by Midge Bubany
She giggled softly. “She said she now sees what I saw in you.”
I scratched my forehead and said, “Okay, well, see you around.”
Yeah, Magna only likes me now that I’m unavailable to her daughter.
By the time I got back to the department, Troy was at his desk watching the 1997 interrogation of Parker Gage on the computer. He looked up and said, “We have Parker Gage at four o’clock. I found interrogation videos of Gage and Stillman and had Samantha Polansky download them to a disc. We can watch then on the large screen in the conference room. I just started watching Gage’s.”
“I want to see it from the beginning,” I said. “So, how you feeling?”
“Better.”
“Where were you this morning?” I asked.
“I had a doctor’s appointment.”
“Everything okay?”
“Yeah, fine.”
“Good. I’ve got Silver’s sister coming in at two. I saw her at Adriana’s when the family viewed the burial site.”
Troy said, “I know.”
“Patrice tell you?”
“No, Adriana did.”
“Oh? When did you talk to her?”
“Ten minutes ago. Come on let’s put this on the big screen.”
She talked to him right after I left? Why do I even care?
Even though the film was grainy, it was good enough. During Ralph Martinson’s interview, Parker had broken down several times. Ralph repeated and rephrased questions trying to trip him up, but Gage never deviated from his original story. On the afternoon of her disappearance, he and Silver Rae were at the Odegard cabin on Round Lake with Tommy Odegard, Lucky Holmgren, Jenny Deitz, and Aubrey Gage. They swam and waterskied until about five, when he took her home. He had supper with the Dawson family, and then went home. Later, he met up with Silver at the Summers’s farm and drove her to the wedding reception to pick up the boys. She was fine when he left her about eleven. He drove back to Odegard’s cabin, found no one there, so went home. She called him about midnight to say goodnight.
“According to Ralph’s reports, the friends and family collaborated Parker’s story. We need to talk to the witnesses again,” I said.
“It’s just locating them fifteen years later,” Troy said.
“We know where Lucky is.”
Lucky Holmgren and his dad were pharmacists and owners of Holmgren Pharmacy. I’d known him since I first joined the couple’s golf league. He was also the chief of the volunteer fire department.
Troy said, “Tommy Odegard still lives in town. Runs a fishing guide service.”
“What about the Fourth of July party where Silver may have been raped? We need to find out where it was and who was there,” I said.
“Maybe her sister can help us with that,” Troy said. “We need to get this bastard.”
“This wasn’t a random killing. This was someone who knew the area and knew she was babysitting that night,” I said.
“What I can’t figure out is why the search team didn’t discover that grave,” Troy said.
“They used dogs,” I recalled. “I think if her body had been there, they would have found her. It’s possible she was buried later.”
“If that’s true, where was she in between? In the lake?”
“They dragged all four area lakes. Troy, she could have been held captive for a while before she was killed.”
His mouth dropped open. “Son of a bitch, that’s it.”
Chapter 10
Deputy Crosby Green limped into the observation room placed between interview rooms three and four. From here we could record interviews simultaneously taking place in both rooms, if need be.
“I reserved room three for two weeks so we could be sure it was available. Crosby’s on call to film for us,” Troy said.
We shook hands all around.
Crosby was a thirty-year-old deputy who’d crushed his leg in a snowmobile accident the previous winter. After ten months of rehab, he begged Patrice for a desk job instead of staying on disability, and she agreed. He was a small, wiry guy, on the quiet side, and still single.
When Ellie Dawson Conner arrived for her interview, she looked like a different woman. She’d put on make-up, styled her hair, and changed into a white fitted top, black skirt, and sandals with heels. Troy had asked me to take the interview. He would observe, which made me believe he still didn’t feel well.
I told her we were taping the interview and asked her to state her name, address, and relationship to the deceased.
“You were close to your sister?”
“Yes, very . . . maybe because we were only eighteen months apart.”
“And she confided in you?”
“Yes.”
“Did she tell you about a Fourth of July party in 1996 where she was allegedly raped?”
She furrowed her brow. “What do you mean, allegedly?” she said.
“Ellie, it’s not that I don’t believe it happened. It was never reported or proven, thus the term alleged.”
“Well, she didn’t remember anything, so she wouldn’t have had anything to report. Besides, she wouldn’t have been with anyone consciously, because she wasn’t interested in anyone but Parker Gage.”
“Tell me about that.”
“Well, she had a thing for him since she was a freshman, but he was dating Wendy Feldman. Silver didn’t think she had a chance with him because Wendy was popular and a cheerleader.”
“When did she start dating him?”
“Late August of ’96 before her junior year. He was a senior then.”
“Almost two months after the rape?”
“I guess.”
“So they were together about a year?”
“Yes, that’s right.”
“Where was the Fourth of July party?”
