Chapter Nineteen #2
Suddenly, the answer became glaringly
obvious. “It’s Fetterly.” He jerked his attention to Sawyer. “The
fucker isn’t dead. Cam’s description matches the man Mrs. Watkins
saw in Ponderosa Flats. She worked with the bastard, so she’d know
it was him.” He ground out the words. “I bet he still has his badge
and he’s wearing his old uniform to get access to the scene and try
to blend in. His uniform doesn’t fit because he’s gotten fat. The
fucker started the fire to lure Laney out of the house.
“He could be using Delaney
to get at me, but I’m thinking that’s a side bonus. He wants her.
The pervert used to watch her. When she was a senior in high
school, she told me Fetterly would park his cruiser outside at the
end of the day and stare at the girls as they walked past. It made
them uncomfortable. But he singled her out and made a point of
offering her a ride home just about every damn day. She said he
gave her the creeps.”
“That why you started
picking her up from school?” Sawyer asked.
“Damn straight. First time
she climbed behind me on my motorcycle, Fetterly got so red in the
face I thought he’d have a coronary. That’s about the time he
started harassing us, pulling you and me over any time he
could.
“Then there was the time
Pop and I stopped when he’d pulled Laney over. There was a look in
his face that said he was hot for her. I’m positive he’d have
assaulted her. And now he’s got her.”
Sawyer’s face looked set in stone and
he gave a curt nod. “He played all of us. I’m calling the sheriff.
We need a BOLO on Fetterly, as well as Neil Grafton.” He pulled out
his phone and tapped on the screen.
While Sawyer was talking to the
sheriff, Walker caught Cam chewing her bottom lip. She lifted her
gaze. “Do you think that man could have been watching
her?”
“Why do you
ask?”
“Something she said
earlier, that at different times this week she’d felt uneasy, like
she was being watched. She came into the bakery yesterday
afternoon. She said she’d gone outside to water those geraniums you
gave her and felt uneasy. She caught the sun reflecting off
something up the hill behind the house, but when she looked, she
didn’t see anyone.”
“She say where behind the
house?”
Cam shook her head. “Not exactly, only
that it was past the orchards.”
Sawyer disengaged his call.
“Carlisle’s on it. He’ll put out the BOLOs and send a tactical unit
to Bridger Lake. They’ll be ready to look for Neil Grafton at first
light.”
“What the hell? If anyone
knows where Fetterly is, it’s Grafton. How else did Fetterly
survive this long when he’s supposed to be dead? We need to find
Grafton tonight before Fetterly does whatever he plans to do to
her.” A cold sweat broke out on Walker’s skin despite the cool
night.
“Grafton lives off grid
somewhere near the lake. No one’s sure exactly where. The sheriff’s
not sending a team up there without an idea what they’re walking
into. Neil likes his guns and he’s likely armed to the teeth. Plus,
he’s trained. Deputies will wait for daylight and send up a drone
to have a look before sending in a team.”
“That’ll take too
long.”
“They need to—” Sawyer
paused. “Fuck. It could be him. Fetterly could be the rapist
carving up women.” He skewered Walker with a look. “He got your
knife and planted it to frame you.”
Walker nodded slowly, his mind
filtering through the import of Sawyer’s claim. “That fits. Cam
says Delaney felt like she’s being watched here at the farm. If
it’s Fetterly, then he’s been close, close enough to keep an eye on
my cabin and get access when I leave. He’s probably the one who
tried to drown Bud.”
Sawyer’s gaze looked sharp as a blade.
“And close enough to help himself to the knife you keep in your
truck. He’s got a grudge against you and stole your knife to frame
you. He probably figured even though you were cleared of charges in
Melanie’s case, some people would be more than willing to believe
you were involved in the assault last night.
“The assaults mesh with
Fetterly’s penchant for the forcible rape of women in his patrol
car. We found plenty of evidence Grafton refused to investigate
accusations against his nephew in that box of records Mrs. Watkins
gave you. It’s only a step from forcible rape to carving up women
with a knife.”
Cam made a sound that had both men
turning to her. The dark couldn’t hide her pale face. “We have to
find her. I can get a flashlight from Clara and start searching
around the farm.”
“No,” Sawyer ordered.
“You’re sticking with me.”
It was hard to miss the look of alarm
on Cam’s face. “No. I can look for her on my own. I’ll take
Callie.”
“Not happening. We’re
sticking together. I’m not having you running around out there in
the dark where you could be in danger. There’s a predator on the
loose.”
Cam straightened.
“You’re not
having me out there? What gave you the idea you’re the boss of me,
Deputy McGrath? And I wouldn’t be running
around like I was a child.”
Sawyer crossed his arms like it was
the only way to keep from shaking her. “I will handcuff you to me
if I have to. You’re not heading out on your own.”
While Sawyer didn’t ruffle easily,
clearly something about Cam got under his skin. Walker didn’t like
playing peacemaker, but he wanted to be done with whatever was
going on between them so they could work out a plan for finding
Delaney.
“We need to search the
grounds first, and taking Callie is a good idea. Besides the
footbridge, there’s only one bridge over the creek from the farm.
We’d have seen if any vehicles went down this road. If Fetterly has
her, he could’ve cut through Shane’s ranch or used one of the dirt
roads behind the farm going into the mountains.” He pointed to
Sawyer. “Roads coming out of the mountains need to be
monitored.”
Sawyer nodded. “Cam saw him at the
mill. He had to leave his car someplace and come in on foot to get
there and it wasn’t that long ago. I’m thinking he’s still up in
the hills.”
Sawyer tapped on his phone and Walker
tamped down on his impatience while his brother spoke to the
sheriff. Minutes later, he disconnected to report, “All roads out
of the mountains will be monitored. What are you thinking?” he
asked Walker.
“I’ll stop at my place to
pick up my Ruger, then I’ll update Clara and get Callie. I plan to
search the north orchard and fan out from there.” He glanced at the
night sky. “Wish there was a damn moon for at least some light.
I’ll grab a couple more flashlights and backup
batteries.”
Sawyer nodded. “Keep in touch. I’ll
call Shane, get him and his crew to start searching on his ranch.”
He glanced at Cam, who had her hands tucked in the front pocket of
her hoodie. “You got a warmer coat?”
“I’m fine.”
He shook his head but said to Walker,
“The night will only get colder so we’ll get Cam a coat, then start
searching. I want to check what’s visible from the back porch of
the house and see where Fetterly might have been watching from, see
if there’s any evidence there.” He laid his hand on Walker’s
shoulder. “We’ll find her, brother.”
Walker gave a grim nod before setting
off to get his gun.