Simon was headed out the door when Erica parked in front of his trailer. DeVeaux didn’t own the trailer, it was a rental. Erica noted that the car he was standing by was nearly twenty years old. If DeVeaux were a brother of Jude’s, he had certainly gotten a bad deal when their father’s estate had been passed on.
His book sales aside, Jude Rowland had inherited a house and land worth a large sum. With his other brother John once declared legally dead, it all went to Jude.
Simon’s smile was shaky as he spotted Erica after she’d lowered the window of her rental.
“Agent Novac?”
“Hello, Simon, I need to speak with you for a few minutes. How about coming over to sit in the car with me?”
“Um, I was going out to do the food shopping. It’s my day off.”
Erica smiled. “It won’t take long, I promise.”
Simon placed his keys back in his pocket and walked over. Once again, Erica was struck by his resemblance to Jude Rowland.
After climbing in the car and looking around, Simon blinked rapidly and rubbed his hands together as if he were cold. Erica remained silent while watching him. Finally, Simon asked a question.
“What’s this about?”
“I think there’s a strong possibility that someone is trying to frame Jude Rowland for murder. During my investigation I became aware that you might have a motive.”
“What? I don’t even know the man that well.”
“Your Aunt Molly knows him very well though, doesn’t she?”
“She cooks and cleans for him, like she’s his damn maid.”
“I sense resentment toward Mr. Rowland, why is that?”
Simon laughed as he ran a hand over his scruffy beard.
“You cops are all the same. You play dumb even as you try to trick people into saying something they shouldn’t. You already know why I don’t like Joey Revene. Anyone who looks at me knows why.”
“All right, yes, unless it’s an odd coincidence that you resemble each other I would say that you and Jude are brothers. It must eat at you that he was given everything after your father died.”
Anger flared in Simon’s eyes.
“Chet Revene was never my father, he just had an affair with my mother… and I was the result.”
“Can you account for your whereabouts over the last few weeks, Simon?”
“Yeah, I was right here, working at the hotel.”
“Okay, I’ll confirm that, and thank you for your time.”
“I can go?”
“Unless you have something else to say.”
Simon shook his head, then climbed out of the car. Erica watched him go, certain that he was hiding something.
* * *
Erica went back to the tiny room she used at the police station and spent hours on the FBI’s database doing research. To aid in her work, she borrowed a white board from the now acting Chief of Police, Shawn Dix. On the board were the names of three suspects, under which she’d written what was known about them in relation to the Wildcard murders. The names were Jude Rowland, Zach Connors, and Simon DeVeaux.
Given the new information they had about Zach Connors’ proximity to every murder location, he appeared to be the killer. Then again, Jude’s claims that he had never been close to some of the murder sites could be a lie. As for DeVeaux, his story about being in town at the time the murders were committed was true. That didn’t mean he didn’t have an unknown partner, someone who’d yet to appear on Erica’s radar.
* * *
The All-Points Bulletin she’d initiated on Chief Connors’ son bore fruit in the late afternoon. That’s when Erica learned that Zach Connors’ truck had been found at the bottom of a shallow lake near the Massachusetts/New Hampshire border.
After a call to Whitford, a helicopter was arranged to fly her to the scene. Troy Carson called as Erica was getting into her rental to head to the airfield. He was almost back in Sanguine and had news concerning Chief Connors’ laptop.
“The lab discovered that the chief had been sending emails to the Techno-Tattler.”
“He must have been the leak,” Erica said.
“That’s what I thought, but the contents of the emails reveal that the chief was asking the Techno-Tattler to stop dogging his department. He promised them an exclusive once he proved Jude was guilty of murder. These emails were sent after the story first broke.”
“Then Chief Connors wasn’t the leak, which makes me wonder who it is,” Erica said. “Did they find anything else, Troy?”
“Nothing of note, so what’s been going on there?”
“I want you to meet me at the airfield outside of town. We’ll be hopping on a helicopter to take us to a scene. The truck belonging to Zach Connors has been found submerged in a lake.”
“Holy crap! Is Connors inside it?”
“That’s what we’re going to find out.”
“I’m right near the airfield; I’ll meet you there.”
“Tell the pilot to be ready to go when I arrive.”
“You got it, Erica.”
* * *
Fifteen minutes later, Erica was ducking her head as she walked toward the ten-seat helicopter Whitford had arranged. It cheered Erica to see that the metal bird looked only a few years old.
She had no fear of flying, which was often required in her job. What she did have was a tendency to feel uneasy whenever she was aboard a helicopter. The smaller the chopper the edgier she felt. She pushed her nervousness aside and smiled at the pilots, who were inside the cockpit.
After Troy offered a hand to help her up inside, Erica was greeted by the two pilots, who were named Sam and Marcus.
When several minutes passed without take-off, Erica asked Troy why they were still on the ground. He grinned at her and pointed out the window.
“There’s another passenger coming.”
