Dani hung up the phone with Laura. Rucker had been a shit to the grieving mother after they left. He’d remained at her house for at least an hour, stressing to the poor woman that she was being a pain in the ass, and if she didn’t behave herself she would find out how he truly dealt with such a pain.
Laura was terrified, but nonetheless resolute. She was going to find out what happened to her daughter. She didn’t care if Rucker planted her six feet under, she was going to get answers. She’d allowed too much time slip by letting others tell her she shouldn’t make waves.
Dani asked her who those others were, hoping Laura would verify that she had indeed been married, but she avoided the question. The deputy followed her uncle’s instructions and didn’t press the woman on the subject.
By the time Dani put the phone back in its cradle, she had the names of three of the husbands of the women they’d met the day before. A quick search of the database brought back a litany of scrapes with the law by all three men. They weren’t model citizens by any means; most of the charges were of the drunk and disorderly nature. A few were a little more serious. One of the men had actually served eighteen months for involuntary manslaughter.
In a little under an hour, Dani had enough background information on the three men to share with her uncle.
He examined her notes and clicked through their list of violations on his computer. “This Trace Connor, he still drive long haul for the casket company?”
“Got fired. He’s gone independent. His old supervisor gave me a list of his regular clients.” Dani pointed to the companies she’d written at the top of the page.
Otis read them over. “Well, I’ll be pinched. You got Tanner Tobacco written down here.”
“Yes, sir.”
“He hauls for them?”
“That’s what the man said.”
Otis sat back in his chair and smiled. “Little deputy, I think I found us a way to get Mr. Connor over to our corner of the woods.”