Silent Rain

by Karin Salvalaggio

  “Did you realize you shot a video?”

  “Possibly. I was pretty drunk.”

  Macy stopped the interview.

  “I need to bring in a colleague to have a look at your phone. I’ll be right back.”

  * * *

  Brad Hastings hooked up Lara’s phone to a monitor and they watched the video footage together. A group of men dressed as Elvis were singing a drunken rendition of “Always On My Mind.” Shouting interrupts them and the camera lurches to the left and centers on two men engaged in a shoving match.

  “Is that the guy that got stabbed?” asked Macy.

  “It’s definitely him,” said Brad.

  Brad continued to move through the footage frame by frame until he found what he was looking for. He zoomed in. The man’s face was grainy but clearly recognizable. Macy spoke first.

  “Lara, do you remember this guy?”

  “We called him Hawaiian Elvis. I think I have a better picture of him somewhere on my camera.” Lara hesitated. “Grace is in the picture too, but she doesn’t know him any better than I do.”

  Brad handed Lara her phone. His voice was stiff. “Show me.”

  Grace was barely recognizable in a wig and tiara. She was wedged between the two men and she didn’t look happy about it. One of the men was fat and wore a white satin jumpsuit with a cape, and the other man wore a Hawaiian shirt and lei. Lara pointed at the screen.

  “We were just taking photos for a laugh, but when we tried to leave he shoved Grace so hard she fell and hit her head.”

  “Did they refer to each other by name?” asked Brad.

  “No, but the fat one may have worked at the Bakken Oil Fields.”

  “What makes you think that?”

  “Something he said about having so much money he could buy us if he wanted to. No one from around here talks about money like that. I got the impression the other guy was unemployed.”

  “Why’s that?”

  “He just seemed a little rough. There was definitely something off about him.”

  * * *

  It was coming up to 10:00 in the evening and Macy and Alisa were still at the office.

  “Did you manage to pull anything off the security cameras at the shop where Peter Granger’s files were printed?” asked Macy.

  Alisa turned her laptop around so they could both see the screen.

  “It’s just like they said in the store. The kid comes in to pick up the order and pays cash. They described him as having shoulder-length red hair; tall and slim, and guessed that he was around fourteen years of age. You can even see his bike leaning against the windows out front.”

  “If he’s on a bike he must be local. Get a decent screenshot and distribute it to the middle schools and high schools. Someone is bound to recognize him.”

  “I’ll also send it to the woman who was working at the library the afternoon the files were downloaded.”

  “Does the library keep a log of who uses their computers?”

  “Yes, but we think whoever downloaded the files piggybacked on someone else’s session. According to the log, the terminal was still being used by a woman called Rose Butler.”

  “How can you be sure she wasn’t involved?”

  “She’s eighty-three, lives in a nursing home, and has just sent her first e-mail. There’s no way she downloaded those files from a remote server. We’re assuming whoever did this has Peter Granger’s laptop, but that may not be the case.”

  “They would have needed it to get the access codes and passwords for the server. His laptop would be a logical place to look for information like that, especially since he probably was saving to the server automatically. If it’s still out there somewhere it’s important we get ahold of it. There may be something on the hard drive we can use.”

  “Such as?”

  “Appointments, notes, names … anything that would help us build a case.”

  Macy quickly sorted through the notes on her desk. There was something or someone she was forgetting, but she was too tired to think clearly. She yawned a little too loudly. It was late and Aiden was waiting for her at the hotel. She started to gather her things.

  “I’m beat. I’ll give you a call in the morning,” said Macy.

  Alisa was scrolling through her e-mails. “I’m wondering if we should be worried. Cornelia Hart still hasn’t answered any of my requests for an another interview.”

  “That’s who I keep forgetting to ask you about. Did you send around a patrol car?” asked Macy.

  “Yep, no one was home.”

  “I’d say we could contact her friends and family but I don’t think she has any.”

  “Hannah Granger might know where she is,” said Alisa.

