by Robin Mahle
“Did you let the captain know you found her parents?”
“He’s not here. Went to see the coroner about what you said earlier, about the girl being Chloe Dawson.”
“Good. We need him to confirm it’s her before we call up her parents. I’d also like to find out if her friends from school still live here. Can you run a search on a kid named Justin Rehnquist and a girl called Heather Gallagher? They seem to be in most of the pictures with Chloe.”
“Will do.” Ethan paused a moment before continuing. “Why are you having dinner with him, Riley?”
“I already told you, it’s only dinner, okay? He wants to talk about something. Whatever it is, he’ll get off his chest and that’ll be that. I have to give him the opportunity.”
“Maybe he joined some twelve-step program and he’s going around apologizing to everyone he screwed over.”
“He wasn’t a drunk, Ethan.”
“Not that you know of.” He returned to his computer. “Better get back to work.”
The best restaurant in town wasn’t some fancy place that served tiny food on a plate drizzled in colorful sauces. In fact, a place like that didn’t exist in Owensville. They’d only just recently opened a Chili’s. But Riley wasn’t much for that place either. No. Her favorite restaurant was the place she used to visit every Sunday after church, a small diner that by the grace of God had survived both the recession and the tornado and was now a thriving local joint owned by local citizens.
“Thanks for agreeing to come to dinner. I haven’t been here in years.” Jacob sipped on his bottle of beer.
“That’s because you’ve been gone for years. I still come here on Sundays, even bring my mom once in a while.”
“Just like when you were a kid.”
“Yep.” Riley took a drink of her Pepsi.
“Still don’t drink, huh?”
“Not usually.” Sometimes Riley wondered if she blamed her gift or her alcoholic father for her abstinence. “Why are you here, Jacob? Why now?” She took a bite of her top sirloin drenched in mushroom gravy.
“After I was laid off at the firm and broke up with my girlfriend, I wandered aimlessly for several days. Checked the ads for work, but it didn’t feel right. I was missing something. So, with what little money I’d saved up, I decided to come here, to see you.”
“You came here specifically to see me?” She’d realized his story from earlier had been slightly modified.
“I did. I wanted to know how you were doing.”
“As you can see, I’m doing fine,” she continued. “I’m happy with my work. I have my own house.”
“How’s Carl? Is he doing all right? He must be what, like in his eighties now?”
“He’s fine. Mean as hell, but he’s family—to me, anyway.”
“I know he is. He’s always meant a lot to you. Look, Riley, I don’t know how long I’ll be here, or even if I’m staying. I need to figure out some things, you know?”
“No, I don’t. I figured out my life a long time ago. You were always the one who was never happy with what you had.”
“That’s not true. I was happy with you.”
“And yet you still left.” She immediately regretted the remark.
“Well, I can see you’re in no mood for forgiveness. I was stupid to think you’d ever forgive me for leaving. Even if I was trying to make a better life.”
“Jacob, I’m proud of what you’ve accomplished. And it wouldn’t have been possible here, I realize that. We just wanted different things. It was no one’s fault. I’m happy in Owensville. I have a purpose here.”
“I can see that,” Jacob replied.
“But the fact remains, you broke my heart, regardless of your reasons. And I never thought you were ever capable of doing that.” She wiped her lips with a napkin. “Why don’t we just talk about something else? So, how are your parents?”
The drive back to Riley’s house was quiet. She’d said what she’d wanted to say to Jacob and he had nothing to offer in reply. They’d gone their separate ways and that had become painfully obvious at dinner.
“Thanks for the ride.” Riley placed her hand on the door handle when Jacob pulled into her driveway. For a moment, she considered inviting him in, but what would be the point? And it wasn’t until she held his gaze that she again caved in to his will. “You want to come in for a coffee?”
“Sure.” Jacob pulled the key from the ignition and stepped out. “Nice night.”
“It is.” She walked past him to her front door where CJ could be heard barking inside.
