Adrenaline coursed through Heather’s veins. Steve must have experienced the same thing. It wasn't his movements or words but the sudden stillness of amplified concentration that charged the air around him. It meant every word to follow would have the singular purpose of solving the murder of Hector DeLeon.
Cementing the agreement with the granddaughter would have to wait as Sheriff Blake expressed his condolences and turned to his chief deputy. "You left the crime scene?" His words sparked with accusation.
"The people from the State Forensic Lab are there, and I had Roger put up a perimeter. All we could do was stand around with our faces hanging out. The word must have got out back in Llano. Angelina showed up while I was on my phone talking with a state trooper."
"Don't blame Marvin, Sheriff," said Angelina. "As soon as I heard, I left home and drove to Abuelo's cabin. I had to know what happened." She ducked her head and waves of hair spilled on her face. She used both hands to push it back after she raised her chin. "I lost it when I saw my abuelo being placed in a black bag."
She looked at Heather as if asking if she understood. Heather nodded. "Abuelo. Your grandpa. I'm sorry."
A hard stare from the sheriff pinned Marvin. He didn't offer any additional defense.
"I'm sorry you had to see that," said Sheriff Blake.
"It was my fault," said Angelina. "I broke away from Roger at the roadblock and outran him to the cabin."
Instead of commenting further, the sheriff stood. "If you'll excuse us, Marvin needs to give me an update. We'll be in the hall."
Marvin swallowed hard. It probably wasn't his fault, but he was due a lecture all the same. In her mind's eye, Heather envisioned Deputy Roger as a plump young man manning a roadblock. He wore heavy cowboy boots and all manner of gear. She could almost hear his footfalls and protests as he tried to keep up with a trim young woman wearing running shorts, a figure-accentuating tank top and tennis shoes.
Heather made a mental note that she'd have to give Steve a physical description of Angelina later.
Steve used his most comforting voice to say, "Ms. Perez, let me express our sincere condolences. Words always ring hollow, but they're all we can offer, except our desire to help you. Are you serious about wanting us to investigate?"
Angelina's gaze dipped, but only for a second. This was the second time she'd displayed the same unconscious habit. Heather read it as something akin to shame, or perhaps uncertainty. She'd ask Steve's opinion on it later to see if he agreed.
Shame or not, she raised her chin and firmed her voice. "Yes, Mr. Smiley. I'd like your help, but I'm not sure I can pay you up front. I have a few thousand dollars saved, but I may have to work out terms for your services."
"You needn't worry about payment,” said Heather.
Steve didn't belabor the point other than to say, "We do require you to sign a contract, but I remember Hector and it wouldn't be right taking from his granddaughter."
Her eyes went downward a third time. "That's very kind, but I won’t accept charity. I've already written a check for a thousand dollars."
Steve ignored Angelina's last words. "To get started, tell us about yourself. I take it you live in Llano?"
"With my mother. Her name is Anna. Anna Perez. And before you ask, I'm single, twenty-four, five-feet-three-inches tall, and I weigh a hundred and fifteen pounds in the summer and a hundred and twenty-five after Christmas tamales."
Steve patted his belly. "My pants get tight around the holidays, too."
"I graduated second in my class from high school and went to college in San Marcos. My degree is in accounting and I failed my first CPA exam. Fingers crossed when I take it again in the fall."
"Are you working now?"
"For the county treasurer."
The longer the young woman talked, the more Heather liked her. Angelina knew her strengths and weaknesses.
Steve pressed on. "Any serious romantic relationships?"
The head dipped again. "Not anymore. I was engaged in college, but that didn't turn out the way I expected."
"Ah."
The pause gave time for Angelina to square her shoulders. "I'm a third generation Texan, Mr. Smiley, but I come from common stock. I passed muster with my fiancée’s parents until they met my mother. She preferred to speak Spanish, even though she converses well in English."
Heather bristled as she remembered how her father would treat any young man she mentioned. The bloodline had to run true-blue, and the Standard and Poor’s credit rating had to be above reproach.
"But don't get the wrong idea,” said Angelina. "My mother’s preference to speak Spanish was just the first drop in the bucket. It really had nothing to do with my heritage. The real reason was money. They didn't want their son’s portfolio tarnished by my student loan debt. You might say I come from the wrong side of the financial tracks."
Steve's next question brought Angelina back from the unpleasant memory. "How did you hear about your grandfather's death?"