  “Give her a call and let me know what she says.”

  “When will you interview Jordan Beech?”

  “He’s out of surgery and stable so we’re hoping for tomorrow afternoon. Sunday latest.”

  “Reading his criminal record makes my skin crawl.”

  Macy reached over and snapped Alisa’s laptop shut.

  “Alisa, it’s Friday night. Find some friends and drink a little too much. Better yet, find a good-looking man and drink a little too much. If you look at this stuff for too long you’ll end up jaded and lonely.”

  “What makes me think you don’t follow your own advice?” asked Alisa. “I peg you for someone who works twenty-four-seven.”

  “As it happens, my boyfriend has come down from Wilmington Creek to see me, so not such a sad case after all.”

  “It’s nice that you have someone. Have you been together long?”

  “A little over a year.”

  “Must be tricky. Most guys don’t understand the kind of hours we have to work,” said Alisa.

  “He used to be in law enforcement, so he gets it.”

  “I guess that’s one way of getting around it. I couldn’t date a man in uniform.”

  Macy laughed. “Don’t knock it until you’ve tried it.”

  Alisa opened her laptop again.

  “I thought I told you to go home,” said Macy.

  “Once I send out a screenshot of that kid I’m out of here.”

  Macy headed down the hallway. Most of the offices were dark. On the ground floor a dozen officers were being briefed in a conference room before going on duty. A few people milled around in the waiting room. A young girl was in tears.

  Macy stopped in at a twenty-four-hour grocery store on the way back to her hotel. She was hoping a decent bottle of wine would convince Aiden to stay in for the night.

  She ran into Brad Hastings in the parking lot. He was coming out and she was going in. It was the first time she’d seen him smile since they’d met.

  “Did you find your missing Elvis?” asked Macy.

  “Looks like it. Our perp was working on a building site until six months ago so no current address, but we do have a positive ID, a list of family members, and an arrest warrant, so it’s just a matter of time.”

  “Does he have any priors?”

  “Minor stuff. Nothing that would make you think he’d pull a knife in a bar.”

  “It may have been personal. Have you spoken to the victim’s family and friends? Maybe there was a dispute,” said Macy.

  “If there’s something there I’m sure it will all come out over the next few days.”

  Macy noticed he had a bottle of wine under one arm and a box of chocolates under the other. “It looks like you’re celebrating,” she said.

  “I guess you could say that. I’ve been working twenty-four-seven, so I thought I’d better bring a peace offering home with me.” He held up the bottle of wine for her to see. “The wine is for me and the chocolate is for my wife. She’s expecting our first child. Gets serious cravings.”

  “I remember it well,” said Macy. “Have a nice evening.”

  He put his head down and hurried to his car. “You too,” he said.

  * * *

  Aiden wasn’t alone. He an
d her son Luke were crashed side by side in the king-size bed. Aiden had insisted that Macy upgrade to a suite with a separate bedroom and sitting room, and now she knew why. The staff had even brought in an extra camp bed for Luke, not that he’d use it. Both Aiden and Luke were lying on their backs with their arms flung out to their sides, complete surrender. Macy knelt down next to her son and tucked the covers around him. He was snoring gently. She kissed him lightly on the forehead. Aiden stirred. She brushed the long strands of blond hair from his face. He opened his blue eyes. They both smiled.

  “Hope you weren’t expecting a wild Friday night,” he said.

  “This is better than any wild night,” said Macy. “Thank you for bringing Luke with you.”

  “He was so excited.”

  “I can only imagine.”

  “Have you eaten?”

  “I’ll order something from room service.”

  “How about a glass of wine?” asked Aiden. “I picked up supplies on the way into town.”

  “Great minds think alike. I picked up a bottle on the way here.”

  “I heard a rumor that you got pretty beat up last night. Any truth to it?”

  “Where’d you hear that?”

  “Pretty much all my friends down here work for the Bolton PD. A bunch of us met for pizza. They all think Luke is very cool, by the way. He was quite entertaining at dinner.”

