Sandrift: A Lin Hanna Mystery (18 page)

Lin thought
about the implications of these findings, recalling that Billy had told her he
and Dorrie had gone out to eat and come back to his place to “talk” on Thursday
night.
 
She decided not to mention
what she knew right then, Ken was coming and he would probably have more
information.
 
Instead Lin changed
the subject.
 
“What about her car?
Are the authorities sure she drove it herself?”

“Sheriff Midgett
told us when we first met with him that it was in the parking lot at Nags Head
Woods locked.
 
They never found her
keys.
 
She probably lost them in the
water when she fell, I guess.
 
They
towed the car and got it unlocked.
 
I’m using the valet key that was in the glove box.
 
I assume they searched her car, but
apparently there was no indication anyone else drove her there.”
 
Matt’s stress was still evident but the
tears had stopped.

Secretly Lin
wondered how carefully the car had been examined.
 
She seriously doubted there’d been any
sort of real investigation into this death, at least not initially.
 
Again, she decided to wait for Ken to
talk about this.

“Let me put on
a fresh pot of coffee,” she offered, “ I think I hear Ken’s car coming in and
we’ve almost finished this pot.”
 
She was happy to escape to the kitchen.
 
Seeing Matt’s discomfort was unsettling.

Neal got up
quickly and went down to greet Ken Parker and Matt Johnson excused himself and
went to the restroom, maybe to further regain his composure.

Neal reappeared
shortly with Ken following, his tall frame filling the doorway.
 
By that time Matt had returned and Neal
took charge of introductions while Lin finished setting up the coffee maker.
 
She decided to hunt further for more
snacks as Matt had made a serious dent in the plate of cookies.
 
She found a can of nuts and some
crackers.
 
There was a small block
of cheese left so she sliced that to add to the snacks, regretting her neglect
of the grocery shopping.

By the time Lin
returned to the porch with the food, Ken was busy talking about his own take on
the medical report.
 
He had a copy
spread out on the coffee table so Lin placed the food on a side table and
returned to the kitchen for the coffee pot.

Ken talked
quietly, but seriously, for at least the next half hour.
 
No one else spoke.
 
Lin could scarcely contain her questions
but she managed to do so as Ken outlined the same findings Matt had mentioned
earlier but with more precise detail.
 
He had an actual copy of the report, including photos that he kept
covered until he was finished talking.

“I know you’ve
talked to the ME,” He spoke to Matt, “but I wasn’t sure whether or not you had
viewed the photos, or if you wanted to.”

Matt swallowed
hard, “He offered but I didn’t want to see, then.
 
I think I want to now though, I think
I’m ready.”

Ken passed him
the photos.
 
“You know about the
evidence of sex and the drugs.
 
There was bruising around her arms and shoulders but none in the vaginal
area.
 
If there was a sexual assault
it was probably of the date rape variety or,” Ken hesitated, “it could’ve been
consensual like Billy Thornton claims.
 
He’s admitted he had sex with Dorrie on Thursday night but says it was
entirely consensual, and she left shortly after.
 
He claims there were no drugs involved
but… we did find some pot in his apartment—nothing else though.
 
Of course, if he had other drugs he
could’ve gotten rid of them or maybe he used them all that night.”

Matt was
shuffling through the photos Ken had passed to him.
 
Once again, he appeared to be fighting
back tears as he looked at his daughter in death. “If the sex was consensual,”
he almost choked on the words, “then why are her arms so bruised?”

Ken Parker was
obviously trying to remain professional; however, he was clearly sympathetic to
Matt’s plight. “ We aren’t entirely sure, but it’s possible she tried to break
her fall by grabbing or bumping into trees.
 
There’re some pretty big trees in that
area but since she was—er under the influence she probably bounced her
way from tree to tree.
 
If she’d
been sober when she fell…” he didn’t have to complete the thought.

“If she’d been
stung it wouldn’t have made much difference,” Matt shook his head, “not unless
someone was there to help her get to a doctor.”

He stacked the
photos and placed them on the table.
 
Lin picked them up, “May I?”
 
Ken nodded that it was ok for her to look.

 
Dorrie’s face looked pretty much as Lin
had remembered it, but she hadn’t paid much attention to any bruising.
 
She remembered that Dorrie’s body had been
partially covered by the swamp waters so maybe these bruises were hidden or
covered by her clothing. She recalled that it was a cool day so she would have
worn long sleeves.
 
She examined
each photo carefully including those of Dorrie’s back.
 
The only frontal bruises were on her
arms and shoulders.
 
