by Laura Greene
“Can I help you?” Doris says, her voice louder than her diminutive gray-haired figure suggests possible.
Three men stand in front of the desk, but the tall, red-haired agent in the middle is the one to step forward. He pulls out his wallet, revealing his FBI badge confidently. “My name is Agent Ross from the FBI. Is Sheriff Williams here?”
Doris laughs. “You'll need to head up state and have a jail key if you want to speak with him.”
“Excuse me, Ma'am?” replies the agent, his expression as straight-faced as it has been since he entered the station.
Doris continues, though still laughing. “Sheriff Williams was a bad egg. He's in jail awaiting trial. We have a new sheriff now. Jane Scott.”
“When did this happen?”
“About six months ago.”
Agent Ross turns to the black-suited man to his right. “How is it possible for our records to be out of date?”
The agent to his right shrugs. “I'll check that.”
“You do that,” Agent Ross sighs. “Ma'am, may we speak with Sheriff Scott, then?”
“I'll see if she's available,” says Doris. “But you know, with the Dern girl missing and all, the sheriff has been working non-stop to find her.”
“I think that's why these gentlemen are here, Doris,” says Jane, walking through the door after listening from the hallway behind the desk. “Am I right, gentlemen?”
The three FBI agents keep a stony silence for a moment before Agent Ross speaks. “That's correct, Sheriff Scott. We're here to help.”
Jane smiles, though the sinking feeling in her stomach has not gone away. “We could use all the help we can get. Come up to my office and we can discuss this.”
“If it's all the same to you, Sheriff,” says Agent Ross, pulling out an envelope from his inside pocket and then handing it to Jane over the counter, “we'd sooner get set up. We'll need a large room, preferably your briefing room if you have one.”
Jane opens up the envelope and reads the paper. Her worst fears are confirmed. “So, you're taking over the investigation?”
Agent Ross now steps behind the counter and walks into the hallway as his two companions and Jane follow him. Speaking almost dismissively and looking around inquisitively, he says, “Yes, Sheriff. Susan Dern's disappearance is now a matter for the FBI. As of immediately, you are to hand over all files and evidence to my two colleagues here. We will be taking care of the investigation.” Ross now stops walking and turns to Jane, smiling. His smile is as insincere as his polite words. “You're now free to attend to your usual sheriff business, so please don't worry about Susan Dern anymore. We'll take care of it.”
Jane’s anger quickly stems, raising her voice. “You just wait a second, Agent Ross. Me and my deputy, along with our other officers, are working around the clock on this. I'm all for the FBI giving their assistance, even working together as equals. But you can't just waltz in here and expect to take over the entire investigation. We need to put Susan first, rather than have petty squabbles over who is in charge. With our combined resources, we stand a much better chance of finding who took her."
Agent Ross's smile now evaporates, replaced by a cold exterior. "I cannot divulge why the FBI has made this case a priority, but I can assure you it is absolutely necessary. With all due respect, as a sheriff of a small town you do not have the required experience to deal with a case of this manner. Now inform your staff, hand over all evidence and documents, and prepare to be interviewed by some of my colleagues, who are the best in the country at finding missing persons.”
Jane is so angry that she asks Doris to show them to the briefing room; a place where Jane usually holds meetings with her officers. Now, it’s to be home to the FBI investigation only, and Jane is completely locked out.
Later, Jane walks past the room. A sign is on the door, specifically saying that only accredited FBI agents are allowed inside. To compound matters, when Jane is back in her office she receives a phone call from Rose Dern. It’s only the most recent of many. Although Jane has assured her that as soon as she knows something she will contact Susan's parents, Rose continues to call. Her tears are palpable over the phone as she hopes for news of her missing daughter.
What is Jane to do? She doesn't feel she can tell Rose that she’s no longer on the investigation. Instead, she bends the truth. "The FBI has come to assist. If anyone can find Susan, they can. Trust me, Rose. We're all doing everything we can."
Those words seem to calm Susan's mother. Little does she know that in reality, Jane's hands are now completely tied.
Jane has always been a person of action. She believes that a solution can always be found, and that when it has been, it needs to be acted upon. It’s for that reason that Jane formulates an idea. An idea that could jeopardize her career, but will increase the likelihood of finding out what has happened to Susan.
Chapter 5
The next night, in Jane's drafty old farmhouse on the edge of town, surrounded by the countless rolling fields blanketed in snow nearby, a conspiracy is formed. In Jane's experience she has always been outside of a conspiracy, trying to find out how such things affect the world from the shadows. Yet there she is now, forging her own conspiracy and at the heart of it. She herself is now a ringleader.
"A conspiracy requires conspirators." Jane looks around the living room of her farmhouse. The three people she trusts most stare back at her.
"Usually, I'd be against such things," says Pastor Callaghan gently. "But if it helps find poor Susan, then you can count me in."
