Nate uncrossed his arms and slid his hands into his pockets. “Okay, so if you don’t think Vern Schnyder was capable of abusing her, then there’s no way he’d kill her.”
“Right.” Higgs pointed at him.
“So who did? And why the hell bury her on the property? Unless it was this mysterious boyfriend. But even then, the risk of getting caught… it’s just stupid.”
Higgs shrugged. “I don’t know. Criminals can be idiots.”
Nate made a face, showing Higgs that the excuse wasn’t enough.
“Look, how sure are you that the skeleton is the girl from this report? What if it’s someone else?”
Nate pinched the bridge of his nose. “It just seems to fit, and I want to follow through on this until I come up with a better theory.”
“Have you looked for dental records?”
“Yeah, Jess is tracking down which dentist she went to in town. Hopefully we can get her records, and then Chad can see if it’s a match.”
“So that should give you a positive ID, then.”
“Yeah, but that still doesn’t get me any closer to the killer.”
“Look, if the records match, and the bones belong to Mila, my first bet would be the boyfriend. Vern Schnyder painted a pretty clear picture of the guy the day we visited the house, enough to make me think it wasn’t a figment of his imagination. No one had seen or heard of the guy, but Vern was clear. Maybe he came back to the house after it was abandoned and buried her there, figuring it was a safe place to hide her.”
“I need to find the father and see what he can remember, but we have no idea where he is. His trail goes cold after he left town.” Nate huffed.
Higgs gazed at him for a long beat, then quietly offered a solution. “You know, Glenn Marshall still lives nearby. He and his wife own one of those hobby farms about thirty minutes out of town. He was a friend of Vern’s. He might still know where he is.”
Nate worked his jaw to the side as he pulled out his phone. “You know the address?”
“No, but I’ll look it up for you before I leave.” He stepped out of the room before Nate could even thank him.
Dropping his phone onto the open file, Nate raked a hand through his hair and held back his groan of frustration. This was never going to be a simple open-and-shut case. He felt like he was trying to construct a jigsaw puzzle with pieces from three different boxes. Between rumors, sketchy memories, and imprecise police reports, Nate wasn’t sure who to believe. He knew what made sense, but sometimes the most logical story wasn’t the right one.
16
Wednesday, May 9th
11:00am
As soon as Oscar dropped her home, Sally raced inside and got changed.
She needed to run.
To be out in the fresh air.
To think.
Oscar had kissed her before he left. Just a very chaste brushing of the lips, but still, it unsettled her.
She hadn’t kissed another man since Nate, and she couldn’t get over the fact that it felt too soon. Too rushed.
Her heart still beat for that infuriating detective, and even though breakfast with Oscar had been lovely and entertaining, she was left crying on the inside.
She wanted lovely, entertaining meals with Nate.
She wanted to glance up and catch his blue gaze on her, be warmed by his little wink and the way his lips pulled up into that half smile.
When Nate was there and not hindered by a case, he was everything.
Why couldn’t he want her as much as she wanted him?
Why couldn’t he put her first?
“Come on, Rusty Boy, let’s go.” She clipped on his leash and took him out the door.
The sun had burned the clouds away and the air had a crisp, spring freshness to it. Sally relished the clear blue sky, pulling Rusty along at a fast clip until sweat began to drip down her belly and her lungs burned.
She didn’t care. She kept pushing until she’d made it all the way to Bleaker Street.
Rusty, his long tongue hanging out of his mouth, took a seat beside her as she rested her hands on her knees to catch her breath.
This was her halfway point and for the sake of her dog, she knew she’d need to take it slow on the way back. She’d probably jog/walk home and arrive thoroughly saturated and smelly.
That made her smile.
If Xavier was working at the home office, she’d track him down and hug him. She laughed, but the sound was cut short when she spotted Nate cruising down the road. He was in one of the department vehicles—silver and innocuous. His jaw was set tight, his eyes glaring at the road ahead.
He didn’t see her. Drove right past without a second glance.
Or had he seen her? Was he just keeping his eyes forward to avoid looking at her?
She wasn’t sure.
But it almost didn’t matter.
There was a really strong chance that even if they were still together, he wouldn’t have given her a glance or a wave. He was busy working, and that was all that mattered.
“Come on, Rusty,” Sally rasped. “Let’s go home.”
She tugged on his leash and strolled back toward the place she’d spent her teenage years. Her little bungalow on Kent Street was still unlivable. The second she walked in, she’d smell Nate and be flooded with memories of them together. She just couldn’t bring herself to go there. Besides, it was nice being home again. Having her family around.
Taking her sweet time, because that was all her legs would let her do, Sally wandered home and eventually walked in the door to the sound of laughter from the kitchen.
She went there before heading up to a shower and saw her mom patting Emmett on the back, still laughing. He was due back to the base in the next few days, and they were all going to feel his departure. The house would be just a little quieter, a little less complete.
Sally wasn’t in the mood to find out why they were laughing, so she didn’t ask. Instead, she got some fresh water for Rusty, gave him a little pet, then turned to get a glass of water for herself.
“Good run, sweetie?” Her mom smiled at her.
