Death at the Black Bull Read Online Free Page A

even then there’s a crew here taking care of what’s left of last year’s inventory before the new harvest. Things are a little slower but not much.”
    â€œSo you have no idea what the problem was.”
    â€œNot really. I just heard he was upset about something. One of the guys said it had to do with a transit problem, but I don’t know.”
    â€œOkay, Carlos. Thanks. Say hello back home. By the way, if you hear anything that you think I might like to know, call.”
    â€œWill do, Sheriff.”
    Virgil watched as Carlos walked back inside. As far as Buddy Hinton was concerned, at this point he was digging a dry well. He hated to go to the Hintons’ empty-handed, but it didn’t look like he had much choice. A few minutes later he was back on the road. The sun was now at his back, but he still had the headache.
    *   *   *
    Jimmy Tillman was ready to go to work. He tossed the ball a few more times to his twelve-year-old sister, Abby, then he hopped on his bike. He worked hard to make sure her life as a twelve-year-old was much better than his had been.
    â€œJimmy, can I have a ride on your bike?”
    â€œNot now, Abby. Gotta go to work.”
    He saw the disappointment on her face.
    â€œTomorrow maybe,” he said. “We’ll even stop and get a slushy and fish off the bridge.”
    He didn’t wait to see the transformation, just gave a wave. It didn’t bother him that the town council wouldn’t let him take a cruiser home. He liked the exercise because he knew once he started making his rounds he’d be sitting most of his shift. Besides, Virgil had told him he was going to see to it at the next meeting that the policy changed. Twenty minutes later, he was walking through the back door of the sheriff’s office.
    â€œHey, Jimmy, you’re early. I just got off the horn with Virgil. He was just leaving Redbud.”
    â€œAnything happening? About Buddy, I mean?”
    â€œNothing yet. No trace. It’s starting to get worrisome.”
    â€œMaybe since I’m early I’ll go have a look-see.”
    â€œThat’s fine. I’ll be here for another hour.”
    Jimmy knew he had a lot to learn, and he was paying attention, especially to Virgil. There had been men in his life, of course. His dad for a little while, but it was hard to remember him sober. Then there was Grandpa. He was always good to Jimmy and glad to see him when he stopped over, but Jimmy did that less and less since Grandpa’s latest woman. She was meaner than a snake and Jimmy couldn’t figure out why Grandpa would want any part of her. But then he’d come to understand there was a lot about people that was a complete mystery to him. That was, with the exception of Virgil. To Jimmy’s way of thinking, there was Virgil, then all the others. He would walk barefoot over broken glass for a mile if Virgil asked him. It was as if his life was going nowhere before Virgil came along. Now he couldn’t think of his life as being anything without him.
    Once in his car, he headed out of town, crossing the bridge that he and Abby would probably fish from the next day. He rode pretty much aimlessly around town, stopping at occasional places where he thought Buddy might be. He ended up at the Black Bull. It had been the local watering hole on and off for the last thirty years and the last place where anyone had seen Buddy Hinton.
    Jimmy got out of his car and stood in the parking lot. There was no sign of life yet. His was the only car in front. He saw some staff cars around back. It would be at least another hour before the first beer of the day would be poured. Jimmy wandered around, not quite sure what he was looking for, although the thought struck him that everyone was convinced that Buddy had taken off from here for parts unknown. He wondered if maybe that wasn’t the case.
    He walked around the back of the roadhouse. There were a