"Who am I to disagree with a man of God?" comes another voice. It is that of Deputy Morris, who is still dressed in uniform.
Jane turns to her side on the couch. "Jack? Are you ready to help out with another investigation?"
Jack puts his two hands behind the back of his head and leans back as though stretching. "If it means we get back to watching superhero movies every Friday night, I'm all for it."
"Every second Friday night. Remember, I get to choose the movies too."
The pastor laughs. "I'm glad to see you two getting along so well. But what exactly is your plan, Sheriff Scott?"
Jane has already explained that the FBI is locking her out of the investigation. Moving forward, she and her department are only allowed to handle usual town business. She describes how, in a second encounter with Agent Ross, that he said, "Isn't there an old lady somewhere you should be helping across the road?"
Jack leans forward. "What a condescending piece of…"
"Language, Jack," says Pastor Callaghan. "We really ought not to lower ourselves to the shady standards of others."
Grinning from ear to ear, Jack replies, "Maybe this conspiracy needs a swear box."
They all laugh together. "So, Boss," says Deputy Morris, "what now?"
Jane stands up and looks out the window across the icy hills outside as the winter sun dips down below the horizon for the night. "I can’t stop thinking about Susan."
"Do you think she's dead?" asks Jack.
Jane turns from the window to face her friends. She is now a silhouette in the dim light. "I don't know. Whether she's dead or not, we need to find the person who took her from outside her home. Even if Susan is dead, we can't let someone like that stalk our community and then do it again. We owe it to Susan, her parents, and to all the parents of children in Wild Cove to solve this case ourselves. We need to make our town safe."
"Why do you think the FBI is really here?" says Pastor Callaghan.
Shaking her head, Jane sits down once more on the couch. "There must be more to this. They wouldn't have come in so quickly for a missing person's case. My only guess is that they think this is part of something bigger. What that is, I have no idea."
"Do you really think we've got a better shot than the FBI at finding Susan?" asks Deputy Morris, nervousness underlying his voice.
"We know this town better than they do,” answers Jane. “It's foolish of them to not accept help. We know Wild Cov
e, we know the people who live here, and we are the ones who have our ears to the ground. If the FBI can't see that, then we will run our own unofficial investigation. I'm not going to lie; there is an element of risk here. The FBI could arrest any of us and charge us with obstructing justice. If any of you want out now, I completely understand."
"I serve higher laws than those made by man," says Pastor Callaghan. "I believe in you, Jane. I think you are here for a reason. And I am willing to help you and serve the good God who put you here to solve this case and any others.”
Jack and Deputy Morris are both in agreement. While they don't openly say they believe in the pastor's spiritual interpretation, they certainly believe that Jane Scott coming to Wild Cove is exactly what the town needs. Especially during such tragic circumstances.
It is now time for Jane to outline her plan. "As I see it, we have four suspects we need to follow. Four people who may or may not be connected to Susan's disappearance.”
“Four?” says Jack, curiously. “Who in town would do something like this?”
"Sadly," Jane says, sighing, “we're going to have to keep an eye on Susan's very own family. Larry and Rose remain suspects."
"You can't be serious?" says the pastor. "Larry and Rose may be many things, but they wouldn't harm a hair on their daughter's head.”
"Usually I'd agree with you," Jane says, reaching over to a small coffee table for a glass of water. "The sad truth is that when someone disappears, the vast majority of times it's a close family member who has carried out the crime. We need to rule them out."
Deputy Morris is scribbling Jane's ideas down on his notepad. "Who are the other suspects?”
Leaning down beneath the coffee table, Jane pulls out a binder. Opening it, the group can see that she has some extensive notes on the case. "Before the FBI pulled the plug, I did a background check on local residents. This man right here," says Jane, pointing to a picture in the binder for everyone to see, "I'm sure you know him. Deputy Morris, you escorted him home the other night from the vigil.”
The deputy picks up the binder in his cumbersome hands and stares at the photo. "Sure… but that can't be right? You think the stories are true?"
"This is Henry Wright, the same man Larry Dern accused,” says Jane with a concerned expression. “He's the only person in town who has a history of kidnapping.”
“Kidnapping?” gasps Pastor Callaghan. “But he comes to church regularly.”
Jane nods. “Sometimes a wolf wears sheep's clothing, Pastor.”
Being comfortable in Jane's home, Jack has poured himself a small bourbon and is now sipping it. “I've fixed cars for Henry Wright. I always thought he was a bit of a strange one. He moved to town four years ago and spends most of his time on his own. No family. No real friends. As far as I'm aware, he makes a living selling handmade furniture in his workshop at the back of his home. I know it doesn't mean he's guilty, but given how odd he is, I'm not surprised he's a suspect."
“And so the town gossipers begin...” whispers Pastor Callaghan.
Finishing his whiskey Jack holds the glass in his hand, moving it around so it will catch the light, keeping his focus on it. “Pastor, I'm no gossip. But sometimes a cigar is a cigar. If he looks like a kidnapper, maybe he is one.”
