A Shred of Evidence (30 page)

“I am sorry, Mister G. I did not want to be late.”

Gordy looked at Billy’s pleading eyes and wondered if he was expecting too much. “I’ll give you another chance. But if you want to keep this job, you need to be ready to work at 8:30.
Go on now and get to work. I’m not lettin’ anything spoil this special day.”

Billy looked beyond Gordy at the balloons. “Whose birthday is to-day?”

“We’re celebrating something different: Miss Weezie has been promoted to assistant manager. That means she’s the boss when I’m not here.”

“I like Miss Wee-zie. She laughs funny. I will work now.”

Billy got the bucket of supplies out of the closet and went out the back door, just as Eddie Drummond came in the front.

“What’re you doing here so early?” Gordy said.

Eddie grinned sheepishly. “I was hoping I could bum a cup of coffee. Nice sign. Weezie ought to get a kick out of it.”

“Yeah, I hope so.” Gordy walked into the kitchen, Eddie on his heels. He poured coffee into a Styrofoam cup and handed it to Eddie. “Has Hank got you runnin’ your wheels off?”

“Yeah, I started this morning at 6:30. By the way, do you know anything about the shot fired at the Hamiltons’?”

“What shot?” Gordy said.

“I heard on the news some protester called 911 and reported hearing a shot inside the house, but nobody was hurt.”

“Then it must not’ve amounted to anything.”

Eddie took a sip of coffee, his eyes peering over the cup. “So when are you going to ask Pam out?”

Gordy felt the heat rush to his face. “What’re you talkin’ about?”

“A lady my wife knows has a friend who’s a friend of Pam Townsend’s ex-mother-in-law. She said the police chief was trying to get you and Pam hooked up.”

“You can tell that friend of your wife’s and all her little whisperers to kindly mind their own business.”

“Well, is it true? Are the Seevers trying to get you and Pam hooked up?”

“Back off, Eddie.”

“It’s not like the cat’s not out of the bag. My wife’s bridge club was talking about it last night.”

“What?”

“Will you lighten up? Why are you being so squirrelly about it?”

Gordy grabbed Eddie firmly by the arm. “What I decide to do or not do in my personal life is my business, you got that?”

“I hear you, man. If I’d have known you were gonna go postal on me, I wouldn’t have brought it up.”

“Why don’t you start thinkin’ about how the other person might feel before you go shootin’ off your mouth?”

“I still don’t understand what the big deal is. So what if you’re seeing someone?”

“Did you hear me say I’m seein’ someone? I’ve struggled every day since Jenny died! I haven’t dated anyone because I haven’t wanted to!”

“Do you now?”

“Tell you what, Eddie, when I decide I’m ready to talk about it, I’ll keep you in the loop. Till then, my personal life is off limits.”

Police Chief Will Seevers heard voices and recognized one of them as Ross Hamilton’s. He got up and went out into the hallway and saw Special Agent Newt Clifford walking into the staff meeting room behind Ross.

“I didn’t realize you were going to get started so early,” Will said.

Newt nodded. “Ross wanted to get this out of the way first thing.”

Will’s eyes locked on to Ross’s and he studied him for a moment. “Okay, I’ll make sure you’re not disturbed. Buzz me if I can do anything.”

“Thanks.” Newt went inside and closed the door.

Will went back in his office and saw Special Agent Bryce Moore sitting in his chair, his feet on Will’s desk, his hands clasped behind his head.

Will smiled. “You’re getting way too comfortable in here.”

“Trust me,” Bryce said. “I’d love nothing more than to solve this thing so I could go home.”

“Tallahassee, right?”

Bryce nodded. “Last time I checked.”

“So what’s on your agenda for today?”

“That’s what I’m here to talk to you about. We’re a heartbeat away from arresting the brains behind the RISK movement.”

Ellen Jones heard the phone ring and debated whether to let the answering machine get it. She picked it up on the fourth ring. “Hello.”

