Lomax’s lips tightened into a thin line. “I wasn’t here when it happened, and Lionel and his boys weren’t here either. Are you implying I’m to blame for Mr. Cricket’s getting shot?” Jack shrugged. Cyrus growled, then showed the pearly whites that Jack religiously brushed twice a day.

“Where were you the day it happened?” Ted asked.

“I went to Home Depot to pick up two kitchen sinks on back order. When I got back, all hell had broken loose. I didn’t even know Mr. Cricket was coming here that day. He always calls when he’s coming, and he’s never late. I respect punctuality, as does he. And yes, it is a military thing where I’m concerned. I can’t speak for Mr. Cricket, since there are no clocks in the casinos. I assume he just likes to be on time.”

Jack felt as if some of the wind had gone out of his sails. He moved on. “How many vacancies are there here in the village?”

“Normally, there are none, with a waiting list a mile long, but right now there are exactly twenty.”

“Why?” Jack asked.

“Some of the tenants have moved or left. The apartments of those who paid their rent through the end of the year, which includes most of the twenty—Bessie can tell you exactly how many and which ones—even though vacant, cannot be rented until the year is up. No one knows where or why the tenants left. I consulted the police and Mr. Cricket as well. We cannot rent those apartments, that’s the bottom line. It would be illegal to do so. And we are still considering the applications for the others.”

Ted pursed his lips as he listened to Lomax and how his tone changed with the questions. He wished Maggie were here. She’d have a fix on this guy in five minutes. “Does Mr. Cricket make a habit of coming unannounced? Has he ever done that before?”

“No, he hasn’t.” Lomax sighed. “That’s been bothering me too. For him to come out here to the desert in the middle of the day, something must have been important. And no, I have no clue as to what that reason would be. I cannot tell you something I don’t know.”

“What about Mr. Meadows?” Jack asked.

“What about him? I barely know the man. I know that at one time his mother resided here, but that was before my time. I met him once or twice for maybe a total of five minutes each time. I think it was Thanksgiving and one Christmas party. I’m not even sure I could pick him out of a crowd. My dealings were always with Mr. Cricket.”

“And yet Mr. Meadows owns half of Happy Village?” Jack said, his eyebrows shooting upward to show how strange he thought that was.