Edith shook her head. “The food was fine,” she said. “For some reason, I seem to have lost my appetite.”
Daisy looked at Joanna’s plate. “You, too?” she asked.
“Me, too,” Joanna said.
She paid for their virtually uneaten lunches and was helping Edith Mossman into the Civvie when her cell phone rang. Joanna answered the call while stowing Edith’s walker in the backseat. “Just a minute, Jaime,” she told Detective Carbajal. “Let me start the engine. As hot as it is, I can’t leave Edith Mossman sitting there with no air- conditioning.”
“Okay, boss,” Jaime said when she returned to the phone. “Here’s the deal. We’ve turned Mr. Mossman over to Deputy Howell. She’ll keep an eye on him. He wasn’t thrilled about having a bodyguard hanging around, but when we told him his life had been threatened, he warmed up to the idea. Just exactly how serious is this threat?”
Joanna glanced at Edith Mossman sitting quietly in the front seat of the idling Civvie.
She probably wasn’t particularly dangerous at that point.
“Let’s just say I consider it serious,” she said. “And credible. Tell Debbie not to let him out of her sight.”
270
“Good enough.”
“Did you learn anything useful?” Joanna asked.
“Other than Eddie Mossman’s a total creep? He came up from Mexico because his daughter’s about to become engaged to some guy from up near Kingman.”
“But I thought Kelly Mossman was already married,” Joanna objected.
“Kelly?” Jaime said. “I don’t know anything about Kelly. I’m sure Mossman said his daughter’s name was Cecilia.”
Joanna’s stomach tightened. Knowing that Eddie Mossman had yet another at-risk daughter made what little roast beef Joanna had managed to swallow threaten to stage a rebellion.
“Did you find out how he learned about Carol’s death?” she asked.
“Sure did. He said that another daughter, Stella, called to let him know.”
“Called how?”
“On his cell phone,” Jaime answered.
“Did you get the number?”
“Yes, ma’am.”
“Good. Tell Frank I want incoming and outgoing call records for that phone.”
“But the phone is from Mexico.”
“That’s all right. All that means is that Frank Montoya will have to work a little harder than he usually does to retrieve the information. He may have to pay a little mordida to get it. What are you doing next?”
“Heading into the office to get organized and to see what Frank may have for us.”
“Good enough. Tell him I’m taking Mrs. Mossman back to 272
Sierra Vista. We’ll have to have our morning briefing when I get back.”
Joanna stowed her phone and clambered into the driver’s seat, grateful to be out of the heat and the rising humidity.
“Anything important?” Edith asked.
“No,” Joanna said. “Just touching base with some of my people.”
They drove through town in relative silence. It was only when they emerged from the other side of Mule Mountain Tunnel that Joanna resumed her questioning. “You’ve told me about Carol,” she said. “And a little about Andrea, but you’ve barely mentioned Stella.”
“I don’t like her much,” Edith said abruptly. “Of all the girls, she’s the one who’s most like her father. I was surprised that she offered to come get me the other day and bring me to town when your detectives needed to talk to me. She doesn’t usually come across all sweetness and light.”
“Considering her history, I’d be surprised if she did,” Joanna said.
“Yes,” Edith agreed. “That’s why, with Stella-with all the girls, really-I’ve always been willing to let things slide.”
“So what’s her story?” Joanna asked.
“She came along with Carol, but once she got here, she wouldn’t do a thing I told her. She was just as wild as she could be, but she grew out of it. She married herself a nice young man, and she seems to be doing all right now.”
“I met her son,” Joanna said.
Edith shot Joanna a questioning glance.
“He’s nice, too,” Joanna said.
“Yes.” Edith Mossman sighed. “I suppose he is.”
271
