Chapter 25 Plenty To Lose
PLENTY TO LOSE
It’d been three weeks and all Rory had was his gut instinct, a major headache, and more guilt to carry that he could put someone else in harm’s way.
There was one week left of his time here and he was ready to hit the ground running. He was going to extend the stay whether or not he found answers.
If for no other reason than to be with Gale. To learn more about her, and find out if what they had was something they could continue.
He hadn’t needed the Ridgeway brothers to give him a “talk” about messing with their sister.
It was almost comical how defensive Gale got about it and him. No one had ever been in his corner before and it was why he had to rush and move faster now.
He was feeling life moving around him positively and he was damn well going to be part of it.
Which was why on Monday morning he was knocking on Detective Miller’s door. There was a car in the driveway and he wasn’t leaving until he finally talked to the guy.
“Hello,” a woman said when she answered the door.
“I’m looking for Logan Miller,” he said. “My name is Rory Connors and I’ve been trying to reach him.”
“Hang on,” the woman said and shut the door. He knew that coming here might be a mistake and Miller wasn’t going to talk to him. Or would be pissed off. But damn it all, he was tired of being ignored.
The door opened a minute later. “You’re persistent,” Logan said.
“I am. Warning letters, conversations, and my place being broken into aren’t going to change that.”
“What?” Logan asked and moved onto the front porch.
“I’ve been out of town and out of reach.
We got back last night and I saw your emails.
” It’d been over a year since he’d reached out to Detective Miller for any update on his sister’s case.
Until now, there’d been no reason to do it more frequently than he’d been.
“Oh,” he said. “Sorry to bother you, but I was hoping you could answer some questions for me as the last detective to work on my sister’s case.”
“Don’t be so formal,” Logan said. “We’ve talked a few times in the past few years. I’ve got nothing new to report and have been retired now for over six months.”
“So I heard. Don’t you want to know what I’ve got and what’s been happening since I returned here three weeks ago?”
Logan sighed. “What I’d like to do is put this town and all this shit behind me. That I’m getting calls and emails from Daniel McGregor is only pissing me off and now I’m inclined to believe it has to do with you.”
“You’re joking.”
“Nope. Pretentious pricks. Think they can buy everyone, but I’ve never been for sale. Let’s go around back. Too many eyes in the front.”
Rory moved to the back of the property with Logan. “I take it you don’t care too much for them.”
“Never did,” Logan said. “They think they can intimidate or buy what they want in this area. I’ve never been for sale and never would be.”
Since Logan had been out of town, he might not know about Rory’s relationship with Gale. “Are there people on the McGregors’ payroll in the Sheriff Department?”
“Nothing I can prove. They aren’t stupid enough to get caught. At least not now under Ford. He’s too by the book and careful. Do I think it’s been that way in the past? I’ve heard rumors.”
“Like?”
“Nothing that concerns your sister’s case,” Logan said. “Not while I’ve been here.”
“Fine, what about fifteen years ago?”
“I wasn’t part of the department when your sister was murdered. I came on a few years later, transferring from another county. Your sister’s case has been cold the entire time I’ve had it, but I looked into every lead you gave me.”
“I know,” he said. “And I appreciate it.”
He wasn’t going to bring up the ankle bracelet. That was staying quiet. But he’d be honest about why he was in town. “I decided it was time for me to return here and ask around. Since I’ve been back, I’ve been warned by multiple locals I’ve talked with.”
“Warned how?”
“That there are plenty of people who don’t want the past brought up again. To be careful who I talk to. It hadn’t taken long for word to get out I was here. I spoke with the McGregors directly since their name or businesses are popping up into every conversation.”
Logan smirked. “How did that go over? I’m sure you can assume most are talking about them being linked. You’ll get positives and negatives.”
“I told them I’m researching Rene’s case for a book and my agent was going to try to sell it for a documentary.”
“Some might eat that up,” Detective Miller said, a smirk appearing quickly.
“Not someone with a secret,” he said.
“True. And what were Daniel and Kane’s reactions to it?”
“Daniel spent a lot of time boasting of everything he’s done for the community before and after. Kane was more cautious but willing enough toward the end.”
Which still ate at him.
But if either man appeared unwilling to help, it might shine more light on them.
“They both like to brag. And Kane was a troublemaker in his youth. Got away with a lot of shit but will always bow down to Daddy in the end. Can’t cut down that money tree just yet.”
“Because Daddy bought his way out of stuff?” he asked.
“Doesn’t that normally happen with small towns and cops?” Logan asked. “I’ve got nothing to hide. My wife and me, we are moving on. We’ll be out of here in a few months. I’m positive once I put my house up for sale it will go quickly.”
