Judgment Call

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Book: Read Judgment Call for Free Online
Authors: J. A. Jance
This is Bisbee,” Chief Bernard said. “We don’t have four-wheel-drive anything.”
    â€œThe road out here is rough. You might want to send Keller down to the Justice Center so he can hitch a ride out to the crime scene with Jaime Carbajal. I’ll tell him to wait until Matt shows up.”
    â€œI’ll get right on it,” Bernard said. “Thanks for letting me know.”
    After calling Larry Kendrick back with a request that Jaime wait for Detective Keller, Joanna turned to her daughter. Jenny and Kiddo were standing on the far side of the wash, where Kiddo was contentedly munching on several carrots Jenny had brought along in her pocket.
    â€œAre you okay?” Joanna asked.
    â€œI’m fine, Mom,” Jenny said. “I mean, I’ve seen something dead before.”
    â€œSomeone,” Joanna corrected, “and so have I. But to see someone shot like this? It’s still upsetting.”
    â€œEven for you?”
    â€œEven for me.”
    Jenny took a bite out of a carrot and passed the remainder to Kiddo. Joanna managed to keep from asking if Jenny had washed the carrots before sticking them in her pocket.
    â€œHow did the bad guy leave?” Jenny asked. “If his getaway car was stuck in the wash, where did he go?”
    â€œHe must have left on foot,” Joanna said.
    That made it possible that the killer had walked right past High Lonesome Ranch. Not a comforting thought, but Joanna needed to know for sure.
    â€œThat’s why I called for the K-9 unit,” Joanna continued. “Terry and Spike might be able to pick up his trail and at least give us an idea of which direction he went.”
    â€œWhat if he walked by our house?”
    Not for the first time, Joanna was forced to consider the mysterious workings of DNA. Jenny seemed to have a mental GPS that was following her mother’s every thought, spoken or unspoken.
    â€œIf he had come anywhere near the house, I’m sure Lady would have raised a fuss, and just because Lucky happens to be deaf doesn’t mean he isn’t up to the job. If someone posed a threat to you or anyone else in the family, I have a feeling that big black lug of yours would tear the bad guy limb from limb.”
    Jenny nodded. “Probably,” she said.
    â€œSpeaking of dogs,” Joanna said. “Did you see any dog prints around here?”
    Jenny shook her head. “Why?”
    â€œI understand Ms. Highsmith had a dog.”
    â€œGiles,” Jenny said. “That’s the name of her dog.”
    â€œYou knew Ms. Highsmith’s dog?”
    â€œI only saw him one time. His first owner, a guy out at Fort Huachuca, was being deployed and had to get rid of him—free to a good home. Ms. Highsmith brought him to the clinic for a checkup, to update his shots, and to have him chipped. He’s a Doberman. He looks fierce, but he’s a good dog.”
    Joanna spent a few minutes looking but could find no visible dog prints. She had the sick feeling that if Debra Highsmith was dead, so was her dog.
    Finally, Joanna turned back to Jenny. “You and Kiddo should probably head home,” Joanna said. “The crime scene team will be here soon.”
    â€œWon’t somebody need to interview me?” Jenny asked. “I mean, on TV the cops always interview the person who finds the body. The person calling it in usually turns out to be some kind of suspect or something.”
    â€œThe person who finds the body usually isn’t my daughter,” Joanna responded. “If anyone besides me needs to interview you, I’ll send them by the house.”
    â€œOkay,” Jenny said, but she clearly wasn’t happy about it. She turned away from Joanna, put a foot in the stirrup, and then vaulted easily up into the saddle. She was doing exactly what Joanna had asked her to do, yet somehow it felt like a rebuke.
    â€œI’m your mother,” Joanna said. “I’m

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