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“Yeah,” Dozer said, looking away toward his house. “That’s the last thing I need.”
29
“Do youthink she’d liefor her husband?” Stokes asked, glancing over at Annie.
He had insisted on driving this time. She had been happy to let him, though she almost hoped he would get lost, she was dreading this so. If this had gone down the way Stokes suggested, Tulsie was an accessory, voluntary or not.
“Yes. Absolutely, she would,” she said. “One: she’s scared to death of him. And two: she’s scared to death to lose everything she’s worked for.”
“What about the hired hand?”
“I don’t think she likes Cody, but she’s loyal to Tulsie. There’s nothing to say she would know anything about what went on Saturday night, though. She would have left after feeding the horses late in the day Saturday.”
“Do you think Tulsie would have told her what happened?”
“I don’t know. She’s pretty ashamed. She might not have, but we should keep them separate.”
“Agreed.”
“Let me deal with Tulsie,” Annie said. “This is gonna be really hard for her.”
“That’s why I brought you. I’m not a complete knothead.”
Annie chuckled, glad for the second of relief. “Don’t sell yourself short, Chaz.”
“Very funny.”
They pulled into the Parcelles’ driveway and up to the barn. It was late afternoon, the sun already sinking low in the west, casting the barnyard in tones of gold and sepia. A couple of horses in pens near the barn raised their heads from piles of hay to look at them with casual curiosity. The dogs came running out of the barn, barking and baying their greetings.
The white truck that had been parked in front of the barn the last two times Annie had come there was gone. As they got out of the car, Chaz nodded in the direction of the house, maybe fifty yards away and partially obstructed from view by trees. The truck was backed in under the carport next to the house.
Country music was playing in the barn accompanied by the sounds of horses getting fed—buckets rattling, hooves banging on stall doors.
Izzy Guidry looked up as they walked in, her expression blank.
“Hey, Izzy,” Annie said. “Is Tulsie around?”
“Nope. Can I help you?”
“I just have a couple more questions for her, is all. Is she riding?”
“No. She’s home sick,” she said, digging sweet feed out of a rolling cart with a big metal scoop. “She got a migraine. Been sick all day. Did you get hold of Cody?”
“That’s the thing,” Stokes said. “Cody never showed up in Houston.”
“Seriously?” She took the scoop of feed to a stall where a black horse with a blazed face stood tossing its head up and down in anticipation of its dinner. “Where’d he go, then? Did he have an accident or something?”
“We don’t know. He hasn’t been in touch?”
She shrugged and dug another scoop of feed out of the cart. “He wouldn’t call me.”
“Tulsie hasn’t said anything about him?” Annie asked.
“No.”
“I’m just gonna go on up to the house and see her,” Annie said. “It won’t take but a minute.”
“She’s sleeping,” Izzy said, going back to the feed cart. “She takes that migraine medication and it knocks her out. Can’t she just call you tomorrow?”
