Chapter 14
Chapter Fourteen
Eddie Hawthorne had never appeared so cagey before. He kept looking to Charlie for answers.
He agreed to meet with them at the police station but hadn’t sat since he arrived.
“What’s this about?” he asked, yet Ryan believed he knew.
Ryan and Boone would conduct the interview. Charlie insisted on sitting in. Ryan prayed Eddie wouldn’t reveal anything that would cause Charlie more pain.
“Thanks for coming in, Eddie,” Boone told him. “We have a few questions for you.” The sheriff had been briefed on what Lila said.
“Questions?” His eyes panned around the room lingering on Charlie. “What type of questions?” There was a smile on his face that didn’t quite reach his eyes.
“About the argument between you and Pete shortly before his death.” Ryan indicated the chair he pulled out. “Please have a seat.”
Eddie jerked back as if struck. “Argument?” He made a growling sound. “There was no argument. We were simply two old men who got snippy with each other.” Eddie slipped into the chair and inched it closer to the table and away from Ryan.
Ryan returned to his seat beside Charlie before revealing what they knew. “Not according to the owner of the café. Lila said she had to break you two apart. And she mentioned something about Junior.”
Eddie seemed to scramble to come up with an answer. “Nothing. I was just telling him he should let the investigation into Abby’s disappearance go. After all these years his questions were stirring up the worst period in our town’s history and it always seemed to put Pete on edge.”
“Why would you tell him such a thing?” Charlie exclaimed. “Pete wanted to find out what happened to Abby for her parents. They deserve the truth. Pete did, too.”
Eddie smiled kindly. “Yes, of course, but after so long. . .” He held up the palms of his hands.
“It seemed impossible and the more he dug into the case the more it took its toll on Pete’s health.
Anyway, back to our argument, Pete got mad at me.
I think he didn’t want to hear this because he believed not finding Abby after so long was his fault. ”
“What about Junior, your grandson? Was he involved in Abby’s disappearance?” Boone revealed the note in Abby’s diary. “EHJ. That’s your grandson’s initials.”
Eddie’s face turned bright red. “Junior didn’t have anything to do with what happened to Abby and he wasn’t seeing her.” He rose unsteadily. “I won’t sit here and listen to you try to frame him for her death.”
“Why would she mention those initials particularly then?” Charlie asked. “She didn’t do it to try and frame Junior. There was something going on between them.”
Eddie turned on her with fury on his face. “There wasn’t. And I’m done talking to you. If you want to speak to me or Junior, you’ll have to go through our attorney.” With that outrage still ringing around the room, Eddie stormed out leaving a room filled with crackling tension in his wake.
“Well, that went about as I figured,” Boone told them, breaking the silence. “He won’t give up anything that might incriminate Junior. We’ll have to keep digging on our own.”
“You think this is all about missing funds?” Ryan asked. After so long, a case couldn’t be brought against Junior. If Eddie worried about public perception, he could repay the money and claim it was an accident or a teenage prank.
“I don’t think this is about money. I think it all goes back to Abby and either something she witnessed or some secret she knew.”
After so long would the truth ever come to light?
“I think we need to speak with Junior,” Charlie said. “Even if it’s with his attorney, we need to look him in the eye and see how he reacts.”
Boone nodded. “We can try, but without more to go on, I don’t think the attorney will let us speak to him and we can’t charge him with anything.”
Ryan ran a hand across his neck. “Any news on the drug used to kill Pete?”
“There’s no sign of a purchase by anyone in town,” Boone confirmed. “I think it was bought on the Dark Web.”
If so, they might never discover who bought it. They’d have to find another way to solve the case.
“On another note, I have a safe house lined up for you two.” Boone typed in a location on his phone. “And I guarantee no one will connect this to me.”
Ryan picked up the sheriff’s phone and smiled.
“You’re right. That house is totally off the radar.
” The cabin that butted up against the mountains on the opposite side of the mountain from Pete’s place had once belonged to an old prospector who passed away.
It was off grid and had no electricity and the only people who knew about it were Boone and Ryan.
They’d gone to check on the old guy only to find he’d passed away.
He had no family. Boone kept the cabin up as best as he could and used it from time to time to pan for gold.
So far, it was more for the fun of it than financial gain.
“Ya’ll got warm enough jackets?” Boone asked because it was going to be cold up there.
Ryan assured him they were prepared. There was an old shortwave radio up there for communication since cell service wasn’t a possibility.
“I’ll let you know once we’re there.”
Boone fished out a set of keys from his pocket. “Take my wife’s SUV. Just in case someone is watching the station. It’s parked around the back.”
Someone hovered in the doorway.
“What is it, Sarah?” Ryan asked once he got a good look at the dispatcher’s expression.