“Ellen, it’s Julie. I’m sorry I left you sitting out in the kitchen. I was pretty shaken about Ross. I spaced out everything else.”

“I understand. Is he all right?”

“Yes, but the FBI is doing a complete psychological evaluation on him this morning.”

“When?”

“Now. I’m about to climb the walls here by myself. It’s going to take hours.”

“You want me to come get you?” Ellen heard herself say.

“If you wouldn’t mind. It’s difficult being alone right now.”

“Okay, why don’t I pick you up on the same corner in ten minutes?”

“Thanks. I’ll be there.”

Ellen hung up the phone and closed her eyes.

Lord, You’re obviously putting us together for a reason. I’m really nervous about this, but I want to be obedient to whatever You want. Please
give me
wisdom and let my words be Your words
.

Ellen picked up her purse and went out to the garage. She backed her Thunderbird out of the driveway and headed for the corner of Orange Blossom and Flamboyant.

Will Seevers passed by the closed door to the meeting room and heard muffled voices. He was eager to find out what Ross Hamilton’s psychological evaluation would reveal.

Will got a Dr. Pepper out of the vending machine and popped the top just as the paging system clicked on.

“Chief Seevers, would you report to your office please? Chief Seevers, report to your office.”

Will hurried down the hall where he found Bryce Moore pacing in his office.

“We’ve made an arrest,” Bryce said. “My agents are bringing her in now. Name’s Moira McDaniel. She’s a thirty-seven-year-old social worker from Port Smyth.”

“A
social
worker?”

“Yeah, a RISK implant, no doubt. Can you hang around for the interrogation?” Bryce said.

“Absolutely How’d you find this lady?”

Bryce lifted his eyebrows. “We got a tip a few months back that someone in the Port Smyth Department of Children and Families was a RISK operative. We sent in an undercover agent posing as a caseworker and made sure she was vocal about the flaws in the system. Nothing happened for months. Then one day a few weeks ago, this Moira McDaniel made an overt attempt to befriend our undercover. And after a few coffee breaks and lunches together, and a few dinners out, our undercover confided to Daniels how mad she was about being forced to send a six-year-old back to her parents, that she knew the kid was being abused but couldn’t prove it. Bingo! McDaniel starts talking about
options
and finally tells her there’s a guardian group of concerned citizens called RISK. Says they have ways to make
children disappear from abusive homes. Our undercover pushes the envelope a little too hard, and McDaniel senses she’s been had and shuts down. So our gal pulls out her badge and reads McDaniel her rights. Guess we’ll have to do the rest of it the hard way. Better make sure the coffeepot’s on.”

Ellen drove around Bougainvillea Park until she came to the central parking area. “Is this okay?” she said to Julie.

“Yes, it’s beautiful here. Thanks for getting me out of the house.”

Ellen spotted an empty park bench under some towering shade trees about thirty yards away. “Why don’t we take our bagels and coffee over there?”

The two women got out of the car and walked across the wet grass, then sat on the park bench.

Ellen took half a bagel out of the sack, spread it with cream cheese, and handed it to Julie. “There’s jelly in here if you’d like some.”

“No, this is fine.”

Ellen spread cream cheese on the other half and savored the first bite, then took a sip of coffee, her eyes taking in her surroundings. “Look, there’s an Eastern towhee. Right there, next to that purple Bougainvillea bush.”

“What’s an Eastern … what did you call it?”

“Towhee.” Ellen smiled. “I forgot to mention I’m into birds. It’s a relatively new hobby.”

“It’s nice to have a hobby,” Julie said. “I used to do a lot of needlework till we had kids …”

Ellen pretended not to see Julie’s chin quivering. “How long is Ross’s evaluation supposed to take?”

“I don’t know. The FBI agent said he’d bring Ross home when he was finished, but it wouldn’t be until after lunch. The testing’s a waste of time. There’s nothing wrong with Ross’s mind.
His heart’s on overload. Time is the only cure for that—
if
there’s a cure at all.”

