worked at the lodge,” he said. “David Binion. I’m going to head over and talk to him.”
“Do you think it’s a good idea to go alone?” I asked with a frown.
He smiled. “I’ll be fine. I’ll need to start my shift when I get done, so I’ll be in my sheriff’s uniform. It’s just a janitor for the lodge. Nothin’ to worry about.”
I nodded, still nervous. Marco had already been shot for me—I didn’t want him endangering himself. “Okay. Just be careful, okay?”
His mouth lifted into a small smile. “I will. Do you feel okay with me leavin’? Bingham hasn’t shown up yet.”
“I’m fine. Max and Tiny are both here. If he drops by, they’ll keep him in line. Don’t worry about me.”
I took the drinks back to the table, keeping an eye on Marco as he said something to Max and then left. I was going to be a nervous wreck until he came back.
About twenty minutes later, Bingham walked through the door with three of his friends. He searched me out, our gazes locking, and I knew he’d gotten the message.
His friends sat at a table, but he slid into an empty booth, still intent on me.
My stomach churned as I walked over to him with my chin lifted, then slid into the seat opposite him.
“So now you’re usin’ go-betweens to get me to do your biddin’ instead of comin’ to me outright.” He cocked his head and gave me a pensive look. “That doesn’t sound like you.”
“I didn’t think it would be wise to show up at your front door again. My questions are a lot blunter than usual.”
A mock smile cracked his lips, and he held out his hand. “Try me.”
I glanced around to see who might be close enough to overhear. His friends sat at the table next to us, and the booth behind me was empty. “Were you selling roofies nine years ago?”
His brow shot up. Then he looked amused. “You lookin’ to buy some?”
“I said nine years ago.”
“Maybe.”
I resisted the urge to roll my eyes. “Let’s say nine years ago I was lookin’ for some—would I go directly to you to ask for it?”
He was silent for a moment. “If someone thought I could procure something, they would come to me.”
“Shortly before Heather left town, did someone ask for some?”
Surprise filled his eyes. “You think someone roofied her?”
“No,” I said, “I think she was trying to get some to use on someone else.”
He leaned his forearm on the table, clearly intrigued. “Who do you think she was wantin’ to drug?”
“First, you can tell me if someone came to you askin’ for it.”
He grinned. “No one came askin’ for anything like that.”
“How can you be certain?”
“Because it’s never happened. Period.”
“What about oxy?”
He sat back. “Well, that’s another story, but if she was lookin’ for something to make a person compliant, oxy wouldn’t be the way to go. Now who was she wantin’ to drug?”
“I’m not sure, but it looks like she was hoping to put Bart in a compromising position.”
“You don’t say.”
“Obviously it didn’t happen,” I said.
“Or maybe Bart caught her in the act and left her murder to Carson Purdy, who buried her on my property to implicate me if she ever turned up.” He held out a hand again. “See? That wasn’t so hard, and it would have kicked up a lot less dirt if you’d come to me directly.”
I wasn’t so sure about that, but I wasn’t going to call him on it. “There’s something else.”
He made a small shift in his posture. “Shoot.”
“I know this was a long time ago, but did anyone bring you a Chevy Cavalier around that time? It would have been someone looking to dispose of a car.”
He didn’t say anything.
“I realize it was a long time ago.”
“Who do you plan on sharin’ this information with?”
“I can keep it between the two of us.”
He pursed his lips and cast a glance toward the bar, a small grin lighting up his eyes. “Your boss ain’t too happy with me talkin’ to you.”
Sure enough, Max was glaring at him, looking like he was prepared to vault over the counter to intervene. He’d known Bingham was coming, so this had to be for show.
“As long as you behave yourself, you’ll be fine. Now tell me what you know.”
Sucking in a deep breath, he leaned forward, resting both forearms on the table. “Between you and me, I got a phone call from a woman. She had a car that needed