“I figured I’d best hurry before Angel talked your ear off.”
He grinned. “Just as she was settling in to ask me twenty questions, two sets of folks walked through the door. Viv put her to work.”
“Do you need to give her a hand?” Kent asked her. “If you want, we can talk during your next break.”
“No need for that.” Feeling a little giddy, she beamed at him. “Guess what? I can leave. Gabe let me clock out early.”
But instead of looking delighted, Kent seemed taken aback. “Oh? Well, that’s great, but I...well, I still have some work to do, I’m afraid.”
She realized then that his badge was on display on his belt and he had on his work uniform—a black polo shirt, dark khakis with a solid crease on the legs and thick-soled brown loafers. His clothes, together with his reserved manner, told her that he hadn’t come to see her because he couldn’t stand to be away from her for another minute.
Realizing that he must have only stopped by to bring some news about the case, she swallowed her disappointment. “Would you like to go outside to talk?” Liana asked.
“Sure.”
When Kent made a move to pay for his coffee, Viv stopped him. “Save your money. Coffee’s always on the house for cops. You know that.”
“See you in two days, Viv,” Liana said as they headed toward the door.
“Enjoy your time off. Don’t work too hard.”
After waving goodbye to Angel, too, Liana walked through the door that Kent was holding open for her. “Where would you like to talk?” she asked. “I would say we could sit over at the picnic table, but you look kind of serious.”
“Do you mind if we talk in your car?”
This had to be serious, since he never willingly suggested her vehicle. “Not at all.” She pulled out her key fob and clicked the button that unlocked it.
He got in the passenger seat and kept his attention straight ahead as she got situated on her side. Things were getting weirder and weirder.
She was tempted to ask him what was going on but she decided to simply wait for him to gather his thoughts.
“Liana, I’ve been racking my brain, trying to think of a good way to tell you this. But here’s the thing. I don’t think there is a good way.”
“You’re scaring me, Kent. What is wrong? Are you sick?” Was he breaking up with her?
“Oh no. It’s nothing like that,” he said quickly. “It has to do with the case.”
So her suspicions were right. “Okay...”
“I’m about to go speak to your brother.”
“What do you need to talk to Mason about?” she asked. Hearing her voice, Liana knew she sounded confused, but that wasn’t the complete truth. She actually had a pretty good idea why Kent needed to speak with her brother. She hadn’t ever thought it would happen, but it looked like everything was coming out in the open after all.
Looking torn, Kent frowned. “Liana, I’m sorry, and I know I’ve been asking you for help, but I can’t speak to you about my reasons. I just didn’t want you to hear about this from someone besides me.”
“Hear about what? You aren’t telling me anything.” Inwardly, she winced. She sounded hurt and defensive, which wasn’t fair to him at all.
“Hopefully you’ll know soon enough.”
Kent sounded so cryptic, she was starting to feel a little angry. It was almost like he was playing a game with her. “You’re acting like Mason is a suspect.” When he simply stared at her, she realized that was exactly what he was. “That’s it. You do think he killed Billy.”
“Do you want to tell me why you think he could be considered one?”
His voice was smooth and sounded just like Officer Grune’s tone when she was questioning her those first days after Billy’s disappearance. She hated that he was talking to her that way. “Who have you been talking to?” she asked. “What have people been saying? Don’t forget, all this happened a long time ago.”
“I haven’t forgotten, Liana.” His voice was low and gravelly. “And you know I can’t tell you what I’ve heard.”
Though her head was telling her that he was trying to be sympathetic to what she was going through, all she felt was pain. She folded her arms over her chest, not even caring that it looked like she was trying to protect herself. Maybe that was what she was doing, anyway. “Is there anything else you want to say?”
“There is. I’d like you to tell me more about your daily life with Billy in the days before he died.” When she just stared at him, his expression went blank. “If you could do that, I’d appreciate it.”
She hated this conversation. Hated that she’d been imagining that Kent stopped by because he’d missed her. Hated that she’d put on lipstick and washed up because she thought he wanted to take her out.
Hated that she was becoming disappointed yet again. Looking straight ahead, she thought back ten years and gave Kent what he needed to hear. “I didn’t have a real big daily life with him. The last year of our marriage, Billy went down a dark spiral. He went from being indifferent to me, to being angry all the time, to addicted to too many substances to count. I went from trying to save our marriage to trying to make him happy to avoiding him as much as I could. That’s how things were.”
“You’ve told me before that he hurt you.”
“You’re right, I did.” Feeling angry that she had to relive the abuse yet again, she added, “But hurt is a pretty vague description, isn’t it?” She glanced his way.
Still looking stoic, Kent nodded.
Liana mentally rolled her eyes. “How about if I say that he beat me? Is that clear enough? What about if I tell you that the last six months of our marriage, he abused me in multiple ways and that I was in constant pain. Does that help your case?” she asked sarcastically.
“Did Mason know about that?”
“He suspected.” Actually, Mason had known for a fact. Especially the day that he’d stopped by the house.
