Travis acted as if he hadn’t heard this. “Is your real name Gary Reynolds?” he asked.
“It is now. I had it legally changed.”
“Why did you change your name?”
“Because I was the chief suspect in the murder of a little girl in Vermont. I was released because there was no evidence against me, but my name was in the papers. It’s in every story online about a famous unsolved crime. Me and my sister were harassed and threatened by people to the point where moving away and changing our names was the only way to have any peace.”
“Why did you move to Eagle Mountain?”
“Because it was two thousand miles from Vermont, and a small town where nobody knew us from before. We hoped to make a fresh start here.”
“Why did you go to work for Mountain Kingdom camp?”
“Because I needed a job and they agreed to hire me.”
“Did you work yesterday?”
“Yes. I was at the camp from 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.”
“What did you do yesterday?”
“I dug a ditch for a water line.”
“All day?”
“Yes. It was a long ditch.”
“And you left the camp at six?”
“A few minutes after six.”
“Where did you go?”
“I went to the house I share with my sister, Willa.” He rattled off the address. “I was there all night.”
“She can verify that?”
“Yes.” He looked at Aaron again. “You know Willa. She isn’t a liar.”
“I spoke with her,” Aaron said. “She confirmed that Gary was at the house all evening.”
“Then why are we even having this conversation?” Gary asked.
“When you saw the photo of Olivia Pryor, did you recognize her?” Travis asked.
“No.”
“In two weeks working at the camp you didn’t recognize her?”
“They’re kids. Little girls. I don’t pay attention to them. I’m not that kind of man.”
“Is there anyone at the camp who does pay attention to the girls?” Travis asked. “The wrong kind of attention?”
“Not that I’ve noticed. I’m not there to keep tabs on other people. I’m there to do my job.”
“Digging ditches.”
“Or changing light bulbs or repairing the ice maker in the kitchen or anything else that needs doing.”
