Burden of Proof

by DiAnn Mills

  “We’ve learned his name is David Canfield. Lives and works in Woodville. Has his own one-man office and specializes in business law. Willis is his main client. He also has a PI license.”

  “So he might be involved in hunting down Billie and Zack?”

  Simon nodded. “Accessing Canfield’s financials and phone records will take a subpoena. We know he’s flown in and out of IAH twice since Billie left the area. The first trip was to Chicago. The second to Asheville, North Carolina, where Billie’s sister, Gwen Scottard, lives.”

  “Have you talked to her?”

  “Claims she has no idea where her sister is. Jason went to school with her. She might open up to him.” He tapped the chair arm. “I hate to involve him further, though.”

  “He’s wanting to stay involved, no matter what you or I mandate. Contacting Billie’s sister is a way for him to help.”

  “Thanks,” he said. “Keep me in the loop.”

  She lifted her chin. “I’m in this for the duration. This case has a weak spot, and I’m going to find it.”

  50

  AT 6:28, JASON PARKED in his parents’ driveway behind April’s rental. Simon’s SUV was lined up with the curb, the same spot where Joey Frederickson parked when she held his parents at gunpoint and nabbed Isabella. Right behind Simon’s vehicle, Kevin pulled in.

  Exiting his car, Jason waited for him. “What’s this about?”

  “Laying the cards on the table,” Kevin said.

  “I want to believe you.” Did Jason really know Kevin? “Strange, though, the obscurity is getting to me. Too many crimes have you benefiting from Willis’s payoffs.”

  Kevin glanced over his shoulder. “Trust me. I’m your friend. I have a role to play, one that’s been in place for almost a year. Every minute I spend with you puts me in a bad position. Willis thinks I’m covering him.”

  “Griff too?” Jason said.

  “Hard to say. No one in the department is aware of what I’ve been doing. I’m working on finding answers. If I had insight into Griff, I’d tell you. It’s a little lonely at the house without my family. So in case you doubted whose side I’m on, I want my wife and kids back but not until Willis is in prison.” He touched his sidearm. “We’re going to stage an argument and Simon’s going to stop us,” he said barely above a whisper.

  “Are you being watched?”

  “Strong possibility. Have no idea where Griff and Cal are right now, and I’m not taking any chances.”

  “For me to oblige, I need answers to what’s going on.”

  “You’ll get them. Look, I don’t like this any more than you do.”

  That was the Kevin who’d been his friend since they were boys. “I’ll play.”

  “I’m ready to cuff you until this is over.” Lines plowed across his forehead. “Willis is missing, and you have reason to make sure he never surfaces again.”

  Jason stepped into Kevin’s personal space. “Willis killed Russell, a man who was like a brother to me. He arranged for Joey Frederickson to kidnap my daughter. I have no idea where Willis is hiding out.”

  “You’re a liar.”

  “Here’s a question for you, Deputy Viner.” Jason spit each word. “Where is Joey Frederickson? I’m sure you know. Tell me now before I beat it out of you.”

  “Just try and I’ll throw your rear in jail.”

  April exited the front door and raced toward them. “What’s going on?”

  Jason raised a fist. “Last chance. I want to know how to find Joey Frederickson.”

  April tugged on Jason’s fisted hand. “Leave him alone. This doesn’t solve a thing.”

  The door slammed, and Simon hurried toward them. “Stop now. Inside, you two.”

  Jason shook off April’s hold. Simon took a stance between him and Kevin. “I said inside.”

  Jason glared at Kevin. “All right.”

  “Cool off, Snyder,” Simon said. “This isn’t your town any more than it belongs to Sheriff Lennox.”

  April led the way, and the men trailed her through the front door of the home, which had become a temporary FBI office and April’s hotel.

  Once the door closed, Simon nodded. “You two staged a good one.”

  “A little too real for me,” Kevin said.

  “We’re all tired and want answers.” Jason rubbed his face. “I’m just glad you’re not on Willis’s payroll.”

