Chapter 67
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City Police Station—Sitka, AK
Sam took a couple of deep breaths to steady his nerves. He popped in a fresh stick of Wrigley’s Spearmint gum. His tie felt unusually tight. He pulled out his handkerchief to wipe a drip of sweat running down his temple.
He opened the door to the holding cell.
Anya turned toward him as he entered. “In early today, Chief?”
She was wearing her street clothes. “Bringing me another one of your wife’s famous chocolate chip cookies as my last meal?”
Sam left the door open and walked to her.
He tried to fake a smile. “I came to cut you loose. Charges are dropped, and you’re free to go.
” He didn’t want to look her in the eye.
“Thomas spilled the beans on the murder, and unless you’re in cahoots with him, which I find highly unlikely, we’re dropping the charges. ”
Anya stood from her chair rubbing her wrist. She began to strip the bedding from the small cot. “Does that mean no free vacation to Juneau? Hey, I’m still here. Were the state police really coming to take me, or was that just a bluff to get me to talk?”
Sam stepped aside, clearing her a path to the door.
His tie seemed to be getting tighter. “We’ll take care of the bedding.
It’s not a four-star hotel, but we won’t make you clean your own room.
” He loosened the tie just a little. “Oh, and I do have another one of those cookies for you.” He reached into his pocket and pulled out the cookie he was saving for his lunch.
Anya dropped the bedding in a pile and walked toward the small shelving unit where her belongings were stacked, putting them into a paper grocery bag. “You say Thomas confessed? Is he here in custody?”
Sam wanted to be very careful what he said.
Anya knowing too much could blow back on him, and the last thing he needed was to be involved in some scandal his last year before retirement.
At the same time, he didn’t want to let Anya walk into danger.
“He’s still at large. Cocky son of a bitch called me at home last night to confess, and to tell me we’d never catch him. Suspect he’s long gone by now.”
Anya dropped the last of her belongings into the sack and turned back toward Sam, deep creases in her forehead. “He’s still out there? He did say he’d kill me, remember? Did he happen to mention why he killed my lawyer? Chilton had that wild theory that my husband inherited a pile of cash.”
The wrapped cookie was still warm in Sam’s hand, and she didn’t seem the least bit interested in taking it.
Nothing felt like the right thing to say.
More sweat was forming on his forehead, and he wiped it with his sleeve.
He loosened his tie even more. “I think it may have been somethin like that.”
A raven lit on the windowsill behind Anya.
A knot was forming in Sam’s stomach. “Seems that there is a bunch of missing gold from a mine—from back in the day. Maybe he thought you or Chilton had stumbled upon it? Sounded like he thought a fortune was buried on your little island.”
The raven cawed loudly.
“Guess we’ll never know for sure.” Sam shrugged his shoulders, just for show.
“I mean, we’ll still do all we can to catch him, but he’s left the state, maybe the country.
The island and fishing cabin is still yours.
He’ll never be able to file the paperwork.
” He slipped a Wrigley’s Spearmint out of his shirt pocket. “Would you like a stick of gum?”
“Thanks for nothin, Chief.” Anya picked up the paper bag and walked out the door.