“Where did you two meet?” Ellen said.

“On a blind date eleven years ago. His mother taught at the same school I did and set it up.” Julie smiled. “We went to a bluegrass concert in the park. Seemed safe enough in case we didn’t hit it off. We stayed all afternoon and eventually ended up at an all-night coffee shop. I don’t remember what time I got home, but I remember my roommate was shocked. I knew from the start I was going to marry him.”

“How long before you did?”

“Six months.” Julie took a sip of coffee and seemed to be staring at nothing. “I know what you’re thinking: how well did I really know him—considering his history and all? Ross told me early on about the painful things that had happened in his life. I don’t think he’s ever gotten over shooting his little brother. They had gotten out their father’s hunting rifle and were fighting over it when it went off. His mother told me Ross cried off and on for a year after that. Used to draw pictures and take them to Billy’s grave.”

“And his best friend’s fall?”

“Devastating. Danny and Ross were practically inseparable. They grew up together and seemed even closer after Billy died. When Danny slipped at the rock quarry and was hanging by his hands, Ross tried desperately to pull him up but felt him slowly slipping away. When Danny fell to his death, something in Ross died, too. He flunked school that year and had to repeat the seventh grade. He had stomach problems for years after that.”

Ellen studied Julie’s face. “I’m sure the disappearances of those two young women must have been equally horrible.”

“Alicia’s sure was. She was his first love. Ross had just given her his class ring the night she disappeared at the park. He’d left to go to the restroom and when he came back, he thought she was playing a trick on him. He looked for her for a half hour
before he panicked and called the police. No one has ever seen her again. Ross said the police interrogation and the unanswered questions in the minds of everyone made his life a nightmare. He never had space and time to grieve.”

“What about the other girl?”

“Stacey? Ross didn’t even know her last name. She dated one of his buddies, and Ross agreed to give her a lift to the bus station because his buddy had to catch a flight home for Thanksgiving. He let her off outside the station. No one knows what happened after that. And all the talk about the hit-and-run in Biloxi is baloney. So what if Ross drove a white Taurus? There must be a million of them. That reporter just wanted to make a name for herself.”

“Julie, haven’t you ever had doubts? You have to admit this is quite peculiar.”

“The man I love wouldn’t hurt a flea.”

Ellen started to ask about Nathaniel and then decided not to.

Police Chief Will Seevers sat next to Special Agent Moore in the interrogation room. Across the table sat Moira McDaniel, her eyes full of fire and defiance, and her arms tightly folded in front of her.

“We know you’re a link in the RISK movement,” Bryce said. “You could make this a whole lot easier on yourself if you’d just tell us where Sarah Beth Hamilton is.”

Moira sneered and said nothing.

“I could certainly understand your desire to save her from an abusive father,” Will said. “You were desperate. No one seemed to be protecting this little girl. You had to do something.”

“I didn’t have to do anything,” Moira said.

Bryce held her gaze. “But did you?”

Moira looked as though she were trying to stare him down. Bryce blinked first.

“You seem to think so,” Moira said. “I never heard of RISK.”

“Really?” Bryce took his finger and pushed the play button on a tape recorder.

“You don’t have to sacrifice this little
girt
There is another way. Have you ever heard of RISK?

“No, what is it?”

“An amazing group of people—like the guardian angels of abused children. They know how to snatch innocent victims and relocate them in safe houses till they can place them in new families. If you don’t want this child to suffer any more, let me get them in touch with you—

Bryce turned off the recorder. “Won’t do you any good to deny it, Moira. We’ll just get a voice match.”

She glared at Bryce. “I want to call my attorney”

“Be my guest. But we can cut you a deal and save you an awful lot of heartache. Tell us where Sarah Beth Hamilton is, and we can get the judge to go really easy on you.”

Moira snickered. “You don’t get it, do you? We aren’t paying homage to a broken system any more. I’ll rot in jail before I’ll tell you anything about any of the kids we’ve helped.”