And there was no reason for anyone else to call him.
Just another indication that there was absolutely nothing he should be waiting for.
This was it.
Angie sauntered into the living room, her nails clicking on the hardwood.
“You wanna go for a walk, girl?”
Her tail wagged.
“Let’s do it.” Ignoring the phone, Kale stood and headed for the door, Angie on his heels.
Fifteen minutes of fresh air and then he would call his father back and talk about whatever he wanted to discuss. Like he did every night.
10
Youngstown Public Safety Office, 9:00 p.m.
“You still at it, Chief?”
Ben Willard glanced up from the mound of reports on his desk. He didn’t bother manufacturing a smile for his old friend. They knew each other well enough and had been friends long enough that social protocols weren’t necessary. “Looks like I will be for a while yet.” He leaned back and his chair squeaked. He motioned for the mayor to come on in. “Have a seat, Fritz.”
Fritz Patterson settled into the only clutter-free spot in the office, an extra chair that one of Ben’s deputies had rolled in for working with him on these damned reports. Between the evidence and interview reports, the faxes and photographs, not to mention old case files, that danged chair was the only space save for scattered sections of the floor that wasn’t used as a holding place.
“Anything new from other agencies?” Fritz asked.
Ben had expected that question. He’d answered that same one ten or twelve times today. He shook his head. “We’re still comparing MOs with homicides all over the country. So far we’ve got nothing.” The process had been a waste of time. His gut clenched. As prepared as he’d thought he was, he hadn’t been anywhere near ready for this.
This was far worse than he’d ever expected to see in his little town.
Fritz nodded thoughtfully. “Nothing new on the search for the Appleton girl?”
Ben shook his head. “We’ve interviewed all her friends a second, some a third, time. Her family. The FBI has her name and face plastered all over the internet and on billboards. And nothing. It’s like she just vanished into the mist. The grandparents offered a reward today, so we can hope that’ll help.” Even as he made the statement, his mind whirled with all that could go wrong, and yet nothing about any of this was right to begin with. His gut twisted. God help him. There was no way to make it right.
“Can’t hurt,” Fritz agreed. “So far we seem to have been successful in keeping that one detail from the homicide scene out of the media.” Fritz tugged at his tie. The man had worn one every day of his adult life. Didn’t seem to matter to him that no one else bothered.
“So far.” Ben was terrified that the single detail they had saved from the beginning of the investigation might get leaked. That was the one piece of evidence with the potential to end this nightmare. The only part that made the killing personal.
Images from the murder scene zoomed into horrifyingly vivid focus before his mind’s eye.
God help me.How could anyone in his town be capable of such things?
“Conner’s going to bring the Newton woman over to meet with you in the morning, I hear,” Fritz commented.
The chief pushed aside the agonizing thoughts and images. He had heard about her visit with Deputy Brighton. The way his deputy had gone on, it was clear Ms. Newton was already up to her usual theatrics. Sarah Newton was a loose cannon. He didn’t need that right now. This case didn’t need that right now. What he needed, what the folks of Youngstown needed, was for everything to fall into place so this nightmare would end.
He redirected his attention to the conversation. “She giving him any grief?”
Fritz shrugged. “Not so much. Conner says she has her own methods, and he’s doing all he can to cooperate with her wishes. If he gets in over his head, he’ll let me know. I think she gave your deputy more trouble than she’s giving him.”
Ben shifted in his chair, earning another squeak of protest. If he was lucky, Conner would keep that woman under control. That was all Ben could hope for at this point. Unless he got lucky and the news he had to pass along now helped her to see that she wasn’t needed here.
Get on with it. This part had to be done. Beating around the bush wasn’t going to change this vital step. Ben wasn’t looking forward to what he had to do. Had put it off a good two hours already. But it had to be done.
Only two people besides the killer knew this part. Ben and Carl Saxon, the medical examiner. Ben had ordered him to keep this quiet until they had more information. A couple of hours ago Carl had called with what he’d learned. Another pivotal step in reaching the end of this nightmare. It was time for Ben to share that information with Youngstown’s mayor.
Ben pushed to his feet, stepped to the door and closed it. What he was about to say to his old friend was something he didn’t dare let out, not even among his own deputies. Not until he’d run it by the FBI ... not until the time was right.