One bruise on
her upper arm caught Lin’s eye.
 
It
was oddly shaped, sort of an oval shape with darker lines across it.
 
Maybe that was more of a scrape than a
bruise, she thought. Dorrie’s entire back was dark with lividity.

“The body had
been there for awhile when you found it,” Ken answered the unasked question.
“The discoloration on her backside tells us she’d been lying there for several
hours.”

“Mr. Johnson,”
Ken turned to Dorrie’s distraught father. “The ruling of death due to an
allergic reaction, most likely to an insect bite or sting, still stands.
 
The question is whether someone
contributed to her drugged condition.
 
That would be negligence, if we could prove it, and I’m not at all sure
we can.
 
The standards in civil
court are less rigid; however, so if you choose to bring a lawsuit this
evidence might help your case.”

“I’m not sure,”
Matt Johnson seemed stunned by what he had seen. “I’ll have to talk to Sara, to
our attorney; I’m planning to go back home tomorrow.”

“Could you
possibly stay over one more day?” Ken asked. “I understand the Sheriff released
Dorrie’s car to you and we’d like to have the chance to examine it.
 
Might be useless at this late date but
still…”

“Sure,” Matt
seemed to be beyond caring.
 
“I’ll
call Sara.
 
If she’s ok, I’ll
stay.
 
What time should I bring the
car to you?”

“The earlier
the better,” Ken explained how to find the Kill Devil Hills Police Station and
then rose to take his leave.

Neal spoke up,
“We’re going out for barbeque if you’d care to join us?”

“Thanks,” Ken
responded,
 
“but I need to get home,
another long day.”
 
He gathered the
report and turned to leave.

“You’ll join
us, won’t you Matt?” Lin felt he really shouldn’t be alone right now.

“Sure,” Matt
responded with no enthusiasm, “I’d like to talk to Sara first though.”

Lin directed
Matt upstairs to the office where he could find some privacy and then took
Sparky outside.
 
The rain was
completely gone now, and the sun was painting the western sky with brilliant
pinks and golds that reflected on the choppy waters of the sound in a dance of
light.
 
So much ugliness in such a
beautiful place she thought, reflecting on all they had just learned.

The parking lot
at Tim’s Bar and Grill was crowded for a Wednesday evening.
 
Matt had followed them so he could drive
back to his hotel directly from dinner.
 
They managed to find spaces near the rear of the building.
 
Lin couldn’t avoid glancing at the dumpster
area as they exited the car and headed into the restaurant.

Most of the
customers were in the rustic dining area.
 
Lin observed that there were only a few patrons in the adjacent bar
room, at least from what she could see from their table.
 
She recognized that Tim was serving as
bartender.
 
Perhaps he would come
into the dining room later.
 
She
really did want to ask him about what happened on Saturday night, but she tried
to focus her attention on dinner.

All three of
them ordered the barbeque and it was as good as advertised.
 
Lin entertained Neal with a discourse on
the comparisons between eastern North Carolina and the western part of the
state when it came to barbeque sauces.
 
Of course Neal didn’t fully appreciate all this, even though Matt Johnson,
being from the Tarheel state originally, backed up her account.
 
Before their meal was ended the mood was
somewhat lighter.
 
Matt had even
managed a few laughs.
 

After they had
all declined dessert, Matt insisted on picking up the check. “You’ve been such
a great help and support for us.
 
I
really can’t thank you properly.”

“I was glad to
do whatever I could,” Lin smiled. “I’m sorry I couldn’t do more.
 
There are still some big gaps in
Dorrie’s activities while she was here—especially on Friday.
 
I just wish I knew what she did that
day, if she followed through on any of her plans.”

“From what Sgt.
Parker shared with us, I’d say she was so hung over she was lucky she didn’t
wreck her car or get picked up for DUI.
 
Actually, I could wish she had been stopped, maybe then she’d still be
alive,” Matt was serious. “She probably thought she could walk it off, maybe
she was just trying to get some fresh air. I’m not sure I’m going to tell Sara
about all of this.
 
She’d be
devastated to learn that Dorrie had been using drugs.
 
We thought this stuff was all behind
her,” he sounded stoic, “but I guess it wasn’t.”

Lin thought to
herself—What if she didn’t take the drugs voluntarily? What if it was
date rape?
 
She didn’t raise these
questions with Matt.
 
He had all the
facts and would have to decide for himself what action to take, if any.

“Guess, I’d
better get back to the hotel,” Matt sighed. “The earlier I can get to the
police station tomorrow the better off I’ll be.
 
