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“We’d like to speak with Sheriff Maverick. Is she in?” Grace glanced toward the closed door of Maverick’s office.
“No, I’m sorry. She’s out working a case.” Deputy Aldridge’s expression left no doubt what case that might be, although she tried to hide it.
“Do you know where in town she might be? Can we call her? It’s pretty important.” Grace gestured toward the radio. “Can we radio for her?”
“Tell me what you know, and I’ll decide if it’s necessary to interrupt the Sheriff.” Deputy Aldridge said.
“It’s got to do with the Prada murder, but it’s only for Sheriff Maverick’s ears.” Grace was a little put off by Deputy Aldridge and her high-handed attitude. “Look, I think I may know who did it. I need to talk to Sheriff Maverick to prove it, though.”
“You were told to stay out of it!” Deputy Aldridge growled.
“Well, I guess I didn’t. What are you going to do? Arrest me?” Now Aldridge had Grace’s dander up.
“How about I cite you for interfering with a police investigation? That can carry jail time. A hundred and twenty days in jail to be exact, and a seven hundred and fifty-dollar-fine on top of it. How’d you like that?”
“Are you seriously going to sit there and threaten me?” Grace asked.
“Oh, that’s not a threat. That’s a guarantee.” Deputy Aldridge barked. She obviously didn’t like her authority questioned, which Grace had to admit was a valid point.
She took a deep, calming breath. “Look, Deputy, I’m not here to step on anybody’s toes. I have real information that I think the sheriff will want to hear.”
“What information is that?” Sheriff Maverick’s voice came from the doorway to the office. She must’ve just returned from town and overheard the last bit of the conversation.
“Grace Conroy, who was specifically told to stayoutof the investigation, claims to have information. I told her if she didn’t give it to me I would charge her with obstruction,” Deputy Aldridgesaid.
“Nobody’s going to be charged with anything. Everybody take a breath. Now, Grace, what did you hear and from whom?”
“Actually, it was from you, Sheriff. You said the autopsy showed Prada was shot with an old gun, a revolver from the fifties.”
Maverick nodded. “The best they could tell the bullet came from a Smith and Wesson .38 Masterpiece. A collector’s piece.”
“Exactly. We went to talk to Albert Herves today—”
“Grace, I told you not to—” Maverick began.
“About investments, Sheriff. That’s all we talked about, I swear. Jeremy Prada’s name never came up. I said I was there to ask about investing some money.”
“And what good did that do you?” Deputy Aldridge asked.
“I realized by looking at Herves and the way he dressed, by his office and its ultramodern design, by the fact that he had absolutely zero antiques in that building that he was the type ofman who had no interest in old things, not even old guns. Then I realized I knew someone who did.”
“And who would that be?”
“Ginny Windom. Her vintage store sold antiques, too. Knives and bayonets. She had a display case with old guns in it.”
“Ginny Windom thinks her cats talk to her,” Deputy Aldridge reminded them.
“And Son of Sam thought a demon was speaking to him through the neighbor’s dog,” Molly countered.
Deputy Aldridge shook her head. “The knife in the case was a WWII trench knife that couldn’t cut butter. As for the guns she has in that case, I’ve seen them. They’re antiques, all right. If she tried to shoot any of them, she’d blow her hand off.”
“I have to agree with my deputy on that one,” Maverick said. “Those guns haven’t been cleaned in at least twenty years.”
“That doesn’t mean she doesn’t have others, Sheriff. Ginny Windom is acollector. Sure, most of her collection is related to the eighties, but does that mean she doesn’t collectotherthings? Like guns?” Grace asked.
“Her husbandwasa police officer, Britney. It’s possible he would’ve shown her how to clean and care for a weapon, and left her a few when he passed, other than those in the display case.” Maverick seemed to be mulling it over. “When I spoke to her, I asked her about the back room she has in the store. She was very defensive about anyone going back there. I think it’s worth talking to her again, maybe getting a warrant.”
“Out of all the people we spoke to, she’s the only one who talked about gettingjustice, too. Nothing about getting back the money she lost. She was very clear that what happened to Jeremy wasjustice,” Grace said.
