COLD CASE AT CAMDEN CROSSING

by Rita Herron

  “I don’t understand, either,” Tawny-Lynn said. “Unless the coach took her from the site, killed her then decided to hide her body here in case someone discovered her.”

  Peyton nodded, although she looked unconvinced. Shadows plagued her eyes as she turned toward Tawny-Lynn. “I’m so sorry I left you to deal with everything. I—that’s the one thing I regret most.”

  “I was so scared,” Tawny-Lynn admitted. “Every time I thought about what might be happening to you—”

  Peyton drew her into a hug. “I’m so sorry I put you through that. I never meant to hurt you or Dad. I just didn’t know what to do.”

  Tawny-Lynn wanted to forgive her sister with no questions asked, but she had suffered for years and she needed answers.

  “Come on inside. I want to hear where you went, what happened after you left.”

  They hooked arms together and walked around to the front porch. Tawny-Lynn remembered the bloody deer and threats and made herself glance around the house and yard in case her attacker had returned.

  But hopefully Coach Wake was locked up so they were safe.

  She unlocked the door but Peyton hesitated in the doorway. “I don’t feel like I belong here,” she said in a haunted whisper.

  Tawny-Lynn squeezed her hand. “Neither do I. You should have seen the place when I came back. Dad’s drinking was really bad the past few years, and he’d turned into a hoarder. There wasn’t an inch of clean, empty space anywhere.”

  Peyton walked into the den and stood by the fireplace. “I...should have let him know I was alive before he died.”

  Tawny-Lynn simply looked at her sister, unable to let her off the hook. Peyton’s disappearance had sent her father over the edge and drastically changed all their lives.

  Knowing they both needed something to dispel the tension, she went to the kitchen, opened a bottle of wine and brought them both a glass.

  Peyton cradled it in her trembling hands. “Thanks.”

  Tawny-Lynn sipped hers, needing liquid courage. “Dad took your disappearance hard. He...blamed me.”

  “You?” Peyton sank down onto the hearth. “Why? You were injured.”

  “Didn’t you read the papers or watch the news?” she asked, a trace of bitterness in her voice.

  Peyton shook her head. “Not at first. I was...confused. Terrified and alone, trying to figure out where to go and what to do.”

  Tawny-Lynn swallowed hard. “I had a concussion from the accident, and my memories were all scrambled. I knew someone rescued me from the bus, but I couldn’t see a face. The parents of the other girls, Chaz’s parents, even Dad blamed me. They thought if I could remember, they’d be able to find you and Ruth.”

  “Oh, Tawny-Lynn.” Peyton stared into her red wine. “I never thought about that. I...guess I didn’t think at all. I felt so stupid to have slept with the coach, especially when I realized he hit on other girls.”

  “You and Dad argued a lot those last three months. Did he know about Coach?”

  Peyton shook her head. “He caught me sneaking back in one night, and accused me of being a slut. We got into a terrible fight.... But he was right.”

  Tawny-Lynn softened. “You weren’t a slut, Peyton, just a vulnerable girl. Coach Wake took advantage of that.”

  Regret flickered in Peyton’s eyes. “But I should have come forward and spoken up. No telling how many girls he’s done the same thing to since.”

  She was right. Seven years—seven teams of girls...

  “Well, you’re here now, and Chaz has gone to arrest Coach Wake so he can’t hurt anyone else.”

  Peyton swirled her wine in her glass. “But it won’t bring back Ruth.”

  She sat down beside her sister, soaking in the fact that she was alive. “No, it won’t. But she’ll finally get the justice she deserves. Then all of us can move on.”

  * * *

  CHAZ PHONED HIS parents on the way to the jail and asked them to meet him at his office. He didn’t want them to learn the news about the coach’s arrest from the gossip mill. They deserved to hear it from him, and to face the man who’d killed Ruth.

  Coach Wake sat with his head down, his jaw set as Chaz parked. He walked around the car, opened the door and hauled him out, keeping a firm grip on the man’s arm as he escorted him inside.