“Never judge a book by its cover,” offers the pastor. “However, if he does have a history, he undoubtedly should be investigated if we are to discover the poor child's fate.”
“Wright spent four years in prison for kidnapping before he came to Wild Cove,” says Jane assuredly. “I don't have the details of the case, but he's high on my list of suspects for now.” Jane turns to Deputy Morris. “Did you speak with him as I asked?”
“Yes,” says Deputy Morris. “I interviewed him at his home after Mr. Dern had grabbed him at the vigil for Susan.”
“And?” asks Jack.
“I poked around a little, asked him why Larry would think he had something to do with Susan's disappearance. He said he couldn't think of anything, but that bothered me.”
“Why's that?” Jane is waiting and hoping for something to support her suspicions of Henry Wright.
The deputy pulls out a small black police notepad and then shuffles through his notes. “Yeah, there's nothing here about a prior record. I asked him a few times about Larry's accusations, and he just stared at me with a blank face in that strange way he has. I would have thought he would mention his record as a possible reason for Larry accusing him.”
“Good work,” says Jane. “But I really would like to give him a full interview down at the station. Unfortunately, with Agent Ross snooping around I doubt I can do that, which is one of the reasons you are all here, and I'll explain that in a moment. The last suspect on my list is Keith Tillerman.”
The deputy shuffles uncomfortably in his seat. “Susan's boyfriend?”
“Yes,” says Jane, continuing. “He was the last person to see her alive and I want a closer look at his story to rule him out.” Jane removes four images from her binder, one of each suspect, placing them on the table in front of her. “Larry Dern, Rose Dern, Henry Wright, and Keith Tillerman. Our investigation should center on these people until we have any other suspects.”
“Why do I sense we're about to split up and each carry out our own mission?” says Jack, wryly.
Patting Jack on his thigh playfully, Jane jokes, “Maybe when you finish your local history book in 26 years, you'll be able to use this experience to write a detective novel? Please do make the lead a beautiful, smart female detective called Jane.”
This is the beginning of their conspiracy. From this night onward each of them is to watch and follow a suspect, putting them directly in the firing line of Susan's attacker.
Chapter 6
Jane assigns Pastor Callaghan to watch the Derns, as he can more effectively manage their grief if he comes in contact with them. Deputy Morris is to keep an eye on Keith Tillerman, Susan's boyfriend. Finally, Jack is to sit in his car on a stakeout of Henry Wright's home to see if there is any suspicious activity. Her three co-conspirators are to keep in contact with Jane throughout the day via a private chat group on their cellphones using WhatsApp. Jane believes that using police radios is too risky, as the FBI might pick up the transmission.
The original plan is for Jane to oversee the four suspects, assisting when she can between her duties, but on the very first day of the conspiracy things become more complicated than she initially intended.
Her friends all report in by lunchtime. Henry Wright hasn't left his home, Keith Tillerman snuck out, limping down the street to see his friend before being pulled back inside by his mother, and Rose Dern stepped out of her home for five minutes to take a deep breath. By the looks of it things are clearly bad inside but, while the Pastor is certain harsh words were spoken behind closed doors, he couldn't hear them from his vantage point at the end of the street in his car.
So far, Pastor Callaghan, Deputy Morris, and Jack have not been detected. That in itself is a win for Jane, but that soon changed with a panicked phone call from one of her co-conspirators. Another hour passes before Pastor Callaghan becomes the first to report back on anything unusual or pertaining to Susan's disappearance. While he was watching from the comfort of his car, Larry Dern walked out of his home, shouting at his wife, who rushed out behind him. Rose tried pulling Larry back into their home, but Larry wouldn't relent. Pastor Callaghan could not hear what they were shouting at each other about, but it was clearly upsetting them both. Larry was remonstrating and waving his fists in anger. The confrontation looked as though it might become violent, and so Pastor Callaghan had to leave his car, blow his cover, and intervene.
As it turns out Larry, in a drunken haze, now suspected Susan's boyfriend, Keith Tillerman, of being involved.
“He was the last person to see my daughter, Pastor,” Larry slurred. “Who lets their girlfriend walk home in the dark at night like that?”
“Keith had a bad football injury, Larry,” sai
d the pastor. “You know he couldn't have walked Susan home.”
Larry laughed. “Oh yeah? Is that right? Then tell me this, Pastor, why did his coach tell me that his injury ain't that bad? That he's making it out to be worse than it is?”
Pastor Callaghan was dumbfounded by this. He had no answer to that accusation other than saying that he felt they should all step inside and have a talk. When they did so, Rose stated that she believed they'd have enough money to hire a private investigator to find their daughter if it wasn't for Larry's excessive drinking. The pastor, as he always does, showed a sympathetic ear, and suggested that they find Larry help to combat his drinking problem. That was not the first time he has offered this advice and it certainly will not be the last.