CHAPTER Thirteen
Convinced that Nolan Mosser was Simpson’s informant, Camille still wanted Ross to make an appointment with him, but they needed to talk with Sam first. Sam anxiously awaited their arrival, partly because he was getting to meet and talk with Ross Paine, but there was another horrible reason.
Marny Weathers’s parents had reported her missing when she didn’t come home after going for her walk.
And as the news began to leak, the entire lake area was on edge, with the familiar feelings of sorrow and fear.
Arriving at the office of the Camdenton Star slightly past two in the afternoon, Ross felt a little vulnerable being out in public.
Sure, he had gone to the store during his seclusion, but he didn’t have to engage with anyone.
He didn’t have to discuss his painful past. All of these uncomfortable feelings made Ross wonder why he’d agreed to this meeting.
And to make matters worse, once they arrived, it didn’t take long for him to figure out something horrible had happened.
“I’m glad you’re here,” Sam said, rushing toward them. “Have you heard?”
“Heard what?” Camille asked.
“Another girl has gone missing. Twenty-one-year-old Marny Weathers went to Lawson’s Trail yesterday and never came home.
Police are out there right now, and they have found her car and some of her possessions.
It’s just a matter of time before they find Marny,” Sam said, grabbing his jacket. “Let’s go!”
Camille and Ross headed out the door, but Ross had a bad feeling. Grabbing Camille’s sleeve, he tugged, making her stop and turn to him.
“I’m not sure I should go. What if they accuse me again? I should get back to the cabin.” His fears were real, and Ross was freaked out.
“Maybe you’re right,” Camille said, handing him her keys. “I’ll ride with Sam. Is it okay if I have him bring me back to your place later?”
Ross paused for a moment and then thought that would be the safest place to meet. Kissing Camille goodbye, he headed to her Bronco, a little rattled. Camille hated leaving him, but she had to get to the scene. This story was huge, and in the end, it might help them catch a killer.
“See you soon!” she said, waving as she got into Sam’s car.
Once she and Sam were on the road, Camille was in full investigating mode.
She didn’t have time to worry about Ross.
Besides, he had an alibi. Maybe not a good one, but he was with her all afternoon and evening, and he said he had gone to the store to get ice.
She was certain the store’s cameras could corroborate this.
When they pulled up, there was crime scene tape everywhere and complete chaos.
They were just hauling Marny’s body up the hill and heard what had to be Marny’s parents sobbing uncontrollably.
Camille grabbed her phone and began snapping some pictures while Sam maneuvered them a little closer to the action.
At first, they weren’t well received by the police, but Camille learned that Sam was good—really good—at getting information. His ability to weasel his way into the thick of things was just one reason she knew from the get-go that she needed him.
“Sam, please, this is not the time,” Chief Thomas pleaded.
“You and I both know this is exactly the time to get accurate information, Chief. We need this story out there so people will be safe,” Sam explained.
Seeing the defeated look on the chief’s face, Sam knew he was in.
“Do you think this incident is related to the Kelcee Meyer case?” Sam asked, wasting no time.
The people needed to know the truth so rumors wouldn’t fly, and as Sam pointed out, they would take extra measures to be safe. Chief Thomas looked at Camille with curiosity before he spoke.
“Is this the gal you told me about?”
“Yeah, this is Camille Hargrove,” Sam confirmed.
“Nice to meet you, ma’am. Sorry, it’s under such horrible circumstances,” the chief conveyed.
“Nice to meet you, Chief.”
“Sam told me you have an eyewitness who saw a red truck out on Snakepit Road the night Kelcee was murdered.” “That’s right.”
“Well, some people we’ve talked to in this case said there was a red king cab sitting up here in the lot all afternoon yesterday, and I’m only telling you that so we can start to change public opinion regarding Ross Paine.”
Camille was shocked. Apparently, the chief had a change of heart, and Ross was not even a suspect—and apparently off the hook for the Meyer murder in his mind as well.
“I want you to run a story about the red truck, just as we discussed, Sam. Unfortunately, we have another victim and another incident where the red truck made an appearance,” the chief said.
“Ms. Hargrove, what are the odds that your informant would come forward? If that were to happen, this case would take a turn for the better.”
“I think my informant will eventually allow me to use his name, but until you get the man in the red truck in custody, I don’t see any reason to get him involved,” Camille responded. “Right now, we need to report the information about the red truck as soon as possible.”
“There are probably more than twenty red, king cab trucks in the area, and right now we have nothing to go on. Maybe this case will turn up some evidence.”
“You don’t have any suspects, Chief?” Sam asked. “No, none.”
Camille looked at Sam, who nodded his head in affirmation.
“I have an idea who it is,” Camille confessed.
“A man named Shane Simpson has a red king cab, and he has a connection to Ross Paine, who I believe he framed for the Meyer murder. Simpson is having an affair with Janelle Paine. I think Simpson killed Kelcee and used Janelle to frame Ross. There’s certainly motive and access,” Camille explained.
The chief rubbed his chin with his thumb and forefinger. “This information will be useful going forward,” he replied.
“Anything else we need to know about this crime?” Sam asked. “Any common characteristics that would link the two?”
“Like the Meyer girl, this one was raped, but strangled, not beaten.” “So, the murder method was different, but there are several other similarities,” Sam concluded.
“True, but I can’t go into that right now,” the chief replied. “You go run your story, and I’ll be in touch,” Chief Thomas said. “And now that you’ve given us a lead on Shane Simpson, we can get eyes on him. If he gets spooked by your story, we’ll know it.”
Back at his office, Camille and Sam worked furiously on the story so it would be in the next day’s paper. At a time of night when they should have been exhausted, both reporters were invigorated. They knew this story would rock the lake area, and they couldn’t wait.
“Let’s get you back to Ross’s and let him know what’s going on,” Sam said.
“I know you were adamant about me not seeing Ross, but I just couldn’t do that. I was working with him before I was working with you. And then …”
“No need to explain. The situation is a little different from what I thought.”
Camille smiled as if to thank him, and then a pressing reality arose. “I’m starving,” Camille added. “Let’s get some pizza and beer before we head out.”
Camille and Sam didn’t get out to Ross’s until after nine o’clock, and Ross admitted he was getting worried.
But when they arrived with beer, pizza, and ice, he was not only relieved but quite thankful.
He had been so worried about what was happening that he couldn’t eat a thing.
After hearing the day’s events, Ross was relaxed, knowing the police no longer believed he was guilty and that Camille and Sam’s story would further support his innocence.
“I still say you need to have a conversation with your lawyer, Ross,” Camille added. “If nothing else, you can tell him off for half-assing your case. But I still think he is dirty.”
“Always so skeptical,” Ross said, giving her a little kiss on the forehead. “That’s my job,” she defended.
“You told the chief that your informant would be willing to come forward in the end,” Sam said. “Are you sure?”
“Well, as sure as I can be. He told me he wanted to stay out of it, but if he was needed to testify, and it meant nailing this guy, he agreed.”
“Let’s just hope he doesn’t change his mind if this thing gets complicated.”