  His deputy’s eyebrows shot up, but he watched silently as Chaz fingerprinted Wake and booked him.

  “I don’t know what the hell you think you’re doing, Sheriff, but you’ve made a huge mistake,” Coach Wake snapped.

  “You’ve harassed your last girl,” Chaz said through clenched teeth.

  “Where did you dig up these phony charges? None of the girls on my team would say anything bad about me.”

  Chaz shoved his face into the coach’s. “And why is that? Because you threaten to destroy their lives if they talk.” It wasn’t a question, but a statement.

  The coach stiffened. “I would never threaten one of those kids.”

  “I have a witness who says differently.”

  A seed of panic flared in Wake’s eyes. “Who are you talking about?”

  “All in due time.” He grabbed the man by his arm and hauled him through the double doors to the back.

  “You’re going to be sorry for this,” Coach Wake said angrily as Chaz threw him into a cell.

  Chaz slammed the cell door shut and jangled the keys. “I don’t think so. You’re finally going to pay for what you’ve done.”

  “I want a lawyer!” Wake shouted. “Give me my phone call now.”

  “You’ll get it,” Chaz said as he headed back to the front. He needed time to compose himself before he interrogated the man, needed to have evidence compiled and to build his case. He would need a formal statement by Peyton, as well.

  In the front office, he paused to explain the situation to his deputy. “Send those prints over to the lab,” Chaz said. “Tell them to compare them to the prints found at the Boulder place and any they might have found on my sister’s bracelet.”

  Seconds later, his parents stormed in the door, looking haggard. “What’s going on, Chaz?” his mother cried.

  His father’s expression bordered on irate. “You arrested Ruth’s killer?”

  Chaz nodded. “I did make an arrest, but I need to explain some things to both of you before word gets out.”

  His mother clenched his arm. “What things?”

  “Did you or did you not arrest Ruth’s killer?” his father bellowed.

  “Just come in my office and sit down.” He led them to his private office and offered them coffee, but they both declined.

  “Just tell us what’s going on,” his father demanded.

  Chaz crossed his arms and began by explaining that Peyton Boulder was alive.

  His mother gasped. “What? Where’s she been all this time?”

  His father gave him a scathing look. “Did she kill Ruth?”

  Chaz shook his head. “No, I believe Coach Wake did, but I need time to build a case. I have motive, though.”

  His mother paled. “What motive?”

  Chaz pulled up a chair and faced her, noting that his father was still standing, his body ramrod straight as if bracing himself for more bad news.

  “Peyton claims that Coach Wake seduced her, that she had an affair with him, then he hit on Ruth.”

  His mother’s eyes widened in shock. “No....”

  Chaz nodded. “When Ruth told Peyton, Peyton realized that the coach was sexually harassing other girls. After the game that day, Ruth threatened to come to you two and tell you about it, but the coach warned her that she’d be sorry if she did.”

  “He threatened her?” his mother asked.

  “That son of a bitch,” his father muttered. “Where is he? I’m g
oing to kill him.”

  Chaz blocked his father from exiting his office. “No, Dad, you aren’t going to do anything. You’re going to let me handle this. He’s in custody now.”

  “What did he do to our little girl?” his mother whispered.

  Chaz stood his ground against his father when he tried to push past him. “Peyton said he chased the bus down and hit them. Coach Wake is the one who caused the accident that killed those other three girls and the bus driver.”

  His mother dropped her head into her hands. “Oh, my God....”

  “Then he dragged Ruth away and killed her,” his father said. “He deserves to die for what he did.”

  Yes, he did. But first Chaz had to make a solid case. “Now, I want you two to go home. Don’t talk to anyone about this. I need Peyton to make a formal statement, then I have to gather as much evidence as possible to make sure Coach Wake doesn’t walk.”

  “If he walks, he won’t live long,” his father muttered.