  Kevin reached out to shake his hand. “I wanted to tell you in a bad way that I was working with Houston’s FBI, especially the night of Russell’s murder. But I couldn’t trust Griff. And then Isabella was kidnapped and I wasn’t sure if both incidents were connected.”

  Jason breathed in. “Were you aware of the possibility of a grave on Willis’s land?”

  “No,” Kevin said. “If Billie had come forward, we could’ve arrested Willis a long time ago.” He paused. “Can’t blame her, considering the times he used her and Zack as a punching bag.”

  Simon suggested they sit at the kitchen table. He bored an in-charge stare into Jason. “I wanted you here because you suspected Kevin might be working with Willis. This is by no means a go-ahead for you to investigate on your own terms.”

  Jason would need a hydraulic press to flatten the tension. “So why am I here then?”

  “We’ve gotten nowhere with Gwen Scottard. We’d appreciate it if you’d give her a call. Finding Billie is critical, especially with Willis dodging us.”

  “If anyone can reason with those sisters, it’s you,” Kevin said.

  “I grew up with Gwen.” Jason recalled a few high school memories. “It’s hard for me to swallow she wouldn’t know where Billie’s hiding.”

  “Go for it,” Simon said. “I can give you the number.”

  Jason pressed in Gwen’s number but hesitated before pushing Send. He hadn’t seen her in years. “I’m not using Speaker in case she’s nervous and hangs up. She may not pick up on an unfamiliar call anyway.” The phone rang four times before rolling to voice mail. “Gwen, this is Jason Snyder. Billie contacted me, and now she’s missing. Willis is missing too. Can you ask her to contact me? I’m concerned she and Zack are in danger. Please call me.”

  He ended the call, and an idea washed over him. “Russell’s funeral is tomorrow. How about I fly out to Asheville and talk to her face-to-face on the next flight after the services?”

  Simon appeared to think about the request. “You doubt she’ll return the call?”

  “Probably not. If she does, then I’ll do my best to locate Billie. Understand Gwen would do anything to protect her sister.” How much should he tell? “Gwen and I have history.”

  “The kind of history that builds trust?”

  They’d dated two years in high school then went separate ways as friends. “Yes.”

  April narrowed her eyes. Nice to think she might be jealous. “I’m going too. You might need a negotiator. In my experience, sisters are fiercely loyal.”

  Jason held more confidence in the case moving forward. He’d made mistakes, but he refused to sit by and allow the FBI to finish the case without him.

  Simon took over the discussion. “Here are the priorities on the FBI’s list: Number one—find Willis. Number two—safeguard Billie and Zack. Number three—figure out who, if anyone, is buried on Willis’s property. Number four—locate Joey Frederickson. Number five—discern if Brenda Krew is withholding information on outstanding cases.”

  Simon turned to Kevin and Jason. “Have either of you ever dealt with David Canfield, Willis’s lawyer?”

  Kevin denied any knowledge of the man.

  “Do you have a pic?” Jason said. “Maybe I’ve seen him before.”

  Simon handed him his phone. “Anything?”

  Jason returned the phone. “Saw him last Memorial Day. I stopped at the restaurant for lunch. Willis and Brenda were sitting with him at a corner table. He caught my attention because he drove a silver Corvette.”

  Simon made a note before pocketing his phone. “I’m
staying until Tuesday. Got a room booked in Woodville. The arrangement allows me to keep my eye on things.”

  Jason nearly laughed. “Simon, I’m not a martyr or a lawbreaker, but a man who needs answers. I owe Billie and her boy an opportunity to live their lives in peace. Plus, Joey Frederickson is still out there.” Jason drove his focus into Simon’s face. “The personal stakes are too high for me to walk away. What happens the next time a crime spills into our town, friends, and family? How would I face parents whose child had fallen into the hands of a kidnapper? I understand if I break the law, you, Kevin, or April will toss me in jail.”

  “And I’ll snap the cuffs on good and tight,” Simon said. “That’s a promise.”

  “I’d like to talk to my family,” Jason said. “Is it possible?”

  “Only from my phone, and I’m late as it is. We’ll do it tomorrow.”

