Flanner DelRay?”
“Good call there.” Jimmy took a piece of paper out of his pocket, handed it off to Dale. “Here’s the list of cars Flanner could remember seeing out here in the past two weeks. How did you know he had a habit of writing down license plate numbers?”
“Because he told me. That day he found the body. He has this thing for keeping track of makes and models of cars. It’s our good fortune that he also writes down their license plate numbers.” Dale went over the list. “Looks like he’s recorded every car that came within a mile of his place. A flatbed Ford truck with an Arizona plate, a Nevada semi, a big rig with California plates, and a station wagon loaded down with Utah campers. The guy’s thorough, if not anal-retentive. Wait a second. Look at this. Here’s a champagne gold Lexus.”
Dale’s head popped up. “Jimbo, I want you to check out this plate number for me.”
“Right this minute?”
“Yep. Run that registration like you’ve just chased down a speeder going ninety in a fifty-five-mile zone.”
“No problem. Be right back.”
Dale watched Jimmy walk back to his squad car and sent up a prayer for luck. They needed a break.
Zeb had the same thing on his mind as he pulled down the street from Jocelyn’s estate. Luke had come along to keep him company. Their part in the investigation was to keep an eye on the woman in question and make sure she didn’t do a runner.
Seventy yards from her front door, the two men sat there and stared at the massive house at the end of the block. At that moment, a dozen possibilities ran through Zeb’s law enforcement brain.
“Do you think she realizes that Lando is onto her? And if so, what is she planning to do about it?”
In it for the thrill of catching a bad guy, or in this case a woman, Luke shifted in the passenger seat and brought out a thermos of coffee. “Good questions. But what would happen right now if we, well you, appeared on her doorstep this very night and put the cuffs on her? Would she go quietly? Or would she fight to the bitter end?”
“I wouldn’t be…putting the cuffs on her. That’s Lando’s job. I’m just here to provide manpower in a crunch. But to your point, I don’t much think the woman would go quietly into the night. She’s not the type. But that’s just my cynicism working overtime,” Zeb admitted.
“Yeah, but you can’t discount the bodies piling up around her. They might go back years but using that, you and Lando should consider Jocelyn Williams a flight risk.”
“Well, yeah. Not just that, but she’s an unknown danger. She’s not your run-of-the-mill serial killer. Think about it. She likes to cut brake lines, cause accidents or shoots her hubby in the middle of the woods. Most serial killers don’t vary their methods. She’s different that way. Between you and me, I almost wished she’d make a move so we could find out what she’s up to.”
Luke didn’t like the sound of that. “Hey, I’m just along to keep you company. It was either that or stay behind with the women. I’m not here looking for trouble. Although I am curious as to what Jocelyn will do if cornered.”
When Zeb’s radio crackled to life, it broke up the speculation. Luke listened in as Lando provided the latest update.
“Dale just discovered that a gold Lexus registered to Jocelyn was spotted hauling ass past Flanner DelRay’s property the day we think Daniel Albrecht died. So make damn sure she’s in that house. Make certain you’re watching her and not some underling who works for her.”
Zeb swapped looks with Luke. “Well, she’s either going to bed in an hour, or she’ll try to pack up and hit the road. Either way, we’re here for the night.”
“No, you’re not listening,” Lando fired back. “I mean, make sure she’s even in there. Make sure she hasn’t already hightailed it out of town.”
“You want me to go peek in her window? Like a peeping tom?”
“Up to you how you verify she’s inside. But I need eyes on her at all times. And the later it gets, the more convinced I am she’ll try to run. I want to make sure she hasn’t already taken off.”
Zeb let out a loud sigh. “Fine. I’ll verify. Or maybe I’ll send Luke out into the night. But if the neighbors bring out their shotguns, I’m blaming you