AN: Some profanity
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The next day began bright and early. With all of our leads from the previous day's questioning identifying two possible suspects, Officer Jenkins and I intended to question both Kevin Mars and Dusty MacClure... or at least give them the preliminary questions and take their statements in regards to the murder of Joshua Marksman. Officer Jenkins met me as I passed the station's parking lot. She looked rather nervous instead of the fairly bright and chipper persona I had gotten used to while waiting for Officer Barnes to recover completely from the shotgun wounds to the stomach.
"You okay?" I asked her as she left her car to come beside me on the sidewalk.
"Oh, I'm fine," Officer Jenkins replied slowly, "Just a little nervous that's all... It's been awhile since I've done field work... Officer Howard has had me as the Desk Officer since I joined... and well... you've gotten involved in some fairly interesting cases, so far."
"Interesting?" I asked, "what was done were crimes. Nothing truly interesting about them."
"You know what I mean," Officer Jenkins answered, "First there was the alleged "tiger attack" fib that the Smith's pulled, and didn't one of them shoot at you?"
"And tried to get the Game Wardens to shoot me when they arrived," I nodded.
"And then Beauregard engineered that whole scheme beginning with the attack in Illinois and hoping they'd kill you and Molly," Officer Jenkins continued.
"And end the possibility of any future animal-people being created, yes," I nodded, "I may not be in favor of people giving up their humanity, but murdering someone and trashing their lab isn't the answer."
"And he ended up shooting Barnes as well," Officer Jenkins went on, "You've had more action here then most other officers have in a lifetime in this area... and all of them had some degree of violence involved. The present case is no exception."
"I won't let either of them come near you or hurt you," I promised her.
"Thank you, George," she replied, "you're very kind. Hopefully Molly loves that about you."
"She does," I nodded and opened the door to the station.
We entered to find Officer Howard talking with Officer Barnes about something. It sounded like the weather to me. As we approached, he turned and looked toward Officer Jenkins and I.
"Good morning, you two," Officer Howard spoke, "I got a call a few minutes from the ballistics people that came down from Kalispell to to finish the examination of Marksman's body. They believe they've identified the likely weapon used in the murder."
We all paid attention, even Officer Barnes sitting at the desk. Once he was sure he had our attention, Officer Howard gave us the news.
"They believe it to be and older model Colt revolver, possibly one originally sold to the military and/or the police," Officer Howard spoke, "not a magnum, but still a fairly powerful weapon."
Officer Jenkins and I nodded.
"Unless it just happens to be laying around, I doubt we could easily do anything to match numbers of the bullets there to the round they collected from the body," I commented.
"Right, but it will be something to watch out for," Officer Howard warned, "a lot of guys that went into World War I, or had them early on in World War II KEPT those revolvers. You could see it while questioning Mars or MacClure."
Officer Jenkins and I both nodded.
"And be careful," Officer Howard finished, "wear your vests if you think there is the slightest possibility of being attacked."
"Of course, sir," both Officer Jenkins and I replied.
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We decided to start with Kevin Mars first, since he lived in town. Officer Jenkins and I figured we might be able to catch him before he went in to work. The lights were on when we arrived, but to my surprise the person who answered the door was female not male.
"Yes?" the woman spoke slowly.
"We're looking for a Kevin Mars," Officer Jenkins spoke first, in case they had any lingering agreement with R.A.M.'s ideas.
"He's getting ready for work, could this wait?" the woman asked back.
Officer Jenkins was nervous for a moment.
"No," I said firmly, "this is concerning the murder of Joshua Marksman."
"Who is it?" a male voice called from inside the house, sounding half grumbling.
"Two police officers, one of them is the male tiger," the woman called back, "asking about the murder in the paper."
There was some more grumbling as a middle aged man came out and around the corner to come up the hallway . He barely paid attention to Officer Jenkins, but seemed to focus on me. He became slightly nervous once he got a good look at me.
"Can we do this quick? I'm running late already," the man asked.
"We are investigating the murder of Joshua Marksman," I spoke, "Previous R.A.M. members..."
"Oh that motherfuckin' organization!" the man, Kevin Mars growled, "I'd hoped to high heaven I'd never have deal with that group a yahoos again! Cost me a lot of money, and since Beauregard got revealed as an asshole, I took a pay cut."
"It may be more serious then pay cuts and losing money because they've banned me from being a customer at the butcher shop," I spoke, "the R.A.M. members have named you as a possible suspect in the murder."
"Why would I murder the friend of a grade A asshole?!" Kevin Mars yelled, "the only guy I'd want to kill is Beauregard for makin' me make the biggest mistake of my life! And he's in jail!"
"Marksman was killed in an argument with a male with a volatile temper," Officer Jenkins told him, "which so far, you seem to have."
