She studied the first page, only half paying attention to the words, and waited until he’d left.
Soon she’d have hot liquid for a weapon. The trick would be coming up with a plan that would save not only herself but Mr. Ingram as well.
CHAPTER36
ABRAHAM SPREAD OUT THE EVIDENCEhe’d collected from Lawson’s apartment on Superintendent Carson’s dining room table. Pages and pages of practice notes with his left hand. Files of information used for plotting the timing, location, and methods for murder, along with details on the victims’ daily patterns. He’d been methodical and careful. All of it had been locked in a safe hidden behind a bookshelf in his private office. If Abraham hadn’t noticed the faint grooves in the wooden floor from the constant moving of the shelf, he might have missed it.
“Sir, we need every available officer searching for Lawson. Miss Pelton and Uriah Ingram are both missing.”
The knowledge that he’d encouraged Lydia to trust the very man they sought made him ill. Why hadn’t he seen the signs? Lawson himself had told him everything was possible until proven otherwise.
Carson bent over the table and sorted through the evidence, shaking his head. “I can’t believe it. He’s been our best detective for years.”
“I’m afraid we’re on limited time. I need your permission to pull together all available officers.”
“You have it. Any idea where he might be holed up?”
Everyone on the force knew Lawson’s face. He’d want to avoid any chance of running into someone who would recognize him and report him once they learned he was a wanted man. If he’d already killed Ingram, Lawson was probably on a train out of town. But not with Lydia. He’d never get her on a train without her creating a scene. That was Abraham’s sole hope the man remained in town.
If Lawson had stayed in the city, he’d have chosen a place officers would eschew.
There was only one place that immediately came to mind. “It’s nothing more than a hunch, but if I were him, I’d hide in the Deer Creek Gang’s area.”
“Pull every Deer Creek Gang file we have and see if there are any connections to Lawson. Maybe he befriended one of them and is hiding in their home.”
Abraham gritted his teeth. Somewhere, Lydia was being held against her will, and all he could do was dig through files? Lawson knew their methods for investigation, and he would avoid every potential connection they might find. More than likely the only result in searching for a paper trail would be wasting time. All the while who knew what Lawson was forcing Lydia to do? Participate in Ingram’s murder? Watch it?
There had to be a better way.
Carson pulled a photo from the evidence pile. “What’s this? Who’s with Lawson and Clemens here?”
Abraham peered at the photograph of Maggie Napier. He’d brought it as proof of Lawson’s personal connection to the Wakefield case. Was he still close with Maggie’s parents? If so, they might have a better idea of where Lawson might be hiding.
“Lawson was close to the family of one of the original victims. I’ll talk to them. Carlisle can begin searching the files while I do.”
“Whatever you think is best. I’ll be in the office shortly. Get everyone searching now.”
After obtaining the address for the Napier family, Abraham used the nearest call box to reach dispatch. They would alert the patrolmen to be on the lookout for Lawson and get officers to each train station, just in case. Someone would rouse Carlisle from his bed and get him working through the Deer Creek Gang files. With that settled Abraham headed to the tenement where the Napiers lived.
Lights from their bottom-floor home indicated they were up, and Clemens answered when Abraham rapped.
Abraham frowned. “What are you doing here?”
“Probably the same thing as you. Come inside. I think I know where Lawson’s hiding.”
Clemens allowed him to pass into the main room, where Mr. and Mrs. Napier sat, in obvious distress, on the settee.
“It’s true then.” Mr. Napier hugged his wife closer. “The police believe Talbot is Billy Poe.”
Abraham hated to be the bearer of such news to a family who’d already suffered so much. “I am afraid so, and we believe he’s holding a young woman and his next potential victim hostage somewhere.”
The man ran a hand down his face before rising to his feet and heading to a hook on the wall, where a set of keys hung. “I’ve expanded my business to a second location, one with living quarters above the store. I’m having some renovations done before we move in, but Talbot came by yesterday to ask if he could stay there for a few nights. He said his roof had a leak and the landlord needed him gone while it was repaired.”
“And as his friend, you didn’t give it a second thought.”
“None. He’s been like a brother to me since we were schoolmates. I just can’t believe this of him.” He handed Abraham the keys. “But I’d rather you check the premises and be wrong than for me to deny you access and be the mistaken one.”
“Thank you, sir. If you will give me the address, I will return these to you as soon as we’re finished searching.”
