Chapter Eighteen
Scottsboro Police Department
South Broad Street
Rory was not in the police station. Anywhere.
The parking lot was empty.
Chance’s car was still there. He’d had the fob anyway. She couldn’t have taken it if she’d wanted to.
Detective Fowler walked toward him. Chance wanted to punch the guy. If he had not insisted on interviewing them separately, this would not have happened.
Fowler explained, “Officer Ridley said Ms. Harris was approached by an older man and shortly after left with him. The video surveillance footage showed she left with Anthony Harris.”
“Are there cameras in the parking lot?” Chance asked, worry making his blood pump faster through his veins.
“They turned left out of the parking lot, which doesn’t help a lot.”
Fury slashed through Chance then. This was way beyond the pale. “You and I both know she did not kill Pete Harris. We also know, based on a meeting with Rick Hill, that he killed Pete Harris and was working with someone he considered untouchable, protected. In other words, a cop.”
“You have no proof of any of that,” Fowler argued. “You’re speculating.”
He sounded more like a lawyer than a damned detective.
“Trust me, Fowler, unless Hill ends up as dead as Carter, he’ll roll over on the guy as soon as he hears he’s dead.
Whatever happened that night, Carter is going to take the fall for everything.
The headlines won’t do a lot for your department or the sheriff’s department. ”
“I’ve already issued a BOLO on Anthony’s SUV.”
Chance almost laughed. It was about time the guy did something right. “We should go to the Harris home and see if he took her there.”
Fowler frowned. He reached into his pocket and withdrew his cell phone. Every instinct Chance had elevated to high alert.
“Detective Fowler,” he said, answering the call.
Chance barely restrained the urge to run outside and get in his car and drive. He had to find her. But he had no idea where to start. As much as he despised the idea, he needed Fowler’s help.
“I will keep you advised,” Fowler was saying. When he ended the call, he looked at Chance. “That was Mrs. Harris. She’s concerned because her husband left the house hours ago and has not returned. He was in a rage. She’s worried…”
Which meant he wasn’t at their house. Damn it. “That he might hurt someone?” Chance demanded.
Fowler let out a big breath. “She has no idea.”
Of course she didn’t. “We need to go to the cottage,” Chance ordered. “He might take her there. Maybe his fear that her conviction will be permanently overturned has him bent on revenge.”
“Hold on.” Fowler held up a hand as he made another call. He ordered a detail to the cottage and to Rory’s house on Tupelo Pike. He put his phone away then. “I think we will be better served to wait until we hear back from the officers I’ve just sent to the locations of interest in this case.”
Except…Chance realized…he’d forgotten one place. “Mr. Harris has stayed in the background since Rory was released. But tonight, after the news about Carter’s murder, he’s suddenly making a strange and unexpected move.”
Fowler frowned. “We should have someone going to Carter’s trailer too.”
“I’m going.” Chance was walking toward the exit before he finished the words.
Fowler hustled to catch up with him. “I’m going with you.”
Chance shot him a look but didn’t slow. He wasn’t sure about this guy. Whether he just failed to do the job or had some reason for suppressing evidence. Either way, Chance didn’t trust him completely.
“I’ll meet you there,” Chance said, not taking the risk.
He burst through the exit and ran to his car. He was out of the parking lot before Fowler had made his way to his own vehicle. He raced across town as fast as he dared. Without Fowler in the car with him, if he was pulled over, he would have a hell of a time convincing the officer to let him go.
He would be lucky if Fowler didn’t sic a traffic cop on him. All the more reason to get out of town as quickly as possible.
A margin of relief came when he made the turn onto Old Larkinsville Road.
Once he was over the railroad track, he sped up, took the curves as fast as he dared.
It took longer than he would have preferred, but soon enough Carter’s place came into view.
The SUV belonging to Harris was there. Chance wanted to be relieved, but he wouldn’t be until he had eyes on Rory and saw she was okay.
He pulled over onto the side of the road, left his car and started for the trailer. He spotted another vehicle parked on the other side of the big black SUV. Smaller SUV. White in color. He looked toward the place where Shane Carter had lived and died.
Someone besides Rory and Anthony Harris was in there.
Carter Residence
Old Larkinsville Road
Scottsboro, 10:30 p.m.
“What are you doing?”
Rory’s gaze shot to the door and to the woman who had made the demand. Eudora stood there glaring at her husband.
Anthony looked up at her from the seat he’d taken on the bed. Rory sat next to him. He’d lapsed into sobs, and she had tried to comfort him. The gun lay on the floor at his feet. He’d admitted to killing Shane.
“He knows I didn’t kill Pete,” Rory explained, some part of her feeling vindicated. “It was Shane.”
Eudora’s face twisted in equal parts fury and disgust. “What is she talking about?”
The demand was directed at her husband.
“It wasn’t her,” Anthony said, scrubbing his forearm across his face.
