Chapter 16
“ARE YOU ready to go?” Marty called up the stairs. Footsteps hurried forward, and Cameron came down carrying the bag of Legos. “You shouldn’t take those to the park.”
“But I wanna make something,” Cameron pleaded.
“I know. But they’ll get lost there. Leave the Legos here, and you can make things when you get home.
” He took the bag and placed it on the chair near the door.
Grant smiled to himself, relieved that Marty talked him out of bringing the toys.
“They’ll be right there when you get back.
Now go out to the car with Grant and Dexter.
I need to get the cooler and the basket so we can go.
” He went into the kitchen and got the things for the picnic.
He put them in the back of the SUV while Grant made sure Cameron was strapped in.
After a final check of the house, Marty locked up and got in the car.
Grant drove them to the park, which was full of people.
Marty had reserved one of the small pavilions, but a family had already moved in and were setting up.
“I’ll take care of it,” Grant said and got out of the car.
He strode over and spoke to the man who came to meet him.
“We have this pavilion reserved for today,” Grant said, not using his police voice.
“No one was here, and we’re setting up for a birthday party.
” There were plenty of pink ballons with sixes on them.
He was already looking around, but every picnic table in the park was taken, and the main pavilion was stuffed to the gills.
Grant knew he could pull rank and make them move, but he returned to the car to talk to Marty.
“What’s going on?” Marty asked.
“It’s his daughter’s sixth birthday, and he didn’t think anyone was using the space.” Grant sighed because he didn’t want to make a scene.
Cameron climbed out of his seat. “That’s April, she’s in my class.” He began bouncing.
“Go back and offer to share it,” Marty said as Cameron got out of Grant’s door. He rushed over to where a little girl stood, and she hurried to Cameron, both of them all smiles.
Grant returned. “We could share the space.”
“Well,” the man countered, “why don’t you join the party?” April and Cameron had already run off toward the play area. It seemed the kids were happy, so he motioned to Marty, who joined them.
“We’ve been invited to join the festivities.”
Marty hurried back to the car and returned with the cooler.
“I have marinated pork chops I was going to cook on the grill, and I brought plenty. I also have some of my homemade macaroni salad, and plenty of stuff for s’mores.
I could contribute that?” he offered. “Oh, I’m Marty, and this is Grant. Cameron is my foster son.”
“Wilson Matthews. April is my daughter. Her mother is on her way from work.” A car pulled into the parking area, and a woman got out. “There she is now.”
“Kassy?” Marty asked with a grin.
“You know my wife?”
“Sure. She’s my contact at Bridgeson. We’ve known each other for years now,” Marty explained, and the two of them hugged.
“What’s going on?” she asked, looking around.
“I booked the pavilion, but Wilson was already here. Cameron and April know each other from school, so Wilson invited us to join you.” Apparently Kassy was happy with that, because she and Marty set about getting everything ready while Wilson started the charcoal, and Grant took the opportunity to get Dexter some water.
Others began to arrive, introductions were made, and the party went on.
The kids all played, and the adults talked.
Marty and Wilson grilled, and soon it was time for food, followed by cake and ice cream.
With his belly full, Grant’s eyes drew heavy. He had gotten maybe three hours sleep each of the last two nights, so he took Dexter to the shade and spread out a blanket. Looking up at the branches and leaves above, soon enough, he fell asleep with Dexter pressed to him.
“CAN DEXY come and play?” Cameron said.
“Shhh, Grant is sleeping,” Marty whispered.
“But he wants to play,” Cameron said. Soon Grant felt Dexter leave him. He sighed and kept his eyes closed. He didn’t mind that Cameron wanted to play with Dexter. It would be good for him to be a dog for a while. They had been working a lot, and play was good for him.
“I know you’re awake,” Marty said quietly. “Do you want anything?”
Grant opened his eyes and sat up. “Not really. It was nice just having some quiet time. I know that Cameron is playing with his friends. and you’re talking and having fun.
But I think at the moment I’m peopled out.
It’s nice just to not have to worry about making conversation or trying to find out what someone knows. ”
“Okay. Then you go back to resting in the shade, and I’ll bring you something to drink so you don’t get dehydrated. Cameron is having fun with his friends.” He patted him on the shoulder, and after bringing him something to drink, returned to the party.