  Kevin rose when Simon got up, and Jason followed the guys to the front door. Simon stopped there, waving Kevin off. “April is like a daughter to me.”

  “She’s important to me, too.”

  “Take some advice,” Simon said, lowering his voice. “No relationship lasts when it begins with danger and supercharged emotions.”

  When Jason returned to the kitchen with his legal pad, April was on the phone leaving a message for Brenda to call her. She tilted her head at him. “Something wrong?”

  “Nothing but what we’re facing.” He wouldn’t repeat Simon’s words until he’d thought them through.

  “I hope Brenda hasn’t left town and taken Joey with her.”

  “Hard to sneak out when the FBI has agents watching the roads. She could be showing property and just not picking up.”

  “Thanks for the optimism. I know you’d like to face off with her about Joey,” she said, “but I need to do this without you. If you’re there, she could become hostile.”

  “You’re right. This is about getting the job done.”

  She smiled, a gesture he could get used to. “I’d like to check a couple of websites before tracking her down.”

  He retrieved his dad’s laptop. At the table, they sat side by side. A few keystrokes, and she sat back in the chair. “Ready for this? According to FBI records, Brenda visited her daughter in jail and bailed her out three times, all within an eighteen-month period. Brenda also financed an upscale drug rehab on two occasions. Remember when I stopped at her office, and she had Joey’s pic half-hidden on her desk? With Joey’s rap sheet, I think she suspected her involvement.” She nodded. “I’ll ask her.”

  April appeared to have newfound energy, and her go-getter attitude invigorated him. She brought up Brenda’s website. “She’s done a few Facebook Live videos showcasing property. Twitter posts and Instagram are business related.” April’s fingers flew across the keyboard. She studied the screen. “Take a look at this. Brenda’s Facebook friend’s photos.”

  Jason viewed the photos. Brenda and Joey smiled back at him. “Weird to see Joey in these pics knowing she took Isabella.”

  “And your wanting to wring her neck.” She hesitated. “By the way, you’d be a great agent.”

  “Bad fit. I’m approaching this mess the same way I’d build a house. Lay the foundation, and work up. Besides, I’m too old to go to the academy.”

  “No, you’re not. I already checked. You’re almost thirty-five, and the age limit is thirty-seven.”

  “Have you checked me out?”

  “And if I have?”

  He rose from the chair, her nearness distracting him. He towered over her tiny frame and looked into her sweet and battered face. “You scare me to death.”

  51

  AT 7:45 P.M., APRIL CALLED Brenda Krew for the fifth time, and this time the woman answered. She reluctantly agreed to meet at her real estate office.

  “Is this about Willis?” Brenda said. “If so, your questions can wait until tomorrow. I’ll have my attorney present then.”

  “David Canfield?”

  Brenda hesitated, and April had her answer. “My concerns aren’t about Willis.”

  “Jason Snyder? I’ve already told you all I know about him and his construction company.”

  “Indirectly. I’ll be there in about ten minutes.” April ended the call before Brenda could object further.

  “Good luck,” Jason said. “But my guess is Brenda will shut you down the moment you mention Joey.”

  April opened the door of Krew Real Estate Office. Brenda stood in front of a map of Tyler County using pushpins to designate specific areas. She met April slowly with a lift of her chin and lines Botox could never hide.

  “Good evening, Brenda.” April was carrying two cups of coffee. “The restaurant was still open due to a Bible study. The waitress prepared your coffee exactly the way you like it.” She set the cups on the desk, glad to release her fingers from the heat radiating through the cup sleeves.

  Brenda peered at her and cringed. “I heard you were in an accident.”

  April smiled. “Yes, I took a beating. I look worse than I feel.”

  “I’m sorry. Are you sure our discussion is necessary? I’m really tired, and you look—”

  “Awful. But the caffeine will perk us up. This won’t take long. I’ve been researching, and I found a few things I’d like to talk about.”

  “Regarding?”

  “Joey.”

  Brenda bounced a green pushpin in the palm of her hand. “I’ve changed my mind.”

  “Why not take a seat?” April said. “Perhaps you can help me understand a few things about your daughter.”

