Right. She’d married and divorced, but surprise at seeing her had made him forget that piece of info. “Sorry, Ms. Cash was the teller at the bank Fowler attempted to rob, and she testified at the trial.”
York turned to Megan. “Why are you so angry with Mr. Maddox?”
“That’s personal and between us.”
York planted his hands on his waist. “Not if it has a bearing on this situation, it’s not.”
Megan fixed her jaw in a hard line and eyed Reid as if expecting him to explain their past and why she would be upset with him. No way Reid would mention his failed romance with Megan. York didn’t need those details.
“What exactly isthe situation?” Reid asked hoping to redirect York.
“Ms. Cash claims she saw Norman Fowler.” York paused and checked his notes.
“So Fowler’s out then?” Reid quickly did the math. Fowler had threatened Megan with a hidden gun, but neither him or his partner were armed. In exchange for thirteen years prison stay plus three years of supervisory release out of a twenty year max sentence, Fowler had ratted out his partner, who was the brains behind the robbery.
The prison portion of his sentence had passed, and now the guy was free to exact his revenge. He wasn’t free and clear, though. He still had to comply with the supervisory release criteria, which was much like parole criteria, plus he had to report to a federal probation officer on a regular basis.
York shifted on his feet. “First time she claimed to have seen him was a half hour ago at Speedy Fill gas station just down the road. Then again here, outside her daughter’s door.”
“It’s not a claim,” Megan said. “Ididsee him.”
“Maybe the station has security cameras, and he was caught on video,” Reid suggested.
York shook his head. “Small mom-and-pop station, and they never put cameras in. I know as we’ve suggested it countless times, but they’re old school, close to retirement, and don’t see the reason to spend the money.”
“You could believe me,” Megan said. “Fowler was here to make good on his threat to me by hurting Ella.” With a shaking hand, she slipped a lock of curly hair behind her ear and glanced into the open door at her daughter.
“About that.” York faced Reid. “Can you confirm Fowler issued a threat against Ms. Cash at the trial?”
Reid nodded. “After the trial, when deputies carted him off. He also blamed her for his arrest and threatened her then too. If incarceration didn’t change him, I’m sure he’ll make good on the threat.”
York jotted a note on his pad. “So you consider him a violent man?”
“The Fowler I knew wouldn’t hesitate to hurt Megan.” Reid glanced at her.
She curled her shoulders in as she’d done often enough in the past when she was uneasy.
Too bad he had to say Fowler was dangerous, but this officer had to see what they were facing here, if indeed Fowler had made an appearance. Not that he doubted Megan. Not at all. If she said she saw Fowler, Reid believed her. “I hope you’ll take this situation seriously and provide protection for her.”
“I wish we could.” York flipped his notepad closed. “But it’s not a crime to go to a gas station or be in a hospital hallway. And no offense, Ms. Cash, but we don’t have any proof that this Fowler guy was even here.”
“So you’ve said,” Megan mumbled under her breath.
“I’m here with my daughter and our therapy dog, and I heard Ms. Cash’s scream when she saw him. It wasn’t faked. She was terrified. That I can assure you.” Reid scanned the long hallway floor to ceiling. “I don’t see any cameras, but the ones in the lobby could have caught him entering the building.”
“Not today,” York said. “The hospital’s updating their system, and it’s offline for a few hours.”
“He said he was staying at the Creek Water Motel if that helps,” Megan said.
York nodded. “I can stop by there and see if a Norman Fowler’s registered, but they might require a warrant to provide that information, and I have no probable cause for such a warrant.”
Reid knew he spoke the truth. “But you’ll let Ms. Cash know what you learn either way?”
“Will do.” York pulled out business cards. He handed one to each of them. “We’ll make sure our other officers are aware of Fowler’s release, and I’ll talk to security on the way out to make sure they know what’s going on here. They can make a point of checking in on you now and then.”
Reid took the card and swallowed his anger at York’s action. But York didn’t deserve it. He’d behaved much like Reid would’ve done in the past as an agent when he couldn’t really help a traumatized victim.
With the police not taking action, the question was, what was going to happen to Megan and her sick daughter?