“Yeah. It’s a nice day. Rusty loved it.”
“He looks ready to keel over.” Emmett stared down at the dog he’d bought Sally for her twenty-first birthday.
“He’s just fine, thank you very much. He’ll have a nap and then be a ball of energy again.”
Emmett winked at her and took her glass, putting it in the dishwasher so she didn’t have to.
Leaning her elbows on the counter, she resisted the urge to ask what everyone was up to that afternoon. She didn’t really feel like hanging out. A hot shower and reading a book in bed would be a good way to spend the rest of the day.
“So…how was breakfast?” Emmett nudged her elbow, wiggling his eyebrows like only an annoying older brother could.
She jerked up with surprise. “How did you—Mom!”
“What?” Her mother laughed, wiping down the counter and trying to look innocent. “He asked me where you were. Was I supposed to lie?”
Sally groaned and tipped her head back.
“Oh, stop,” her mother chided. “I’m excited you went out with Oscar. He’s such a gentleman. Really good quality. Of course I’m going to share that with your brother.”
Sally bit her lips together, hoping they wouldn’t bring up Nate and start some kind of comparison.
Emmett folded his large arms, accentuating his finely honed muscles. “What’s the big deal, sis? It was just breakfast. I think it’s cool. He’s a good guy.”
“Who’s a good guy?” Xavier sauntered into the room, unbuttoning his shirtsleeves and rolling them up.
“You ready for lunch, baby?” their mother asked, turning for the fridge.
“Thanks, Mom.” Xavier, unaware of how pampered he was, leaned his hip against the counter. “Who are we talking about?”
“Oscar.” Emmett started helping his mother with lunch prep.
Xavier stuck out his tongue.
“Ugh. Gag me.”
“You know you sound like a girl when you say that, right?” Emmett shot his brother a pitying look.
Xavier plucked a grape from the fruit bowl and chucked it at him. Emmett opened his mouth and dipped, catching the grape before raising his hands in the air and cheering.
The youngest brother rolled his eyes and turned away from the brother he could never compete with.
“I don’t like him,” Xavier grumbled.
“Who? Emmett or Oscar?” Sally winked.
It brought a little smile to Xavier’s face, but then he spun to face them all. “I don’t know why you all think he’s so freaking wonderful. Plenty of guys could do the job just as well as he could.” Xavier glanced over his shoulder, his expression flashing with concern.
“Don’t worry, Dad’s not home.” Sally popped a grape in her mouth and grinned while she chewed.
Xavier huffed and shook his head. “I get that he’s a nice guy and everything. I know his parents died and he’s got no one else, blah, blah, blah. But contrary to Dad’s popular opinion, the sun doesn’t actually shine out his ass!”
“Yikes.” Emmett winced. “Jealousy looks really bad on you, bro.”
Raising his middle finger, Xavier flipped his brother off until he was scolded by their mother.
Sally snorted as he huffed and walked out of the room.
“You shouldn’t tease him, Emmett.” Yvonne flicked him with the dishtowel. “Your father picking Oscar over him was a hard pill to swallow.”
“Why’d he do it, Mom?” Sally took another grape.
Her mother pulled in a breath and held it for a moment before answering. “Oscar was better suited for the position. He has been nothing but an exemplary employee since he started at the company. He’s got brains, foresight, he doesn’t miss a detail, plus he’s really good at dealing with people. He’s got that British charm working for him.” She smiled, but it quickly dropped away. “Xavier still has some growing up to do. He’ll be ready one day. Assisting on this project is only getting him closer to what he wants. If he can do this well, and prove to your father that he’s a man, ready for more responsibility, it’ll happen for him.”
“A man, huh?” Sally stepped back from the counter with a grin.
“That’s right.” Her mother nodded, rinsing off the lettuce and shaking it dry.
Sally crossed her arms and cringed. “Maybe you need to stop making his lunch for him, then.”
Her mother jerked still and looked down at the food on the counter before narrowing her eyes at Sally.
“I’m just sayin’.” Sally raised her hands and walked out of the room with a giggle.
Her mother couldn’t help herself. If she had her way, all four of them would grow old together in this big house. She had yet to lose a child to marriage or migration. Emmett was the closest with his tours of duty and living on the base, but so far he’d always come home every time he had leave.
Even though Annabelle and Sally had both been in serious relationships, they’d always lived nearby and came back frequently. Her mother loved them coming over. Any time. Any day.
Walking into her room, Sally peeled the sweaty clothes off her body and dumped them into the laundry hamper, wondering how long she’d end up staying here being pampered by her mother and avoiding the reality of life without Nate.
17
Wednesday, May 9th
12:05pm
Nate navigated the long, tree-lined driveway with care. Tall aspen trees stood guard, allowing dappled sunlight to dance across the hood of Nate’s car until he breached the end and pulled into a wide-open space that looked like something out of a Better Homes & Gardens magazine.
The property was well maintained—the lawn neatly mown, the hedges clipped. The wood siding on the house was old but, Nate guessed, recently painted. The smooth, glossy coat seemed to gleam in the sunlight—snow white with royal blue trim.
