Stolen Innocents (The Shadow Series Book 2) (31 page)

Suddenly, Cole’s fist came slamming down on the dining room table.

“Not a fucking chance.”

For the first time in his life, Jack realized that there was one person on this earth that loved Tristan more than himself, and he was sitting right in front of him.

***

A crowd gathered at dusk outside of Monte’s Café. Elkhart citizens carrying flowers, signs and stuffed animals arrived at the site where Courtney O’Mara was found dead. They laid their gifts next to Joe’s bouquet of flowers. Soon, the simple memorial grew into a mountain. More people came, some carried candles, but all gathered around the place where Joe had found Courtney lying dead just days before. Tristan and Tony stepped out to listen to the vigil. Roger O’Mara stood next to the spot where his daughter was found. Tears pooled in his eyes as he spoke.

“Thank you all for your tremendous support and generosity during this very trying time. Gwen and I cannot thank you enough.”

Roger pulled his wife closer to him. Her tears fell from her face onto her candle threatening to douse the flame, but the fire shot up angry and red instead.

“Courtney was a sweet girl who had many friends. I cannot for the life of me understand why anyone would want to hurt her. Please continue to keep Courtney and us in your prayers. Her sisters are suffering. Misty-Lee, Angie, Trixie and Ally all mourn the loss of their sister. Please remember Courtney as she was, not for how she was taken.”

Tristan watched the crowd as Roger spoke. Angie and Misty-Lee held each other as tears streamed from their eyes. Ally stood sullen and stoic against her father. Even Trixie looked sad and shook up. Other members of the crowd cried for the memory of Courtney.  Audrey Henning wiped tears from her eyes as she listened to Roger speak. When the crowd was done talking, praying and consoling each other, they moved in unison down Mountain Road. Their candles led the way to Healer’s Park where they planned to say a similar blessing for April Dearing.

***

“We want everyone to finish their night out, and we will take it from there,” explained Frank. “We do not live in fear.”

“Natalie is upstairs, and Tristan is safe at work with Tony.”

“Oh, Tony’s on tonight?” asked Jack.

“Yes. He’ll keep her safe til I return at 8. Then Natalie has to close up with Tony and I’ll pick up Natalie and Bridgette up at 11.”

“Does Jenna know yet?”

“I tried calling her but her cell phone is dead.”

***

Tristan opened the back door of Monte’s Café as she lugged a heavy bag of trash out to the dumpster. She lifted the bag but before she could toss it, something stopped her dead in her tracks. Someone was standing in the forest just twenty feet from her. Tristan could feel the intensity of the watcher’s stare from under their hood. As the beams of the bright moon cast down upon the watcher’s frame, Tristan could barely make out the person’s face. But she definitely recognized them. Suddenly, the person turned quickly on their heel, discarded something in the cavity of the Bone Tree, and ran off into the woods.

The back door opened behind Tristan and Tony called out, “Tristan, leave the trash. I’ll get it. I need you back inside.”

Tristan did as she was told. Tony peered out the back door for a moment making sure that there was no one lingering out back. A moment later he slammed the back door shut and locked it tight as a strange feeling crept over him.

Chapter              23

June 20, 2000

Morrow Manor

Elkhart, PA

9 P.M.

Liam and Adam Morrow slumped down at their father’s dining room table feeling exhausted as the pressure of the investigation came crashing down upon them. It was a tremendous weight bearing down on their shoulders: A murderer was on the loose and another young woman was dead.  Now there was a box with leads for the murderer’s next victims. The thought alone caused Adam’s stomach to twist and tighten into a pretzel.

Tristan had just returned from her evening shift at Monte’s Café, and she was worn out. She hung her apron on a hook in the foyer, along with her keys and moseyed down the long hallway towards the dining room. As she entered the room, she found her older brothers sitting at the massive cherry wood table which had scattered papers, photographs, official police records, and handwritten notes strewn all over the surface. When Liam saw his sister enter the room he grabbed a handful of the photographs that were on the table, and quickly turned them over. Tristan only saw a flash of red, before the image was removed from her sight. Adam and Liam appeared to be combing through every single piece of documentation they had in an effort to find anything of relevance that they might have missed; any possible connection, but alas, they had come up empty handed. It pained Tristan to see the effect that this investigation was having on her brothers. They both appeared significantly older; their usual charm was removed from their eyes and replaced with a cold seriousness. They both looked as if they could use a good meal and a long sleep. She waved at her brothers with a smile and they nodded in return.
They have to be starving
, Tristan thought as she walked into the kitchen and reached for a large pot that hung over the range. She filled the pot with water and placed it gently on the stovetop. As she was turned on the front burner, Jack walked in. He sighed heavily as he approached her.

“Oh, good. You’re home” Jack said sounding relieved.

“Yeah, Cole drove me. He’s turning a movie on in the living room if you want to join us.”

Jack nodded, “Okay, what movie?” Jack asked as a smile formed on his tired face.

“Knowing him, probably
Rocky
again,” Tristan added.

