Spirit Lake

by Vickie McKeehan

  “When are you leaving?” Lianne asked.

  “Thursday afternoon, coming back Saturday. We promised Adam Greendeer we’d go on stage at nine sharp, remember? He isn’t letting us forget that.”

  As soon as Gemma walked in the door with Rolo in her arms, Rufus went wild, barking with excitement. The Labrador practically knocked her down with an eagerness to see his new roomie. Rufus began sniffing at the Westie until Lando came in behind them, carrying a dog bed, distracting him.

  “I’ll make a second trip for the bag of dog food and the other stuff,” Lando announced, as he hauled the new bed into the kitchen.

  Rufus trailed after Lando and watched as he got the other dog settled, then watched as he fussed over the smaller canine. Rufus eyed Gemma the same way he had Lando, watching her place a few stuffed animals around Rolo, trying to make him feel more secure.

  Gemma and Lando were aware Rufus had a keen interest in what was going on. They brought him over and lavished the bigger pooch with hugs and a rubdown.

  “You’ll need to show Rolo how to use the doggie door,” Gemma said to Rufus. “You’re the big brother now, with that comes responsibilities.”

  Rufus responded by picking up Mr. Sock Monkey off the floor, gripping it in his teeth, and then bringing it over to Rolo and dropping the floppy thing onto his bed.

  “Wow. You’re such a good boy,” Gemma said, reaching for the jar of bacon-flavored doggie treats. “You guys get to know each other while I start supper.”

  Lando made several more trips back to the car before handing off a bottle of medicine. “Don’t forget Rolo’s antibiotics.”

  “He gets one before bedtime,” Gemma noted, as she sliced and diced tomatoes and basil for the penne pasta she planned to make. Starting a pot of boiling water, she glanced over at the dogs, Rolo cuddled into Rufus. “They seem happy enough, don’t they?”

  “Sure. Why?”

  “I was a little nervous about bringing Rolo home.”

  “Me too. But I didn’t want to make a big deal out of it. When I got back to my office this afternoon there was a message from Zeb. He says the Pendletons admitted Chloe might’ve been interested in online dating.”

  “What twenty-year-old isn’t interested in meeting Mr. Right? Doing a background check never even crossed that girl’s mind.”

  “Which is sad. Anyway, I took your theory and started searching the database for any missing girls with a first name that begins with the letter C. I brought the printout home so we could go over it later.”

  “Ah. Something to do after dinner. First though, we have to get Rolo settled into a nightly routine. What happens when we head off to work tomorrow? I’m not comfortable leaving two dogs home alone.”

  “We didn’t exactly think this thing through, did we?”

  “Nope. But it’s too late to back out now. Maybe Radley can start a day or two earlier. I’ll give him a call after we eat.”

  After a supper of creamy pasta and fresh veggies, they cleaned up the dishes and took turns trying to get Rolo to swallow his medication. After finally getting the pill down him, they took the dogs outside to sit on the patio where they could go over the list and watch Rolo tentatively explore his new surroundings.

  While Rufus romped among the shrubs and trees, Rolo followed, hobbling along as best he could.

  “They seem to get along,” Gemma acknowledged, watching as Rolo did his best to keep up with the Lab. Under the big willow tree, the pair decided to flop and roll around in the grass.

  Lando looked out beyond the patio. “Rolo has to be feeling his limitations right about now. I hope he sleeps through the night and doesn’t keep us awake.”

  “Don’t even go there.” She focused her attention on the list and perused the names. “All these girls are missing? That’s disturbing.”

  “’Fraid so. And that’s just girls with names like Cindy and Cici.”

  “You know the Doe Network has a backlog of missing persons cases that haven’t been updated yet. They aren’t accepting any new submissions from the general public. Any new cases must be uploaded by law enforcement or the family.”

  “It’s so cool that you know that kind of stuff. But I’ve already added Jane Doe back when I first ran across the case. Since we identified Piper, I don’t have any new cases to submit.”

