Buried Truth

by Jannine Gallant

  “Waylon Brewster, Arnold Dorsey, and . . . Kimmy Long’s father. What was his name?” Seconds ticked by. “Rodney Long. I think he and his wife still live in town, but I haven’t seen him in years. Why all the interest in that day, Leah?”

  She juggled the phone to write down the names on Ryan’s list. “Uh, we found a roll of film in the time capsule, and the pictures made us curious. There are people we didn’t recognize in them.” Maybe not the whole truth, but she couldn’t bring herself to explain further.

  “Probably the detectives who were at the school that day.”

  Her jaw sagged open. “What?”

  “Oh, it was quite exciting, not that we all weren’t worried to death about the poor girl they were looking for.”

  “Mrs. A, I’ve no idea what you’re talking about.”

  “Of course no one said anything to the students. . . Such a shame. A young woman from just south of here was hitchhiking in the area and went missing a couple of weeks before your class buried the time capsule. I still remember her name, Merry—spelled like the adjective rather than the traditional way—Bright. So cheerful, in stark contrast to the awfulness of her disappearance. The police never did find that girl.”

  Leah noted the name on the pad and drew a line under it. “That’s horrible, but why were detectives at the school?”

  “I guess Mrs. Winston, the principal, had watched a follow-up story on the morning news and called to report she’d seen the girl on the highway. Apparently, she’d driven by Merry Bright just as a car coming from the opposite direction pulled over, presumably to pick her up. For some reason, Nola Winston hadn’t seen a picture of this pretty blond woman when the story originally broke.”

  The breath stalled in Leah’s throat. “So the detectives on the case came to question Mrs. Winston?”

  “That’s right. The detectives were there along with our current police chief. Not that Irving Stackhouse was chief at the time, of course, but he was on the force. Ava and I pulled him aside to ask what was going on, but he wouldn’t give us any information. The whole story leaked out eventually, but I’m afraid the information Mrs. Winston provided never led to the girl’s recovery or an arrest in the case.”

  “Wow. I guess all the kids were completely clueless, totally focused on the excitement of burying the time capsule. At least I was.”

  “As it should be. The authorities had no reason to upset the students.”

  Leah let out a shaky breath. “You certainly satisfied my curiosity. Thanks, Mrs. A. I’ll tell Ryan you already have a ride to your meeting.”

  “Thank you, dear. Have a nice evening.”

  “We will. You, too.” Leah disconnected and set down her phone. “Oh. My. God. Unbelievable.”

  Ryan slid a cast iron skillet into the oven. “What was that all about?”

  She gave him a brief recap and then added, “Oh, and your mom has a ride tonight, so you don’t need to hurry away. Unless you want to.”

  He gave her a long look. “I don’t want to. You’re as nervous as a cat in a room full of attack dogs. Seems like you could use some company, despite your earlier snarkiness.”

  “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean . . .” She rubbed the back of her neck in a futile attempt to ease her tension. “Those pictures are a little terrifying. I keep imagining what that poor woman was thinking, lying there naked and vulnerable . . .”

  “Don’t.” He pulled her to her feet and into his arms. “There’s no reason to torment yourself.”

  “I guess not.” She leaned against his chest. “I shouldn’t have taken my anger out on you.” She forced a smile. “What’s for dinner?”

  “A frittata with tomatoes, mushrooms, chives, zucchini, and peppers.”

  “Yum. I guess calling the police can wait until after we eat. I bet everyone in the department is sick of seeing my name pop up on their reports, anyway.”

  “I’ve been thinking about that.” His voice took on a grim edge. “Maybe we shouldn’t contact them.”

  She pulled back to meet his troubled gaze. “Why not? We have new information related to a crime.”

  “Yes, we do. We also have nine faceless individuals who were more than likely involved in the disappearance of Merry Bright, if that’s who the naked blonde in the pictures was.”

  “Seems like a pretty safe assumption. Detectives were at the school questioning Mrs. Winston about this young woman and the car that stopped to pick her up. Someone who had the film in his possession freaked out, maybe believing the principal would point the police in his direction, so he buried the evidence in our time capsule.”