“I could go for that,” adding Jack as he gave Tristan a smile.

Tristan stirred the spaghetti that was now swimming in the boiling water.

“What are you making?” asked Jack nosily as he peeked into the pot.

“Spaghetti. They look like they are starving. Didn’t anyone make dinner?”

“Who would have eaten it? Frank took Tommy, Shane and Blake to the movies. Your aunt is at work. Gus and Moira went to see a show… Adam and Liam said they weren’t hungry and I sure as hell wasn’t just cooking for me. I ate the last piece of cheesecake from last night.”

“And you listened to them? Look at them…” Tristan said, scolding her father.

Jack was surprised at the agitation in his daughter’s voice. He peered back at his sons and could certainly understand Tristan’s concern. Neither of them had shaved in what appeared to be days. Liam had dark circles under his light eyes. Adam had a dangerous look on his face. They were in over their heads and he knew it. Jack ran his hand over the back of his head, wondering what he would say to them. Tristan pulled down five plates, one for each of them and Cole, and began to dish out spaghetti on each. She doused the pasta with marinara sauce and ample amounts of grated parmesan cheese. Jack grabbed two of the plates and followed his daughter into the dining room. Tristan placed a plate in front of Adam and Liam and watched as they started to chow down on the still steaming food. Tristan glanced at Jack with a knowing look as they sat down at the table with them. Jack eyed his sons precariously and confronted the elephant in the room head on.

“So… How’s the investigation going?” asked Jack with an upbeat tone of voice.

Liam looked up from his plate, exhaustion weighing down his typically handsome face. He replied, “We’ve hit a wall.”

“That’s the understatement of the year…” said Adam with a bite.

“Remember when we had three suspects?” asked Liam with a serious look on his face.

Jack wearily replied, “Yes.”

“Oh, good, because now we have zero,” said Liam bluntly.

“What? How did that happen?” asked Jack with a perplexed look on his face.

“Every single one of them has a rock solid alibi at the time of the second murder,” explained Adam.

“That doesn’t necessarily mean that they are innocent the first time around,” Jack reminded.

“They are linked. I know they are. I’d even go so far to say that it’s the same guy that killed Tiffany O’Mara twenty years ago,” said Liam going out on a limb.

“We have no proof of any of that yet,” Adam reminded his brother.

“This case is going to be the death of me,” complained Liam as he allowed his head to sink into his hands.

“Have you talked to DiNolfo yet?” asked Jack reasonably. She would be the best person to give them advice at this stage of the investigation. She’d been through it all before.

“Not yet,” Adam replied.

“Don’t you think that’s a good idea?” asked Jack as the anxiety rose in his chest.

Adam shrugged, “We can’t get a hold of her. Her cell phone is dead.”

Jack rolled his eyes in disgust.

“Now is not the time to be stubborn or proud. Girls are turning up dead! The killer is still out there, and lord only knows who he is or where he is or what he plans to do next!” shouted Jack across the table hoping to get his sons to wake up and spring into action. Jack gave his daughter a nervous look whenever he spoke about the murders. If he could he’d keep Tristan at home until all this was over, but he realized that that just wasn’t rational, and she wasn’t a child anymore.

Through gritted teeth, Liam replied, “Says the stubborn old mule.”

Jack gave his sons a glaring look.

“What seems to be the problem, boys?!” Jack demanded.

“We could get in real trouble for telling you this, so keep this under your hat…” warned Liam.

Jack took his blue trucker hat off his head, revealing his graying black hair. He pretended to put something under his hat, before returning it to his head.

Adam, satisfied with his father’s response, asked, “So you know how there have always been three suspects?”

“Yeah…” Jack replied, his patience wearing thin.

“And how the whole town thinks its Tommy who is responsible?” asked Liam.

“Even though he’s not responsible… Yeah…” replied Jack with a start.

“Well all three were released as suspects. We have nothing.”

Jack looked around at the table that was filled to the brim with paperwork.

“What do you mean you have nothing?! How is this possible?! Even Trafford had a rock solid alibi?” Jack yelled.

“Him especially. Tommy was in an interrogation room with DiNolfo when the call came out for the second murder. Add in his alibi on the night of Courtney’s death and he’s off the hook,” explained Adam.

Jack closed his eyes as he released a heavy sigh.

Thank God.

“And the others?” asked Jack.

“Jesse Trafford was in a holding cell over in Sunbury. He got arrested after being involved in a bar fight. It couldn’t have been him,” explained Liam.

“And Hunter McCord was at Steeplechase giving an anti-drug presentation.”

Jack was amazed, “No wonder Tommy was so pissed off the other day. What about the gun you found at the scene?”

“We actually checked into that and McCord couldn’t have been the one involved in Courtney’s murder. He was in jail at the time from fighting with Tommy.”

“Unreal…” Jack noted.

“What?” asked Adam.

“Someone is trying to set these guys up. Tommy’s clothes found at the scene of the first murder. Hunter’s gun found just yards away. Trafford’s wallet found at the scene of the murder… Someone is trying to make it seem like they are all working together.”