Chapter 43
FORTY-THREE
Katie and McGaven waited in front of the interview rooms at the Pine Valley Sheriff’s Department for a deputy to bring in Tom Grand, the office manager from the construction company working on the new building site.
“You haven’t said much about the sheriff arriving home last night,” said McGaven. He held a file folder with some photographs and paperwork.
“There’s not much to say. He’s home and that’s all that matters.
” Katie put her hand in her pants pocket, where she felt Buck’s military dog tags between her fingers.
She had decided to keep them with her as a lucky charm of sorts—a last-ditch call for help; she never felt comfortable with talismans, only with the truth, no matter what.
McGaven wrinkled his forehead in concern. “Of course, but there are many more unanswered questions.”
“Yes.” She kept her gaze looking down the hallway for the deputy and Mr. Grand.
“You could’ve taken today off to rest. I can take care of Grand.”
“I’m fine. There’s a lot to do and figure out,” she said. “All hands on deck.” She did feel uncertain, but she was determined to do everything she could. She didn’t want her partner to worry about her well-being or if she was able to have his back.
After five more minutes, Tom Grand walked down the hallway with a deputy following him. The officer managed to escort him as he was opening up the office, and Grand walked into the interview room.
Katie looked at McGaven and gave the nod that meant that they would double-interview him. It was a tactic that kept people slightly off balance. It also helped to see when they were lying, as when asked the same question a different way they would produce a different answer.
“Have a seat, Mr. Grand,” said Katie, sounding sweet, giving the impression that the interview was going to be easy and routine.
Grand sat down, looking back and forth at the detectives questioningly. It reminded Katie of a kid waiting to talk to the school principal.
Katie took the seat across from the man.
“Am I under arrest for something?” said Grand. His voice wavered a bit. It was unclear if he was just nervous or if he was guilty of something.
“No, not at all,” she said. “We just have some questions that arose from our investigating.” Katie smiled.
“What do you want to know?”
“We appreciate your cooperation at the construction office and we’re hoping you can shed some light on something,” said McGaven, leaning on the corner of the table. It made him not seem as tall and intimidating.
“Okay?” said Grand, now fidgeting with his hands. He seemed quite different from their first meeting, when the manager had been very much in control and a little bit arrogant.
Katie would start slowly and then they would knock him off guard.
“Do you know Bruce Collins?” she said.
“No,” he said.
“How about Meredith Collins?”
“No.”
“Raymond or David Young?”
He hesitated and shrugged. “No, I don’t think so.”
Katie saw something there, but would circle back to the Young brothers. They were around the same age as Grand.
“Do you know an Ian Griffin?”
“No,” he said, looking down.
“How about Ian Griffin Jr.?”
He shrugged, but his fidgety demeanor said otherwise.
The detectives were getting somewhere and now they would turn up the heat.
McGaven stood, his towering height ominous over Grand.
The detective kept a poker face, but seemed intense at the same time.
He carefully pulled out some papers and put down on the table the driver’s license photocopy of Ian Griffin Jr.
“Do you know him?” said Katie.
Grand didn’t look at the photo.
McGaven slammed his hand on the table, startling Grand. “Look at it.”
Grand looked down and seemed to study it for a moment. “I don’t know. He looks familiar but I don’t know…”
“I see,” said Katie.
McGaven put down a copy of the visitors list for Griffin Jr. at the prison—with the name Tom Grand circled.
“You visited Griffin in prison several times,” she said.
“Could be another Tom Grand?” he said.
“Nope. It matches your driver’s license. It’s you.” She pointed at him.
Grand knew he had been cornered and leaned back in the chair. He couldn’t quite look at the detectives. It seemed he was contemplating if he should run or not. Sweat appeared on his forehead as his hands trembled.
The detectives kept silent, the tension remaining high. After an appropriate amount of silence, Katie leaned toward Grand and moved the paper forward.
“This is your signature, correct?”
“I guess.”
“We could get a handwriting expert to verify, but we both know it’s your signature.”
Grand started to say some things but stopped.
“Look, we have all day. Tell us what your relationship with Griffin Jr. is?”
“I can’t…”
“You can’t say? You can’t remember? You can’t tell us? What?” she said. “Is there someone threatening you?” she said.
McGaven decided to sit down. He pulled another chair to the table by sliding it across the room, making a horrible ear-piercing noise.
“Okay, I know Junior. That’s what everyone calls him,” said Grand.
Got him…
“Mr. Grand, you need to tell us everything: How you know him. What you know about him. And if he ever talked about his dad or the Collins family,” said Katie.