“You have a dog?”
“Yeah, his name is CJ.”
“Carl’s son’s name.”
“That’s right.” She stepped inside and found the light switch. “Hey, buddy!” Riley leaned down to greet her dog. “Calm down. I know, I know.” She looked to Jacob. “He’s friendly, he won’t bite. Might jump up on you, but that’s all.”
“Hey, CJ. How’s it going, dude?” Jacob scratched behind CJ’s ears and the dog rolled onto his back.
“CJ! Go on now, you’re embarrassing yourself.” Riley started into the kitchen and put on a pot of coffee. “Cream and one sugar, if I recall.”
“You recall correctly, thanks.” Jacob joined her inside the small kitchen. “Nice place.”
“Been fixing it up here and there. Did all this tile work myself.”
“No shit?”
“No shit.” Riley smiled at her handiwork.
“You’ve managed pretty well without me around,” Jacob surveyed the home.
She handed him the mug and skirted his remark. “Let’s go sit in the living room.” Riley led the way to the sofa and sat down. “I know I’ve been—irritable—tonight. And I’m sorry for that. You came to visit me and I’ve given you grief the entire time.”
“You have every right, Riley, and I honestly expected worse. You’ve been extraordinarily kind to me tonight, all things considered. I would like us to be friends. We grew up together. We’ve been through a lot.”
“That we have.” She sipped on her coffee.
“And when I figure out what the hell I’m going to do with the rest of my life, I’d really appreciate your support. You’ve always been supportive of everything I’ve done.”
“Well, not everything.” A light from a car passing in front of the window caught her attention. Riley set the mug down and raised up, peering over Jacob’s head to see.
“What is it? What’s wrong?” He tossed a glance over his shoulder.
Riley moved closer to the window as the car slowly passed. “Nothing. It’s just…”
“What? Is everything okay? Is that someone you know?”
“No, it isn’t. But I’ve seen that car a few times now on my street. I thought it was you at first. And every time, it slows down in front of my house.”
“Jesus.” Jacob stood and joined Riley at the window. “Who the hell is it?”
“I wish I knew.”
6
September was a traditionally low risk month for tornados in Indiana. Spring and summer offered the greatest threats. So when Ethan Pruitt gazed through his kitchen window at the grey fall sky, the idea of a looming tornado didn’t cross his mind. Instead, his thoughts were on Riley and how her date with Jacob Biggs went. Here they were, trying to track down the person who’d taken the life of Chloe Dawson in a most horrific manner, and while he was ready to get back to work and tackle that enormous task, he was also concerned about Riley. He detested Jacob for what he had done to her. But it was her life and he had to let her live it, even if it meant letting her make a mistake with that man again.
Ethan poured coffee from the carafe into a travel mug, pulled on his uniform jacket, and started out the door. A final check that he’d turned off the coffee pot and he left his one-bedroom condo.
Their department was small and Captain Ward was lax on the policy regarding driving home patrol cars, so Ethan unlocked his police vehicle and stepped into the driver’s seat.
He still needed to run the names of Chloe Dawson’s friends that Riley had discovered. And hopefully, get out to talk to them today, assuming they still lived in Owensville.
The short drive to the station ended and Ethan parked his car next to the captain’s, who’d arrived early, as usual. Sometimes Ethan wondered if Ward slept at all.
“Morning.” He entered the station to find Decker and Abrams heading out. “How’d it go last night?”
“No problems,” Decker replied. “Pretty quiet. Not like what you guys got going on. You sure you don’t need help with that investigation?”
“I guess that’d be Ward’s call. Right now, we’re still waiting for a positive ID on the girl.” Ethan placed his mug on his desk and sat down. “You all get some sleep.”
“Nighty night,” Abrams said as he walked out the door.
“See you, man.” Decker followed him out.
Ethan had hardly a chance to boot up his computer when the captain stepped out of his office.
