Kate looked at him. “Let’s see what Sheriff Flynn has to say.”
“After his ‘intensive investigation’?” Jack sounded like he was gearing up for a fight.
He parked the truck in front of the sheriff’s department and the women waited for him to get out with his crutches. “Let me have your car keys,” he said to Kate.
“My—? Oh, no. I completely forgot! My car is still at the listing house.” She dug in her Dooney & Bourke handbag for them.
“I thought that after we leave here I’d drop Sara off there. She can drive your car home, then you and I can go to the grocery. I’d go myself but with these things it’s not easy.”
He meant his crutches, but he was looking at Kate hard, letting her know he wanted to talk to her in private.
She gave him a nod of understanding and they went into the office. As before, the same young man was behind the desk. He spoke to Jack. “He’s expecting you. Been on the phone for a day and a half. Watch your step or he might crack your other leg.”
Sheriff Flynn was sitting behind his big desk and already frowning. There were three chairs lined up across from him.
“Good morning,” Kate said, but the others were silent as they sat down. “Jack’s stepmother, Krystal Wyatt, showed us a newspaper article and we were wondering if you—”
Sheriff Flynn put up his hand. “I know all about it. Krystal called and told me everything. And last night I got a call from a Lachlan girl, Gena Upton. Ever hear of her?”
“Yes, we have,” Kate said.
“She’s a lying little—” Sara began.
Again, the sheriff put up his hand. “I know. Bad actress. Lots of tears and no truth. I know Jim Pendal and his family. They were happy when he got away from that girl, and they are very proud of the one he did marry.”
“Elaine,” Kate said.
The sheriff stood up. “I want you three to stop what you’re doing. Go back to building and selling houses and writing books.” He looked at Jack. “And you can stop sleeping with every pretty girl who smiles at you.”
Jack glowered. “You told Elliot that Roy killed the women. You have no proof of that.”
Sheriff Flynn bent toward Jack. “Do you think I don’t know what you people are up to? You’re like a cyclone tearing through this town and leaving death in your path.”
He had their attention now.
“You went on TV and made a fool of yourself over a pretty reporter and bragged to everyone how you’d bought a house. But there wassomebodywho knew that house hid his murder victims. The next thing you know,somebodycut the brakes to your truck. You ended up broken, but your brother is dead.”
His crudeness made Kate gasp and Sara looked like she was going to faint, but Jack didn’t so much as move a muscle. He was just staring at the sheriff.
“Then you snoops went to an old-age home to visit a neighbor of the murdered girls. What happened? When you got there, she wasdead.”
He picked up a file folder off his desk. “See this? It’s an autopsy report of the late Mrs. Ellerbee thatIordered. Cause of death? Asphyxiation. She suffocated. I was told that she’s old and accidents happen. Maybe she got twisted up in the sheets. But it’s also possible that someone put a plastic bag over her head to keep her from talking.”
He glared at Jack. “Andyoubribed the video guy to give you a copy of the tapes of who visited the home that day. Yes, that’s right. I found out about that, too. A man who can be bribed isn’t one to keep his mouth shut. It’s quite possible that amurdererknows that you have him on film.”
Sheriff Flynn went to the far side of the room. “I’ve got people calling me at home, in the office or wherever I am. I can’t take a piss without someone reporting on something else your Scooby-Doo gang has done.”
He turned around to them. “Not that you’ve waited for the results, but the skeletons found under that treeareVerna and Cheryl Morris. And yes, they were murdered. The girl was hit over the head—blunt-force trauma. Died instantly. Verna was stabbed. I guess that wasn’t enough to kill her because she was also strangled so hard the bones in her neck were broken. Someone strong and really, really angry killed those two.”
He looked down at his desk, then back at them. “Twenty years ago, something truly awful happened in this town and nobody knew it. The evidence was buried. It was all a real shame.”
He leaned toward them. “But now you interfering busybodies are stirring up that evil. You’re asking questions, making people remember nasty little things about their time in high school. It’s like you’re stoking a fire that’s already burned people up. Four—four!—people have now died because of whatever happened at that damn tree.” He glared at Jack. “Evan! Your little brother. I remember how you used to ride him around town on your bike. And Mary Ellerbee. I knew her. Very nice woman, but she must have known something about the killer, so she had to go.”
For a moment the sheriff paused. “I want you to stop. I’m sorry the Morris girls were murdered. It’s a tragedy. Edison shouldn’t have believed that jealous Upton girl. He should have looked into it all and taken care of it back then, before it all escalated.” He took a deep breath. “But that was a long time ago and it’s done. I care aboutnow. Today. I care about people who are still alive and I want them to stay that way. Am I making myself clear?”
Through all of this, Jack, Sara and Kate had said nothing, just sat there and listened. At the sheriff’s question, they gave silent nods. Yes, they understood.
“That’s it,” the sheriff said. “I hope I don’t need to come up with any threats to make you lot mind your own business. But if I have to, I will. Now get out of here. I’ve got a dozen calls I have to answer. Krystal and Donna are stirring up the town. And that girl Gena thinks she’s going to be blamed for the murders—or be sacrificed to the murderer. She wants me to arrest Jim Pendal’s wife, for God’s sake. But if there are any arrests made, it will be your little Junior Detective group. For your own protection.”
