Chapter Ten #2
“Not one thing,” Billie assured her. “It’s only relevant if there were words exchanged or if one person followed the other to and from that location.” He stared directly at Kerrick then. “Did you leave around the same time Briana and her husband did from that convenience store?”
“Don’t say another word, Kerrick,” Laney shouted, coming around to their side of the counter to stand next to her son.
“That’s about enough. I understand you’re upset, Mr. Jagger.
But your implications are unfounded and unwanted.
Sheriff Malone investigated every single time that Kerrick was seen on CCTV in those cases.
Just because he left at the same time as the woman who went missing doesn’t mean he did one thing he shouldn’t have.
Other people were leaving at that same time, too. ”
But he hadn’t left at the same time as any of the victims in the footage they saw at the Last Chance. Charly’s nerve endings started to tingle. Laney was just saying whatever necessary to cover for her son. “I’m sure it doesn’t mean anything,” she offered.
“Course it doesn’t,” Laney screeched. “Rob Decker at the Stop and Go and Paul Grant at the Pit all said that Kerrick was a regular at their establishments. It wasn’t unusual to see him on their CCTV on any given day.
Just because some tourist who disappeared was, too, doesn’t mean a thing.
” She pointed a finger at Charly. “Lenny Reed was on those videos as often as Kerrick was. Why aren’t you harassing him? ”
Before Kerrick or anyone else could say more, the sheriff’s truck parked in front of the office. Laney rushed to the door to meet him. Charly was still trying to figure out what she meant about Rob Decker and Paul Grant.
“Thanks so much, Tully,” she said, going for a whisper but failing miserably, “for not coming in sirens and lights blazing.”
He gave her a nod and then surveyed the room. “What’s this all about?” His gaze landed last on Charly.
“We saw the video footage Ned Bates has on file,” Charly explained.
“In all five cases where a victim who later went missing visited his store, Kerrick was there at that same time. We just wanted to see if he noticed anything about Briana and Martin. If they were upset or whatever. Or maybe he saw someone paying extra attention to them.” She said this part to Kerrick.
His mama shook her head when he would have responded.
Sheriff Malone pushed his cap up and scratched at his forehead. “I realize your daddy was the sheriff for most of your growing up,” he offered, “and I recall him taking you along on lots of trips into the field. But that doesn’t make you a cop, Charly. There are laws about how this is done.”
“I wasn’t trying to do your job,” she hastened to say.
“She was assisting me,” Billie said, moving to her side.
“She knows the names and faces here and I don’t.
I needed her eyes and her knowledge. Because I am an investigator, and I will not stop looking for my sister and her husband until I find them.
If that means stepping on toes or hitting nerves…
Well then,” he said, glancing at Kerrick and his mother then back to the sheriff, “I guess you’ll be getting a lot of calls like this. ”
The sheriff sat his hands on his hips. “I can understand given the situation, but there’s a right way to do these things, and coming in here and upsetting this lady and her son is not one of them.”
“It’s all right, Sheriff,” Kerrick urged. “We understand. Don’t we, Mama?”
She nodded, though she didn’t appear as certain as her son pretended to be.
“Fact is,” Sheriff Malone added, “we have reason to believe the person who took your sister and her husband was driving a black SUV based on the security video from Vince Cox, and you said—” he directed at Charly “—that the vehicle that caused you to run off the road was a black SUV.”
“I do not drive a black SUV,” Kerrick piped up. “I have a silver truck.”
Billie gave a nod of acknowledgment. “I appreciate the clarification. But that still leaves me with serious questions about your appearance,” he said to Kerrick, “in so many captured moments with the victims over the years.”
The sheriff held up a hand. “I think we can all agree that sometimes events are just coincidences.”
Billie laughed a dry, quick sound. “I don’t believe in coincidence, sir.”
Kerrick harrumphed. “Call it bad luck, then. Call it whatever you want. But I had nothing to do with your sister or any of the others you’re talking about.”
Billie stared him directly in the eye. “Besides my sister and Francesca, how do you know who I’m talking about?”
For one split second Kerrick had that deer-in-the-headlights look on his face, then he snapped out of it. “You said something about nine women.” Then he threw up his hands. “I’m out of here. I have work to do.”
He walked out of the office, those remaining staring at him.