  “Hope they think his mom is okay too.”

  “Not a negative word. Are you going to tell me what happened?”

  Macy scooted off the bed and held out her hand.

  “Come on,” she said. “You pour me a glass of wine and I’ll show you my bruises.”

  “That is some serious sexy talk right there.”

  “Brace yourself, it’s been a long week and I’m just getting started.”

  * * *

  Macy was picking at the remains of a cheeseburger she’d ordered from room service. They’d closed the door to the adjoining room and were half dressed and snuggled up on the sofa bed watching a movie. The bottle of wine had gone fast. Macy sipped the last of it. Aiden asked if he should open another.

  “Probably not a great idea. I’m hoping to interview Jordan Beech tomorrow. A hangover won’t help matters.”

  Aiden tensed up next to her. She knew he was trying hard not to show how upset he was. He held his lips to her shoulder.

  “I worry about you and it drives me a little crazy,” he said.

  “You know this sort of shit comes with the job. At least we caught the asshole this time.”

  “I know you can fight your own battles but I’d pay good money to get him alone in a room for ten minutes.”

  “He’s not worth it,” said Macy. “I’ll heal soon enough.”

  “Meanwhile all I have to worry about these days is getting a paper cut.”

  “I always wanted to date a paper pusher.”

  “You’re lying.”

  “Yeah, I suppose I am. You’re not just a manager there though. You’ll be out on the river working as a fishing guide all summer.”

  Aiden held Macy a little tighter and it was her turn to hide how much it hurt.

  “I can’t wait. If all goes according to plan, we’ll be open for business by July,” said Aiden.

  “That’s fast.”

  “One of the perks of having rich business partners. They’re throwing a lot of money at this project.”

  “Hard to imagine having so much money. Is the highlife rubbing off on you?”

  “No, but the pay raise makes it a lot easier to move on from my old job.”

  “Do you miss being the chief of police?”

  “More often than I thought I would. I was in the center of what was going on for a long time. Now I just watch from the sidelines. I’ll hear about something that happened and I’ll think I would have handled it differently, but I suppose that’s normal.”

  Macy leaned over and kissed Aiden. He tasted like red wine and the cigarettes she knew he was sneaking.

  “I’ve been missing you a lot,” she said.

  “That makes two of us.”

  He pulled his T-shirt over his head and helped Macy out of hers. They lay side by side, facing each other, so close there was no space between them.

  “You’ll have to tell me if it hurts,” he said.

  She laughed. “I think we’ll be okay if I’m on top.”

  “Not exactly a hardship, but I have a better idea.”

  Macy wanted to say something funny, to once again make light of what had happened, but she knew Aiden was right to be worried. She’d seen the look in Jordan’s eyes. That man had wanted to kill her.

  “There was a moment when I thought…”

  Aiden caught her eye.

  “Let it go. You’re here and you’re okay.”

  They kissed for a long time, the taste of salty tears on their lips. He kissed her throat, her breasts, and her belly. He rolled her onto her back and parted her thighs. Macy grabbed a fistful of his long hair, closed her eyes, and held on tight.

  Saturday

  Macy sat in the passenger’s seat of Aiden’s SUV with one arm dangling over the headrest so she could hold Luke’s outstretched hand. Luke was strapped into his car seat, his fat little fist wrapped around Macy’s index finger. A waitress at the diner where’d they’d had breakfast had recommended the playground next to the library, claiming it was the best one in all of Montana. Though overcast, the rain wasn’t supposed to settle in until the afternoon. At the moment it felt more like a snowstorm might be coming. A cold northerly wind swept through the town. They’d dressed in layers and put some hand warmers in Luke’s gloves. Macy was checking her messages regularly. So far there’d been no word from Alisa or the hospital.

  Aiden pulled into the parking lot in front of the library. Prospector’s Park was to the right. Beyond the pine trees, Pilot Hill arched up steeply into the low-lying clouds. Macy caught sight of a playground. A young girl flew along a zip line.

