“I heard you coming up the driveway,” she started. “Come in.”
He stepped inside and noticed that the fans were off. The house felt heavy with heat, almost like an oven. Why in the world were the fans off? They were her only means of moving air through the room.
“Sorry it’s so hot. Can I get you some water?” She fanned her face with her hands.
“I will take one. Thank you.”
He followed her into the kitchen and watched as she pulled a glass from the cabinet.
“Wasn’t expecting to see you here,” she said.
He leaned against the doorframe, his hands in his pockets. “I wanted to give you an update.”
She stole a glance over her shoulder as she filled a glass with ice. “Oh yeah?”
“The chief gave me permission to send the hat to the state crime lab. They’ll examine it for DNA evidence.”
She twirled, her eyes brightening. “That’s great news.”
He grimaced a moment. “It is. But the bad news is that it can take months to get results. We’re trying to speed up the process, but our requests aren’t always given heed.”
The light left her eyes, but she seemed to push it aside. She handed him the water. “I see. Well, at least you’re doing something. I can appreciate that.” She nodded behind him. “It’s hot in here. How about we go sit on the deck?”
“Sounds good.”
He followed her through the house, out a ripped screen door, and onto a deck that had seen better days. Two metal chairs were there, both rusted. She pulled some cushions out of a deck box and placed them in the seats.
“I made these out of some old curtains I found,” she said with a humble shrug. “I couldn’t sleep last night, and I’d found my grandmother’s old sewing machine.”
“Seat cushions out of curtains? Kind of like Maria in The Sound of Music?”
That got a smile out of her. “You know your musicals. I’m impressed.”
He sat down and took a long sip of his drink. He stole a glance at Charity and saw her gaze dart nervously toward the woods. What was that about?
Again, that feeling that Charity wasn’t telling him everything returned. He hoped he was wrong. Because he couldn’t think of one good or honorable reason why she would be deceitful.
***
Charity felt Joshua studying her and pulled in a long, deep breath. He was too observant, and she wouldn’t be able to conceal her thoughts around him for long.
“Any word on the text message?” Charity finally asked, clearing her throat and pulling her gaze from the woods. Every time she glanced there, she expected to see Andrea again.
Of course, now there were only trees. No Andrea.
Joshua leaned forward on his knees and stared off into the distance. “I’m wondering if that text message you got was some kind of prank? Maybe someone knew you were back in town and wanted to scare you off.”
“But no one knew about that conversation,” Charity said. She shook her head, certain that wasn’t the answer. There was more to it.
“A missing persons case that goes back ten years is challenging. I’ve heard emotions in town still run high.”
Her heart panged with compassion. “I know. And I appreciate what you’re doing. It’s just frustrating.”
“Why are you back here, Charity? Is it just to sell this house?”
His question startled her, made her straighten. “It’s a long story.” She hoped he would let it stop there, but she knew better.
“I’ve got time.”
She ran her finger along a line of condensation on the glass, wondering how much to tell him. She finally settled with “I needed closure.”
“Let me get this straight. You need closure, you come home, and you just happen to find Andrea’s hat and get a strange text message?” He swung his head slowly. “Listen, I’m not saying I don’t believe you, but for an investigator, that raises some red flags.”
She swallowed hard, wanting to deny what he said but knowing she couldn’t. “The truth is that I got a letter in the mail.”
“What kind of letter?”
She steadied her breaths, determined not to get flustered. “It was only one sentence. It said, ‘I have answers for you in Hertford, but you must come now.’”
His face remained neutral. What had she expected? Shock? Outrage? Scoffing?
“And you think Andrea sent it?” he said evenly.
Charity shook her head. “I have no idea.”
He sat up and dragged in a breath, staring off into the distance for a moment. “I admit that it sounds like someone was calling you back to Hertford. I doubt it was Andrea, though. You know that, right? You know the statistics go against that notion.”
She wanted to tell him about the figure she’d seen in the woods yesterday. But she knew how it would sound. He’d think she was going crazy, and she couldn’t really blame him. Her story sounded crazy. “If anyone is full of doubt, it’s me. I realize how insane this all seems. But I can’t keep avoiding my life here forever. That’s why I took leave from my job to come back. I need to tie up any loose ends to the best of my ability.”
“What do you do for a living?”
“I’m an advocate for crime victims.”
He seemed to perk when she said that. “Really? I was able to work with a few victim advocates while I was in Atlanta. In fact, I’ve been trying to talk the chief into hiring one here. I’ve seen the benefits they can have on a victim’s life.”
“I like to think that what I’m doing is making a difference.”
“How’d you get into that line of work?”
Scenes from her past flashed through her mind, each one nearly like a blow to the gut. But she’d learned to withstand it. She didn’t want to be a victim. No, she wanted to be a survivor.
But she couldn’t tell Joshua all of that. Not now.
She opened her mouth, not sure what would come out.
That’s when his phone rang. Joshua pulled his gaze from her and answered. A moment later, he rose, a frown pulling at his lips. “That was the chief. I’ve got to go. Maybe we can finish this discussion another time?”
