After an hour of sifting through the images, with nothing new discovered, his cheerfulness vanished.
“Sheriff?”
Jimmy Don’s enthusiastic voice cut through Coop’s concentration. “Yeah?”
“We have an ID.”
“Is it the roommate?”
“Yeah. Joyce Ayers.”
Brow crinkled in thought, he leaned back in his chair. “Okay.” He pointed to a DVD on the corner of his desk. “Teddy sent the parking lot surveillance from Sunday. I went through it, saw a few folks didn’t expect to see but nothing that ties to our vic.” He didn’t mention the banker he saw getting it on with one of the waitresses or the preacher’s son leaving with a trucker. “At 9:45, her car pulls around back where Arlis saw her. Didn’t see anyone else back there, but they could have come from the other side, and there are no cameras back there. She was alone, and didn’t stop to talk to anyone.” He rubbed his face with both hands. “I left a message for Teddy to send the videos from inside. He only has a couple of cameras there, and one of those covers mostly the bar and register. Maybe we’ll get lucky.”
Jimmy held up another DVD. “Just got this from the gas station manager along with a copy of the sales receipt. Confirms it was Ms. Ayers. I haven’t looked at this yet.”
Coop took it and together they ran through the rough footage which provided no additional information other than the time she filled up.
“Okay. She got gas at 9:30, hit Teddy’s at 9:45.” Coop folded his arms across his chest, frowning as he constructed the timeline. “ME puts time of death between midnight and four a.m.”
“So, where was she between 9:45 and midnight?” asked Jimmy. “And with who?”
“That’s the sixty-four-thousand-dollar question.”
“I’m waiting for data from her cell phone. Maybe we can piece something together.”
“Let me know as soon as it comes in.”
“Sure wish Teddy had more cameras out front.”
Coop heaved a disgusted sigh. “You and Johnson rotate going back there over the weekend. See if anyone recognizes her picture. She had to have met someone there, either inside or in the parking lot before she ended up at the oil well.”
“Why on earth would she meet someone way out there? It’s in the middle of nowhere. Granted, it’s close to the interstate, but a good six miles from town.”
“People do crazy things for even crazier reasons.”
“Yep.” Further discussion ended when Coop’s phone rang. “Delaney.”
“Well, judging by your less than cheerful greeting, your day hasn’t been any better than mine.”
Just hearing Sam’s voice improved his disposition. “I take it Big Mama wasn’t happy to see you.”
“She’s a pistol, for sure. Um, I was wondering if have time to cruise around Baker Lake? But if you need the Bronco, I’ll come straight in.”
“I’m good. Still doing paperwork.” He glanced at his watch. “It’s eleven now. How about you pick me up around noon, and I’ll treat you to the best burger ever for lunch?”
“Works for me. But if you need me sooner, just say the word.” Cutting off his snappy comeback, she added, “Not in this life.”
Mouth twisted in amusement, he replied, “See you at noon.”
He ended the call, and caught Jimmy’s observant glance. “I guess it’s true then?”
“What’s true?”
“You and Sunshine.”
“What about us?”
He lifted one shoulder. “You’re an item.”
He almost denied it, but thinking JD would immediately pick up the hunt, he changed his mind. Besides, he wanted to be an item. “You got a problem with that?”
“Not me. Ruby might, though.”
Coop stared at the back of the deputy as he left. Damn.
He’d forgotten all about the owner of Ruby’s Diner. Friends for years, she made no secret of the fact she wanted more from him, but the sentiments weren’t shared. In fact, he always felt rather sorry for her because of the string of temporary relationships she went through. In a moment of weakness a few months ago, he accepted her offer of a no-strings-attached night out after her last break up. Too late, he realized his mistake, for she immediately took it to mean more than it did, despite anything he said to the contrary.
Ever since, she’d repeatedly insinuated they take things a step further, and he’d grown weary of trying to find nice ways to say no, and finally resorted to avoiding her and the diner.
Look close.
The Voice’s plea interrupted his trudge down a slippery slope. “Dammit woman,” he muttered, “you’re gonna have to give me something more.” He shuffled through the photos on his desk, then pulled up the crime scene shots on the computer. “Is something here?” he muttered, “What am I not seeing?”
Sam stopped in the parking lot near the boat ramp on Baker Lake, got out and moved the seat so Jack could join her. She stood for a moment enjoying the balmy breeze off the water, eyes taking in the tall moss-draped cypress trees on the near bank, water hyacinth along the edge and the small island in the middle covered with white birds. To the right of the ramp, maybe fifty yards away, two people cast lines from what appeared to be a fishing pier.
“We may have to invest in some new gear, Jack.” Leash in hand, camera around her neck, she headed toward a trail on the back side of the lot.