Erica followed his finger and broke out in a grin of her own. Brad Owens was running toward them with his travel bag in hand. He had returned from DC and had landed on a nearby runway when he learned from Troy that he and Erica were headed toward the airfield. After gathering his bag, Owens was ready for another flight.
Erica helped him up into the chopper and, after a greeting, asked him how his father was doing.
“Dad agrees he needs help. My sister will be taking him around to different care facilities tomorrow. Thankfully, there are several very good ones in our area.”
They discussed the chief’s death briefly, as it was difficult to hear above the chopper’s engines. The pilots finished going over their checklist and donned their flight helmets, which had night-vision capability. The helicopter lifted into the air a minute later and headed north.
Erica was thrilled. Maybe they would finally get some answers and be able to close the Wildcard case.
Chapter Thirty-Five
THE MASSACHUSETTS/NEW HAMPSHIRE BORDER
The lake was actually a retention basin. It was designed to handle storm water run-off and was located near a corporate park. It was just east of the motel that was Zach Connors’ last known location.
There were large tread indentations in the muddy strip of land that separated the east and west bound lanes of the roadway leading to the motel. The Massachusetts’ State Police said it appeared that Connors had driven across the highway, rolled down a hill, and went into the basin.
Erica had wondered aloud why no one reported the accident. The cops on the scene told her that the highway could get quiet at night.
“You could hold a poker game out on that road some nights and not have to move out of the way until rush hour began.” That was how one cop had put it.
The speculation was that Connors was drunk when he climbed behind the wheel of his big rig. Whisky bottles had been found in his motel room and another open bottle was recovered from the truck, along with Zach Connors’ body.
Erica knew that determining blood alcohol levels from a corpse was tricky and the results unreliable. It was due to the body’s a
bility to cause fermentation. After death, glucose converts to alcohol, and bacteria and fungi can exacerbate this condition.
Erica still thought it likely the man had been drinking. There was a receipt found inside the room listing three bottles of whisky. The date on the slip of paper showed that the purchase took place the day before Connors was last seen. What had driven Connors to drink so heavily? Perhaps guilt?
Erica felt sympathy for the chief’s wife, Alice. The woman had lost a husband and son all in a matter of days.
* * *
Divers had confirmed that there was a body inside the truck before the FBI agents had arrived. However, Erica, Owens, and Troy were on hand to watch as the truck was dragged from the lake. The state police had a forensic team on site.
Zach Connors bloated body was freed from the confines of the truck and loaded into a body bag. Along with the corpse, another item of interest was found in the cab of the truck.
It was a gym bag. Instead of containing workout clothes, the bag contained souvenirs. There was a book embosser, soggy leather-bound first editions, a metal book mark, and other items treasured by avid book readers. The book embosser was engraved. It had belonged to Harriet Holbrook, while the metal book mark, also engraved, had been owned by David Burke. Both were victims of the serial killer nicknamed Wildcard.
Troy looked at Erica, and then Owens, who were staring down at the items.
“This means Zach Connors was Wildcard, right?”
“It looks that way,” Owens said.
After nibbling on her bottom lip, Erica said, “Maybe.”
* * *
A conversation with the motel’s night clerk revealed a possible date for when the truck took its last ride. He stated that he’d heard the truck start up at around four a.m. on a recent rainy night but didn’t see it. The clerk also gave credence to the belief that Connors was drunk when he was last behind the wheel.
“I might not have remembered hearing the truck if he hadn’t ground the gears so badly. It was a horrible noise, but he finally got it going.”
* * *
With nothing to do but wait for test results to come back on Zach Connors’ body and the items found inside the truck, Erica, Owens, and Troy returned to Sanguine.
After only a few hours of sleep, Erica found herself waking with the dawn, as questions without answers swirled in her mind. After sending Owens a text stating where she would be, Erica went to pay Jude an early morning visit. He had mentioned that he rose with the sun most mornings and she wanted to ask him about his relationship with Simon DeVeaux.
She stopped on the way there to pick up bagels and cream cheese, and on arriving saw a sight that alarmed her. There was no police car out front, while the gate was sitting wide open. Erica parked her vehicle outside the gate and traveled in on foot. Her gun was out and held in a two-handed grip.
John Revene, Traveler, was thought to be in the area. Whitford had agents stationed in a wide perimeter around Jude’s property but there was always the chance that someone had slipped through.
As she neared the house, Erica came around a final curve in the driveway. What she saw happening on the porch made her holster her weapon.
Linda Perkins was standing with Jude on the porch. They were locked in an embrace and kissing. It appeared as if an old romance had reignited. Retracing her steps, Erica returned to her car and drove it onto the property. This time when she rounded the last curve, Linda and Jude were standing apart. They’d had ample warning to separate after hearing the approach of her engine.
“Good morning,” Erica said.
“Hi, Erica. Um, Jude let me use his bathroom, now that the portable toilet… well, you know what happened to the portable toilet.”
“Yes, and what about last night, was there any excitement?”
Linda appeared to be fighting back a smile as she answered. “It was a quiet night.”
