“About what time was this?” the sheriff asked.
“Around noon, or a little before. It was right after we left the diner after I met your sister.”
Linx sat in a chair catty corner to Cait and nodded, while running her fingers through Cedar’s bear-like mane.
“I saw that SUV,” Linx said. “I was feeling kind of miffed when you didn’t want to come with me, so I followed you.”
“Did you get the license plate?” Cait asked.
“No, actually I didn’t,” Linx said. “But I thought it was unusual how close it tailgated you.”
Todd shifted in his seat and huffed. “Let’s stay on the subject of the accident. This SUV trailing you earlier in the day isn’t relevant.”
“Objection,” Becca barked. “The SUV could contain either witnesses or people who were interested in Mr. and Mrs. Wonder’s movements that day.”
“Or it could be a coincidence,” Todd said, tapping his pen. “What happened when you came down the mountain? How long did you stay in the cabin? Let’s get to that part.”
“I switched cars with Brian, since I was going to take the dogs to Linx,” Cait said. “I don’t usually drive his car, so when the brakes felt spongy, I thought it was just the way they were.”
“Wait, this is important,” the sheriff said. “Were the brakes spongy before you dropped off the dogs or after?”
“I, uh, I don’t remember.” Cait grabbed at straws, but her brain still had blank spots. “I just know that I tried to stop and I couldn’t.”
“But you were okay coming into town,” Linx pointed out. “So, maybe someone messed with the brakes while we were talking about the dogs.”
“Or, there could have been a slow leak in the line, and the brakes only failed after she left town.” The sheriff scribbled in his notebook. “How long did you two talk?”
It wasn’t long, but Cait didn’t want to implicate Brian so she shrugged.
Linx also shrugged. “I was petting her dogs and we were talking about her mother’s allergies to dogs and why she had to leave them with me.”
“Okay, that’s fine.” Todd waved his hand. “Let’s talk about Brian and his claims that Glen is his son. When did you find out?”
“When he blurted it at the diner.” Cait felt her cheeks heat. “I mean, if it happened, Mrs. Thornton was a monster and should have been put behind bars.”
“That’s what has the Thornton’s lawyers and publicists up in arms,” Becca said. “They want to say Brian made this all up.”
“I believe Brian,” Cait said. “He’s the most honest guy I know, and he takes everything literally. When Mrs. Thornton told him not to tell anyone as long as she lived, he did just that. He kept the entire affair and his suspicion that Glen was his son a secret.”
“Do you believe Glen is his son?” Todd asked.
“There’s only one way to find out,” Cait replied. “We have to find the boy and get a DNA test. I hope he’s holed up somewhere safe.”
“Me too, but as for the DNA test, his current father, Senator Thornton, will fight us on it,” Becca said. “People can’t request DNA tests willy-nilly.”
“But Brian slept with her.” Cait’s stomach twisted, and a sharp pain sliced her insides.
“They could say it was a teenage fantasy. Does he have proof?”
“The locket.” Cait stood suddenly. “Brian found a locket at the accident site. It’s either at the cabin, or Brian has it in his pocket. There’s a picture of Glen as a baby and writing on the back that says, ‘My little Wonder,’ with the ‘W’ capitalized.”
“When we booked him, he didn’t have any locket on him,” Todd said. “Bec, is it enough proof?”
“If the locket is genuine, it increases the chance that the judge will rule for a DNA test. However, they could say Brian stole the picture and put it in the locket and wrote the words on the back.”
“True, true,” Linx said, tilting her chair back on two legs. “But this begs the question. What’s the motive for Brian to claim a twelve-year-old child? He would be liable for back child support.”
“That part doesn’t matter,” Bec said. “All I need to present is a reasonable argument that Brian could have fathered Glen. The senator is going to try to suppress the motion. Their position is Brian’s a loon and made everything up.”
