Rattlesnake Crossing by J.A. Jance

Author:J.A. Jance [Jance, J.A.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Fiction, Mystery, Western
Publisher: HarperCollins
Published: 0101-01-01T00:00:00+00:00

“May I help you?”

Joanna had expected Crow Woman to make an appearance. Instead, the person behind the counter was a tanned and handsome, blond-haired, blue-eyed man who looked to be in his early forties. His words were touched by the slightest trace of a New York accent.

“I’m Sheriff Joanna Brady,” she said, bringing out her ID. “And this is Detective Ernie Carpenter. We’re looking for either Daniel Berridge or someone named Crow Woman.”

A quick flash of something that looked like hope passed across the man’s chiseled features. “I’m Danny,” he said. “Have you found her, then?”

“We’re not sure, Mr. Berridge,” Ernie put in. “We need to ask you a few questions.”

“You have found her!” Daniel Berridge exclaimed as all hope disappeared from his face and was replaced by unmasked despair. “She’s dead, isn’t she? I knew it. What happened? Did she fall? Did a cougar get her? A snake? What?”

In this case, Joanna thought, being dead is the least of it. “We’re not sure the person we found is your wife,” she said kindly. “Detective Carpenter and I have been going over a copy of the missing-person report Deputy Sandoval took yesterday. It says Katrina was wearing a watch when she left home. Unfortunately, the report neglected to say what kind.”

“An Omega,” Daniel Berridge answered at once. “I bought it for her for Christmas years ago.”

Ernie reached into his pocket and pulled out the see-through bag containing the remains of the shattered watch. “This one?” he asked.

Daniel Berridge looked at it and nodded numbly. “That’s it,” he said. “Where is she? Please, tell me what happened.”

“Search and Rescue found her on the far side of the river,” Joanna said. “She was shot—shot and mutilated.”

“Oh, God,” Daniel groaned as his face reddened and contorted with grief. He swallowed hard. “Was she…was she raped, too?”

“No,” Joanna said. “To the best of our knowledge, she was spared that. From the looks of it, all her clothing was still intact.”

“But I thought you said she’d been mutilated. What does that mean?”

“I’m sorry, Mr. Berridge. There’s no easy or kind way to tell you this. Whoever murdered your wife also scalped her.”

“Scalped,” he whispered hoarsely. “You’re kidding! This is the twentieth century, for God’s sake. This has to be some kind of sick joke. You’re making it up.”

“No,” Joanna said. “I wish I were.”

Stumbling backward Daniel Berridge collapsed on a low, rolling stool. He buried his face in his hands, and sobbed. Several minutes passed before he was once again capable of speech.

“What kind of a monster would do such a thing?” he croaked. “It’s awful. It’s insane.”

“Yes,” Joanna said. “I couldn’t agree more. It is insane and whoever did it is indeed a monster.”

For a time the room was silent except for the ticking of an immense grandfather clock. Finally Berridge seemed to pull himself together. “Who did it?” he asked. “What kind of a person could do such a thing? And why?”

“We don’t know,” Joanna said. “We were hoping you might be able to help us answer some of those questions.

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