Erica held up the bag of bagels and offered one to Linda. Linda declined, while saying that she would have breakfast with her daughter when she got off shift in an hour. After waving goodbye to Jude, Linda drove her cruiser back to the front of the home.
“It was nice of you to let her use your bathroom,” Erica told Jude.
He smiled shyly. “I know you spotted us, but Linda didn’t see you.”
“I didn’t want to intrude, but I was pleased to see that you two have made up.”
Jude gave a little shrug. “It was just a kiss.”
“Right,” Erica said, “and I hope you have coffee made?”
“I do, but I need to feed the dogs and let them out before I can settle down at the table.”
“I’ll help you; I like feeding the dogs.”
They went inside and Jude closed the door behind them. Neither one was aware of the man who’d been watching them from the trees.
Chapter Thirty-Six
Erica and Jude walked along the path at the rear of his home as the sun rose above the trees. The dogs, Riddle, Clue, and Hunch, were ahead of them, sniffing the ground as they darted about following scents that were beyond the range of their human companions.
“Have you made out a will, Jude?”
“Yes.”
“If you were to die, who would benefit?”
“I’ve left everything to Molly, but why do you ask?”
“Asking questions is a big part of what I do. What can you tell me about Simon DeVeaux?” Erica asked while staring at Jude for a reaction. Jude’s lips formed a tight line before he answered.
“There’s a possibility that Simon is my illegitimate brother. Other than that, I don’t know much about him.”
“Aren’t you curious?”
“No. I assume he’s like most people in this town, small-minded and petty.”
“You don’t have a very high opinion of humanity, do you?”
“Maybe, but it’s been proven accurate more often than not.”
“I’m surprised that Simon’s mother didn’t make an attempt to claim part of your inheritance for her son after your father died.”
“She never contacted me or the lawyers.”
“Possibly because she passed away before she had a chance to. I checked, and Yolanda DeVeaux died only a few days after your father did. It was another accident; she fell down a flight of concrete steps.”
“I remember that. I’d heard she’d taken too many painkillers for a dental procedure she’d recently had.”
“That’s what the report states, yes. Regardless of that, did you ever offer to help Simon?”
“I have helped Simon, he’s just unaware of it.”
“How have you helped him?”
“Through his Aunt Molly, I gave her the money to pay for Simon’s college education.”
“Does Simon know that?”
“No, I told Molly to keep it between us.”
“She must be close to her nephew.”
“Molly raised Simon after his mother died. He was only ten then.”
“She seems like a very giving woman; you’re lucky to have her as a friend.”
“I know,” Jude said, then, he whistled for the dogs and began walking back the way they had come. The three dogs raced by them and headed toward the house.
“Keri Jones was murdered in Las Vegas last year. Did you know that?”
“Keri Jones? I haven’t heard that name in years.”
“Did you like her?”
“Not to speak ill of the dead, but no, I did not like her.”
“What about Jay and Aaron Floyd, and Eddie Watson?”
Jude gave a little laugh. “The Floyd brothers and that Watson kid? Wow, I haven’t thought of them in years either. I thought they had left town.”
“No, they’re dead too, and I was told that they bullied you while you were in school.”
“You were told right, they were assholes… how did they die?”
“Someone said that their meth lab exploded.”
“Meth? I guess I shouldn’t be surprised, they were st
oners in high school. Why are you asking me about all this?”
“I’m confirming stories I’ve heard from others as I tie up loose ends.”
“Has there been any progress on the Wildcard case?”
“It’s not official yet, but yes. There’s a strong probability that the chief’s son was Wildcard.”
“Zach? Wait, why did you say was, is he dead?”
“He drowned after driving his truck into a lake.”
“That happened here?”
“No, on the border of Massachusetts. It appears he died about a week before his father… whom you also didn’t like.”
Jude stopped walking and stared at Erica. “Are you accusing me of something?”
“No, you’re all but cleared of being Wildcard, given the evidence we found at the scene in Massachusetts.”
Jude smiled. “Then I’m no longer a suspect?”
“No, but we still want your help in apprehending your brother, John.”
“You think he killed the chief, don’t you?”
“Yes, which means he’s still in the area and may try to contact you at any—”
Erica stopped speaking as she noticed the dogs go on high alert. Their heads were held high and they were sniffing the air. At first, she thought they had honed-in on one of Whitford’s agents. Motion detectors and cameras were being placed near Jude’s home in an attempt to identify and apprehend Traveler if he came back. Perhaps Riddle, Clue, and Hunch had caught the scent of agents installing the equipment.
When the animals bolted toward the house, she felt relieved and followed along with Jude. Erica watched as the dogs bounded up the rear steps.
They had left the house through the porch door and Jude had locked it behind them, but it was sitting ajar now. Riddle, Clue, and Hunch burst through the door, their teeth exposed in snarls as they pursued the scent of an intruder. When the screaming began, Erica wondered if the dogs had captured Traveler.
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