  “Makes a whole lot of sense to me. You said he. You think it was a man, not a woman?”

  Leah resisted the urge to shout. “I will not consider either your mom or Paige’s or Quentin’s is one of the hooded figures in those pictures.”

  “Easy.” He cupped her chin and stroked her cheek with one finger before dropping his hands to her shoulders. “I don’t believe it either.”

  “Then why did you say—”

  “Just making a point. If we eliminate the women, there are five names left on our list.”

  “Sloan Manning, Edgar Vargas, Waylon Brewster, Arnold Dorsey, and Rodney Long.” Leah shook her head. “I can’t imagine any of those men would kidnap and hold some poor girl captive in the woods. That’s just sick.”

  “The woman is naked and seems to be the centerpiece of some twisted ceremony. Sick doesn’t begin to describe it.”

  “Agreed. So, we report what we know and let the police question them. I hate to throw any innocent person under the bus by bringing up his name, but this is too horrible to keep to ourselves.”

  “One problem. Siren Cove has a small department, and one of their own could very well be involved.”

  “Are you talking about Chief Stackhouse? Your mom said he was with the detectives who came to question Mrs. Winston.”

  Ryan shook his head. “No, I mean your buddy, Chris Long, the cop who’s always on hand to investigate all your problems. His dad’s name is on our list. If Rodney Long is the one responsible . . .”

  “Chris could find a way to bury this a lot deeper than the time capsule.” A chill slithered down her spine. “Maybe he already tried.”

  In the silence that followed her words, the timer dinged.

  Ryan’s grip on her shoulders tightened. “What do you mean?”

  “Someone searched my house, my car, and my bag, and he wasn’t afraid to hurt me when I got in the way. Also, your Jeep was broken into. What if that person was looking for the film? What if he never wanted those pictures to see the light of day? It could have been Chris Long, covering up for his dad.”

  “Yes, or it could have been one of the others, since we’re short on concrete evidence. Edgar Vargas might have knocked you senseless then pretended to find you when his son arrived. Or, Sloan Manning didn’t really leave the school and circled back on foot to hit you over the head.”

  “I don’t believe that.” Her voice broke. “I can’t and won’t.”

  “Well, you’d damn well better start because one of these men is responsible.” Ryan gave her a shake. “Merry Bright was never found. Someone on this list isn’t the person you believe he is. One of those five men may very well be a cold-blooded killer.”

  * * *

  He slowed to a stop beside the compact car pulled to the side of the road and lowered his window. “Need some help?”

  The woman crouched beside the front tire dropped the jack and rose to her feet. The glare of his headlights illuminated long, dark hair and a face streaked with tears. Young. Pretty.

  Perfect.

  “Oh, thank God. I don’t have a clue how to change a flat. I can’t even get the stupid jack in place. Wouldn’t you know I had the bad luck to puncture my tire in a dead zone, so my cell doesn’t work to call roadside assistance.” She moved closer and bent to look through the open window. “I was just about ready to lose it when you stopped. Thank you so much.
”

  “Happy to help a lady in distress. I’ll just pull over and park.”

  When she stepped back, he cruised to the edge of the road in front of her car and turned off the engine. Taking a moment, he controlled the jitters of excitement quivering through him. Talk about fate—or Satan himself—throwing him a bone. He was getting a hard-on just thinking about his unbelievable luck.

  Drawing in a deep breath, he let it out slowly, opened the door, and got out. The girl was there, waiting for him with a smile. She shivered and ran her hands up and down her arms.

  “It sure is chilly out tonight. Do you think you can fix the tire for me?”

  “Oh, I can fix it, all right. What’s your name, miss?”

  “Yvonne.” Her smile faded as she backed up a few feet and glanced down the empty road. “I really appreciate this.”

  He bent to retrieve the jack and held it by the handle. “No problem at all. I was having a crappy day, but do you know what? You just made my night.”

