Mathias grinned, let go of his mustache, and stormed away from the group. Casper expected to see a dust cloud gather behind his tires as he sped off, but it was just a thunderous roar of an engine that faded into the night. Gil looked at the others. “Would you like a ride back home? Perhaps we could all shower and wash ourselves of this evening’s events.”
After a silent, bumpy walk to the car, Gil drove them to the cottage. He let Casper and Delaney into the house and they were greeted by a joyous Hoagie. He made his rounds and rolled onto his back to receive belly rubs from all, Gil included. Once they settled him down, they plopped themselves onto the couch. While they each showered, Gil made coffee, which tasted like battery acid to Casper, but he needed the caffeine more than anything. Delaney made herself tea to avoid the abhorrent liquid.
“So, Gil. Where’d you go?” Delaney said.
Gil sighed. “When I first left, I thought that if I gave Zoe some space, she would comprehend that I meant no harm. That thought soon washed away. She is stubborn, as you well know. Like a wolverine or a mule. I remembered I had a tent in my trunk and decided that the best course of action was to prove my case by solving the mystery. Thus, I re-entered the wilderness with a new mission and spirit.”
“Which mystery is this?”
“I am not a criminology expert, so I did not see how I could assist with the Wade Buchanon assault. That is better left for experts in the field. Further, I did not see how it was all connected. I remain unable to tie one event to the other. But I know creatures. I believe deep down I expected that these sightings were a hoax. I just did not want to admit it to myself or my book editor and—”
“Yeah, we saw the note from him.”
Gil stood and began pacing around the room. “It is, as Zoe would say, messed up. But it overjoyed part of me to have new experiences to put into the book. It was a natural second season of the podcast. I was off and running with a reinvigorated inspiration that had evaporated long ago.”
“What made you come around then?” Casper asked and set down his mug on the table. No amount of energy was worth drinking the tart excuse for coffee.
“At some point, sitting in the woods, I took off my metaphorical Bigfoot expert hat and put on my metaphorical lab coat. I started from the beginning and looked at the evidence without the bias that I had insisted to Zoe that I did not have.”
“Smart move. What took you so long?” Delaney asked with her arms crossed.
“Hope blinded me. There is a certain mockery that people like me, people that follow urban legends and lore around, get around town. I thought that maybe…” His voice drifted off as he stared into his mug.
“Maybe you’d be proven right?”
“Yeah. It is stupid.”
“Not stupid at all, Gil. Nobody wants to be called the village idiot. So, when you looked at the evidence as a scientist, what was your hypothesis?”
“The likely scenario is that somebody hoped to cause a scene. This was intentional. A byproduct of something else. Not some magical moment where an urban legend came to life. Just a fool trying to play a trick on people.”
“Sure looks that way,” Delaney said. She reached for her phone as it vibrated and excused herself to the other room. Hoagie followed her with a toy ball in his mouth.
“Casper?”
“Yeah, Gil?”
“What do I do now?”
“I think—” Casper stopped when Delaney reentered the room.
“That was Zoe. She’d like Casper and me to come down to the station and watch the interview of our furry friend.” Hoagie let out a bark. Delaney knelt down to him. “A different furry friend, Hoagie.”
Gil nodded. “Glad that she is keeping you two informed. Let me know how I can help. I should bathe and begin writing my apologies.”
Casper went into the bathroom and washed his face. The grime from a long night in the woods had speckled dirt on his cheeks that fell into the sink after a hearty scrub. The earthy smell on his hands gave way, replaced by the hibiscus and lavender soap’s aroma. Within minutes, Casper had washed away the night’s mayhem. It weighed his body down toward the earth with a distinct tiredness that came from a sleepless night. After a change of clothes, he met Delaney back in the living room.
“Ready?”
“Let’s go for it,” Casper added. “You alright?”
Delaney grinned. “I’m the one that is trained for this life. I should ask you that. How are you holding up?”
