“It's ongoing.” Hadley delivered the practiced non-answer, revealing nothing. “The sheriff and I are following several leads.”
“And all that talk about his death being connected to the Claymont girl’s disappearance? Any truth to that?”
“I’m sorry, Mr. Hobbs. I can't comment on details of an active investigation,” Hadley said with an apologetic smile that hopefully suggested regret rather than refusal. “I'm sure you understand.”
“Course. Just curious is all. Town's been through a lot this past year.” Allen’s gaze drifted over her shoulder toward her vehicle. “You know, I remember you from when you were just a little thing. Used to see your daddy at Gus' place sometimes.”
The casual mention of her father caused Hadley's chest to tighten, as usual. She didn’t need to be told where her stress came from, nor did she need a reminder that she’d cancelled yet another monthly therapy appointment.Seeing as Allen had brought up her past, she decided to risk one more question before the opportunity slipped away.
“Funny you bring that up,” Hadley said, keeping her tone conversational. “Janet Shepley said the same thing to me the other day. We were talking about Pearl. You remember her? She disappeared back in 1978.”
“Pearl?” Allen drew the young woman’s name out slowly, as if testing its weight on his tongue after years of disuse. “Yeah, I do remember her. My brother had the biggest crush on her in high school. He was devastated when she went missing.”
A surge of adrenaline flooded her system. The first tangible connection between the Hobbs family and one of the missing women. She hadn't expected such a direct link to emerge so easily, yet Thomas had died a week before Missy’s disappearance. The math didn’t add up.
“Chief Garber mentioned something about Pearl being pregnant. Think there was any truth to that?”
“I didn’t hear anything about that back then. At least, not until a few days after she went missing. Thomas refused to believe it, I know that.”
“You were…what? Fifteen? Sixteen?”
“Sixteen, because I had just gotten my driver’s license.” Allen stopped talking when they both noticed movement in the distance. A woman had stepped out of the smaller house near the back of the property. She made no move to join them, though.
“What does Pearl Shepley have to do with Missy Claymont's disappearance?” Allen asked after turning his attention back to her. “That was over forty years ago.”
“You had mentioned my father, and Janet had done the same is all,” Hadley said, offering him a noncommittal shrug. “Of course, the conversation turned to theThreshing Man.Those stories always seem to circulate this time of year, don’t they?”
“Tell me about it,” Allen muttered in irritation. “Brandy's hung protective talismans all around our house this year. Somewith corn husks above the doors, others with twine woven through them.”
“A common precaution. Been that way for as long as I can remember,” Hadley said before gesturing toward the barn. “Well, I don’t want to keep you. Just let Ty know that I stopped by, alright?”
“Will do, miss.”
“Thanks for your time.”
She raised a hand in respect toward Brandy, who didn’t offer one in return. This visit had proved more useful than Hadley could have ever imagined, but she really needed to speak with Ty.
Had Thomas ever mentioned Pearl to his son?
Had Thomas ever suspected his brother of the unspeakable?
Warren had hinted in their phone conversation that there was underlying tension between Allen and Ty, and Hadley had assumed it was due to the farm. But the connections between Pearl Shepley and the Hobbs were too significant to ignore.
The investigation had finally shifted from theoretical connections to concrete leads, which caused Hadley to finally contact Nick. Thomas Hobbs might be dead, but his brother was very much alive.
27
Nick Turner
October 2025
Monday – 1:41pm
Nick yanked open the door to the Whistlerun Police Station with enough force that the hinges protested with a metallic whine. He scanned the room for Hadley. Five days of unanswered calls and a single voicemail that explained nothing had pushed his patience beyond its limits. But today’s call about a lead only fueled his irritation as he spotted her sitting at a desk in the back of the room. He crossed the worn floorboards with restrained steps.
“I don't appreciate being ignored, Dawkins,” Nick exclaimed, not bothering to hide his agitation. “And I really don't appreciate being called when it suits your needs.”
“—and when was the last time the phone was active?” Hadley inquired, holding up her hand as a directive for him to wait while she finished her phone call. “And you've tried pinging it since we spoke earlier?”
