CHAPTER
69
THE BOMB WASN’T as sophisticated as the ones at the abandoned house. At least that was the pronouncement of the retired ATF agent who arrived two minutes after Cole did.
Puller stood next to Cole as the bomb was removed from the car and taken away.
“Didn’t have much time,” he said.
“What?” asked Cole.
“Wasn’t as sophisticated because they didn’t have enough time to put it together.”
“Who are you talking about?”
“Your sister invited me to lunch today. She was waiting for me here. She insisted on driving. I left my car here. I really didn’t know why she wanted me to go to Vera Felicita with her, but she did.”
“She took you to her B-and-B?”
“Yeah. Then we got back, she drove off real fast, and I luckily spotted the footprint and the piece of wire. Otherwise, you’d be identifying my remains, if there was enough left of me.”
Cole didn’t say anything right away. She scuffed the dirt with her shoe, her brow furrowed in thought. “Are you accusing her of being involved in this?”
“I’m not accusing anybody of anything. I’m just presenting facts.”
“What reason would she have to kill you?”
“Well, if her husband is involved in those murders and he goes to jail, his company will probably tank and there goes her big house and her fancy B-and-B.”
“She built that place with her own money and financing.”
“So she says. But that operation must’ve cost a real chunk of change to get going. What bank would loan her that unless Roger cosigned?”
“But how do you figure Roger being behind the murders? He was the one receiving death threats.”
“He says he received death threats. We have no independent proof of that.”
“That’s true,” she conceded.
“And I checked something in the local newspapers at the library today. There were no public notices of the blasting for Sunday night. They blasted without fulfilling the notice requirement.”
“That’s a real big deal, Puller. Nice work.”
“So we have gunfire and explosives going off at pretty much the same time. One covers the other. And that mine belonged to Trent. Who had the authority to do blasting without filing the requisite public notice?”
“Legally, no one. Whoever did authorize it is in serious trouble.”
“I think we need to find out. And we need to find out if anyone saw someone around my car this afternoon.”
“I’ll get right on that. But, Puller, I can’t believe that my sister had anything to do with it.”
“I don’t want to think that she did either, Cole, but the circumstances are suspicious.”
“They are,” she agreed.
She scuffed the gravel with her shoe again. “I’m not sure I’m the best person to investigate this.”
“If you’re okay with it, I can do it.”
“I’m okay with it. But Puller, one more thing.”
“Yeah?”
“Yes, she’s my sister. But you let the evidence take you where it goes, okay?”
“Okay.”
“When are you going to do it?”
“Right now.”