“It’s all a bit confusing and freaky. But the skeptic in me is happy to see a human face behind it all.”
“Fair enough.” Delaney moved in closer to him. “And thank you for not mentioning Raven Rock like I asked. I promise, we’ll clear the air down the road.”
He nodded and kissed her on the cheek. She slid the car keys into his hand. “I’ll meet you out there in a second. Just want to check on Gil.”
Casper stepped out. The floor creaked as Delaney walked towards Gil’s bedroom, where she found him sitting with his head in his hands.
“Hey, Gil?”
He looked up, red with embarrassment. “Yes, Delaney?”
“Zoe and I are cut from the same cloth. We grew up in different homes, but both took the same path. Both tough on the outside, but big old softies inside. Both took up careers in law enforcement, although she opted to patrol the trails over the streets. Anyway, all that to say, I know her. Be upfront. Be honest. Be yourself and she will forgive you for anything.”
Gil nodded. “Thank you, Delaney. I mean it.”
“One more thing. Why don’t you come with us down to the station?”
“You believe that is a wise move?”
“This puzzle requires all hands on deck. I think Zoe would appreciate it. We’ll wait for you in the driveway.”
Gil smiled, and Delaney left to meet Casper in the car.
Casper let the car run to blast warm air into the tiny space. Delaney hopped in.
“Gil is coming, so hold on a minute.”
Casper nodded. “Okay, but one favor?”
“What’s up?”
“Can you be the one to explain to him why we need to stop and find some drinkable coffee on the way over?”
Chapter Twenty-Seven
“Dylan McQueeney. Twenty-four years old.” Russo nodded towards the window that looked into the interrogation room where McQueeney sat. “Just a kid. Family lives over in Durham off Redding Lane. He’s agreed to talk to us so long as we consider a deal,” she said with a grin.
Zoe glanced at him. “A deal? For what?”
“I don’t know.” Russo laughed. “These people see a lot of TV and they think the police traffic information for ‘get out of jail free’ cards. Either way, he’s agreed to open up.”
“Mind if I sit in?”
“I was going to insist if you didn’t ask yourself.” Russo turned towards the door, then stopped. “Another thing you should know. We pulled a sample of the fur on his costume and sent it over to our forensics team. Luckily, somebody was pulling an all-nighter and agreed to help. At first glance, they’re reporting that the fibers are different. That doesn’t hurt our case against Mr. McQueeney but it leaves the door open for other explanations.”
Zoe nodded. Russo held the door open. “Follow me, Zoe.”
The two women entered the cramped interrogation room and McQueeney looked up from his chair. He smiled at them but wiped it away. Zoe watched the rhythmic tapping of his left leg on the ground. Russo was right, this guy was just a boy trapped in a man’s body.
“Thank you for speaking with us, Dylan,” Russo said.
McQueeney nodded. “I—uh. How can I help?”
“Well, maybe start with a brief explanation of why you were parading around the woods in an oversized gorilla suit that appears custom made for you.”
“You know, I always wondered if I was breaking the law.” He chuckled to himself. “Now, I see it. Clear as day. Look, I don’t want to go to jail. I’ll say anythin
g you want.”
“Well, Dylan, we’ve got a man in the hospital and all signs are pointing to you being the man who put him there.”
McQueeney’s eyes grew wide. “What? No. No. Nothing like that. Hell no. I’ve never hurt anybody. Except for my little brother. Greg. He’s a pest, though. Always borrowing clothes and—”
“Why were you in the suit, Dylan?” Russo prodded.
“It’s… well… it’s a long story.”
“We’ve got all day.”
“I’ll keep it short. I swear to you, this is the truth. I was part of a group on Reddit. You know, the online network? Well, I had joined this RTP-Part-Time Jobs group to find some ways to make some extra cash on the side. I dropped out of Duke last year and needed to find enough dough to get back in. Anyway, I posted about myself and somebody messaged me directly.”
“And?”