  “Dad, I understand how you feel, but don’t go around saying that to anyone else.”

  Although his father was right. If Wake walked, the town would probably form a lynch mob and hang him themselves.

  * * *

  TAWNY-LYNN FINALLY put together her famous enchiladas for dinner.

  “This is delicious, sis,” Peyton said. “You’ve turned into a good cook.”

  Tawny-Lynn shrugged, wondering if Chaz would think so. “Cooking is like gardening, it’s relaxing to me.”

  “I can’t believe how rundown the ranch looks,” Peyton said.

  “There’s still a lot to do. The weatherman predicted rain the next couple of days. That’s why I was working outside, weeding the flowerbeds. Spiffing up the landscaping should help attract a buyer. Although the house needs repairs and my finances are low.”

  Peyton poured them both more wine. “Did you ever consider moving in and staying here yourself?”

  Chaz’s face flashed in her mind, and her heart tugged. But any love between them had been one-sided. “No. There’s nothing for me in Camden Crossing except bitter memories of how much the town hated me after the accident.”

  Remorse darkened Peyton’s eyes. “That’s my fault. And I’ll make sure everyone knows it.”

  Tawny-Lynn sighed. “I’m not sure how everyone will react, Peyton. They may be angry that you didn’t come forward sooner.”

  Peyton’s expression turned determined. “I know, but it’s time the truth came out. The lies ate at me over the years. And I missed you.” Peyton blinked back tears. “When I heard that Ruth’s body was found, I realized I couldn’t live with myself if I didn’t come forward.”

  They ate in silence for a few moments before Peyton spoke. “Where did you go when you left the ranch?”

  Tawny-Lynn bit into her enchilada. “I got a partial scholarship at Texas A&M. The money wasn’t enough though, so I took a part-time job at a local lawn-and-garden shop. I guess I’d felt so depressed, dead for so long, that I discovered I liked growing things, watching them come to life. So I majored in landscape architecture.”

  “You’re amazing,” Peyton said.

  Tawny-Lynn chuckled. “Not really. I started my own business last year, but it’s been tough going. When Dad died, I figured I could sell the ranch and put the money into my business.”

  “You can still do that,” Peyton said.

  Tawny-Lynn set down her fork. “The ranch belongs to both of us.”

  Peyton shook her head. “I don’t deserve it, not after I let you and Dad down.”

  “You were a victim,” Tawny-Lynn said. “Now let’s clean up the dishes, and I want you to tell me where you’ve been, what you’ve been doing all this time.”

  They lapsed back into silence as they cleaned the kitchen, then they retreated to the den in front of the fireplace.

  “Now tell me about you,” Tawny-Lynn said. “Where have you been living? Did you finish school?”

  Peyton curled on the sofa. “I hitched a ride across the country, then wound up staying on the streets for a few weeks.”

  The images that flashed in Tawny-Lynn’s mind terrified her.

  “I was scared,” Peyton admitted. “Then I met this girl who took me to a group home for teens. She showed me how to make a fake ID and how to get by. I got a job washing dishes at a little diner, then one of the waitresses took a liking to me and invited me to live with her while I earned my GED.”

  “What did you tell her about your family?”

  Heat flooded Peyton’s cheeks. “That my mother was dead and that my father was a mean drunk—that I had to run away.”

  She’d told the partial truth. “What happened then?”

  “I lived with her almost five years, then she passed away. But during the time she was alive, she encouraged me to attend a technical school. I became a paralegal and have a decent job.”

  “It sounds like you did okay.”

  “I managed, but I was lonely,” Peyton admitted softly. “I never stopped missing you and Ruth and wanting to see you.” A small smile tugged at her lips. “But I did meet a man through work, and last year we moved in together.”

  Tawny-Lynn thought about Chaz again and her heart ached. “Maybe I could meet him sometime.”

  “I’d like that,” Peyton said softly.

  Tawny-Lynn’s cell phone buzzed, and she snatched it up. “Hello.”

