Chapter 4 #3
“I’ll leave you to it,” Mrs. T said and backed away. “George and I will head to the hospital. If either of you need us, you know where we’ll be.”
Daniel smiled and tipped his head. He waited for Mrs. T to leave via the side door before rising. “We better talk in my vehicle.”
Frankie widened his eyes but didn’t argue.
Daniel led the way. He hated that he couldn’t be sure who he could trust on a property owned by people he’d considered family. But he wouldn’t deny reality. To do so, endangered everyone.
He shut the door on his SUV and waited for Frankie to do the same. “Okay, what did you discover?”
“I stopped by the hospital on the way here. Owen is awake and talking,” Frankie began.
Daniel nodded. Good news, not just so his department might get some answers but also so the parents wouldn’t have to see their son looking so fragile and vulnerable.
“I have the bullet,” Frankie continued.
“What? Where?”
Frankie pulled an evidence baggie out of his pocket.
The slug looked like a spent 9mm. The sort of ammo used in a Glock, a weapon carried by many law enforcement departments, including his own. “Did he recognize the assailant?”
Frankie shrugged. “I asked that. He denied having any knowledge. His response was cagey, and his body language didn’t match his words.”
“Did the same person crash the car?”
“He said his vision was really blurry, and he couldn’t be sure. But he thinks so.”
Daniel was glad at least to be hunting one person and not a whole league. It was targeted. He wouldn’t have to alert the town to danger. Why wouldn’t Owen identify the suspect? Why protect them? Daniel didn’t need a citizen on a vigilante crusade.
“He wanted Emma to know about what happened.”
The hairs raised on the back of Daniel’s neck. Because she was in the crosshairs?
“I don’t know why. I’ll take over the next watch at the camp if you want to head there to interview him. I had to step out for the doctors, but they’re probably done now.”
Daniel scrubbed his hands over his face.
He wanted a lot of things at the moment.
A shower, a meal, a bed. But more than any of that he needed time to walk around the camp and understand the events of last night.
“I’m going to do a walk through and then bring Emma with me to the hospital. Is there still a deputy on watch?”
“Yes.” Frankie nodded.
“Good. If you want to set up shop in the mess hall, be my guest. I’ll let you know when I’m back, and you can head home.”
“As you see fit, Sheriff.”
Daniel waited for Frankie to exit the vehicle first. He needed to give Emma a bit of time this morning. He didn’t want to rush her. Something might jog her memory either here or at the hospital. And he intended to find a better sleeping situation for himself in an empty bunk.
At the front office, he found Mr. T staring at a computer, squinting behind his readers. Daniel knocked on the open door.
“Mr. T?”
“Hello, Sheriff. I’m on my way out soon with Lucille. I’m glad to have a minute with you. I wanted to thank you for last night. Telling us in person couldn’t have been easy.”
Daniel shrugged. “It’s part of my job.”
“I’m not so sure I could have done that in your position,” Mr. T continued. “I hope the old army cot wasn’t too rough on you.”
“Well,” Daniel said. “Speaking of that, until we have all the details, I’d like to keep an eye on the camp. Any chance there is a free cabin I can hole up in? The mess hall is a little too open.” He hadn’t been able to rest for more than an hour at a time, worried about the exposure.
Mr. T stroked his chin. “Hmm. I think cabin three isn’t too rough.
Owen had been fixing it up. He wanted to turn it into his own man cave.
But hold on a second.” He got up from the desk chair, his joints cracking as he straightened and walked to a closet.
After a few seconds of rummaging, the door blocking Daniel’s view, Mr. T returned with a brand-new, still in its packaging sleeping bag. “Use this.”
Daniel accepted it with thanks and made his way out of the building. He grabbed his pillow and blanket from the mess hall. Breakfast service started. The noisy room was coming alive again.
It was a shame for the camp to close. The Thomases had done a lot of good for a lot of people, helping generations of young women grow in their faith.
He’d petition them to keep at it. But short of taking on a co-ownership with Owen, he didn’t see how.
It was a demanding job for one dedicated person.
Maybe Owen would come out of his accident with a new appreciation and zeal for saving the camp.
But that wasn’t likely. At least, the Thomases could end their careers with one more weekend surrounded by light and laughter.
Or so Daniel vowed he’d do his best to protect everyone for that purpose.
He continued down the path to cabin three. Set kitty-corner from Emma’s lodgings, he liked the close proximity. If the events of last night involved Liz somehow, as he started to suspect, he needed to keep Emma in his sights.