Kent sighed. “Liana, I think you’re still keeping things from me.”
“Still?” she asked warily.
“I care about you. A lot. But I also want to do my job. I have to do it. It’s not an option, Liana.”
“I know that. Of course I know that.”
“If you do, then you must know that you could have saved me a lot of time by being much more forthcoming.”
He might have a job to do, but she had been the one getting hurt. Back then she’d felt completely alone. She would’ve never sought help—she’d been too afraid of what Billy would do to her. But when Mason had stopped by and been so upset on her behalf, she’d at last felt a burst of hope.
But since Kent had probably never felt that way, she knew he wouldn’t understand. “What are you going to say to Mason?” she asked at last.
Kent looked even more disappointed in her. “I debated coming over here first. I knew I shouldn’t but I couldn’t leave you in the dark. Not when you’ve already been through so much. But so help me, Liana, if you get on the phone right now and call or text him that I’m driving out to see him, I’m going to have a hard time forgiving you.”
“This is my garbage that you’re asking him about. Mine. You can’t blame him for worrying about me.”
“Don’t call him, Li.” He leveled a hard look at her. “If you do, I’ll know.”
Before she could say another word, he got out of the car, closed the door behind him and walked to his own. Minutes later he was out of sight.
Sitting there all alone, she was torn. If she didn’t warn Mason that Kent was on his way, then her brother would say she was choosing her boyfriend over him. But if she did tell Mason, Liana knew without a doubt that she would lose everything she’d gained with Kent.
Plus, there was a very good chance that even if she did tell Mason, it wouldn’t change the outcome of what was going to happen.
That was one thing Liana was very sure about. No matter what, as soon as Mason admitted to killing Billy, she was going to lose a piece of herself that she could never get back again.
But maybe she’d already lost it, anyway.
Chapter Twenty-Three
Kent pulled over into an empty shopping center plaza less than a mile from the Dig In Diner. So many emotions were rushing through him, he knew he had to get a handle on himself before he met his father in a grocery store parking lot about a mile from where Mason was working at a tire and auto part retailer.
Putting his vehicle into Park, he shut off the engine and simply leaned his head back against his seat.
“What did you expect?” he said out loud to himself. “Liana was a battered wife with little to no support system. Her parents had taught her not to expect too much from other people, and then the cops who handled her case let her down. Of course she’s going to be guarded around you.”
Thinking about Doug Evans, the lead detective on the case, and Officer Grune’s notes that had been compiled about Billy’s disappearance, Kent knew that Liana hadn’t received much help at all. Actually, she’d been thought to be a suspect until her alibi checked out.
Then, after hearing next to nothing for ten years, a team of officers informed her that her husband’s body had been found. Even though she would’ve guessed that would happen, it had to have been quite a shock. And now here he was, dredging up painful memories all over again—because he was hoping to resurrect his career.
So of course Liana had trust issues, both in her personal life and with the police. But less than thirty minutes ago, when he’d been trying to talk to her about Mason, Kent realized that she hadn’t been shocked about Mason being a suspect. Seconds after that he’d had to face the hard truth—that all this time, Liana had been fairly sure that her brother was responsible for her husband’s death—or at least for his disappearance.
But she’d never said a word to him.
Even after he told her he was falling for her. Even after they’d shared that kiss. He felt betrayed and hurt. Like he’d done so much work for nothing.
It was probably the way the other cops had felt about his arrogance affecting their case. Maybe Liana’s behavior was nothing less than he deserved.
When the chime of his cell phone pulled him out of his thoughts, he answered it in relief. “Hey, Dad.”
“Kent, sorry, but I’m another ten minutes out. I got hung up in a never-ending meeting with the commissioner. If you want to go ahead without me, I understand.”
He didn’t trust himself to handle things on his own, which was hard to admit. After everything he’d been through, he was still too weak to do a decent job on his own. “That’s no problem. I don’t mind waiting.”
“Are you sure? Hey, did something happen? You don’t sound like yourself.”
“Something happened, but I’ll tell you about it later. I’m fine.”
“Still want to meet near the IPA?”
He stared up at the grocery store’s sign he was already parked in front of. “Yep. Take your time, Dad.”
After they disconnected, he got out of his car and leaned against it. He had to get a handle on himself. Breathing hard, he felt the warm metal sink through his shirt, heating his skin. Then, at last, he focused.
He was standing in a dead shopping center. At one time a K-Mart or Sears or some retailer had been the focal point of it. Presumably, when that store closed, the other shops nearby—the ones that had depended on the large retailer to bring in the people—had closed up, too.
Now it looked like there was no reason for the public to be in the parking lot at all. There was nothing beyond a handful of for-lease signs and a couple of cars with for-sale signs on their windows.
It wasn’t anything that everyone in the community hadn’t seen before all over the city. The financial collapse and recession had been hard in Ohio. Especially small, rural areas like Adams County that hadn’t been generating a lot of income in the first place.
Of course, things were better here now. At least until the next financial battle played out across the heartland. It was sad, really.