“At Odegard’s cabin,” she said. “Tommy’s parents were gone a lot with their guide business. He definitely took advantage of the situation and had parties at the lake.”
“Who did she go to this party with?”
“Jenny and Aubrey. They were always together. Maybe Laurel Gills went too. Anyway, she didn’t tell me about the rape until she missed her period. I remember I was in my room, packing and getting ready to go the Cities for school, when I heard her crying in her bedroom. So, I went in and talked to her.”
“What did she tell you?”
“She said she was pregnant, that it may have happened at the Fourth of July party. She said she only had one beer but the whole day was blurry. When she finally sobered up, her underwear was on backwards, was wet and bloody. She wanted me to help her. Then, the day before we were going to drive down to the Cities to a Planned Parenthood, the cramping started.”
“Did you ever doubt her? Maybe she had consensual sex and was ashamed?”
“Not for a second.”
“Did your parents know?”
“Oh, God no. They still don’t. Does this all have to come out?”
“Not necessarily. But it might.”
“Damn.”
“You might want to think about telling them.”
She groaned and rolled her head as if in agony.
“How did Parker Gage treat her?” I asked her.
“Great, it was his mother who was the problem.”
“How so?”
“Silver said Lillian was mean to her after she started dating Parker—like her son was too good for her. Oh, it was okay for the girls to be best friends, but when she and Parker and got close, then Mama Bear turned into Mama Bitch. If I had run into her after Silver disappeared, I swear I would’ve slapped her. She was quoted in the newspaper as saying she thought Silver Rae was a runaway. A runaway? No money, credit card, car, or clothes were missing,
but the idiot thinks my sister ran away.
“Aubrey changed, too. At first she was excited about Parker and Silver dating. Then she got all pissy. I read a note she’d written to Silver saying she’d lost her best friend to her brother.”
“Tell me more about that.”
“Silver thought Aubrey was trying to get Parker and Wendy back together. Kind of made sense, because then Aubrey would have her friend back. But when Silver disappeared, of all her friends, Aubrey had the hardest time. I think she felt guilty for the way she’d treated her. When they called the search off, she bugged my parents about hiring a private investigator. She about drove my mom nuts.”
“You mentioned Laurel Gills but your parents didn’t.” I said.
“Mom didn’t like my sister hanging around with her because of her family situation, so Silver kept it from them.”
“What was the family situation?”
“Her dad was a stumbling drunk who froze to death behind the liquor store when she was only ten. After that, her mom had several boyfriends—the town slut, so to speak. Laurel told Silver she’d been sexually abused by one of the men. Then when Laurel got pregnant during her junior year and married Jonah Wolfson, it just proved Mom’s point. Mother went on and on about how awful it was Laurel was allowed to attend high school while pregnant.”
“What did Silver say about it?”
“She defended Laurel, said she was a good student and shouldn’t be punished by taking away her education rights because she made a mistake. It was the only thing I ever heard Silver and Mom argue about. It was a huge deal then. Jonah was in my class. He was an A student but instead of going to the University of Minnesota as planned, he got a job as a custodian with the school district. Laurel’s mom took care of the baby during the day while she finished high school. Yeah, it was pretty shocking then. Now, it’s commonplace.”
“Is that why Silver didn’t go to your parents with her own pregnancy?”
“Yeah, if they knew, they would’ve gone ballistic. That’s why she would have had an abortion.”
“How well did you know Parker?” I asked.
“He was a year behind me in school but he was at our house a lot, so I guess pretty well. He was a nice kid.”
“How did he behave after she disappeared?”
“Distraught, like everyone else. Every time he saw me, for like two years, he’d cry.”
“Did you ever think he might have something to do with it?”
“No, but I know some people did. You have to understand, Silver and Parker were in love.”
“Did you notice anyone acting strange or out of character around the time Silver disappeared?”
“No, not that I remember,” Ellie said.
“Did Silver ever talk to you about going to the Mitchell cabin at Lake Emmaline?”
“The Mitchell cabin? Oh, yeah, I think she went there with Parker a couple times to check on it for the owners.”
“So the Gages had a key?”
“Must have.”
“When was the last time you saw your sister?”
“When Parker picked her up about noon the day before she disappeared.”
“Did you notice the jewelry she was wearing?”
“She pretty much only wore the heart jewelry in those days, and Mom says it was found with her body.”
“Did Silver Rae and Parker ever quarrel?” I asked.
“The only time I remember was about six months after they started going out. They had a fight that lasted hours. Afterward, he called in the middle of the night. My mother answered the phone. Because Parker was crying, she woke Silver up to talk to him—I thought it was crazy, but Mom liked him. Well, anyway, they got back together that night over the phone.”
“Do you know what the fight was about?” I asked.
“He accused her of seeing someone else, but it wasn’t true.”
“Was he the jealous type?”
“Oh, I’m sure it was just teenage crapola that goes on,” she said.
“Did he buy her flowers?”