The Marshalls obviously took great pride in their home.
Stepping out of the vehicle, Nate buttoned his jacket and pulled it straight.
Chickens clucked to each other in the near distance, and he spotted a swing set and slide in a patch of grass by the trampoline.
So they were grandparents.
He could imagine happy family gatherings with little ones running around while parents stood nearby catching up. It was a nice picture, and for a fleeting moment he was taken out by the immense loss he felt.
His mother.
His Sally.
They would never meet. His mom would never be able to hold his children.
Shit, he probably wouldn’t even have children now that Sally was gone. He couldn’t imagine loving anyone else. She’d been it. And he’d lost her.
Splaying his hand on his chest, he forced air into his lungs and pulled himself together before crunching over the white landscape rocks leading up to the front door.
He hadn’t called ahead—didn’t want to be given an excuse not to come.
If they weren’t home, he’d just wait in the car.
Cam was back at the station, and Kellan knew where he was going. He’d take all freaking day if he had to. He wasn’t leaving until he’d spoken to Glenn Marshall about his friend Vern.
He rang the doorbell and stepped back to wait, grateful when the door opened only a minute later.
“Hello.” A woman with a head of gray curls gave him a cautious smile. She obviously wasn’t used to people venturing down the long driveway without calling first.
“Good afternoon, ma’am. I’m Detective Nathan Hartford.” He flipped open his ID. “Aspen Falls Police Department.”
“Oh.” Her pale eyebrows rose. “Are you here to see my Glenn?”
“Yes, ma’am. I was wondering if I could speak with him about an old case he worked back in 2006.”
“Well, that was the year before he retired. Let’s hope he can remember what you want to know.” She winked and opened the door with a kind smile.
Leading him through to the living room, she offered him a cup of coffee. He accepted and sat down to wait for Glenn, skimming the room as he waited. Family photos dominated the walls and were neatly laid across the top of an upright piano against the wall. There was a big box of toys in the corner between the two comfy couches, and all things precious had been moved to higher planes. Their grandchildren were obviously still young.
Nate was just about to stand and inspect the books on the shelf when a bald man wearing tartan slippers shuffled into the room with his hand outstretched. “Detective Hartford.”
Nate stood to greet him. “Nice to meet you, sir.”
“Oh please, call me Glenn.” He waved his hand through the air before falling into his seat with a soft grunt. Stretching out his leg, he lightly tapped his heel on the ground and asked, “So, what brings you out here?”
Nate smoothed down his tie as he took a seat. “I just have a few questions about a visit you made to the Schnyder farm in May of 2006.”
Glenn’s smile disappeared as he shifted uncomfortably in his chair. “Awful business,” he muttered.
“I take it you remember the incident?”
The man pulled in a breath through his nose and slowly nodded. “I do. Vern was really cut up about his daughter leaving them.” He pressed his lips together like he was restraining himself.
Nate gave him a moment to elaborate, but when he didn’t say more, he continued. “I see in the report that Mr. Schnyder claimed he let his daughter go, but his wife was convinced their daughter would never run away. Can you expand on that for me?”
The man cleared his throat and shuffled in his seat. “Vern had mentioned a boy that his Mila had met over spring break. They let her go away with some of her girlfriends because she was a bit older, and more responsible. I can’t recall where they went, but she must’ve met this guy there. I can’t remember his name.”
“Jamie. That’s what it says in your report.”
Glenn clicked his fingers and agreed with
a nod. “He was older. Vern didn’t like him and Mila knew it. She never brought him home to meet the family or anything. Even her friends didn’t know what he looked like. It was very clandestine. She’d always sneak off to see him.”
“But it says in the report that Vern let her go because he didn’t want to lose her. Why was she sneaking off to see this boyfriend?”
“Vern found out about the sneaking and tried to convince Mila to leave it alone. That guy was too old for her, and she needed to concentrate on school. He forbade her to see him and it caused a huge rift between them. She stopped speaking to him and Darlene. The tension in the house was bad.”
“So, while Darlene was away, this Jamie guy showed up and Vern just let her go?”
Scrubbing a hand down his face, Glenn let out a heavy sigh. “It cut him up big-time, but she screamed that she was going either way. She didn’t care what she had to do and he couldn’t stop her. If he tried, she’d hate him forever and he’d never see her again.” Glenn’s expression reflected the deep sympathy he must have felt for his friend, and revealed just how much he cared for his own children. “It was his only child. What choice did the man have?”
Nate scratched the bottom of his chin, trying to figure out how to steer the conversation. “So, you believed him, then?”
Glenn gave him a sharp frown. “Well, of course I did. I’d been friends with Vern for years. I knew him. Watching her drive away was the hardest thing he’d ever had to do. He had tears in his eyes when he was telling me. It cut him deep.”
“But Darlene—” Nate stopped.
Mrs. Marshall had returned, bringing in a tray with two coffees and some homemade baking.
Nate smiled at her. “Thank you so much.”
“Milk or cream, dear?”
“No, I take it black.” He took the mug from her and thanked her once more before she left.
Dark Horse (Aspen Falls Novel) Page 10