“Is Riley in yet?”
“No, sir.”
“Okay. Listen, I’m going to need you to do something for me.”
“Sure. What is it?”
“I’ll need the contact info on Chloe’s parents. They’re going to want to get down here asap.”
“We have a positive ID?” Ethan asked.
“Yes. It is, without a doubt, Chloe Dawson, just like Riley said it would be. We need to get down to the business of letting her next of kin know.”
“I’ll get right on it, Captain.” Ethan caught sight of Riley pulling into the parking lot. “Looks like she’s here.”
Captain Ward started toward the door and held it open for her. “Morning.”
“Morning, Captain.” Riley walked inside. “What’d I miss?”
“I have confirmation on the victim’s identity. It’s Chloe. I’ve asked Pruitt to get me her parents’ info.”
Riley continued inside to her desk. “It’s better to know so we can move the investigation forward.”
“Hey, Riley, I haven’t had a chance to run those other names yet. Chloe’s friends?” Ethan said.
“No problem. I’ll run the names.”
“Her friends?” Ward asked.
“Yes. I found what appeared to be a few of her friends when I searched the old yearbooks yesterday.”
“That’s great. I’ll let you get on that then. The more we know about why she was here and who she was with, the better off we’ll be.” Ward started back toward his office. “Pruitt, get me the parents’ number asap.”
“I’m on it, Captain.” Ethan watched as Riley settled in and got to work. “So are you going to tell me how it went last night or do I have to guess?”
“What? Oh, it was fine.”
“Fine? That’s all you have to say after having dinner with your ex?”
“What do you want me to say, Ethan? The dinner was fine. The food was good. We went back to my house and had a coffee. And that was it; he left.”
“I see. Is he staying in town long?”
“I really don’t know. Look, Ethan, I get why you’re asking the questions. And I do appreciate your concern. But right now, we have much bigger fish to fry, so I’d really like to just get to work.”
“Sorry I asked.” Ethan returned to his monitor hurt but trying to hide it.
She eyed him with a hint of regret for her curt tone before returning to work. However, it wasn’t long before she stopped and turned to Ethan again. “I’m sorry. I guess I’m just on edge with Jacob in town. Chloe Dawson. Seems like everything’s piling on at once.”
“It’s okay, Riley. I get it. It’s my fault for prying.” Ethan pulled up the information on Chloe’s parents. “Better get the contact info to Ward.” He started toward the captain’s office and knocked.
“It’s open.” Ward’s voice sounded through the door.
“Hey, Captain. Here’s the number of Chloe Dawson’s folks. Should I make the call?”
Ward inhaled a deep breath. “No. Let me do it. Something like this should come from me.”
Ethan handed him the slip of paper and shut the door, returning to his desk. “I don’t envy him.”
“Neither do I,” Riley said. “Her parents could shine light on why she was here, but until then, I want to keep looking into her friends.”
Jacob pulled into the parking lot of the diner where he’d had dinner with Riley the night before. His cousin hadn’t been much for grocery shopping and had nothing in his house to eat, and he was starving. This place held a lot of memories for him and it felt good to be back home. It felt good to see Riley again.
Inside, the smell of pancakes and bacon brought a smile to his face. He sat down at one of the booths and peered into the parking lot.
“Morning.” A waitress who had seen her better years pass stood in front of him with pad and paper. “What can I get for you?”
“Coffee and I’ll take a short stack with a side of bacon.” He handed her the menu.
“You want cream with that?”
“Yes, please. Thanks.”
As she walked away, Jacob gazed through the window again of the sleepy town in which he was raised. The trees were just starting to change color. The skies had cleared from earlier. Things had made a turn for the better since he’d been away. A few more people walked the streets, entering shops and coming out with bags of goodies. People seemed just that little bit more pleasant. Gainful employment tended to do that to people.
