Peter Decker 2-Book Thriller Collection: Blindman’s Bluff, Hangman

“Of course,” Karns said. “I dug it. People with big ranches do it all the time.”

“You buried three horses at once?”

“Not all at once. The first one I dug was for Netherworld, then the next one was for Buttercream. I dug her grave right next to his. But then when Potpie died, I didn’t feel like digging a whole new grave. That’s a lot of work. So I just dug up the area between Netherworld and Buttercream and made one big hole and stuck her there.”

“How long ago did the horses die?”

“Netherworld and Buttercream died about two years ago. Potpie died last year. It didn’t smell that bad. The first two had already rotted by then.”

“Anyone else know about the horse grave?”

“The missus knew about it. She said a little prayer each time one of her babies died.”

“Anyone else besides Mrs. Kaffey?”

Karns’s eyes darted back and forth. He said nothing.

Decker said, “It’s not a trick question. Who else alive knows about the graves?”

At last he said, “Paco Albanez takes care of the grounds around here. He has a backhoe. I asked him if I could borrow it. He told me it was out of order and asked me why I needed it. When I told him I had to dig a grave for the horses, he said he’d help me dig the hole if I wanted.”

“Anyone else help you dig the hole?”

“Just meself and Paco.”

“How did you decide where to dig the hole?” Decker could see Karns gnashing his teeth together, a big bulge forming along his jawline. “Did someone tell you where to dig?”

“I don’t want any problems, Guv.”

“No problems, Riley. But I do need you to tell me who told you to dig the hole.”

“The mister told me to dig the hole. Joe Pine was on duty that day. He told me where to dig it.”

15 (#ulink_4ade5bf7-df52-519d-937e-237a80c75a44)

Karns went back to his grooming. When Decker didn’t disappear, he said, “That’s all I know.”

“What you know is a lot, Riley.”

Karns made a point of exhaling loudly. “Why I didn’t want to get into it.”

“Riley, my friend, you are very much into it whether you like it or not. You were one of the first people at the crime scene, and now you tell me that you dug Denny Orlando’s grave—”

“Horseshit!” Karns whirled around, his face flushed and his hands shaking. “I didn’t dig Denny’s grave. I dug a grave for the horses where poor Denny was found.”

“Well, someone dug up that hole for Denny,” Decker snapped back, “and it had to be someone who knew that the grave existed.”

Karns spat on the ground, missing Decker’s shoe by several feet. “I’ve been honest with you and now you’re twisting me words so the murders are me fault or something. I have nothing more to say.”

Decker decided on the cooperative approach. “If you are being honest, then I got a deal for you. Take a lie detector test.”

“Those things are worthless.”

“Not true,” Decker told him. “It’ll only work to your benefit. I can’t use it against you if you don’t pass, but if you do pass, I’ll direct my energies elsewhere.”

“I don’t trust you, Guv. You’ll probably get me to say things I don’t mean.”

“I won’t be giving you the test.” When Karns regarded him, Decker smiled. “And as far as saying things, the questions are yes/no. It’s hard to put your foot in your mouth with one word answers.”

Karns didn’t answer right away. Though Decker reserved a large sector of his judgment until the facts verified the hunch, his gut feeling told him that Riley wasn’t being deliberately evasive. It was more like Karns had a profound distrust for anything that required electricity.

“How about if I set it up?” Decker said. “If you change your mind, just let me know.”

“I’ll think about it,” Karns answered. “Now I’d like to get back to me business in peace if you don’t mind.”

“Just a few more questions. The animals’ corpses must have been very heavy. You had to have had help to lug them over to the grave.”

“We did the grave first, Guv. Then we put them to sleep near the hole.”

“Ah, that would make sense.”

“You’d know it if you really had horses.”

“I had horses but I never put them down. The vet always did it.”

“Yeah, I figured you wouldn’t get your hands dirty.”

Decker ignored the snide comment. “And you’re sure that you and Paco did all the digging by yourselves? If you’ve been honest until now, don’t go blowing it on a simple question.”

Karns lowered his eyes. “Maybe Pine helped, too. Why don’t you call him up?”

“We can’t find Joe. Any idea where he might be?”

“No, not me.” Back to eye contact. “Go ask Brady. He’s in charge.”

That was Decker’s next step.

The head of Kaffey security picked up on the third ring, but the connection was lousy. “I can barely hear you, Lieutenant. Can you text me?”

Decker hated texting. His thumbs were too big for the phone’s keyboard. He pulled the unmarked onto the shoulder just before the entrance to Coyote Ranch’s freeway ramp. “Where are you?”

Static.

“I can’t hear you.”

“What about now? Can you hear me?”

“Better,” Decker said. “Don’t move. Where are you?”