“ ... you told me that, as far as you know, only you, me, and your dad’s attorney know about the treasure hunt.”
“True.”
“Do you think the attorney, Rosco Horton, poses a threat?”
“No. He’s a grandfatherly type.”
“I’m not ruling him out as a suspect, but let’s assume you’reright. If there’s danger coming, that means someone else knows about the hunt. Who were Ed’s enemies?”
Adroitly, she slid several records back into their slot and pulled free the next batch. “Dad was a vocal critic of Hartwell’s mayor and his policies. He told off one of the pastors at the largest church in Hartwell for caring more about how much money the church brought in than the people in it. He confronted a business owner who was running waste into the river.”
“I’m going to need all those names.”
“If you’ll give me your cell number, I’ll text them to you.”
“Fine. Was your dad involved in anything illegal in the years leading up to his arrest?”
“Not as far as I know.”
“Did he have a long arrest record?”
“Not very long, no. When he was in his early twenties, he was charged with drunkenness. Several years later, he was charged with unlawful assembly while protesting against nuclear proliferation. All of that happened before I was born.”
“Who was Ed closest to, other than you?”
“Definitely his brother, Robbie. Robbie’s two years younger.”
“Were they alike?”
“No. Robbie’s more careful than Dad. More conventional. Also harder to read. Robbie can mask what he’s thinking and feeling.”
“But Ed never did.”
“Precisely.” Warm air from the vent drifted over her. She set her coat aside and straightened her oversized ivory knit turtleneck. She’d worn her red corduroy leggings beneath it in a nod to the red-and-white color scheme of her birthday outfit in the old photo. She crossed her legs. “Dad was protective of Robbie. Back when they started to draft soldiers to Vietnam, he rushed Robbie and June to the altar because if you got married before August twenty-sixth of 1965, you wouldn’t be drafted. Dad paid for their wedding flowers, reception food, honeymoon.”
“Did the plan work?”
“It worked great. Robbie didn’t get drafted, and he and June have been happily married ever since.”
“But your dad did get drafted.”
“Yes.”
“How come he didn’t marry before the deadline like Robbie did?”
“He was fond of saying he preferred taking his chances in ’Nam to taking his chances in marriage.” She shot Luke a small smile.
“Where does Robbie live now?”
“Here in Hartwell. When Dad and Robbie’s parents passed away, they left their property to their sons. Dad already had this place, so he gave Robbie his share of the family land and Robbie moved there.”
“Has Robbie ever been arrested?”
“No. He’s very upstanding.”
“What can you tell me about your dad’s friends?”
“That he had lots of them. And lots of girlfriends.”