  Brenda’s stilettos appeared to be cemented to the floor. “My daughter is none of your business.”

  “Unfortunately, Joey is in a lot of trouble. More than ever before. And I’d like to help.”

  “Why would you want to help my daughter?”

  “She’s young. Impressionable.”

  “Just like I told the other FBI agents, my daughter had nothing to do with Russell’s murder. Nor do I know where she is.”

  Brenda had been made aware of her daughter’s crimes from the agents’ interview. But the woman continued to claim ignorance of Joey’s activities.

  “We have evidence and security camera footage in Houston at the donut shop where she handed Isabella Snyder off to me, implicating her in the kidnapping and making her a person of interest in an assault case.”

  “You’re telling me there’s no doubt she kidnapped Jason’s baby?”

  “Right.” April had learned a lot about parents being protective of their children in the last few days. “Brenda, I see the pain in your eyes, the kind of pain that comes from love. The kind of pain that fears what the next minute will bring.”

  Red crested Brenda’s face. “Get out.” She reached down and tossed her cup of coffee at April.

  April stepped back a half second before the scalding brew flew her way. It splashed the front of her sweatshirt. She gasped at the feel of the hot liquid.

  “Don’t ever bother me again.”

  April pulled her emotions into focus. “I hope you change your mind before Joey’s arrested or worse.”

  She counted the seconds to the front door, hoping Brenda would replace her worn mothering emotions with a sacrifice of love.

  Outside, the temperatures had dropped, and the coffee-soaked sweatshirt did little to keep her warm, but it had stopped a serious burn. She shivered, prompting her to stick her hands into the pockets of her jeans.

  Home in Houston sounded better than dry clothes.

  The Chevy rental unlocked with a chirp, and she slid inside. Dreading the finality of starting the engine, she rested her head on the steering wheel. Failure inched over her. She never took defeat well. Did anyone? Her thoughts drifted back to her and Simon’s discussion in the wee hours of Friday morning about choices and her compassion for others. Caring about others didn’t seem like a character flaw. While she despised the way crimes affected victims, sometimes the bad guys were as much victims as the innocent.


  Her thoughts returned to Brenda. She’d lived a troubled past, wrestled with alcohol abuse, and lost her daughter. Could she really be in denial, or was she covering up her daughter’s serious offenses? Brenda wasn’t doing her daughter any favors by hiding or protecting her. Quite the opposite, especially if Willis viewed Joey as expendable.

  April swung her attention back inside the real estate office. Brenda sat at her desk, her face buried in her hands. Her outward anger of tossing coffee at April was Brenda’s symbolic display of her own guilt, regret, and frustration. Did the woman even recognize that?

  God, I need help. Why is life harder since I gave You control?

  52

  APRIL’S CAR FUMES still lingered in the air when Jason left the driveway of his parents’ home. He had no intentions of kicking back and watching TV on a Sunday night or catching up on sleep when the need to see Carrie, to talk to her before the funeral and try to clear the air, was growing.

  Carrie claimed Lily and Jason weren’t friends but family. When Willis objected to her friendship with him and Lily, she told him to mind his own business.

  Lily had chosen Carrie as maid of honor at their wedding. She’d held Lily’s flowers and his wedding ring. Russell had supported him as best man and held on to Lily’s ring. What a happy day.

  Until death parts.

  Carrie surprised Lily with a baby shower after they learned they were expecting a girl. Everything in pink, reminding Jason of Pepto-Bismol, but Lily loved it.

  Carrie promised to be a godmother to Isabella—forever.

  Carrie accompanied him and Lily to every chemo treatment.

  Carrie cried with Lily when the doctor announced hospice needed to take over her care until it was time for the baby to arrive.

  Carrie and Russell comforted him and Isabella at the hospital when Isabella was born and Lily slipped into eternity.

  While Jason understood, even shared, Carrie’s grief over Russell’s death, he expected Willis to taint his image. In Carrie’s shoes, he’d have a problem deciphering whom to believe: her brother, Willis, or her brother-in-law Jason.