  Her dark eyes widened. As she turned to run, a cry ripped from her throat.

  Her scream echoed in the night before he swung the jack with a delicate touch. Metal connected to flesh and bone with a satisfying thunk before she crumpled into his arms. Not hard enough to kill her. Not so easy she’d offer up any resistance on the drive to their holding room. He’d had practice perfecting his technique.

  Perfect.

  Chapter Nineteen

  Hints of dawn filtered into the room, highlighting the sleeping face of the woman on the pillow next to his. Leah mumbled something indecipherable, and Ryan held her a little closer. She tensed then relaxed against him. When he shifted slightly, her lashes fluttered before her eyes slowly opened.

  He bent to kiss the tempting lips so close to his. “Did I wake you?”

  “I was dreaming. Men in robes chased me through the woods. Then you appeared and scooped me up, and we galloped away on . . . Barney. Except he was bigger.”

  A smile formed. “Freud would have a field day with that one.”

  “I expect so. What time is it?”

  Ryan glanced at the illuminated digital numbers on the bedside clock. “Nearly six.”

  “Not enough time to go back to sleep before I have to get up for work.”

  “But plenty of time for this.” He kissed her again, this time with purpose, as he aligned her curves to his angles.

  She kissed him back with almost a hint of desperation, wrapping her arms around his neck to cling tight. He slid his hands over warm, smooth skin, down her back to cup the firm muscles of her ass until they blended into one. Holding still, he fought the urge to go deeper, harder. Instead, he savored the connection as his lips found hers in a long, drugging kiss. He nipped the lobe of her ear and licked the delicate skin of her neck.

  Shivers coursed through her before she pushed hard to roll them over and lie flat upon his chest. Her deep brown gaze dug into his soul, searching for . . . something. Relief mixed with desire in her eyes when she apparently found whatever reassurance she needed.

  “I love you, Ryan.”

  “I love you, too.”

  She slid over him, rising and falling in a measured rhythm he felt certain would destroy him. He held on, nearly crying with the need for relief, until she quaked with the force of her release and collapsed on top of him. Only then did he let go, wrapped up in the sanctuary of Leah’s body.

  They lay together for long minutes as coherent thoughts dissolved before they could take hold, and his breathing slowed. He never wanted to move again.

  “Ryan?”

  “Hmm.” He inched his face downward to nuzzle the bare breast pressing against him.

  “Not to kill the mood, but I have to get ready for work soon, and we need to make a few decisions.”

  His tongue swirled around one pink tip before he drew back. “About?”

  Her breath hissed out as she slid off him. “Those photos. Merry Bright.”

  His burgeoning desire wilted as he propped himself up on one elbow. The fear in Leah’s eyes ate at him.

  “I’ll do a little research, maybe go have a chat with our former principal to see what she told those detectives the day we buried the time capsule. If there was any evidence that might lead back to one of the men on our list, we’ll at least have a place to start.”

  Her brows drew together over worried eyes. “All right. Maybe you can find out who the detectives were on the case and confide in them. Since they weren’t from our local station . . .”

  “That might be an option, but I know cops share information. If we could eliminate Chris Long’s father as a potential suspect, I’d feel better about taking this to the authorities. I’d like to feel out the situation and gather more information before we show those photos to anyone.”

  She nodded. “I’ll let you take the lead on this and do it your way.”

  “Good. You just go to work, and don’t stress about anything.” He dropped a kiss on her lips before flinging back the covers to lever out of bed. “I have time at my disposal, and I’m good at digging for the truth. We’ll figure this out.”

  “I hope so because not worrying isn’t an option. Those pictures are disturbing and offensive. What if the men in them are still doing . . . whatever it is they were doing?”

  Ryan paused on the way to the bathroom and turned back. “That ceremony, or whatever the hell it was, took place twenty years ago. I can’t imagine. . .” He broke off as a chill slid through him. “At least I hope not. Keeping anything that twisted a secret for so long in Siren Cove seems impossible.”

  Leah sat up against the pillows and crossed her arms over her chest. “I pray you’re right.”