“Close to the water like this and with the land. You might get an offer from Daniel or Kane.”
“It’s not for sale to them. I’m not having this land developed. No one knows we are leaving yet, but if either of them gets word, I know they will be here with an offer in hand.”
“Are they trying to buy up the land around here?”
“Seems it in the past,” Logan said. “Not so sure about now. They are more into diversifying. You need to have jobs for people to live here, though many will commute the hour to Albany, not to mention plenty of jobs in between there and here.”
“What about the detective before you? Detective Denning? Do you think he did his job well? Was he on the take?”
“I’m not about to make assumptions on if someone was getting kickbacks or not. If there’s one thing I’ve learned around here, it’s keeping my mouth shut without facts. If I’ve got facts, I’ll share them, regardless of anyone telling me not to.”
“Fair enough. Do you think he did a good job on my sister’s case?”
“No,” Logan said. “It was sloppy and anyone looking at it will say the same, but since I came in years later, I don’t know what was missed. Cooper Stevens’s attorney found plenty of things to get him off.”
“All things that shouldn’t have wasted anyone’s time even going to trial.”
“Exactly. Does that mean Denning was being bought to push this case forward? I have no idea. Times were different and people were scared for several reasons. Many people had plenty to lose.”
“My family lost it all,” he said. “But that doesn’t seem to count for much in this community’s eyes.”
“I’m not sure that is true, but it’s not my job to convince you otherwise. You said you got letters and that your place was broken into. Care to explain?”
Rory realized now he should have watched what he said about the letters, but since it was reported about the break-in, it might be time to bring out the chainsaw again.
He’d keep Gale out of this. “I got a letter left under my door telling me to leave. Not enough to make me do it,” he said, laughing.
“Sounds juvenile to me,” Logan said.
“Could have been anyone. My car was rifled through one night. Again, could be kids.”
“But with the letter you’re thinking otherwise?”
“I am. Then add in someone breaking into the house I’m renting and destroying all my notes. They are trying to get a message across.”
“I don’t picture you as someone willing to run,” Logan said.
“I’m only digging my feet in more.”
“And coming here, you’re going to find out if I go back to Daniel or not?” Logan asked.
“He’d never do that.”
Rory turned when the woman who answered the door came out with two glasses of iced tea in her hands.
“Logan can’t stand anyone with the last name of McGregor. It’s part of why we are leaving. You can’t go anywhere without them having their name or fingerprints on it now.”
“Really?” he asked.
“Thanks, Linda,” Logan said. “But go back in now.” Logan waited until they were alone. “My wife never cared for Kane or his stuck-up wife. She works part-time doing hair at the salon Kane’s kids come into.”
“Let me guess, Ashleigh enjoys knowing that people are in awe of her and her family?”
“That’s how Linda read it. Me, I just ignore that petty shit. Those kids are going to be terrors in this area, but they won’t get away with what Kane did if Ford is still in office. Have you met him yet?”
“I have. Talked to him several times.” No reason to lie about that part. “He seems like a decent guy.”
“He is. If he knows what is going on, he’ll be working towards answers.”
“Ford says he is.”
“I’m sorry for what happened to your sister. Sorry I couldn’t be of more help. I will tell you that every time I asked around, I got a lot of rubbish and close-minded theories.”
“Are you going to share them with me?”
“Without facts it’s not much good. You were a cop, you know.”
“I’m looking at everything. Even opinions. Everyone has them. And as we know, some stink more than others.”
Logan took a sip of his iced tea. Rory did to be polite more than anything. “Do I think the McGregors will do anything it takes to get what they want? Sure. Do I think they will get their hands dirty doing it? I’m not positive. Definitely not Daniel.”
“Kane?”
“I don’t know. As a kid, he did what he wanted because he knew he could get out of it. He had a temper, many had witnessed it, but it was more like showing who he was. That’s a far cry from murder.”
“Not if someone is pushed enough,” he said.
“I don’t disagree with that.”
“And if it was someone in this area, I think we’d see more evidence of crime and there isn’t anything. What happened to your sister was horrible. I’ve checked databanks for anything even close. Nothing.”
“I know,” he said. “I’ve done it all too. But someone doesn’t like me being here and I’m positive it has to do with more than disrupting business activities.”
“You might be right,” Logan said. “I’ve closed all my cold cases but that one. It never sat well with me and if I can do anything to help, I’m here a few more months. I trust you’ll keep that between us.”
He held his hand out to shake. “Thanks.”
And when Rory got back in his car and saw the text from Clay that he had something, he knew he was getting close.