  “The waitress wasn’t telling tales. That playground looks pretty amazing,” said Macy.

  There were very few spaces available so Aiden had to circle the lot a couple of times.

  Luke’s excitement had been growing steadily. The blueberry pancakes hadn’t helped.

  “Don’t worry,” said Aiden. “We’ll work off all that sugar in no time.”

  “Do you have plans for this afternoon?” asked Macy.

  “I booked haircuts for us. One of my friends recommended a salon on Main Street.”

  “Are you sure you’re up for the challenge? The last time I took Luke in for a haircut my mother nearly had a nervous breakdown, and you know how chill she is.”

  Aiden caught Luke’s eye in the rearview mirror. “What do you say, little man? Are you and me going to face the scissors together today?”

  Luke kicked his legs out. “Yay!”

  “Aside from little man Luke hardly understood anything you just said,” said Macy.

  “Watch and learn, Greeley,” said Aiden. “Watch and learn.”

  Aiden backed into a spot near the library’s front doors. A handful of bikes were locked to the racks cemented into the pavement. Macy had been on the lookout for the redheaded boy from the video as they drove through town. So far she’d only seen cyclists decked out in tight-fitting Lycra and helmets. There’d been an all-female cycling team gathered for breakfast at the diner. Aiden had asked them where they were heading. A petite woman with an expanse of freckles had laughed.

  “We’ve already done eighty miles this morning,” she’d said. “This is our reward.”

  Macy’s description of the redheaded boy had mostly been met with shrugs, but one of the cyclists had said they might have seen the kid on a couple of occasions. Unfortunately, she couldn’t give any more information.

  Aiden removed the keys from the ignition and turned to face Macy. “I know you won’t relax until you find that kid. Why don’t I go ahead to the playground with Luke while you go into the librar
y and have a little poke around.”

  “And that is why I love you,” said Macy, letting herself out of the car. “I promise I’ll just be a sec.”

  * * *

  The library was a vast modern structure that had been recently built adjacent to the original library, which now served as a historical museum. There was a crowd of teenagers hanging out near an outdoor amphitheater and another smaller group was gathered in a café off the library’s central foyer. Most wore baseball caps, making it difficult to judge their hair color at a distance. She scrolled through her e-mails until she found the screenshot that Alisa had sent her.

  The library’s interior was warm and brightly lit. Macy approached the information desk and introduced herself. The woman’s long gray hair was streaked with black strands and her reading glasses hung on the gold chain around her neck. She had to use them to see the image on Macy’s phone.

  “Oh, that’s Chad. He’s not in any trouble, is he?”

  “We’d just like to speak to him. Any chance you know where to find him?”

  She lowered her glasses so they were perched on the tip of her nose and glanced around the library.

  “I saw him earlier, so he might still be here somewhere.”

  “What is Chad like? Is he a good kid?”

  “A real helpful boy. Comes in two or three times a week. He loves to read so I have to assume he’s perfect.”

  Macy wrote his name down in her notebook. “Do you have any contact information?”

  She frowned. “I don’t mean to be difficult but I’m not sure if I’m able to give it to you. His father’s name is Ted. He’s a builder that works here in town. That should help you track him down.”

  “Thank you,” said Macy. “That’s a big help.”

  “If I see Chad, should I tell him you’re looking for him?”

  Macy handed the woman her card. “That’s probably a good idea. Just make it clear that he’s not in any trouble. We only want to speak to him. Do you mind if I have a look around while I’m here?”

  The woman told Macy to make herself at home.

  Macy found a quiet spot behind a bookshelf and pulled out her cell phone. There were signs everywhere forbidding their use. She kept her voice low.

  “Alisa, I’m at the library. I think I’ve got a name for you,” whispered Macy. She read to Alisa from her notes. “Chad’s father is named Ted. Apparently he’s a builder who works locally.”