Hopefully, I can get away from here
later in the day.
 
I need to get
back to Sara.”

When Matt had
departed, Neal turned to Lin, “Are you ready to go?”

“Not quite,”
she confessed. “I’d like a nightcap.
 
Why don’t we go to the bar for some Irish Coffee?”

Neal sighed,
“No interest in talking to the bar tender?”
 
She smiled her response.

They went into
the small bar room, choosing a booth in a back corner.
 

“You’ll have to
order at the bar,” Tim called out, “we don’t have table service here on week
nights.”
 
As Neal rose to go order,
Tim recognized Lin. “Why hello, Ms. Hanna, wasn’t it?
 
Glad you’re back.
 
Did you try the barbeque?”

“Yes, and it
was great,” Lin smiled. “If you have a few minutes could we talk?”

“Sure, just
give me a couple of minutes here.
 
I’ll get someone to come over and look after these folks,” Tim indicated
the few customers still at the bar.

He prepared
their Irish coffees and even made one for himself.
 
Neal grabbed the heavy mugs and brought
them to the table.

A short time
later, Tim joined them at their booth.
 
Lin introduced him to Neal, “This is the friend I promised to bring for
barbeque.”

“Hope you
enjoyed it,” Tim smiled. “But I’d bet good money you’re not here to ask me for
my secret sauce recipe, even if I were inclined to reveal it.”

Neal laughed,
“You’ve got her pegged I see.”

“I’ll have to
confess.
 
I’m wondering what
happened here Saturday night—from your perspective I mean,” Lin said. “
You weren’t in the dining room but Dorrie Johnson’s father was with us at
dinner.
 
He came down to go over the
medical findings related to her death and pick up her car.
 
The police seem to think he might have
grounds for a negligence lawsuit.”

Tim shrugged, “
I wouldn’t know about that, but Billy Thornton was bragging about how ‘hot’
Dorrie was when he was here Saturday night.
 
It’s pretty well known that Billy
usually has a stash of pot somewhere.
 
From what he said, I’d guess they smoked some and then…had some hot
sex.” Tim wasn’t mincing any words.

“What about
stronger stuff,” Lin couldn’t resist. “Could it have been date rape?”

“I wouldn’t
know, but that’s not really Billy’s style.
 
Most of the women are ready and willing to go to bed with him, if you
get my drift.
 
He was braggin’
though and that was probably what set Connie off,” Tim shook his head sadly,
“She sure didn’t deserve to get beat like that.”

Tim was
obviously in a talkative mood and Lin took advantage, pressing him for more
information about what happened.
 

“It’s really
different here on weekends,” Tim waved at the sparse bar crowd. “Late on
Saturday night this place is full, mostly local folks.
 
Some drink too much, some talk too much,
and sometimes that combination leads to trouble, but…” he shook his head in
disbelief, “we’ve never had a death before.
 
This is not that kind of place. I can’t
afford that kind of reputation,” Tim sounded angry.

“I know this
upsets you, but it wasn’t your fault,” Lin tried to sound supportive. “I’m sure
no one blames you.”

Tim nodded his
agreement and continued his story, “Billy was here most all evening, drinking
too much, carrying on about his date with Dorrie, how pretty she was and so
on.
 
Connie came in later, I guess
after work, but she’d probably been somewhere else ‘cause she was already
pretty well loaded.
 
Started arguing
with Billy, accusing him of trying to take advantage of Dorrie, and then
tearing into him about her sister Liz.
 
Connie’s always blamed Billy for Liz’s death.
 
Sheriff talked to him way back then, and
nothing ever came of it.
 
I think he
had a good alibi or something, but Connie never let it go.
 
Saturday night she was really fired up,
really upset.
 
One of the other guys
here got between them before they could come to blows.
 
Sat Connie down in that booth right over
there,” he pointed to the opposite corner of the room, “got her a cup of
coffee.”

“What did Billy
do?” Lin pressed on, taking advantage of the affable bartender’s willingness to
talk.

“Billy? Well he
still had a head of steam.
 
Stormed
out of here in a rage.
 
I assumed he
was leaving, but apparently he just went outside.
 
Connie drank a cup of coffee and then
left herself.
 
Guess he was waiting
for her in the parking lot, at least that’s what the cops said probably
happened.
 
He beat her up.
 
Beat her and tossed her in my dumpster.”
Tim shook his head.
 
It was obvious
he was still having a hard time taking all this in.

Neal had been
quiet through all of this, but now he spoke up, “ Were there any other
witnesses to what happened outside?
 