Charity forced a nod. “Maybe.”
And he was gone.
***
Joshua was still processing his call with the chief. In some kind of impeccable feat of timing, Buddy Griffin had just confessed to killing Andrea Whitaker and burying her body in his backyard.
As Joshua pulled away from Charity’s place, he glanced at her house in the rearview mirror. Why was all of this coming to the surface now? Someone was stirring things up; the question was who.
He tried to piece everything together.
Charity returns home after receiving a mysterious letter, she gets a strange text message containing a line of conversation only her abducted friend would know, and she claims a hat that magically appeared on her porch is Andrea’s.
Shortly after, a man who was once a suspect in Andrea’s disappearance confesses to killing her and concealing her body on his property.
Why was this case dead for years, only to resurface in two different instances like this? Something was going on, and Joshua needed to figure out what.
He pulled up to a house about ten miles out of town. The place was more of a compound. Instead of a fence, a wall of old car parts lined the edge of the property. Atop the tires and engines was a rickety layer of barbed wire, which lent a redneck feel to the whole place.
Beyond the makeshift gate was a white clapboard house with broken shingles and window screens lying against the walls. A dog run—a large one—stretched across the property to the west, and five hyper Dalmatians snarled at the chain-link fence upon Joshua’s arrival.
He spotted Chief Rollins’s car parked in the driveway, lights still flashing. The chief and Buddy stood near the front door, looking like they were in the middle of a heated discussion.
Joshua slammed his door and strode up to the two. Buddy Griffin was a skinny man with pointy
features, a receding hairline, and a mullet. He was probably in his fifties, and he liked to wear wifebeater tank tops with faded, ill-fitting jeans.
“Chief,” Joshua said, nodding to her as he approached.
“Officer Haven, thanks for coming,” Chief Rollins said. “Mr. Griffin here just confessed to killing Andrea Whitaker and burying her body in his backyard. Read him his rights.”
Joshua tensed, something not seeming right. But he knew better than not to listen to his commanding officer. He slipped some handcuffs from his belt and grabbed Buddy’s arm. “You have the right to remain silent . . .” he started.
“Take him to your car and leave him in the back. Then I need you here,” the chief said.
What was going on? Joshua would find out soon enough.
He tucked Buddy into his cruiser. The man smelled like alcohol. Blood dribbled from the corner of his lip, and his eyes were bloodshot.
The tension and curiosity in Joshua continued to increase.
He strode back over to the chief, arriving just as she got off the phone. She shook her head as she tucked her phone back into her pocket. “A crew from Elizabeth City is on their way.”
“What do you mean? What exactly is going on here?”
“Buddy apparently had too much to drink down at the local bar. He started mouthing off. In the process, he announced that he’d gotten away with abducting and killing Andrea. He said he’d buried her body here on his property.”
Joshua rubbed his neck. “Really? Just out of the blue, all of this came out?”
“He had a confrontation with Ron Whitaker.”
“Apparently Ron is having a lot of confrontations lately.”
“What’s that mean?” the chief asked.
“He confronted Charity also.” Joshua slapped a mosquito that buzzed around his arm.
“Ron has had some anger issues in recent years. No one can really blame him, all things considered. First he loses his daughter, then his wife in an auto accident. The man’s a walking time bomb. He was mouthing off about Charity being back in town when Buddy got involved.”
“Is this his first run-in with the law?”
“Who? Buddy or Ron?”
“Ron.”
“He’s had some squabbles in the past—usually when he’s been drunk.”
“You think Buddy is telling the truth?”
“Loose lips sink ships. Maybe he just needed some liquid courage before spilling the beans. Maybe this Charity girl being back in town stirred up something in him. We’ll find out soon enough. The team should be out here soon enough to start digging up the land.”
“Do you want me to talk to Buddy?”
She shook her head. “Give him some time to sober up. The important thing right now is that he gave us permission to search for evidence here. That’s more than we had in the past.”
CHAPTER 8
Four hours later, an excavation team had dug up a large portion of Buddy Griffin’s yard. The only thing they’d managed to find was a skeleton; unfortunately, it was canine and not human.
Andrea was not here, at least not in the area of the yard Buddy had indicated. Had all of this been a wild goose chase?
Joshua looked over just as another car swerved onto the property. Joshua bristled when he saw Ron Whitaker storm from the vehicle toward the scene. Joshua put up a hand to stop him. “I’m afraid you can’t go any closer.”
“I have a right to know what’s going on. It’s my daughter we’re talking about here!”
“I realize that, but there are certain protocols we have to follow. You remember that from your days on the force.”
The man narrowed his eyes at Joshua and jabbed a finger in his chest. “I want to speak with the chief.”
“As soon as she finishes speaking with the excavation crew, I’ll see if she can talk.”
Before Joshua finished the sentence, Ron Whitaker charged past him, right toward the chief.
“Wait—” Joshua grabbed his arm. As soon as he did, Ron jerked back and slammed his fist into Joshua’s jaw.
Chief Rollins rushed toward the scene. “What do you think you’re doing?” she asked Ron.
“It’s my daughter. I need to know if you found her.”