“This showed up with the mail.” She held an envelope in her hand. “It’s addressed to Charlie.” Sarah’s eyes darted to Charlie. “I didn’t open it.”
“Give it to me.” Ryan rose and grabbed some gloves before taking the envelope from Sarah. He brought it back to the table. “There’s no return address and it appears Charlie’s name was typed on the front.”
“The sender didn’t want his handwriting analyzed.” Boone came over and examined the letter with gloved hands. “Let’s see what he has to say.” He carefully opened the envelope and brought out the letter.
The sender wasn’t taking any chances. Like the envelope this, too, was typed.
Boone read the chilling words aloud. “Back off or end up like Pete.”
Ryan’s gaze locked with Charlie’s not missing her frightened reaction.
“He’s getting nervous,” he told her. “That means we’re getting closer to identifying him.”
After a second, she nodded. But the fear didn’t go away.
Boone sat the letter on the table. “It also means he might be watching the station. We need another plan to draw the attention away from the station for you and Charlie to get away.”
Ryan claimed the seat beside Charlie and clasped her hand. “What do you have in mind?”
Boone glanced over at Charlie and then at Sarah. “Sarah could pass for Charlie from a distance and with the right coverage. The only problem will be you,” he told Ryan. “I think to make it believable you’re going to need to ride with Sarah.”
Ryan didn’t like the idea of being away from Charlie and voiced his concern. “I’m not leaving Charlie. There must be another way.”
Boone hesitated. “Will might be able to pass as you with a little maneuvering.”
Ryan waited for him to continue.
“You and Will could swap clothes. He can wear your hat and sunglasses. Same for Sarah. It’s worth a shot.”
It might work if the killer were watching from a distance and Ryan had a feeling he would be.
“I’ll speak to Will.” Ryan turned to Charlie. “Why don’t you and Sarah swap outfits?”
She nodded without speaking. As tough as Charlie was, Ryan believed she was nearing her breaking point.
Sarah came around to where she was. “Come on, hon.”
Charlie slowly rose and left the room with her. Ryan waited until she was out of sight before speaking to Boone. “I’m worried. This guy has proven he’ll stop at nothing to keep his identity secret.”
Boone confirmed he felt the same way. “I’d like to send Will up there with you two once we know the coast is clear.”
“I’d feel better with him there.” It was a small amount of relief, but he’d take it.
Once he and Will exchanged clothing, Sarah and Will got into Ryan’s cruiser. They pulled out onto Main Street and eased past the station while Ryan and Charlie waited for any sighting of the killer.
Boone’s cell rang and he answered it before placing it on speaker. “Turning onto Columbine.” Will knew better than to use the radio. “There’s no sign of anyone following.”
Had they been wrong? Ryan didn’t believe it for a second. The killer had sent the letter to the station to try and draw Charlie out.
“Wait, I see something.” Will’s end went silent for a heartbeat. “There’s a black car that might be following us. I’m going to make some evasive moves to confirm.”
Charlie leaned forward in her seat, elbows resting on the table.
“It’s still back there.”
“I’m on my way. I’ll see if I can cut him off.” Boone retrieved his weapon and started for the door. “I’ll conference you into the call once I’m rolling,” he told Ryan. “In the meantime, get to the cabin.”
“I can’t believe this. Do you think they’ll catch him?” Charlie rose as the two of them headed toward the back entrance.
The station was empty of staff. Ryan couldn’t remember another time when that happened.
He halted her at the door. “Give me a second.” He stepped outside and panned the alleyway. No sign of anyone being close. He went back for Charlie and their bags. “It’s clear.”
His cell phone rang. “Boone.” Ryan answered the call and waited for Charlie to slip into Boone’s wife’s SUV. “How close are you to reaching the car?”
Boone told him he was ten minutes out. “Will has pulled over outside of town. Is the car still back there, Will?”
“I haven't seen him yet.”
Ryan didn’t like the sound of it. “You think he realized you were onto him and turned around?”
“Let’s hope not. Where are you and Charlie?” Boone asked.
“Leaving the station now.” Thankfully, heading in the opposite direction.
“I see him,” Boone said unexpectedly.
Charlie gripped the door tightly as the tense conversation continued.
“He’s turned around and is heading back toward Pine Haven. He just passed me. I don’t recognize the driver. I’m going to light him up.”
“I’m heading back to assist,” Will responded.
Ryan floored the gas and flew through town toward the winding road that would take him and Charlie on the opposite side of the mountain and to the small cabin in the middle of the woods.
“The driver’s pulling over.” Boone had managed to intercept the person following Will and he appeared to be cooperating. Something about that seemed too easy in Ryan’s mind. It felt like a distraction.