Anyone see Billy beat her up?”
 

“I don’t really
know,” Tim said. “It was close to closing time, lots of the guys were leaving
about that time.
 
I guess the police
have talked to most of them.
 
Ken
Parker made me give him a list of all the folks I could recall were here.
 
We got two entrances though.
 
Some of them could’ve left without even
seeing what was happening toward that end of the lot—the end near the
dumpster.
 
Nobody said anything to
me, though.”

Lin realized
that Tim had probably shared all that he knew.
 
She would’ve loved to ask about others
who might’ve seen what happened, but she decided not to press her luck.
 
Maybe Ken Parker would tell them
more.
 
She wanted to know who their
prowler was.
 
Maybe he was one of
the locals who made this place a regular hangout.
 

She thanked Tim
for sharing with them and, once again, complemented the barbeque. “The Irish
coffee was really good too.”

“Come back
again,” Tim said rising to return to the bar.

The clouds had
completely lifted and the skies above were starry and clear as they drove back
to Kate’s house.
 
Lin was quiet,
deep in thought, trying to sort out all the information they had learned that
day.
 
She was still having a hard
time seeing Billy Thornton as a killer, but she really didn’t know him.
 
Didn’t know what he might be capable of
if he were drunk or high.
 

It was almost
ten when they arrived home.
 
Sparky was
eagerly awaiting their arrival.
 
Neal grabbed his leash. “Let’s take him on a short walk through the
neighborhood.
 
Things are pretty dry
now and I could use some fresh air myself.”

As they walked
through the quiet neighborhood, Neal put his arm around Lin’s shoulder. “This
has been quite a day, too much information to process.
 
I don’t know how Matt Johnson held up as
well as he did.”

“I’m sure all
this has been shocking to him,” Lin replied, “I just hope he isn’t being too
hard on Dorrie in his mind.
 
I doubt
any of this was really her fault.
 
After all, Billy’s evidently the one who provided the pot, and she may
have taken other drugs unknowingly.”

“I know,”
Neal
replied, “I guess when your kid has had problems in the
past, it’s easy to think they’ve just slipped back into old habits but…who
knows what really happened.”

“I feel
confident Ken Parker will find out, he’s a good man,” Lin responded.

As they walked
quietly, she reflected on all the information they’d received, trying to fit
things into a sensible picture of what might have occurred.
 
She did trust Ken Parker to handle the
criminal side of this story, but she was really worried about the Johnsons and
their memory of their daughter.
 
In
spite of the fact that Ken Parker had implied that Dorrie might have been date
raped and might not have been aware she was being drugged, Lin realized that
Matt Johnson had his doubts.
 
He and
Sara had been through a lot with their daughter in the past.
 
It was hard to let go of all that.
 
Lin wished that she could somehow
restore Dorrie’s reputation, for the sake of their memories.
 
It was hard to imagine Dorrie driving
herself to Nags Head Woods in a drugged state, hard to visualize her getting
stung and falling down that slope bouncing her arms and shoulders into trees
but not getting bruised anywhere on her lower extremities.

Lin thought
about the photographs with the ME’s report.
 
The areas of lividity on Dorrie’s back
could mask other bruises, but the front of her abdomen and her legs appeared
clear.
 
The more she thought about
it, the more Lin realized that she didn’t think Dorrie had fallen from the
trail.
 
After all, she had fallen
down that same slope herself.
 
She
had quickly lost her footing landing on her rear, and she was stone sober.
 
She didn’t find it likely that Dorrie
had managed to bounce from tree to tree breaking her fall when she was
supposedly hung over and suffering a severe allergic reaction.
 
It just doesn’t make sense, she said to
herself.
 
The more she thought about
it, the more she realized something else must have happened.
 
Dorrie was in that water, but she didn’t
fall from the trail.

“A penny for
your thoughts,” Neal gibed as they arrived at Kate’s and headed upstairs.
“You’ve been a million miles away for the last two blocks.”

“Sorry,” Lin
said sheepishly.
 
She quickly
related her thoughts to Neal and the questions she felt were unanswered.
 
“I just don’t believe her bruises look
like a fall down that hill.
 
Did you
see the photos Ken brought?”

“I did look at
them and I see your point,” he playfully patted her rear end, ”I recall that
lovely bruise you had when I first arrived.”

“Stop that,”
Lin blushed, “shoving his hand away. It’s true that I lost my footing and I
think Dorrie would’ve also.
 
Of
course, the lividity could’ve covered any bruises on her rear or back,” she
added.