  “I arrested Coach Wake,” Chaz said. “Is Peyton still with you?”

  “Yes, she’s right here.”

  “Tell her that I need her to come in and sign a formal statement in the morning.” His voice sounded terse.

  “Okay, we’ll be there first thing.”

  “Thanks.” He hung up without another word, and Tawny-Lynn felt bereft. But she pasted on a brave face for her sister. “That was Chaz. He arrested Coach Wake and wants us to come to his office in the morning to sign a statement.”

  Peyton’s hand trembled as she set down her glass. “Tomorrow the town is going to go into shock.”

  For the second time in seven years. “At least this time, they’ll have answers.”

  Peyton yawned. “I’m going to call Ben in a minute to tell him what’s going on.”

  “Does he know about me? About what happened?” She paused. “About Coach Wake?”

  Peyton nodded. “I told him the night before I left to come here. When I heard about Ruth, I broke down. He...was amazing, so supportive.”

  “I’m glad,” Tawny-Lynn said. Maybe there was a happily ever after for one of them in the cards.

  * * *

  HE WATCHED THE ranch from a distance, his nerves on edge. Coach Wake had been arrested. He’d caused the crash that had killed three girls and the bus driver.

  And he had killed Ruth.

  Soon everyone would know that. Or at least they would believe it.

  Then he would be in the clear.

  Unless...Tawny-Lynn remembered his face. That he’d been there that day.

  Damn her and her sister, Peyton. All these years he’d wondered where in the hell she was. Why she hadn’t come forward.

  It was all her fault. She’d seduced that coach and made him want the other young girls on the team. How many had he taken advantage of?

  The man deserved to die. But if he went to jail for four counts of murder, at least he’d rot in jail without parole.

  But Tawny-Lynn... She was a problem. She had seen his face today.

  One day she still might remember....

  It was time he got rid of her for good.

  Chapter Eighteen

  After his parents left, Chaz decided to question Coach Wake. He wanted his gut reaction before the lawyer showed up and stalled the case with legalities.

  Chaz strode
back to the cell and found the coach sitting on the bare cot with his head in his hands.

  “Talk to me, Coach.”

  Coach Wake shot him an angry look. “You made a mistake. I never hurt any of those girls.”

  “Really?” Chaz folded his arms. “Because I have a witness who claims that you pressured her to have sex. That she wasn’t the only teenager or girl on the team that you slept with.”

  “I love my wife,” Coach Wake said. “And I love coaching. I can’t help it if some impressionable student has a crush on me. It happens to coaches all the time. Doesn’t mean I did anything about it.”

  “This girl has no reason to lie,” Chaz said.

  “If that’s true, then tell me who she is.”

  Chaz shook his head. “Not yet. But I wanted to give you the opportunity to do the right thing and confess before things get dirty.”

  “They will get dirty because I intend to sue you for false arrest and defamation of character.”

  Chaz grunted, his hands tightening around the bars of the cell. He wanted to choke the truth out of the bastard. “When I finish with you, you’ll be begging me for a deal. You killed my sister and you’re going to pay for it.”

  “I didn’t kill Ruth,” he shouted. “She got out of that bus alive.”

  “Then you were following the bus and caused it to crash.”

  “That’s not what I said.”

  “I know for a fact that you tried to pressure her into having sex, and that when she threatened to tell my parents, you chased down that bus, ran into it and forced it over the ravine.”

  Panic streaked the coach’s face. “That damn Tawny-Lynn. That’s what she told you? Did she finally remember something?”

  The quiver in his voice confirmed his guilt in Chaz’s mind. “So you admit to being there. But you didn’t do anything to save those girls, did you? You left them there to die.”

  The coach scrubbed a hand over his face, stood and paced the cell. “I’m not admitting anything.”

  “And when Tawny-Lynn came back, you got worried so you tried to kill her.”

  Wake clammed up. “I want my lawyer.”