Chapter 33
Thomas
Chapter Thirty-Three
Kevin’s father’s office was a tidy room with a lot of books and papers in it. It contained exactly two filing cabinets, a big wooden desk, and a bookshelf. Kinsley chose to search the bigger cabinet with at least ten drawers, on the right side of the room next to the bookshelf, which Kevin was already going through. Connor took the smaller cabinet across the room, and I went through the desk. Five drawers and a locked safe that I planned to pick as soon as I made my way down to it.
“Has anyone had any luck?” Connor pulled out the next drawer.
“No.” Kevin sighed, looking through every book one by one.
I lifted my eyes to Kinsley, but she was too invested in the papers she was reading to hear my brother’s question. It didn’t matter, I knew she would tell us as soon as she found something. I didn’t answer either. Instead, I pulled out the last of the five drawers with an annoyed groan. It had to be here.
“Khm.” Someone cleared his throat, but I didn’t look up from the papers.
“Can I ask you four what are you doing in my study?” came the low-voiced question, and I heard something hit the floor with a thud.
I turned to Kevin, whose direction the noise came from, to see him frozen in place with a book at his feet before I lifted my eyes to the chief. He looked the same as I remembered from my childhood. Short hair and a serious look with a respect-demanding stance.
“Dad, I—” Kevin started as soon as he came back to his senses, but Kinsley cut in.
“We are here for a case file.” My eyes flickered toward her. “Sir,” she added quickly, and the chief lifted a brow.
“I could take all of you down to the station for burglary. Even my son.” He sent a stern look to Kevin.
“It would take years for the process to get started.” I cleared my throat. “Burglary is low on the priority list. Let us just tell you why we are here and?—”
“We can pay.” Connor dropped in, and I sent him a silencing look.
“One at a time.” The chief straightened. “You.” He turned back to Kinsley, and she parted her lips, surprised, before clearing her throat.
“We are here for an old case file,” she repeated. “129 00009 0429 400,” she specified, and I lifted a brow at her. She really memorized all that? My heartbeat quickened.
“You did your homework, I see,” the chief agreed. “I’m still not sure, why break into my study and not just ask me.” His gaze flickered between the four of us.
“I—” Kevin started again, but his father stopped him with a hand lift.
“You, I will deal with later.” He walked around the desk to where I was standing. “So, you are here for the file of Elizabeth Rhodes.” He observed me. “Thomas?” I nodded. “That makes you,” he went on, turning toward my brother, who was still standing frozen in front of the filing cabinet, “the little Connor.” My brother nodded too.
“Yes, sir,” he nervously added, and the chief hummed in response.
“You see, my father, may he rest in peace, was obsessed with your mother’s case.” I knotted my brows. “Nothing really happens in a small town like this, so it was his ‘big case’ as he always said. Even after the eyewitnesses came forward, he wouldn’t stop. So, when he died, he left it to me.” He pulled out a key from his pocket and squatted down to the safe. He turned the key in the lock and pulled out a brown folder. “I never would have thought you two would show up for it.” He tilted his head.
“Why wouldn’t we?” Connor asked before I could, and the chief turned to him.
“I hoped you would move on. Unlike my father did. I’m sorry to see otherwise.”
I flinched.
“So, the previous chief didn’t believe the eyewitnesses?” I asked.
“I wouldn’t put it like that. He just saw the possibility of a different outcome. There was nothing that suggested that Elizabeth stayed in town.”
“All of her stuff was left behind except for her phone and papers, and her car was parked at the house?—”
“It’s not unusual for people who want to start fresh to leave everything behind. But if you want to investigate…” He placed the folder down on his desk. “I hope you get the answers you seek.” He turned from me to Connor, and then moved toward the door, leaving the folder behind.
“Are you really helping us right now?” Kinsley asked, her gaze on the folder, and I sent her a warning look, but she didn’t even acknowledge me. “After we broke into your office?”
The chief sighed and massaged the bridge of his nose. “Let’s say, I came home, went into my office, pulled out an old file, read it over, and when I went to get some coffee,” he gave us a stern look, “I may have forgotten to put it away. It might have gone missing for a few days, but not more than that.” He walked to the door.
“Thanks, Mr. Miller,” Connor said when the chief passed him.
“You can call me Isaac.” My brother’s eyes widened. “My son talks about you highly,” he added, and I raised a brow. “That reminds me.” He turned back around. “Kevin, come on, I think we need to have a quick chat about privacy.” Kevin sighed, but he went to follow his father.
As soon as the door closed behind them, the three of us shared a look.
“Did he really just lend us the case file?” Kinsley asked, striding closer to the desk. “Just like that?”
“Did he really just let me call him Isaac?” Connor swooned at the same time, stepping closer too. “He’s so cooool.” He smiled, and I rolled my eyes, towering over the desk.
The brown folder was lying on the wooden surface with my mother’s name written on it, and I let out a jittery breath before grabbing and opening it to the first page. What caught my eye first was a small to-do list attached to the paper. I looked at the date on it. This was most likely the missing page from her notebook.