"Yeah, I got a hot temper? What's the problem with that? I take it out on stuff!" Kevin grumbled, "As my wife! She'll tell you. I never take it out on people..."
"Your wife did seem to have a bruise..."
Kevin Mars then blushed with embarrassment, "that was actually a sexual thing. We were trying this position and..."
"No need for detail," I said quickly, "we're only asking for a basic statement on the night of the murder, since we have no actual need for a warrant yet."
"The night of the murder?" Kevin then asked, "a few nights ago right?"
"Yes," I nodded.
"As I said, my wife and I were trying this position, and it well backfired," the stated, "we both slipped. She bruised her arm and I bruised my neck."
He then pulled on his tee-shirt and revealed a larger bruise on his neck and shoulder.
"As I said before, the only person I want to kill is in jail," Kevin Mars then finished.
I sighed, noticing that his wife was blushing harder then he was behind him while cradling her bruised arm.
"I wouldn't try that position again," I said weakly.
"We won't, it hurt like hell and killed the whole mood," Kevin Mars then finished, "good luck."
"Thanks," Officer Jenkins and I sighed.
Once we made it back to to the car Officer Jenkins commented to me as we both got in, she commented to, "at least he's got a convincing alibi."
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After a rather odd conversation with Kevin Mars we made our way out to Dusty MacClure's ranch west of town. Our arrival there was far different. As we arrived, a gunshot echoed through the air behind the house.
"What the..." Officer Jenkins gasped and hurried out of the car and letting me out. We then began to move toward the sound of the gunshot. Officer Jenkins activated her walkie-talkie as she did so.
"Officer Jenkins and Wayne at the MacClure property," she spoke, "reporting a shot fired, though the target is unknown. Have back up on stand by."
We hurried around the house to find a lone man in a prone position with a powerful bolt action rifle. He barely noticed us and fired another shot at a wooden target at the other end of a field. As he went to move the bolt again, he did notice us and turned the barrel toward us.
"What the devil are you doing on my ranch?!" the man, Dusty MacClure demanded.
We both came to a complete stop before answering.
"I'm Officer Jenkins, this is Officer..."
"I know who he is," Dusty MacClure answered, "the threat..."
"I am no threat to any person," I told him, "We'd like to ask you a few questions about the murder of Joshua Marksman."
"Defender of liars and cheats," Dusty MacClure whispered to himself, though I could hear him faintly, "after all I did for the man."
After a few moments he then nodded and spoke in a clearer tone.
"I'm not sure if I can do anything to help you," Dusty MacClure spoke.
"We've spoken with other R.A.M. members," Officer Jenkins spoke, "they seemed to indicate that you fit the description of the person who would have likely killed Marksman, based on the story that his sons gave us."
"It's because I enjoy marksmanship, isn't it?" Dusty MacClure questioned.
"It has nothing to do with your use of firearms on your own land," Officer Jenkins replied, "it has to deal with the belief that you are short tempered and the possibility that you felt betrayed by Beauregard."
"Wouldn't you, if you were in my position?" he asked Officer Jenkins, "let me make myself clear, tiger, I do not like you. But that doesn't meant that Beauregard didn't betray us as well."
"The feelings of betrayal are part of our reasoning for the motive of the man who killed Joshua Marksman," I told him.
"He betrayed every R.A.M. member," Dusty MacClure answered, "It could have done something good to defend our town from threats... and he robbed every member and got us labeled as a "hate group" of all things."
"Did you feel betrayed by him?" I asked.
"Yes," Dusty MacClure answered.
He did seem to relax a little, and as he turned I noticed a very well polished revolver in a holster on the hip that was originally on the other side of him. It looked like a Colt brand, but I couldn't be sure or that.
"Did you know Joshua Marksman?" Officer Jenkins asked.
"How could he defend that man," Dusty MacClure whispered again before speaking clearly, "Yes. I've actually helped him from time to time on critter control type things."
"Were you visiting him on the night of the murder?" I asked.
"Well for awhile, but I left shortly after his son's came home," Dusty MacClure answered.
"Do you have any idea who might have committed the murder, then?" Officer Jenkins asked, "a rival rancher? Some other personal enemy we don't know about? A different R.A.M. member?"
"Not really," Dusty MacClure answered, "Marksman's always been a fairly friendly guy. No enemies, and the rivalry was always between Beauregard and the "Old Guard" ranchers... which is obviously over with Beauregard paying for betraying us... which I don't see any R.A.M. member defending... I mean, how would you defend someone who betrayed you?"
"Perhaps if he/she was a personal friend," I commented, "I might look for excuses."
"Not on the level of betrayal that Beauregard pulled," Dusty MacClure answered, "not on that level."