"Do you know how many people live in Llano County? Less than twenty-five thousand in a land area of nine-hundred and sixty-six square miles. In the city of Llano, if you can call it a city, you can't sneeze without somebody blessing you. News travels fast."
Steve had drawn Angelina into a conversation that got her mind off her grandfather and established himself as a safe person. It wouldn't be long before his questions hit closer to the heart.
"When was the last time you saw your grandfather?" asked Steve, right on cue.
"Yesterday. I took him a big bowl of menudo Mama made for him. Enough for several meals."
"How did he seem?"
"What do you mean?"
"Was he upbeat, nervous, calm, worried?"
Her eyebrows drew together. "Mr. Charley's death hit him hard. We talked about how he missed him and my grandmother Rose. He cried."
"Hector seemed to be a good man. I never saw him without a smile," said Steve. "Of course, it’s been a while since I last saw him. I didn't come back to this area after I lost my father, except once with my wife."
Angelina took a moment before she continued. "Mr. Charley’s death hurt my grandfather. Mama was super-worried about him. That's why she cooked for him."
"Do you think he might have worried about having to move from the ranch?"
She took her time answering the question. "He seemed worried about something, but it wasn’t about finding another job. Over the years, he turned down a lot of offers from ranchers that paid more and offered him a better place to live. He always chose to stay at the Rocking V. Now that I think about it, Abuelo considered himself part of the Voss family. That's odd since the only Voss child that treated him with respect was Rance." She paused. "That may not be a fair thing for me to say. Rance told me Sue Ann had a good relationship with him. I don't know how the two oldest treated him. He wasn't one to discuss negative things with me."
"How well do you know Rance?"
A smile of familiarity parted her full lips. "He was three years ahead of me in school. I knew him when I was growing up because he spent so much time with Abuelo. He was always nice to me, but the age difference and my living in town meant we had little in common."
Heather broke in with a question. "Rance is handsome and well educated. You're a beautiful young woman with a promising future. Is there any chance you and Rance might—"
A peal of laughter came from Angelina, cutting Heather's question short. "Me and Rance? Hardly. His heart belongs to his cattle and my long-term plans are to move to a place where thick, green grass grows instead of things that stab or bite you. Besides, it'd be like kissing a brother. Yuk."
"Yeah. Yuk," said Steve. He tapped his index finger on the table. "Would it be possible for us to visit your mother in the next few days?"
"Let me talk to her first. She’s devastated. I called several of her friends and I'm sure they've packed the house with food by now."
"And your grandmother, Rose? She died several years ago?"
"I was young when she passed.”
"One more thing," said Heather. "Can you think of anyone who'd want to harm your grandfather?"
Her chin quivered. "He was such a good, cheerful man. How could anyone do this?"
The door opened, and Marvin entered with hat in hand. "I'll take you back to your car, Angelina, whenever you're ready."
Heather made eye contact with the grieving granddaughter. "I'll call you in the morning to check on you."
"Thank you. And thank you, Mr. Smiley." She brushed his cheek with a kiss and walked out the door with Marvin leading the way.
Sheriff Blake grimaced as he hobbled back in the room and all but fell in the nearest chair. "Did she have anything interesting to say?"
Steve shook his head. "We were establishing background and getting a feel for the case. She said Hector had been down in the dumps since Charley died. That's not the Hector I remember."
"Me either. Do you think the same person killed both of them?"
The air in the room took on weight, like a force was compressing it. Steve took off his sunglasses and rubbed his sightless eyes. "How many head of cattle are there in Llano County?"
The sheriff's face twisted into a question. "If memory serves me, there's about forty thousand head, give or take. Why?"
"Two murders on the same ranch, less than two weeks apart in a county with twice as many cattle as people. What are the odds?"
The sheriff fingered the brim of his hat. "Roy is the expert on giving odds, not me."
Steve put his sunglasses on. "I'll ask him tomorrow, along with the others."
The heaviness in the room lifted when Steve's stomach made a sound not unlike a washing machine.
"You need to feed that thing," said Sheriff Blake.
Steve pushed back from the table. "I've got a hankering for some good Mexican food. Is there a restaurant nearby?"
"Go out to the main road and turn left. There's one not more than a mile, on your left."
"Care to join us?"
"Do you want another funeral? If the food didn't kill me, Clara would. It's carrot soup and a salad without dressing for me tonight."