“Here’s your coffee, son.” The waitress placed the mug in front of him and set down the small porcelain pot filled with Half and Half. “Haven’t seen you around here before. You just move into town?”
“Just visiting. I grew up here, actually. Left after high school.”
“And you’re back? Good on you. Don’t think I’d be much for coming back here. Course my roots are too deep now. Anyways, you enjoy.”
Jacob nodded and sipped on the coffee. It was a tasty brew. He continued to gaze outside, wondering where he would go next. Riley had made it pretty clear she was finished with him. Could he blame her? He’d burned that bridge a long time ago and it was a surprise she’d even agreed to dinner. Maybe it was best. Let the past be. How many times had he told her that very thing?
He stood by her as she struggled to come to terms when her parents finally decided to throw in the towel. But watching Riley go through that and try to learn to control her gift was draining on both of them. And in the end, it was he who couldn’t take the strain. He was the weak one, not her. Not by a long shot.
It wasn’t until Melissa died that a switch in Riley finally flipped. Captain Ward—Daniel, as he recalled—ended up marrying Melissa, the woman who paid a price for something Carl’s son had brought on. Riley had seen it in her visions when she was a child. She told Jacob that Melissa and Dan would marry, but never told either one of them. So when Melissa contracted ALS at a much younger than average age, Riley was angry with herself for not seeing what would happen earlier. She couldn’t save Melissa, and after a few years, the young vibrant woman succumbed to the disease. And this left Dan Ward devastated. So much so, Riley could hardly stand to be around him. His pain was so deep. It was like she could see his heart breaking inside of him. That was when she closed herself off to her feelings. And Jacob was the one on whom the door had been slammed.
As he tucked into his pancakes, drenched in syrup, Jacob’s attention was caught by a passing car. In the back of his mind, he recalled a similar car at Riley’s last night. But it was dark, he couldn’t be sure. It was traveling along the main street slowly and its occupants seemed to be on the lookout.
Jacob set his fork down and retrieved his cell phone. He took pictures of the passing car. Maybe with the pictures, Riley could determine if this was the same one. And if it was, who was driving?
The man behind the wheel continued ahead. “I’m telling you, he’s wrong about this. The kid is here and all this sneaking around isn’t helping us get the money.”
He scratched his stubbly beard and pressed on the gas, gaining speed of another mile or two.
“We’re here to send a message, that’s all.” The man in the passenger seat continued to survey the streets of the small town. “This place is a real shithole. I’d never live in a dump like this.”
“So how long’s it going to take to get our message across?” The driver, who went by the name Eddie Costa, turned right toward the highway.
“We’re just waiting for Virgil to make contact. Put the kid on edge and hope that’ll be enough.”
“What if it ain’t enough?” Eddie asked.
“It will be. Eddie, you missed the turnoff.”
“Oh, right. It’s only cause you’re distracting me.”
“Just get back to the hotel so we can report back to Virgil.”
Costa turned the car around and headed back toward the highway. “Whatever you say.”
Riley sat back from her computer and furrowed her brow. “Hey, I picked up something on Justin Rehnquist. You want to come take a look?”
Ethan made his way toward her. “Something useful?”
“I don’t know; you tell me.” She waited while he read the information on the screen. “Well?”
“We should go talk to this guy.”
“Yeah. That’s what I was thinking.” She stood and reached for her jacket. “He’s not far from here. I’ll let Ward know.” Riley walked into the captain’s office. “Hey, Cap. How’d the call go?”
“Her parents will be here tonight. I’m going to meet them at the morgue. In fact, it would be a good idea if you came with me, if you’re available.”
“Of course I am. Definitely. Listen, Pruitt and I were going to head out and talk to a guy who I believe knew Chloe. He lives in town and works at the Auto Zone.”
“And what about him makes him of interest?”
“He recently posted on Instagram a picture of Chloe and him at a club in Terra Haute. It was dated last week. For all we know, he might’ve been one of the last people to see her alive.”