“Joshua, are you okay?” Chief Rollins asked, keeping one hand on Ron’s chest to hold him back.
Joshua rubbed his jaw, casting a look of warning toward Ron. “Yeah, I’ll be fine.”
“You know we can arrest you for assaulting a police officer?” She turned her attention back to Ron.
“Everyone keeps playing games with me. I’m tired of it. I demand some answers!”
“Ron, as soon as we know something, you’ll be the first one we tell.” The chief began leading him away from the police tape and back toward his vehicle. “I’d like to get a statement from you about what happened earlier.”
“I’ve done too much talking over the past ten years. I’m ready for action.”
“Chief Whitaker, you know how this works. It’s never fast. But I promise you we’re exploring every possibility and taking this very seriously. You need to calm down, though. You’re not doing yourself any favors right now.”
Something about what she said seemed to register with Ron. Finally, he nodded. “Whatever I need to do.”
“Great. Officer Haven, use my car. Get his statement. Then check on Buddy.”
Joshua nodded, rubbed his jaw one more time, and walked with Ron toward the chief’s cruiser. They climbed in the front, and Joshua pulled up a form on the computer there.
“I understand this is very emotional for you,” Joshua started.
“Sorry about what happened back there,” Ron said. The man’s words slurred. He’d been drinking, too, Joshua realized. “You have no idea what it’s like to live under this kind of distress for so long.”
“You’re right. I don’t.”
“Sorry about that punch to the jaw.”
The spot still ached, but Joshua wasn’t going to tell him that. “I’ll be fine. Now, what can you tell me about what happened earlier?”
Ron drew in a long breath. “I was at my bar having a drink when Buddy came in. The two of us have avoided each other for years. Never did like him. Liked him even less when it seemed like he had something to do with Andrea’s disappearance.”
“Why did people think he was guilty again?”
“He abducted someone fourteen or fifteen years ago. That person just happened to be his daughter. He was in the middle of a nasty custody dispute.” Ron rubbed the skin between his eyes, the numbing effects of alcohol obviously fading. “Anyway, his ex-wife got custody. But Andrea would have been around his daughter’s age. That’s why we thought he had something to do with it. However, we had no evidence; couldn’t even get a search warrant, for that matter.”
“So nothing ever came of your suspicions?”
“The man claimed he had an alibi. He was supposedly in Virginia buying a dog to use for his ‘breeding business.’ That’s how he makes his living. Someone verified he was in a town called Suffolk at about 3:30. That wouldn’t have given him enough time to get back here. But if this person’s timing was even slightly off, then he may have been able, if he sped, to get back here in time.”
“So what happened at the bar?”
“We’d both had too much to drink, I admit that.” He moaned and rested his head back against the seat. “We had words with each other. Then the man had the nerve to smirk. He said, ‘I took your daughter, I killed her, and I buried her in my yard.’ That’s when I punched him. He punched back. Before the chief got on the scene, he left. Now here we are.”
“You think he was telling the truth?”
“Why would he lie?”
“Why would he admit this today of all days?”
“You’ll have to ask him.”
Joshua nodded. “If you’re calmed down enough, you can go wait on this side of the police line to see what investigators find out. But if you give us any trouble, I’m go
ing to have to take you down to the station.”
Ron nodded. “Thank you.”
***
Even though it was seven at night, Charity headed back toward town to talk to Sarah Reynolds, a friend from high school. Sarah was a Realtor now, and Charity needed to talk about putting the house on the market—among other things. She’d called Sarah earlier, and she’d said it was okay to stop by.
Charity pulled up to one of the newer houses in town, a nice two-story brick-and-vinyl model. She pulled in a deep breath before knocking at the door. Sarah answered a moment later.
She was chubbier now, and she had a toddler on her hip. But she was still pretty in a very natural way that Charity had always admired. Sarah had always been kind.
“Charity White,” she said with a smile. “Long time no see.”
“Hi, Sarah.”
“Please come in.” She pushed open the screen door, and it squeaked on its hinges. “It was such a surprise to hear from you.”
Charity stepped inside, hating that she felt awkward. She had to push through this, though. This was no time to be a shrinking violet. “Thanks for letting me stop by at the last minute.”
“Thanks for calling. I’m sorry my place is a mess, but I have three kids. All preschoolers. So feel free to have a seat—if you can find somewhere clutter-free.”
Charity moved some dolls from the couch and carefully lowered herself there. “Three kids, huh?”
Sarah beamed. “It’s a lot of work, but I wouldn’t trade them for anything. What about you? Are you married? Any kids?”
Charity shook her head, an unusual sadness settling in her chest at the thought. “No, not even close. But I have a nice little life in Tennessee, so I can’t complain.”
“Good I’m glad to hear that. You look great. Can I get you some tea or something?”
“No, I’m fine. I know you have a lot going on. I just wondered if I could have a minute of your time.”
“Of course. It’s been years.”
Charity absently straightened the edge of her dress. “I’m thinking of putting my property up for sale, and I heard you were a real estate agent.”
Gone by Dark (Carolina Moon Book 2) Page 6