“A few times, yes,” she said. “He was a rather romantic boyfriend. I was kind of jealous of that.”
“Any particular kind of flowers?”
“Mostly mixed bouquets. Why?” She paused. “Oh, because I said daisies were her favorites?”
“Something like that. Do you recall any incidents where she received unwanted attention?”
“If Silver Rae had a fault, it was that she was too friendly. I think guys mistook it for interest. She had boys calling her all the time, but she’d always politely turn them down,” she said.
“No dating before Parker?”
“No, like I said, he was her one and only.”
I paged through my notes. “What about the milk hauler? Wesley Stillman?”
“Wesley was a sweet guy. I never thought he was involved. Dad disagrees— then again, he was suspicious of every male within fifty miles. If you’d been around then, you’d have been one of his suspects, too.”
I smiled. “Did he suspect Parker, as well?”
“You bet.”
I changed the subject. “Tell me about Silver’s volunteer work.”
“She worked at the hospital as a candy striper. They didn’t call them that, but she delivered mail, flowers, books to the patients—that kind of thing. ”
“Anything stand out about her hospital experiences?”
“Not really. She loved it. Wanted to be a nurse. She would’ve made an excellent one.”
I nodded. “Any other information that would help in our investigation?”
“I can’t think of anything. Please, please do all you can to find her killer.”
“Of course. And that’s all I have for today. Thank you for coming in. You’ve been very helpful, Mrs. Conner,” I said.
I gave her my card and told her to call if she had any questions or thought of anything else. She handed me one of hers, and I walked her out.
Troy was popping Tums when I met him back in the observation room.
He said, “I just called Betty and asked about the flowers we checked into the lab. She said they were a common mixed bouquet, just like Silver’s sister says she got from young Gage. They were cut approximately two to three weeks ago. Ribbon is one and a half inch wired silver lamé—not gray. If he put them there, then he is definitely our guy.”
“It would certainly indicate he knew the approximate location of the body.”
“Which proves he did it.”
“Maybe,” I said.
“Can’t you just agree?”
“No.”
Both our phones rang, notifying us Parker Gage had arrived.
“He’s fifteen minutes early,” I said.
“Meaning?”
“Meaning he’s eager.”
Because we wanted to observe his behavior, we purposefully let time pass before we went in. He was dressed casually: khaki slacks and a light-blue Ralph Lauren polo shirt. He pulled out a chair from the small table and sat. He looked around, which was typical. Then he bent over and assumed “The Thinker” position for a few minutes. He sat back, glanced at his watch, took out a small plastic box of mints, popped one in his mouth, then looked around the room again. Again, he glanced at his watch. Time was not flying for Dr. Gage. Nor was it kind to him. He looked older than his years, maybe because of his bald head.
“Where did that blond surfer dude go?” I asked.
“Well, let’s put this poor bastard out of his misery,” Troy said.
Startled, Parker Gage jumped as we moved in nosily and quickly. He sat up straight and put his hands in his lap. Up close, I could see the stubble of what little hair he did have. He didn’t have to shave much off.
As Gage list
ened to Troy’s spiel, his pale-blue eyes darted between us. He cleared his throat before he gave us his current information. Then he said, “I don’t know what new information I can even give you. I’d think everything I said years ago would be part of the record.”
Troy smiled and leaned back. “It is. But sometimes maturity can spread new light on events. So, you’d been with Silver on the afternoon she vanished?”
“Yes.”
“Where were you?” he asked.
“Odegard’s cabin on Round Lake.”
“Who was all there?” he asked.
“Tommy Odegard, Lucky Holmgren, Jenny Olson—Deitz now—my sister Aubrey, and, of course, Silvy.”
“Silvy, meaning Silver Rae Dawson?”
“Yes.”
“How did the day go?”
“Good. We had fun.”
“Doing what?” Troy asked.
“Swimming, skiing, that kind of thing.”
“Were you ever in the Mitchell lodge on Lake Emmaline?” I asked.
His eyes widened and he shifted in his chair. “Yes, Daniel Mitchell invited us out on occasions.” He hadn’t expected to be asked about the lodge.
“How does your father know Daniel Mitchell?” Troy asked.
“They were in med school together.”
“Are they still friends?” Troy asked.
“I don’t think they’ve been in touch for years. I know Dad gave him back the key to the lodge.”
“When?” I asked.
“I’m not exactly sure.”
“Did Daniel Mitchell ask for the key or did your dad just give it back?” I asked.
“I don’t really know,” he said.
“On what occasions where you there?” I asked.
“One year I went duck hunting there with my father,” he said.
“Just one year?” I asked.
“Yes, it wasn’t my thing. But Dad and my brother went several times.”
“With or without Mitchell?” Troy asked.
“Sometimes without, I believe. Daniel wanted my dad to use the lodge so he could keep an eye on the place.”