She stormed up to him and slapped him hard across the face. Rory reared back, assuming she would be next.
“We both know it was her,” Eudora roared. “Her prints were on the knife.”
Anthony dropped his hands into his lap. “Shane wrapped her fingers around the knife.”
Eudora’s face turned a strange shade of reddish purple. “What are you saying?”
“You were so unhappy. So miserable. I wanted to make you happy again. I wanted to end the turmoil.”
“What did you do?” Her words were like a lion roaring at a target.
“They screwed up… Pete wasn’t supposed to die,” Rory said.
Rory’s heart stood still. No…her blood seemed to drain to her feet. No…this couldn’t be.
Eudora turned to her, and Rory realized she had said the words out loud.
She held Rory’s gaze. The shock and realization there made it impossible for Rory to look away.
“No!” Eudora screamed, her attention swinging back to her husband.
Rory stood. She was getting out of here.
Eudora grabbed the gun from the floor and wheeled toward Rory before she could get through the door. “You are not getting away with this. You killed my son.”
Rory froze, her mind rushing to determine the right thing to do. “No. Shane killed him. Didn’t you hear what Anthony said?”
“But it’s your fault,” Eudora snarled.
The story suddenly unfolded in Rory’s mind as if she’d opened a map detailing the events of that night.
“Oh my God. Shane was supposed to kill me. Instead he raped me while his psycho friend Rick Hill tortured Pete. But Hill went too far and killed him, didn’t he?
” Her heart sank at the horrible images playing out in her mind.
“Then Shane had to cover it up to protect Pete’s father… to protect himself.”
“You are insane,” Eudora sneered.
Fury rocked through Rory. “No. It was all to protect you. You killed him,” she accused. “You and your twisted sense of self-righteousness and privilege. I wasn’t good enough for you, and your son died because of it.”
Eudora leveled her aim on Rory. “I will not let you live when my son lies dead in the cold ground.”
Rory dove for the hall.
The weapon fired. The bullet struck its target.
Anthony was shouting. Eudora was screaming.
Rory scrambled forward away from the bedroom door, her skin burning where the bullet grazed her upper arm.
Chance was suddenly there. He pulled her to her feet. “Go. Now. Get in my car and drive away.”
She hesitated.
“Go!”
She rushed out the door, blood slipping down her arm. Ran across the yard. Headlights rolled across her, blinding her. The car slammed on its brakes, and someone got out.
“Stop right there!”
Fowler. Rory froze. Her left arm suddenly hurt like hell.
The thudding in her chest threatened to steal her breath completely.
She had just escaped a madwoman, and now she was facing the detective who likely helped Pete’s parents thwart the law.
Dear God, Anthony had done this. How was that possible?
What kind of person would go so far to make his wife happy? To stop a marriage?
Rory had signed a prenup. She was no threat to the family’s money. She had done everything right. Apparently her only mistake was in loving the son of psychopaths.
“Where’s Rader?” Fowler asked, next to her now. He glanced at her arm where the glow from the headlights reflected in the fresh blood.
“He’s inside.” She turned to the trailer. “Anthony Harris had a gun. He was going to kill me, I think. Then Eudora showed up, and she took it from him. She shot me.” She suddenly stared at the leaking wound as if she only just noticed it.
“Get in the car,” Fowler ordered, “and stay there. I’m calling backup and going in.”
Rory nodded and watched him rush toward the trailer. She put her right hand over the injury and applied pressure. Maybe Fowler was one of the good guys after all. Not the brightest detective, it seemed. But…
But what if he went in there and killed Chance? Then there would be no one to confirm Rory’s story. For all she knew, the guy in prison could be dead already.
She rushed toward that porch, practically jumped the steps. At the door she took a breath. Listened.
“You should put the weapon down, Mrs. Harris.”
Chance’s voice.
Renewed fear surged through Rory’s veins. She fought it back and eased through the door.
“Drop the gun, Mrs. Harris,” Fowler said. “And let’s talk about this.”
Rory couldn’t see any of them. They were all at the far end of that narrow hall.
She slipped across the living room and into the kitchen.
“Eudora, put the gun down,” Anthony pleaded. “We’ve done too much already. It’s time to let it go.”
A clunk echoed, and suddenly there was a rush of movement. Eudora was crying. Anthony was trying to soothe her.
Footsteps sounded at the front door. The backup Fowler called had arrived.
Chance suddenly appeared in the kitchen. He was okay. Rory hugged him, the move sending a flash of pain through her arm. Thank God it was over.
The uniformed officers rushed past them. Fowler’s voice sounded above the other noise as he read Mr. and Mrs. Harris their rights.
“Let’s get you to the ER,” Chance said, his arm around her waist and ushering her toward the door.
Rory didn’t say a word. She was just glad to be going. Thankful to walk away alive.
And with the truth.