Prove It!

by Susanne Matthews

  “No. It was on the far side of Mr. Snow’s property. The police wanted to talk to him, but he isn’t home. They checked around the place but didn’t go inside. They would need a warrant and probable cause for that.”

  “So what did they manage to learn about the truck?” he had to get his thoughts away from the blood on the backpack.

  “The rear plate was pretty much intact. It’s a New Jersey one, so the truck definitely doesn’t belong to anyone from around here. Mina’s Uncle Jim is trying to trace them now, but he isn’t hopeful. He believes the truck and its tags were stolen. For what it’s worth, they’ll question the coach as soon as they can.”

  “Let’s hope Erik isn’t dead and buried by then,” he snapped bitterly. Why would someone from New Jersey try to kill him?

  “Mari says he isn’t,” she answered, her voice hesitant. “He’s got a tremendous headache though. She’s medicating at her end, but it isn’t helping. Look, I’ve got to go. It’s starting to snow again, and the police are pulling all the search teams back now that this is officially a crime scene. They don’t want anything compromised.”

  “I can understand that. Fifty people walking through the area could destroy evidence.”

  “The snow’s doing that already. Any tracks are long gone. You said Erik thought he had proof. Do you know what he might’ve been looking for? I know he wanted the coach’s boots, but can you think of anything else? We need to figure out what it is so we can figure out who has him.”

  “You mean so the police can figure it out. Hannah, I don’t want you looking into this on your own or with any of the others. It’s too dangerous. I’ll do my best to try and remember as much as I can about our discussions, but I want your promise you’ll stay out of it.”

  The silence at the end of the line was unnerving. Finally he heard her sigh.

  “I can’t make that promise, Liam. Erik’s missing because of me and Mina. I can promise not to go off on my own, but I have to do whatever I can to help.”

  “It’s not the answer I wanted, but it’ll do. I just wish I could be there helping, too.”

  “You are, in your own way. See you tomorrow. Will you be at church?”

  “Probably,” she answered. “I’ll see you there.”

  “Tomorrow.” He ended the call and propelled his chair to the window, staring out at the snow. In this weather, injured as he was, Erik faced another danger—hypothermia.

  “Erik, wherever you are, I hope you’re okay.”

  * * * *

  Liam fidgeted, unable to sit still in his wheelchair, watching the driveway, waiting for Mina and Hannah to arrive. He ached to be able to get outside and move, even if it was only to roll around helplessly in the dirt, like a fish beached on the sand. Right now, he felt more useless and depressed than at any time since he’d awakened from the coma. There was no light at the end of this tunnel, just a blackness that screamed it was all his fault. Didn’t they say something about pride leading to ruin?

  Guilt ate at him. After going over all the notes he’d made about the accident, he felt more responsible for Erik’s situation than ever. Why hadn’t he insisted Erik leave the matter alone and let the police investigate and do their jobs? Of course, if he’d listened to his mother that day, or taken the notes seriously the way Erik had wanted him to, neither one of them would be in the mess they were in. Hindsight was always so damn clear.

  He’d been so proud of his ability to run, so sure he could overcome any obstacle, ignoring the numerous threats he’d received, and look where it had gotten him. A little while ago, despite the fact he could push up over two hundred pounds with his legs, he hadn’t been able to stand on his own for ten seconds let alone yesterday’s thirty. What was with that? How had he become a prisoner in this chair, shackled by his own body for who knew how long, and his best friend was injured and missing—maybe even dying. And for what? So he, Liam Howard, could win a scholarship. Considering the way things had turned out, it was a petty, selfish, and stupid thing to have done.

  Given the tension in town, he wouldn’t be surprised if Mr. and Mrs. Connors decided to keep the girls home and well away from him. He was a jinx. He’d spoken to Hannah earlier this morning at church, somewhat shocked by the strained atmosphere in the place, but he should’ve expected it. There had been a few “welcome backs” and a couple of “nice to see you getting betters,” but his return from death’s door had been overshadowed by Erik’s disappearance and the discovery of the truck and its Jersey plates. Once people realized Erik was missing because of him and his accident, he would become a social outcast for sure. News of the bloody backpack had raced through the community at breakneck speed, especially now that it had been confirmed it was Erik’s bag and blood.

