asked her at Max’s Place, but he knew Ivy was right about talking business with one of his deputies who was having dinner with a friend, even if the friend was Seepy Benton, who thought that the Eccles cousins had a spiritual side.

Hack and Lawton were glad to see Rhodes come in. They must have been bored, and it perked them up to know that they’d have Rhodes to pick on for a few minutes.

“Duke called in,” Hack said. “He took Arvid Fowler to the ER. Told us all about what happened tonight, too.”

The implication was that since Hack and Lawton already knew what had happened with Fowler, Rhodes couldn’t torment them by holding back information. A further implication was that the two of them knew something that Rhodes should be told but that Rhodes would have to drag it out of them.