“And they asked me two questions. The first was can you keep a secret?. That didn’t throw me off. Maybe it should have. The internet is a super weird place. Reddit especially. I mean, I was hoping it wasn’t somehow a sexual fetish or something but… like, I didn’t want to go and take pictures of girl’s feet or something but—”
“What was the second question, Dylan?”
“Oh. They asked me how tall I was.”
“And you are?”
“Six foot five.”
“And then what happened?”
“They asked my address. I gave it. I was desperate. They said it was a down payment. It was… a lot of cash. Then they told me they’d follow up with a package and instructions. So, I get this package. I open it up and here’s this costume. Like a Sasquatch or something. Anyway, the instructions were simple. They told me to walk through the park before it opens. Like around sunrise.”
“That’s it?”
“They said to stay off the trails and to avoid being seen as often as I could. And that if I got spotted, I should run like the wind.”
Russo glanced at Zoe with a confused look on her face. “When did this all start?”
“Six months ago.”
“And do you have any proof this story is legitimate?” Zoe asked.
“I took screenshots of the entire conversation on my computer and took photos of the instructions and all. I knew something funky was going on here. It just felt wrong. But the money felt right.” He looked at his hands cuffed to the table. “Did I do something illegal? How long will I be in prison, Detective?”
“If your story checks out, you will be free to go in a matter of moments. I just have one last question before I let my colleague, Ranger Watts here, take over the rest of the questioning. She’s in charge of that lovely park you were stomping around in.”
“I’m so sorry, I’m—”
“Where were you around dawn on Saturday morning?”
“Saturday? I slept in.”
“Can anybody verify that for us?”
“No, I mean, I was alone. I’m single right now. Those dating apps, man, they’re brutal. It’s like a needle in an ugly, boring haystack. Plus, I love rollerblading. Why should I hide that? I swear—”
“So, you have no alibi? Nobody who can verify your story?” Russo pressed on.
“I don’t have an alibi because I didn’t do anything wrong.”
Russo nodded. “We’ll have to look into that. Ranger Watts will take over now.” She winked and whispered. “Be gentle, Zoe.”
Zoe cleared her throat and tried to process all the information that had Dylan McQueeney had spewed out. She dismissed her initial questions but settled on a point that had continued to bug her. “Did you intentionally trigger a game camera in the woods on Friday night?”
“Yes.”
“How did you know it was there, Dylan?”
McQueeney let out a deep sigh. “Okay, I left out one thing. Will that add time to my sentence? Can I at least go to a prison nearby so my family can visit? Oh, God, I hope they visit. But that will wreck my mom. She’s so fragile and—”
“Dylan. What did you leave out?”
“I would get emails. With information.”
“Like what?”
“Like when you rangers were off duty. When the campground was empty. Any road closures. And Friday afternoon, I got a message telling me to look for a camera on a tree near the lake.”
“And you found the camera? Why didn’t you avoid it?”
“Avoid it? I did what the email told me to do. Toss a rock and run away from it. I don’t know how those things work. I thought that broke it or something. Wait, is that how you found me? Gosh darn it, I—”
Zoe turned to Russo and whispered. “The only people that knew about that camera were the rangers.”
Russo nodded towards the door, and they left together. In the hallway, they discussed the interrogation of the costumed fool in whispered tones.
“The rangers could have told somebody, though. Family or friends.”
“Maybe, but that’s a weird piece of information to share that quickly. Friday afternoon is right around the time that the cameras were being set up.”
“Who set them up, Zoe?”
“Clem and Ernest. The other rangers in the park. Could be one of them.”
“Look, since Bozo the clown in there isn’t looking guilty for the assault on Wade Buchanon, I’m inclined to send everybody home to get some rest. It’s an ungodly hour already.”
Zoe stared at her feet. Russo punched her lightly in the shoulder.
“Hell of a bust, Ranger Watts. You found your Bigfoot. Now, let’s see if we can trace this back to Wade Buchanon somehow. Call me after you get some sleep. And Zoe?”