Then, in the corner, he spied a small sign. Curious, he walked to it and saw neat handwriting. Coming Soon! Millie’s Coffee and Pies! Underneath the words was the outline of an Amish buggy and horse.
Huh. It looked like someone was ignoring the dozen reasons why this place wasn’t a desirable spot to start a new business.
Hope sprang eternal.
Hope.
To his surprise, a verse from Psalm 42 filled his heart.
Why am I discouraged? Why is my heart so sad? I will put my hope in God! I will praise him again—my Savior and my God!
He hadn’t thought about that verse in years. It had been his Sunday school teacher’s favorite verse. Mrs. Johnson had quoted it at least once a month. So much so that he had rolled his eyes at her recital more than once.
But now, as he thought about his insecurities and his failures, he realized that all this time, Mrs. Johnson had been right. He’d needed to stop looking for the worst in himself and expecting the worst to happen and start having hope and faith in the Lord. Just like Millie and her upcoming coffee shop, it seemed.
He closed his eyes and said a quick prayer of thanks. He wasn’t sure about everything that the Lord was trying to tell him, but he knew that if it was as simple as to have hope in himself, in the process and in Liana, it was enough. Maybe more than enough.
* * *
Thirty minutes later Kent was sitting with his father in his dad’s roomy SUV. He’d just filled him in on his conversation with Liana.
“I’m surprised you didn’t go right over and confront Mason, Kent.”
“I didn’t trust myself to see him on my own.”
His father raised his eyebrows. “Really? Has this whole transfer to cold cases really done such a number on you?”
“Yeah, my confidence has taken a beating, but it’s more than that. Dad, I don’t want to mess this up. Billy Mann was no prize but that doesn’t mean his case doesn’t deserve to be solved and the right person pay for the crime.”
His father studied him for another long moment, then nodded. “Let’s go pay Mason a visit.”
When they arrived at the automotive shop, Kent was glad to see that it was almost empty. Two of the three bays were empty and there were only four cars in the parking lot.
After speaking into his radio, letting the station know where they were, Kent and his father alighted. Then, with his father steps behind, Kent entered the office.
A guy in his late forties who’d been looking at his phone popped his head up when the door closed behind them. “Can I help you?” he asked.
Kent showed his badge. “We’re looking for Mason Kelly. He around?”
The guy got to his feet. “Yeah. He’s in the back.” After taking two or three steps toward the glass door that obviously led to the bays, he paused and turned back to them. “Is everything okay?”
“Yep,” his father said in his usual relaxed way. “We’re just following up on something...sorry, I didn’t catch your name.”
“Sorry, it’s Don. Don Burke.”
“This won’t take long, Don,” his father murmured. “Just routine.”
“Oh, sure.” When he opened the door, they were surrounded by the mournful twang of a George Strait ballad. “Hey, Mason. You here?”
“Yeah! Finishing up this Pontiac now.”
“Get Jesse to finish it up. Someone’s here to see you.”
While his father waited patiently, Kent headed toward the red Pontiac, walking by the open garage bay, just in case Mason had a mind to scoot out of there.
Thankfully, he didn’t. Mason was looking curiously at the pair of them while carefully wiping oil off his hands. “You look like cops,” he
said.
His father grinned. “That’s because we are cops.” He held up his badge. “Richard Olson.”
Kent joined them and flashed his badge, as well. “I’m Officer Kent Olson.”
Mason’s eyebrows rose. “Y’all related or something?”
“Richard’s my dad.”
“Keeping it all in the family?”
It looked like Mason was barely holding back a snarky comment. Kent guessed he probably couldn’t blame him. “Where can we talk?”
“I’m due for a break. How about outside so I can smoke?”
Kent gestured for him to lead the way. Mason stepped off to the side, toward a beat-up plastic black trash can next to a pair of rusty metal chairs.
“Have a seat if you’d like,” Mason said as he lit a Marlboro Red.
“Doubt one of those chairs would hold me,” his dad said. “I’ll stand.”
Mason shrugged as he exhaled a plume of smoke. “Suit yourself. So what’s up?”
“I wanted to speak to you about Billy Mann.”
“Billy?”
“He was your brother-in-law, yes?”
“Yeah.” His whole expression changed. “For four long years.”
“Then he went missing.”
Mason looked back at Kent. His eyes were the exact shade of his sister’s but without any of the vulnerability that seemed to be so at home in Liana. “Yeah, he sure did. And you guys were no help.” He took another drag before he added, “My poor sister had to deal with a bunch of questions and uncertainty for ten years. It just about killed her.”
“Sounds like you were really concerned about Liana.”
Mason’s whole posture changed. “What do you want from me?” he asked, a new edge in his tone.
“I want you to think back ten years ago and remember when you stopped by Liana’s house and saw that Billy had hurt her.”
Mason tossed his cigarette butt on the ground and rubbed it out with the toe of his boot. “Hurt her? Is that what she said, or is it a cop’s way of describing it?”
“Why don’t you tell us what you saw?” his dad asked.
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