“I… I can’t have this,” Laney babbled. “As sorry as I am for your situation, I just can’t have these disruptions.” She zeroed in on Charly. “Surely, you understand it’s bad for business.”
“I think,” Sheriff Malone said, “the two of you should be on your way. If you have questions about this case or any other in my jurisdiction, you should direct those questions to me. Do not,” he warned, “go around upsetting folks with accusations that are wholly unfounded.”
“Understood.” Billie looked to Charly, and they headed for the exit.
It wasn’t until they were in his SUV and driving away that Billie spoke again. “The remarks his mother made about the two other businesses suggests he was captured on other security footage with other victims.”
Charly’s heart started that frantic pounding. “That’s what I was thinking, too. I know Rob Decker and Paul Grant. I believe they’ll talk to us.”
“Just tell me which way to go,” Billie said.
Decker Residence
Riverbend Circle, 6:50 p.m.
ROB DECKER’S STOP AND GO was on Gunter Avenue not far from the Highway 79 intersection. But they didn’t go to his gas station; instead, they went to his house. Rob was older than her father would be if he were still alive, late seventies, maybe eighty. She couldn’t see him at work at this hour.
The house was one of those modern structures built in the eighties and nineties. This one was showing its age a bit but the view of the channel was quite nice.
After ringing the doorbell, her assumption about the man likely being at home was confirmed when Rob himself answered the door.
“Mr. Decker,” Charly said before he could ask who they were and what they wanted, “you may not remember me. I’m Charly, Sheriff Bradly’s younger daughter.”
Rob’s face lit. “Well, of course I remember you! You’re the spitting image of your mother.”
Charly relaxed. She got that a lot. Jen got their father’s much darker coloring. Charly had the lighter brown hair and green eyes of their mother. “I hope we’re not interrupting your dinner.”
“No! Come on in.” He drew the door open wider. “As Carol and I have gotten older, we prefer dinner a little earlier since we end up in bed earlier.” He looked from Charly to Billie. “You kids have no idea how lucky you are to be so young.”
They followed him into the living room where his wife sat on the sofa watching television. The volume was muted. She glanced up as they walked in. “Just catching the weather.” She waved dismissively at the television. “Who wants to hear the news anymore?”
“Nice to see you, Mrs. Decker.” Charly didn’t know the wife as well, but her father had considered Rob a friend.
The welcome reception so far gave her hope the couple would be amenable to answering questions.
“This is my friend, Billie Jagger,” Charly explained, looking from the wife to the husband.
“His sister is Briana Willard. I’m sure you’ve heard she and her husband are missing. ”
“It’s just awful,” Mrs. Decker bemoaned, her hand going to her throat. “Really awful. I’m so sorry,” she said, looking in Billie’s direction. “Has there been any news?”
“No, ma’am, I’m afraid not.”
“Sit down.” Rob gestured to the pair of sofas facing each other. “Tell us how we can help.”
Charly and Billie settled on the sofa facing Mr. and Mrs. Decker.
“We don’t want to take up a lot of your time,” Billie said. “We just have a couple of questions.”
Rob nodded. “Fire away, Mr. Jagger.” He grinned. “Any relation to Mick?”
God, Charly had almost asked that a dozen times no matter that she knew the answer was undoubtedly no; she could barely resist. Now, thanks to Rob, she didn’t have to.
“Actually,” Billie said, “the answer is no but my mother would tell you that she is certain there is a connection somewhere in my father’s family history.”
They all shared a laugh that went a long way in lowering the tension for Charly, especially considering the questions they had come to ask.
“Mr. Decker,” Billie began, “do you recall sharing footage with the sheriff regarding any of the victims who’ve gone missing over the past ten or so years?”
The older man’s eyes widened. “I do. Anytime I see there’s been anything like that happening, I always check my security camera footage for the days surrounding the trouble.
It only overwrites every seven days so I can generally find the time frame in question without any trouble.
But this couple who’s missing now didn’t come into my place. ”
Made sense to Charly that Briana and Martin had used a convenience store on the other side of the bridge since they were staying at Bradly Retreat.
“It’s my understanding,” Billie went on, “that Kerrick Rogers was at your place of business at the same time as one of the victims.”
Rob shook his head. “Oh no, that’s not right.”
Billie and Charly shared a look.
“It was three of the victims. Ella Franklin back five years ago. Lara Young twelve years ago.”