  “But that means our two unidentified victims might already be in their system, the cases just sitting there waiting to be discovered.”

  “The odds of matching the remains with any of these names is zero to nil.”

  “A needle in a haystack, I get that. But what if we use the search feature at the Doe website and use the date Jane Doe was discovered on the beach to see if anyone is looking for her. It’d be a slow process, but I could start tonight.”

  “I don’t want to discourage you or anything, but with hundreds of thousands of missing persons listed there, it’d be a long shot at best. You should wait until we hear back from Candace when I get to send out Jane Doe’s sketch.”

  She let out a long sigh. “I wish I could be as patient as you are.”

  “It’s been thirty-four years, longer than either of us has been alive. Jane Doe would be forty-eight now.”

  “That’s if we’re right about her age. Somewhere out there is a family that’s spent three decades-plus wondering what happened to their daughter or sister. That would drive me up a wall if someone I loved vanished into thin air.”

  “And yet it happens somewhere every day.”

  Before bed, Lando finished up some paperwork while Gemma began searching the Doe Network on her own. But after several hours she had to stop reading the sad stories. Frustrated, she snapped her laptop shut and went to check on the dogs.

  She found them curled up together on Rolo’s bed, sound asleep.

  14

  By the time Thursday rolled around, Gemma felt the dogs were ready for Radley. And the music teacher had brought his A-game.

  During the summer months, doggy day care was one way he’d been able to stretch his pathetic teacher’s salary into covering expenses year-round.

  He made a little money drumming for Fortitude. But he took all sorts of odd jobs around town to make his dollars go further. Even though he’d inherited his mother’s two-bedroom house on Coral Reef Circle, he still had to pay the yearly property taxes on it. They weren’t cheap. Which is why he’d become good at both dog sitting and house sitting, especially during school breaks when it was tough to find a regular job, with all the kids looking for a way to make extra bucks, too.

  That’s why he’d never been able to afford a new car. But he’d lucked into finding a Fiat Spider convertible, good on gas, that didn’t require a lot of upkeep. The little roadster got him around town or wherever he wanted to go.

  Looking after dogs didn’t require any great skill, just a love for animals that came naturally to him. He’d own one himself, but it meant he’d have to leave the pooch alone for most of the day while teaching fifth graders rhythm and melody. Radley understood that leaving dogs alone was asking for a whole heap of trouble.

  Gemma opened the door to see her favorite drummer, hands full, his lanky frame hauling around an oversized, overstuffed, overnight bag slung over his shoulder.

  The dogs sniffed him out. After finding him suitable enough, they went back to rolling around on the floor.

  “I might’ve brought too much, but I didn’t want to be running back and forth from your house to mine leaving a sick dog by himself.”

  She pulled him into the entryway and down the hallway. “Good thinking. But Rolo’s coming along just fine, not as sick as he was. Although he still has to take the Clavamox for another eight days. He doesn’t seem to mind it though, so you shouldn’t have a problem getting it down him. Thanks for showing up early. It’ll give you a chance to get comfortable, settle in, and be around the dogs. We don’t leave for several hours yet. I set you up in the guest room.”

  “How’s Rufus taking to the new addition?”r />
  “They get along. No fighting or wrestling, so far at least. It’s like Rufus knows Rolo is still recovering from something bad and he’s giving him some space, some time to heal.”

  “Smart dog.”

  Gemma opened the door to the spare bedroom. “Queen-sized bed, a dresser you can use for your stuff, and your own bathroom. It also has an entrance straight out into the garden, even a little terrace of your own. While you’re here, make yourself at home. I appreciate you doing this, Rad. Lando and I need some time away for ourselves.”

  “Glad to help out. I’d even do it for free.”

  “No, you don’t. It means a lot, leaving the dogs in such capable hands.”

  “I’m surprised you aren’t freaking out about what Raynelle did.”

  “What did Raynelle do this time?”

  “Didn’t you hear? She got Natalie Henwick to rent that empty storefront across the street from you to an out-of-town woman who claims to be a psychic.”

  “What now?”