  Two hours later, he was still thinking about her words as he parked his Jeep at the senior apartments, got out, and slammed the door. Apparently Mrs. Winston had been retired for quite a few years, and she was currently a neighbor of Evie’s. He kicked the fall leaves scattered across the sidewalk beneath a row of maple trees as he looked for unit thirty-two. Finding the correct residence, he approached and rapped sharply.

  The woman who opened the door looked vaguely familiar. The dark hair he remembered was gray now, and she seemed shorter than the formidable figure who’d stood near her office door as the kids filed inside after recess. Or maybe he’d simply gotten a whole lot taller.

  “My goodness, Ryan Alexander all grown up.” She stepped back and waved him inside. “Please come in. I’ll admit your phone call stirred my curiosity.”

  “It’s good to see you, Mrs. Winston. Thanks for having me over on such short notice.”

  “One of the benefits to retirement is I don’t have to race off anywhere at the crack of dawn.” She led the way to the bar counter separating the kitchen from the living area. “Have a seat. I made a fresh pot of coffee if you’re interested.”

  “Thanks, I’d love a cup.”

  She poured two steaming mugs and nudged the sugar bowl and cream pitcher his way as she settled on the second stool. “Help yourself, then tell me what you’d like to know about the time capsule your fifth-grade class buried.”

  He stirred in a splash of cream before sipping the strong brew. “Not so much the time capsule as the day we buried it. I’m doing a little research into the events that fall, and my mom mentioned two detectives questioned you about a woman who went missing a couple weeks prior to that day.”

  “Merry Bright.” The former principal’s eyes darkened. “Goodness, I haven’t thought about that tragic young woman in years. Wondering what happened to her gave me quite a few sleepless nights, since I was probably one of the last people to see her before she disappeared.”

  He eyed her soberly. “Sorry to bring up bad memories, but if you could describe the car you saw . . .”

  “There was nothing remarkable about the vehicle, and I wasn’t paying much attention when I passed it. I’d just glimpsed the girl at the side of the road and remember thinking she looked like a Barbie Doll with all that long, pale hair
shining in my headlights. I glanced in my rearview mirror as a car pulled over next to her and had the fleeting thought that hitchhiking wasn’t safe for pretty young women.”

  “I guess not.”

  “A real tragedy that could have been avoided, or at least that was the conclusion I drew since, to my knowledge, no one ever found her. As for the car that stopped, it was a sedan. Maybe a Chevy or a Ford, though I wouldn’t swear to it, dark in color. Navy, green, or brown. Possibly black.” She shrugged. “I didn’t see the driver, and my description of the vehicle didn’t exactly thrill the detectives who questioned me, but it was a moonless night.”

  “So, you weren’t able to help them in their investigation?”

  “I’m afraid not. One of them gave me his card and told me to call if I remembered anything else. I didn’t.”

  “I don’t suppose you still have the card?”

  Mrs. Winston snorted. “Are you kidding? I got rid of thirty years’ worth of crap when I moved in here. But I have a mind for details, and my memory hasn’t started to go yet. They were Detectives Stannard and Hutch from down in Coos Bay. Of course I joked that Stannard should have been Starsky, and he said if only he had a nickel for every time he’d heard that line.” She patted Ryan’s arm. “Those old TV show references are before your time, I’m afraid. Why did you want to know about Merry Bright?”

  He hesitated and sipped his coffee before going with the version of the story Leah had told his mother. “We found a roll of film in the time capsule and didn’t recognize the people in it. My mother mentioned the detectives who’d been at the school that day, and I was curious to hear exactly what had happened.”

  “From the horse’s mouth, so to speak.” She grinned. “Well, I hope I satisfied your quest for knowledge.”

  “Definitely.” He finished his coffee and stood. “Thanks for chatting with me, Mrs. Winston.”

  “Oh, I enjoyed our talk. It’s always fun to catch up with my former students.” She rose and followed him to the entry. “By the way, I love Crossroads. You’re a clever young man, Ryan, but then you always were.”