“Guilt,” Ford said. “I don’t know. He won’t stop crying. Worse than Kane was. He said he can’t live like this.” Ford turned to Rory. “The strings on his keychain, he said they werefrom Rene’s ankle bracelet. You were right. He took it as a reminder to never forget what he’d done, what had eaten at him for years. It’d fallen off her ankle and he didn’t want to leave it where he’d killed her. Which was on John Abdell’s property. He took two when he tied it back on. He’d had work gloves on his hands but took one off to tie that without thinking.”
“Obviously he lied about being at college,” Rory said.
“His mother brought him there the next day. She’d heard about the murder and said she wanted him out of town in case someone was coming after kids.”
“That’s ironic,” Gale said. “What a joke.”
“I don’t think anyone ever suspected him or even thought he could do something like that. He’s always been quiet and overlooked.”
“In school he was picked on as being a gentle giant,” she said. “I remember that now. He had no father and never talked about one and many said he was a mama’s boy.”
“I’m sure it messed with his head. He said he didn’t know Daniel was his father. He found out by mistake when he was sixteen. He’d been working for Daniel that summer and heard his mother fighting with Daniel to make sure he took care of Rocco, to pay her so he was raised with enough money to have more or she’d talk.”
“I can’t believe she hadn’t before now,” Gale said. “Or even Rocco.”
“My guess is Daniel took care of it financially to keep his reputation intact,” Ford said. “We’ll get all that information soon. He’s going to have to pay for his role in a lot of things in this community. I’m sure Rocco’s mother was probably bought off. But Daniel didn’t give Rocco what he really needed. Daniel wanted the Abdell land and John wasn’t giving in, so Rocco tampered with things on the property hoping John would think there was a reason to sell. He wanted to prove to Daniel he hadwhat it took, that he wasn’t some mistake to be hidden from the world and could be right there with Kane taking over the business someday.”
“And he thought Rene caught pictures of him doing that?” Rory asked.
“He said he wasn’t sure but couldn’t take the risk. The day before your sister was there walking when Rocco and John were arguing. More like Rocco trying to threaten John,” Ford said. “I’ve never seen someone give so much detail before in a confession. It felt as if it’s been locked inside the guy for years clawing its way out. He actually laid his head on the table when he was done as if he was drained. He thought his father was protecting him by buying off John Abdell, but it was really protecting the fact that Daniel and Kane had been down so often trying to get John to sell. Daniel didn’t want his name brought up in this to ruin his next venture. Daniel professes to have no knowledge of Rene’s death or that Rocco was involved. Rocco insisted he’d told no one, so our hands are tied there if Daniel knew. My gut says he might not have. That this was all about business, not family. Or the only family he ever tried to protect was Kane. His only son in Daniel’s mind.”
“Did Rocco say if he went back to talk to John the day he died?” she asked.
“It wasn’t planned. Rocco was there working, John was startled to see him. Rocco brought up that time and asked if it was said that he was there. John backed away and said he’d kept his mouth shut, that no one was told, then he tripped and fell. He says it was an accident.”
“Yet he could have called it in and didn’t,” Rory said.
“I asked him why,” Ford said. “He was afraid. He wanted nothing else to come out with someone new looking into the case. That is when Detective Miller was starting.”
Rory shook his head. “Rene would have said something if she’d heard that argument. She would have gotten in the middle of it. Or she would have come back to tell us she had heard people fighting. I’m positive she saw nothing or heard anything.”
“Like my sister,” Ford said. “Who can’t stand down when she is told. Your sister had pictures but nothing that would show what was going on, but it will help us put together more evidence. It will put him on the scene with his footprints also, even without the confession.”
Gale shrugged. “Don’t get on my case, Ford. I wasn’t about to stand there watching that. Rocco wasn’t letting go and you know it.”
“I still had to announce myself,” Ford said. “I was ready to shoot his arm.”
“I beat you to it. Thanks for teaching me to shoot so well.”
Ford let out a soft laugh. “I always knew you could take care of yourself.”
“And now I can take care of others, just like my brothers.”
Her brother pulled her under his arm. “You’re never going to change. Now you just gave me a big headache and a shit ton of paperwork to deal with.”
“I can take care of it,” she said. “I’ll go down and give my statement tomorrow. Or are you here for that now?”
“Tomorrow is good enough. For both of you. I know you’ll be talking more about this tonight, but shut it off if you can.
“Is Gale going to get in trouble?” Rory asked.
“No,” Ford said.
“I had reasonable belief of imminent deadly force on another person,” she said. “It’s just paperwork.”
“And nightmares,” he said. “I don’t want that for you.”
“We’ve all had nightmares over what happened to Rene. We don’t have to anymore.” She shook her head. “One thing that sits in my head—it didn’t seem to me Daniel acknowledged Roccoas more than an employee. Ever. If he was aware Rocco knew Daniel was his father, that’s pretty damn cold if you ask me.”