“I would suggest that you start at the beginning,” said McGaven.
Grand waited a moment as he gathered his thoughts. Katie’s pulse rose as she waited for him to answer.
“Yeah, I know Junior.”
“You mean Ian Griffin Jr.?” said Katie.
“Yeah.”
“How do you know him?” she said.
“I’ve known him most of my life.”
That stunned Katie. “What do you mean?”
“I’ve known him since we were kids.”
“Did you live near the Collins farm?”
“My family was the one way back that sold them their property. We lived across the way near the creek.”
“Do you know the Young brothers?”
“Uh, yeah. We all hung out together.”
Katie didn’t want to show how much this surprised her, so she remained unmoved. “You did visit Junior in jail?”
“Yes. No one else was going to visit him.”
“What about the Young brothers?”
“I don’t know—we all lost contact right after Raymond went into the military.”
“You’ve never been in contact with the Young brothers since?” she said.
“No.”
“What about Junior? When was the last time you saw him?” said McGaven.
“A few times over the past couple of years.”
“Are you sure you haven’t seen him in the past few months?”
Grant shook his head.
“Why don’t I believe you?” said Katie.
“I don’t know,” he said sarcastically.
“Where does he live?”
“I don’t know.”
“You don’t know where he lives?” Katie pressed.
“No! He was secretive about it. It was weird,” he said. “Sometimes he would say he was couch surfing, staying at different places.”
“Were you ever at the trailer?”
“No. But I was told about it.”
“By who?” she said.
“Just guys I know.”
Katie looked at McGaven and nodded. Her partner pulled another photocopy of Sydney Butler’s driver’s license and set it in front of him. “Do you know her?”
“No, I don’t think so.”
“What do you mean, you don’t think so?”
“She looks like his type. Classy, brunette, I don’t know. I’ve never seen her.”
Katie took a photo of Sydney from the crime scene. “What about now?”
Grand looked at the photo. “No! Why are you showing me that?”
“Because that seems to be what happens to people in Junior’s life. They seem to end up dead.”
“I have nothing to do with any of it. I didn’t kill anyone.” Grand started to tremble and it looked as if he was going to cry.
“What’s so important about the Collins property and adjoining ones? Even where the new construction of the police and fire training buildings is? What’s there?”
“I don’t know what you mean.”
“What’s so important or valuable that anyone connected to those properties ends up dead?” she said. “What is it?”
“I’m telling you, Detective, I… don’t…know…”
“Think really hard. What would make Junior want to kill? What would make him not want anyone on those properties?”
“I just don’t know…”
Katie took a moment to regroup. “How would you describe Junior?”
“What do you mean?”
“You know, how would you describe him? If you’ve known him since you were kids… what is he like?”
“He’s tough. Doesn’t like to lose and you never want to upstage or control the situation.”
“I see. So he’s a bully and manipulative.”
“He’s been in trouble for burglaries, I think. He always talked about the next big thing. Not having a regular job made him easy to hide and then when he needed money he would rob some store or person.”
“Did you know that the bodies of Mrs. Collins and her daughter, as well as Ian Griffin Sr., were found at your jobsite?”
“What?”
“Did you know that?”
“No… I don’t know what you mean.”
Katie decided to push hard to find out if Grand knew anyone who was part of the original murders besides Mr. Collins.
“When you were kids, did you see those bodies or help bury Mrs. Collins and Misty?” she said. “Be very careful how you answer this.”
“No.”
“You weren’t there playing with the Young brothers and Junior?”
“Well, yeah, we would play together,” said Grand.
“And?”
“I don’t know.”
“You didn’t witness Mr. Collins kill his wife and child?”
“N-nooo.”
“Did you hear about it from Junior or the Young brothers?”
“Well…”
“Well, what?” she said. “I’m reminding you, Mr. Grand, you’re not under arrest, but it would be wise for you to cooperate with us. It might go a lot better for you.”
“I don’t have to answer any more questions.”
“That’s your prerogative.”
“Can I go?”
“Yes, you could’ve gone a while ago,” she said.
“I’ll escort you out,” said McGaven.
Katie waited until McGaven came back.
“That was interesting,” he said.
“It went perfectly, better than I had hoped.”
“I’ll admit, at first I wasn’t sure where you were going, but you scared him stupid after he admitted to knowing Junior. Now all we have to do is follow him and see where he goes and who he talks to.”
“We need all eyes on him,” she said.
“I was thinking of pulling Officer Andrews off patrol and into plain clothes to tail Grand.”
“Perfect. Get that rolling.”
“On it.”
“Let’s hope he leads us right to Griffin Jr.”