fingers on her left hand were broken, the ring finger in two places. Broken in the fall, I would assume, unless she tried to fight off her assailant.
“But what also might be helpful in identifying the woman is the prior break in the Jane Doe’s radius, right wrist,” the doctor continued. “It appears it was broken and healed shortly before her death. The break had been set, indicating she sought medical attention. She would have been wearing a cast in the weeks prior to her death.”
A woman with a broken wrist in a cast.
“I’ve sent the information to both the dentists and doctors in your area,” Dr. Cross said. “All her teeth were intact and she’d had dental work done on severalmolars not long before her death, as well. You got lucky on this one.”
Lucky? Hud didn’t feel lucky. Again he wondered why Rupert hadn’t made the call. “Is Dr. Milligan still there? I wanted to ask him something.”
“Sorry, but Rupert left some time ago. He said he had an appointment.”
Hud thanked him and hung up the radio, wondering what was going on with Rupert. Why hadn’t he been the one to call? It wasn’t like him. Especially since he’d been right about everything. He would have called if for nothing else than to say, “Good thing you didn’t bet me.”
Because, Hud thought, Rupert wanted to get the information to someone else first? For instance, his friend the former marshal, Brick Savage?
Hud stared out at the falling snow. The night was bright, the scene past the windshield a tableau of varying shades of white and gray. Next to him the Gallatin River ran under a thick layer of ice. He couldn’t remember ever feeling this cold.
He reached over and kicked up the heat, letting the vent blow into his face.
The same gun used to murder the woman in a red dress was used during what had appeared to be a robbery of Judge Randolph’s residence. The Judge had been shot and killed—the two incidents years apart.
Hud rubbed his hand over his face. No, he didn’t feel lucky in the least. Judge Randolph had been one of Brick Savage’s most outspoken opponents. Hud had never known what had spurred the judge’s hatred ofMarshal Brick Savage. The two had butted heads on more than one occasion, but then his father butted heads with a lot of people, Hud thought.
The difference was the judge had been in a position to make his threats come true. There had been talk that Judge Randolph was determined to see Marshal Brick Savage fired.
If the judge hadn’t met such an untimely demise, who knows what would have happened, Hud thought as he pulled back onto the highway, the snow falling now in a dizzying white blur.
He hadn’t been looking forward to going back to the cabin he’d rented near Big Sky. The cabin was small with just the bare essentials—exactly what he’d thought he wanted.
Except tonight he had too much on his mind to go back there yet. He turned around and headed for Bozeman. He wouldn’t be able to sleep until he looked at the case file on Judge Raymond Randolph’s robbery-murder.
He thought again about the anonymous note he’d received. Someone had wanted him back here. Someone with an agenda of their own?
As he drove down the canyon, the snow falling in a blinding wall of white, he feared he was being manipulated—just as he’d been five years ago.
Chapter Five
Dana brushed snow from her coat as she pushed open the door to the Corral Bar. The scent of beer and smoke hit her as she stepped in, pulled off her hat and, shaking the snow from it, looked around the bar for her father.
It was early. The place was relatively empty, only a few locals at the bar and a half-dozen others in booths eating the burgers the Corral was famous for.
A country-western song played on the jukebox, competing with the hum of conversation. The bartender was busy talking with a couple at this end of the bar.
Dana spotted her father and uncle at the far end on adjacent stools. They each had two beers in
“But what also might be helpful in identifying the woman is the prior break in the Jane Doe’s radius, right wrist,” the doctor continued. “It appears it was broken and healed shortly before her death. The break had been set, indicating she sought medical attention. She would have been wearing a cast in the weeks prior to her death.”
A woman with a broken wrist in a cast.
“I’ve sent the information to both the dentists and doctors in your area,” Dr. Cross said. “All her teeth were intact and she’d had dental work done on severalmolars not long before her death, as well. You got lucky on this one.”
Lucky? Hud didn’t feel lucky. Again he wondered why Rupert hadn’t made the call. “Is Dr. Milligan still there? I wanted to ask him something.”
“Sorry, but Rupert left some time ago. He said he had an appointment.”
Hud thanked him and hung up the radio, wondering what was going on with Rupert. Why hadn’t he been the one to call? It wasn’t like him. Especially since he’d been right about everything. He would have called if for nothing else than to say, “Good thing you didn’t bet me.”
Because, Hud thought, Rupert wanted to get the information to someone else first? For instance, his friend the former marshal, Brick Savage?
Hud stared out at the falling snow. The night was bright, the scene past the windshield a tableau of varying shades of white and gray. Next to him the Gallatin River ran under a thick layer of ice. He couldn’t remember ever feeling this cold.
He reached over and kicked up the heat, letting the vent blow into his face.
The same gun used to murder the woman in a red dress was used during what had appeared to be a robbery of Judge Randolph’s residence. The Judge had been shot and killed—the two incidents years apart.
Hud rubbed his hand over his face. No, he didn’t feel lucky in the least. Judge Randolph had been one of Brick Savage’s most outspoken opponents. Hud had never known what had spurred the judge’s hatred ofMarshal Brick Savage. The two had butted heads on more than one occasion, but then his father butted heads with a lot of people, Hud thought.
The difference was the judge had been in a position to make his threats come true. There had been talk that Judge Randolph was determined to see Marshal Brick Savage fired.
If the judge hadn’t met such an untimely demise, who knows what would have happened, Hud thought as he pulled back onto the highway, the snow falling now in a dizzying white blur.
He hadn’t been looking forward to going back to the cabin he’d rented near Big Sky. The cabin was small with just the bare essentials—exactly what he’d thought he wanted.
Except tonight he had too much on his mind to go back there yet. He turned around and headed for Bozeman. He wouldn’t be able to sleep until he looked at the case file on Judge Raymond Randolph’s robbery-murder.
He thought again about the anonymous note he’d received. Someone had wanted him back here. Someone with an agenda of their own?
As he drove down the canyon, the snow falling in a blinding wall of white, he feared he was being manipulated—just as he’d been five years ago.
Chapter Five
Dana brushed snow from her coat as she pushed open the door to the Corral Bar. The scent of beer and smoke hit her as she stepped in, pulled off her hat and, shaking the snow from it, looked around the bar for her father.
It was early. The place was relatively empty, only a few locals at the bar and a half-dozen others in booths eating the burgers the Corral was famous for.
A country-western song played on the jukebox, competing with the hum of conversation. The bartender was busy talking with a couple at this end of the bar.
Dana spotted her father and uncle at the far end on adjacent stools. They each had two beers in
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