“And you never happened by the diner where Patty works?”
“I don’t give a shit about Patty or her kid. We broke it off over a year ago. Again, why are you here? I’ve got to get back to work.”
“Patty worked at the Mountain Music Festival over the weekend.”
“Okay.”
“Where were you this weekend?”
“Here. Working. A Mustang with a blown transmission. We playing twenty questions? Or are you going to tell me what’s going on?”
“Patty vanished from the music festival. No one has seen her since Saturday morning.”
He shifted. “What does that have to do with me?”
“You’re the guy on record who beat her up.”
Grinning, he shook his head. “You talked to Buddy? He’s not a Boy Scout. He has a thing for Patty.”
Buddy had been at the festival restocking supplies. He’d driven his van up the fire road and parked on the other side of the woods,where Patty had been last seen. “Did anyone see you working here over the weekend?”
“Sure. Seth over there will vouch for me.”
Seth had stepped out from under the car. He was watching them in plain view. Taggart noted Seth was as big as Summers.
“Seth, is that true?” Taggart asked. “Was Summers here all weekend long?”
“That’s right,” Seth said as if the answer had been rehearsed. “We worked side by side all weekend long. Guy was never out of my sight.”
“Even when he went to the john?” Taggart countered.
“You know what I mean,” Seth said. “He didn’t leave the garage.”
For now, there wasn’t much he could do. But he was sure that both men were hiding something. “Can I search the garage?”
“When you get a warrant,” Larry said.
“I’ll call in a request now. My deputy will deliver it.”
Both men glanced at each other. Yeah, there was something in the garage neither wanted him to see. He moved to his vehicle and slid behind the wheel. He reached for the radio and called into the office. “Brenda, I need you to call the judge and get me a search warrant.” He explained where he was and who he was talking to. When he rose out of the car, both men’s stony features telegraphed their anger.
“We have work to do,” Summers said. “We don’t have time for this.”
“The work will have to wait. I want you boys to stay right where you are.”
Seth pulled a cigarette from his pocket. He fished out a cigarette and a plastic lighter from the packet. “This is bullshit.”
“Boys, I don’t have beef with either of you. But I’m looking for a missing girl.”
“I haven’t seen her!” Summers shouted.
“I’m going to have to be convinced of that,” Taggart said. “And it’s going to take a search of the property before I’m convinced you aren’t part of this.”
“Go ahead and search,” Summers said. “There’s no woman here.”
“I’ll wait for my deputy and the warrant. I don’t want there to be any misunderstanding if we end up in court.”
“Look, man,” Seth said. “I got weed and some coke. But no chick. Kidnapping and murder are different levels of trouble.”