  “Yeah. Her name’s Madame Renaud. Or something like that. She’s from Bakersfield. Raynelle Stokely set her up in business as your competition.”

  Gemma gritted her teeth. “What is it with the Stokelys and Bakersfield? Arlo says he’s getting Lando’s replacement from there.”

  “He has to win the election first. And I haven’t talked to anyone willing to vote for him except for the fringe crowd.”

  “Yeah, well, Sam Wells is no prize either.”

  Radley lifted a shoulder. “He’s okay, I guess. He sold me my little sports car. It was in great shape, almost like new, and I was glad to get it. For a 1984 Fiat to have only fifty thousand miles on it is pretty rare.”

  Gemma’s senses went on full alert. “What did you say? Where is your car now?”

  “It’s parked out front. Why? Am I blocking you in or something?”

  She dashed out of the room and down the hallway. Throwing open the front door, she stepped out into the stone courtyard and stared at the Fiat Spider. It didn’t look like a death car.

  Radley came up behind her. “What’s wrong? You look like you’ve seen the devil himself.”

  “Maybe I have. Are those new tires?”

  “New? Not exactly. I mean I’ve been driving it around town for five years since I bought it. But that’s another example of Sam being such a standup kind of guy. He insisted on putting brand new tires on the car when I bought it. If you ask me, he didn’t have to do that. It was a nice gesture.”

  “Yeah. Nice. Do you mind if I take a look inside?”

  “My car? Sure. Go ahead.”

  Gemma opened the passenger side door and ran her hand over the interior before settling into the front seat. The vision blasted through her like an explosion of black and white images. She saw a younger Sam Wells and how he looked five years earlier. She watched as the older man charmed the much younger twenty-year-old Chloe Pendleton. He wanted her to go for a drive with him, just a drive so they could get to know each other better.

  Gemma even felt to what degree Chloe trusted this older man and seemed not to fear anything from him. Why should she? Chole had been talking to him online for months before finally giving up her address to the smooth-talking Sam.

  From that point, Gemma saw him talk her into coming out into the parking lot to show off his spiffy little sports car. Sam dangled the keys in front of her. “You can drive it if you want.”

  They sat together in his car before he talked her into leaving the Quick N Save early, then taking off for a trip to see California, and ultimately, the beach. “You don’t have to pack. I’ll buy you whatever you need,” Sam had promised.

  But Chloe’s adventure had ended the next morning at Spirit Lake.

  Gemma felt Radley’s hand on her arm and heard his voice in her head. It broke into the scene, stopping short of letting her see how Sam had killed her.

  “Should I call Lando? You’re acting kinda weird, Gemma.”

  She crawled out of the tight little space and stood staring at Radley. “Do me a favor. Watch the dogs for me. I have to go see Lando. Starting now, you’re on the clock.”

  Sam Wells burst into Lando’s office in a huff. “What is this I hear about you taking two days off? I told you I didn’t think it was a good idea right now.”

  “Yeah. I was there when you told me. At the time, I reminded you that I haven’t taken a day off in more than a year.”

  “But you’re in the middle of an important investigation. And you’re getting married at the end of August, which I might add is the reason you’re taking a week off for the honeymoon.”

  “I closed an investigation this week,” Lando tossed out, getting to his feet. “I found the killer of a sixteen-year-old girl. I’m still working the Jane Doe murder case left over from Caulfield’s days and assisting Zeb Longhorn on another. I don’t see how either one precludes me from taking two days of vacation. Since I have two months’ worth rolled over from years of saving up, I don’t intend to waste my time arguing about it with you.”

  “And who will you be leaving in charge?”

  “Payce Davis is the most senior officer.”

  “Payce Davis is an idiot. You know it and I know it. He’s unqualified as a patrol officer even on his best day.”

  “Who are you to say that? You don’t know anything about my guys or their qualifications. You don’t know how hard they work. Right now, you’re the banker, Mr. Wells. That’s it. You own radio stations. I get that. But as of today, you haven’t won anything yet, which makes you…not my boss…at least not until the first week of September. If you have a problem with me from that point going forward, after you’re elected, then take it up with the Town Council. Are we clear?”

