Chapter 15
Fifteen
E than veered left out of the driveway, the tires of his truck crunching on the gravel, and headed toward Mills River Road.
The Old Mill loomed on his right as he crossed over the bridge.
The sky that had been blue with white puffy clouds all morning had turned dark gray with threatening black clouds—just like his mood.
He stared at Community Church, its steeple rising high into the darkened sky, and pulled into the parking lot. Maybe he could get some clarity on this case. He turned the truck off and slammed his hands on the steering wheel, the sound echoing in the cab.
“What in God’s name just happened?” he muttered. All he did was investigate a murder that was now spiraling out of control, leaving him with two unlikely suspects, one of whom was his own brother. Frankly, he didn’t believe Tanner or Jane murdered David Thornton, but circumstances required him to put their names on the suspect list.
Ethan closed his eyes and let his mind wander, wondering if his dad and grandpa had faced similar problems. How did they deal with the conflict of family loyalty versus duty?
He was the sheriff, and as such he couldn’t eliminate someone just because they were family. Why the hell didn’t Thornton just move away and take his shady dealings elsewhere? He’d been nothing but trouble for years.
Ethan sighed, realizing there would be no divine intervention or miracles today.
He started the truck and headed into the office.
Maybe there would be some good news and the killer confessed. He chuckled. Yeah, maybe if he was the main character in one of those TV shows where cases were wrapped up in an hour. However, that wasn’t real life, and dreaming didn’t help his situation. The best he could do was gather clues, investigate what Thornton was up to and who had it in for him, and ultimately crack the case.
His phone rang just as he pulled into the parking lot of the sheriff’s office and turned off his truck. The talk with the mayor was short and direct.
Rubbing his hands over his face, he took a deep breath and exhaled. Showtime.
Ethan said hello to one of his deputies who was leaving and stepped into a quiet office. Two deputies worked at desks, while Rosie and Adam chatted in a corner. He walked over.
“Meet me in my office in a few,” he said. Ethan took a minute to pour himself a cup of coffee. He didn’t have to do the sniff test to know it’d been brewing for a while. He grimaced when he took the first sip. Yeah, most likely sitting there since this morning. He dumped the liquid in the sink and washed his cup.
Opening the door to his office, he hung up his jacket and looked out the large window. It overlooked a small patch of pine and maple trees. People were walking on the sidewalk, either heading toward the courthouse or elsewhere.
“Ethan.” Rosie stood in the doorway. “Are you ready for us?”
“As ready as I’m going to be,” he replied. “Come on in.”
Adam and Rosie took seats across from his desk.
“Please give me some good news,” said Ethan.
Rosie shook her head. “We got nothing. I have an appointment later to talk to David Thornton’s daughter. Maggie was out of town and will be back in a couple of hours. She didn’t seem to upset to learn he was dead.” Rosie looked at her notes. “We’re waiting to hear from Ezra. He might have a better timeframe for the murder.”
“Did you get anything from Jane that would help us?” asked Adam.
Good question. What he got was Thornton had threatened Jane. She had means, motive and opportunity. What he didn’t get was the sense she murdered Thornton. “Not much. Apparently, Thornton threatened her a couple times, but she says she didn’t let it bother her. Still, it’s mighty suspicious. Why Jane’s pond? Why now?”
“So, Jane is still on the suspect list?” asked Rosie.
“Until we prove otherwise.” Ethan ran his fingers through his hair. “I’ve got to put Tanner on the list too.”
“Tanner?” Adam exclaimed. “Why Tanner?”
“I visited Tanner after I left Jane’s house to see if he’d seen anything suspicious.” Ethan huffed. “Tanner had a couple of altercations with Thornton. The last time was when Thornton visited him at the farm. He thought he might have given Thornton a black eye.”
“Fuck,” Adam exclaimed. “I don’t believe he killed him, but why was Thornton threatening him?”
Ethan closed, then opened his eyes. “Some old rumor about my grandfather and ol’ man Jenkins’s father making some sort of pack with Thornton’s family to buy the two farms. Thornton threatened to get control of Jenkins’s farm and cut off the stream that runs into our property.”
“That doesn’t make any sense,” Rosie said. “Did Thornton have proof? A receipt? Why the sudden focus on buying the land?”
“No idea.” Ethan slapped the desk and stood. “Just a FYI, the mayor just called and is demanding updates. So let’s solve this murder quickly.”
“Great,” Adam said. “No pressure here.”
“Rosie, let’s get Thornton’s financial records and see where he was spending money,” Ethan said. “Adam, interview anyone who knew Thornton. There must be a clue somewhere. Thornton’s fingers were in so many shady deals.”
Rosie and Adam stood. “Sounds like a plan,” she said.
As they left, Ethan leaned back in his chair. He stared at the wall of old photographs of his father and grandfather standing in front of the station. He wondered if he was living up to their ideals and hoped he’d get justice for David Thornton’s death.