“Is he okay?” someone asked.
“Yes. Just a hard case and a lot of work. A little rest and he’ll be fine.
” Grant loved that Marty covered for him.
“Sometimes he works around the clock, and he doesn’t want to disappoint either of us, so he does his best.” The conversation went on from there, but Grant tuned it out, enjoying the spring warmth and the breeze as it rustled the leaves overhead.
Of course, none of this could last. He had no more begun to relax and Marty had placed a cold bottle of water near him when his phone vibrated in his pocket. He wanted to ignore it but didn’t dare. “Yes, Captain,” Grant said when he answered.
“Carter has found what we’ve been looking for in the video, and the FBI came through as well. They sent me the enhanced images.”
“Okay. I’m on my way to the station. I’ll be there in ten minutes.”
“Good.” Grant ended the call and stood to stride to Marty.
“I have to go. I’m needed at the station.”
“It’s okay,” Wilson said. “Kass and I will make sure Cameron and Marty get home with the dog.” He had done his job and needed a day off.
Grant shook his hand. “Thank you. I’ll call if I’m not going to be too late and can come back.” He hugged Marty and then hurried to the SUV, drove across town to the north side, and pulled into the station, where Carter met him at the entrance.
“I take it we have an image of this guy,” Grant said.
“Yeah, we do.” He rubbed his brow. “And the FBI photo enhancement came back, and it’s a very close match. So we’re sure we have the correct person.”
“Do we have a name?” Grant asked as Carter led him to Captain Robards’s office. “Shit, I take it this is a landmine waiting to explode in my face.”
Carter shrugged, and then they went inside.
The captain stood behind his desk and without a word handed Grant the still images from what had to be inside the historical society.
Then he slid the image from the FBI across the desk.
Grant lifted them and looked the images over.
“They are really similar, so that’s good.
We should be able to run this through the DMV database and get a match. ”
“Yes. And we did.” He handed over the entry from the database.
“Okay. So why the long faces? What is it that I’m missing?” He continued looking over the information. Then he checked the images once more. “Shit….”
“Exactly. According to the database, the person in these photos died two years ago,” the captain explained.
“But he’s obviously not dead.” He looked more closely at the name.
“Why is this name familiar?” he asked and searched his memory.
“Bryant Gunderson….” He went still. “Holy crap. I talked to a Gunderson after we found the third little boy. Hansen Gunderson. He said that he volunteered at the school, and so did his son, Hansen Junior, but that he was out of town.”
“You think the father is in on this?” Captain Robards asked.
“I don’t know. Let me go through my notes and find the address, because we need to keep an eye on his house.
” He turned to Carter. “Could you find out if Bryant has a brother named Hansen? If we know the answer to that question, we might be able to figure this whole thing out. Because that’s about the only explanation I can think of for these results. ”
“I’m on it. Give me a half hour or so. I should be able to find out.” He left the office, and Grant looked across the desk.
“One thing we do know—a dead guy did not go around taking kids. And if this is a brother impersonating the other sibling, then we’ll get to the bottom of this.”
“We will. But what’s going to be difficult is proving what we believe is true.
Right now we have evidence that a dead person is kidnapping children.
I’m going to go to the DA and the coroner’s office, and we’re going to put together an order for a judge to sign to allow us to exhume the grave of Bryant Gunderson.
That way we can find out who was buried there. ”
“And I think we need to put some pressure on their father. If one of his children is taking the place of the other, then he has to know it.”
Captain Robards didn’t blink or move, and then he slowly nodded.
“I agree. But we don’t know what else is going on there.
I know that I would do just about anything for my son and daughter.
But there are limits… there have to be, for all of us.
We’re going to have a talk with Gunderson Senior, and I think you and I need to be the ones to pay him a visit.
Because we need some answers before one of his sons, whichever one is actually alive, goes after another kid. ”
THEIR PLANS to speak with Hansen Gunderson, Senior, were derailed when the house was dark. There was no answer to their knock. “Should we get a warrant?” Grant asked as he looked up and down the street. Most places were equally quiet, given the holiday.