“I’m just trying to get to the truth, Mr. Trimble.”

“Call me Charlie. And why are you so set on doing that? You’ve only been here a short while.”

Stone rubbed his shoulder and then his head. “Let’s put it this way, I don’t like being pushed around.” And then there’s Abby. “How was Peterson killed?” he asked.

“Gunshot. Probably during a robbery. There was a safe in his office that had been forced. Cash, some files, and his computer were stolen. Tyree’s been working that one too, but he’s not come up with much, at least that he’s confided in me. He’s the entire police force, you know.”

“He could call in the state police.”

“He might do that.” Trimble smiled. “Or maybe his brother.”

“His brother?”

“Howard Tyree. He’s the warden up at Blue Spruce Prison.”

“He never mentioned that.”

“Well, I’m not sure the two get along all that well. So my suggestion of him calling in his brother to help was a poor attempt at a joke. Tyree’s on his own.”

A few minutes later Stone left the Divine Eagle office and headed to see the sheriff.

He found him in the jail building going over some papers.

When he told Tyree what had happened to him in the mineshaft, the lawman nearly came out of his chair. As Stone continued explaining, Tyree started to nod.

When Stone finished he said, “The hospital confirmed that Willie had oxycodone in his system. Willie was allergic to it. He never would’ve voluntarily taken it. Plus it’s pretty expensive without a prescription.”

“So somebody did try to kill him,” Stone said.

“Looks that way. And a smart way to do it, actually. Prescription drug abuse is rampant around here. I spend a lot of my time with that crap. Black stain on what is otherwise a nice place to live. But you can’t lock everybody up who’s addicted. Hell, there wouldn’t be any miners left to work. You try to rehab them, get their methadone pop every day, but it’s not enough. Every cop up and down the Appalachian mining country knows we’re fighting a losing battle. But we don’t have enough resources. We’re overwhelmed.”

“This area is pretty remote. Where do they get all the drugs? It’s not like there’s a pharmacy on every corner.”

“They can get it from any number of sources. Sham pharmacies on the Internet, pipeline from the Mex border. Many a miner has sucked away his life savings and his marriage over that crap. Old saying up here is, ‘Methamphetamines keep you awake and oxy keeps you high.’”

“Sheriff, I believe there’s a connection between Danny, Willie and Debby Randolph’s death.” Stone went on to tell him about Willie proposing and then him talking to Debby the night before she was found.