Chapter 32
“Iwas just about to call you,” Isabella said. “I’ve been doing some digging on Ray Corbin. His file is classified, and even I’m having a hard time accessing it. Somebody was definitely protecting him. I’ll keep digging.”
“Thanks. I need contact info for a reporter, Chris Johannesen.”
Isabella tapped the keys. A few moments later, she gave me his cell phone number and told me his location.
I thanked her again, ended the call, and dialed Chris. It went to voicemail, and I left a message.
I hopped on the bike, pulled on my helmet and gloves, and fired up the engine. The drive back to Coconut Key didn’t take long, and I definitely got my high-speed fix.
I missed the track and was looking forward to another race day. As tempting as the offer was, I had passed on joining Bill Wembley’s race team. Didn’t have the time.
When I got back to Coconut Key, there was a message from Chris Johanssen. I called him back right away. This time, he picked up.
“Hey, Chris. I just have a few questions for you.”
“I’ve got a few questions for you as well.
Maybe we can make this a win-win. I’ve been digging into this case for quite a while.
I talked to every one of the victims’ families, the medical examiner who worked on Ray Corbin’s body, the cop who worked the case…
You name it. I even talked to Ray’s wife. ”
I lifted a surprised brow. “You talked to Dana?”
“Yeah, I reached out to her, and to my surprise, she agreed to talk.”
“So, she knew about Ray’s history.”
“I told her my theory, and she dismissed it at first. Then she called me back a month or so later. I guess she started having doubts. By that time, I had already matched prints.”
“How?”
“I’ve got a source. I was about to round up a camera crew and confront him. Then he died.”
“How did you put all of this together?”
“It’s what I do. There was talk online for years. Inconsistencies in reports about the crash and the methods used to ID the body. I just kind of got obsessed.”
"Was there ever another person of interest?" I asked.
"When I talked to Frank, he said he never considered anyone else."
"Maybe that was the problem," I said.
"You think they should have looked at other suspects?"
"That would be the reasonable thing to do."
"I talked to almost everyone involved in the case who’s still alive, and nobody has mentioned anything about another suspect,” Chris said. “Jenna Keating picked Ray Corbin out of a lineup."
"That doesn't mean she was correct.”
"You think she's mistaken?"
"I didn't say that. "
"You kind of did."
"There's just a lot of things about this that don’t line up," I said.
"Are you reopening the investigation?"
"I think this warrants a second look."
I told Chris I’d be in touch, then ended the call.
I’d been through the case files numerous times and never found any indication of another person of interest besides Ray Corbin.
Buddy greeted me at the salon door when I returned to the Avventura. Fluffy looked like she couldn’t care less. That’s okay. I knew she loved me.
The boat was quiet. I called for JD and Madelyn, but there was no response.
I jogged up to the sky deck, but they weren’t there. That twinge of dread filled my stomach, but I figured JD had taken her to get some clothing and other necessities.
I called his phone, and it went to voicemail. I left a message.
As soon as I hung up, my phone buzzed with a call from the sheriff. "I need you and that nitwit to get to the Sea Drift Inn, room #109."
"What happened now?” I asked.
"You'll see when you get here," he said.
I spun around, hustled back to the bike, and zipped to the small inn.