“Yeah?”
“Tread lightly with your co-workers. Don’t want to go burning any bridges over an idiot like Dylan McQueeney.”
Zoe grinned and met Casper and Delaney in the observation room. Delaney hugged her. “You alright? That was some heavy frowning you were doing in there, Zo.”
“I spent half of the time trying to think of what the hell was going on and the other half trying to think of how I’d make it up to Gil.”
“No need. He’s the one who owes you big,” Gil said as he emerged from the waiting room. He smiled and kissed Zoe.
“Gil, I—”
“You don’t have to say a word. I have a whole suitcase of sorries waiting for you when we can wrap this thing up. But in the meantime, I’m here and I’ve got your back unequivocally.”
Tears welled up in Zoe’s eyes. She wiped them away and nodded at him. “Anybody got any ideas?”
“This case just got a lot more complicated. But I think I have a grasp on it,” Casper said.
“Spill the beans, champ. I’m all ears,” Zoe added.
“Well, this is a weird question, but… have any of you ever learned a magic trick?”
Delaney kicked him in the shin. “This is no time for jokes, Casper Kelly!”
“No jokes! I’m serious. When I was a kid, my dad took me to this magic shop where each year for my birthday, they would teach me a new trick. I grew out of the whole thing by the time I was a teenager, but some of the basics still stuck with me.”
“And you’re about to pull a deck of cards out of your pocket? Come on, Casper. Time is wasting,” Delaney said.
“In a well-executed card trick, for example, the key is to make the audience look where you want them to. If you’re doing something clever with the cards with your right hand, you want them to look at your left while you do it.”
“A diversion,” Zoe said.
“Exactly. What better diversion than a sudden uptick in Bigfoot sightings that demand the full attention of the entire park staff?”
“But a diversion from what?” Gil asked.
“That’s the key. If you find that answer, you can unlock everything.”
“Okay, so where do we go with that information? We know somebody was possibly trying to avert our attention with this whole charade. And that it worked,” said Zoe.
“And we know they
had an inside man,” Delaney added.
“I’m willing to wager that whoever that inside man is may also be the holder of the key to unraveling this entire mystery.”
“Well, let’s track him down!” Zoe said and waved for the crowd to follow.
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Cigarette smoke crept out of the cracked window next to Andy in his beat-up old Civic. Butts sat in a tray of ashes that were overflowing into the cupholder. He reached for another before the one in his mouth ended. In front of him, uniformed officers rushed in and out of the station. He gripped the flask stashed beneath his thigh and snuck a sip once he was alone. The uniforms were different than that of the man he’d seen the night before. Still, there were similarities. Men and women of the law. Each one strode by without so much as a glance in Andy’s direction, but his heart rate soared each time that he saw their badges reflect in the hazy sunlight of the day.
He unlocked his phone and pulled up his thread with Kyle. Still nothing. His partner-in-crime had been silent since he left the soccer field on Sunday morning. A substitute teacher had to be pulled in at the last minute when nobody heard from him before the morning bell. The school administration cursed Kyle’s name. Andy was just worried. In a twisted way, he felt responsible, even though Kyle had gotten them into this mess in the first place.
An hour earlier, Andy navigated the maze of condominiums in the small lake community in Cary that Kyle called home. Three times. Three times Andy had walked the Cedar Pointe Condominium loop that was bracketed by identical buildings with white siding and dark green shutters. Windows in the same spots. Like somebody hit copy and paste a few too many times.
On the second pass, he caught his first break. Kyle’s car. The hope was short-lived. His car was in a guest spot. One of the few without a number that would have been a helpful hint as to which of the identical units he called home. He may have parked there to avoid detection. To stay anonymous. But at least it means he didn’t drive off.
Three additional calls to Kyle’s phone yielded nothing but his cold voicemail message. Kyle Pittman. Leave a message. The tone sounded harsher each time.
Trouble Afoot (Shepard & Kelly Mysteries Book 2) Page 13