  Sam straightened his expensive tie before leaning his hands on Lando’s desk. “I’ll cut you some slack for now because you deal with that whacky Gemma Channing, but when I’m mayor, you will never take that tone with me again. Count on that.”

  Lando watched Sam spin around and fly past Gemma as she was coming into the room.

  “I take it you just told him we were going out of town?”

  “Yep.”

  “Take a walk with me.”

  “Can it wait? There are a few things I need to do before I pass the baton to Payce.”

  “No. I need to talk now and not in your office.”

  He narrowed his eyes. “Why so mysterious?”

  “Just come with me. Thirty minutes and I’ll have you back at your desk. Promise.”

  She led him out the back door to the alleyway leading down to the pier. The back way provided the privacy she needed.

  “Where are we going, Gemma?”

  Once she’d put some distance between them and the police station, she turned to face him. “Sam Wells killed Chloe Pendleton.”

  “What?”

  “Listen to me. That day at Zeb’s office when I was going over Chloe’s file, he mentioned that they found tire tracks from a small foreign sports car in the area where she was found. Sam used to own a 1984 Fiat Spider convertible, which he sold to Radley for a song. That was five years ago to the month and week after Chloe was found dead at Spirit Lake. And get this, Sam insisted on putting new tires on the car before he sold it off. I sat in that car just now and got a strong vision of him in Reno, five years younger, luring a woman who looked remarkably like Chloe into that same Fiat, knowing full well he intended to bring her back to California and murder her.”

  Lando ran a hand through his hair and grabbed her hand, pulling her back down the alleyway to his office. “An’84 Fiat means it was brand new back in Jane Doe’s case. I need to check the registration history. Did he own that car then? If so, that would’ve made good ol’ Sam sixteen at the time of Jane Doe’s death. We should also take another look at the crime scene photos that Caulfield took. Maybe we’ll see something we missed.”

  “But those photos weren’t very good, out of focus, blurry, taken totally by someone who didn’t care about quality.
You said so yourself.”

  “I know, but they’re all we have.”

  It didn’t take long for Lando to confirm that Sam Wells had indeed been given the Fiat for his birthday when he was sixteen. From registrations to crime scene photos, they pored over grainy images in black and white, using a magnifying glass to pick up on any tire tracks.

  “This is ridiculous,” Gemma finally stated. “Sam didn’t drive his car onto the beach that night. All he had to do was meet up with Jane Doe there, provoke an argument, and strangle her to death.”

  “It makes sense though for a sixteen-year-old boy to want to use his new sports car to impress a date.”

  “That was thirty-some years ago. What I saw was a grown, middle-aged man using that same car to impress Chloe. How many girls has he met online over the years, then pressed them into meeting him in person? How many did he seduce? How many did he kill? And how do we prove any of this, Lando? It all happened so long ago, it’s like a time warp. If we can’t tie Sam to Spirit Lake and to Chloe specifically, then I’m just some off-the-wall kook, pointing fingers at the guy who will probably fire you once he gets elected. Sounds like sour grapes to me.”

  “Then we have to find some hard evidence.”

  “Or get a look at his phone or laptop.”

  “Gemma, we can’t do that without a warrant.”

  “Okay. Just saying. What kind of car does Sam drive now? I know it’s small and expensive.”

  “A gray BMW convertible, a 528i model. Come to think of it, he bought it new five years ago.”

  Gemma chewed the inside of her jaw. “Zeb needs to know what we’ve uncovered. If for no other reason than to keep an eye on Sam while we’re out at the lake. Unless you want to cancel.”

  “No way. We deserve some time to ourselves. Let’s get everyone together before we go. They need to know what we suspect.”

  “I don’t think I can kick Radley out of the house. He’s just now settling in so we should probably meet the others somewhere else. We don’t need to worry Radley with all this, especially since he seems to be a real fan of Sam’s.”