  Reverend Wilson had tried to be encouraging, attempted to remind everyone that God was ultimately in charge, but his message had fallen on deaf ears with most of the congregation trapped inside their own minds, paralyzed by fear. Few people had stayed for coffee after the service, wanting to get back home to the relative safety of their houses and alarm systems. There weren’t a lot of people in town with New Jersey connections, but those who had them kept to themselves.

  As he’d expected, Mr. and Mrs. Jenkins hadn’t been there, but the minister had asked everyone to keep them in their prayers. While Liam was certain that statement was intended to bring comfort, he was damn sure it hadn’t. His own parents were as nervous as cats in a dog enclosure.

  Search dogs brought in late yesterday had lost the scent at the edge of a road, not too surprising given the snow fall. The police were working on the assumption that Erik had gotten into, or been placed in a vehicle, and had broadened the search. Fortunately, the only thing the cadaver dog had found were the remains of a dear. A hunter must’ve wounded it but lost the animal tracking it through the woods. That was good news, he supposed, but it didn’t lift his spirits.

  Hannah had mentioned that she’d spoken to Mari who’d assured her Erik was still alive. According to his sister, his head hurt, and he was cold, hungry, and thirsty. While she didn’t know where he was, and he didn’t seem to either, Mari insisted he was nearby. Of course, since the twins had never been very far apart, neither he nor Hannah had any way of knowing how close the two had to be for their psychic mumbo-jumbo to work. Erik could be miles away for all they knew, and the farther away he was, the harder it would be to find him.

  The sound of a car engine grew louder, pulling him out of his funk. He looked up to see a newer white sedan come up the driveway. Recognizing Mina’s car, he heaved a sigh of relief, and his spirits rose. Seeing Hannah would banish some of the self-pity he was wallowing in—at least, he hoped it would. In his present mood, he wouldn’t be the best of company for anyone, let alone the girl he’d hoped would be his.

  It would’ve been nice to have Hannah coming to visit him just so they could sit side by side, watch a movie, and chat together. He might even have kissed her, but in reality her request to visit this afternoon had to have more to it than that. Shaking himself to dismiss his gloomy thought, he propelled his chair to the door as soon as the doorbell sounded.

  “I’ve got it, Mom,” he shouted toward the kitchen. She would be snooping around soon enough.

  “Right on time,” he said, opening the door.

  “We almost didn’t get to come,” Hannah said, looking around anxiously.

  “I have to let Mom know we’re here, and she insists I call from the landline.” Mina rolled her eyes. “Every adult in town is acting paranoid, as if they’re expecting an Attack of the Body Snatchers or the Zombie Apocalypse. I’m worried about Erik, too, but ... Do you mind?” She indicated the telephone hanging on the wall.

  “Help yourself. I’m just glad she let you come.” He smiled at Hannah.

  “It was touch and go, especially after Mina’s Uncle Jim called and said the AMBER alert has been extended to include all the surrounding states and Canada. The state police have brought in tracking dogs as well as a ca
daver dog.” She shivered. “I hope they won’t need that. Aunt Trudy wants us home by four, well before dark, and we have to phone again when we’re leaving. Every adult in Cedar Grove has gone into full Mama Bear mode. It’s amazing she agreed to let us leave the farm. I was almost positive she wouldn’t.”

  They watched as Mina checked in.

  “A missing child, regardless of age, is a serious matter,” his mother said coming into the room. “Erik’s a good boy, and he wouldn’t disappear like this on his own. The longer he’s missing, the worse it is for everyone involved.”

  She smiled, no doubt trying to take the sting out of her words, but Liam could see her heart wasn’t in it.

  “I’m glad your aunt let you visit, Hannah,” she continued. “You too, Mina. Make yourselves at home. I’ll get you something to eat and drink as soon as I get back from the barn. Luke needs me for something. I shouldn’t be long. Liam, if you need anything, just buzz.”

  “We’ll be fine,” he answered, wishing he could be the one going out to help his dad like he used to. Since the accident, Mom had taken on most of the chores that were his. They needed to hire someone to help, but because of the medical expenses, Dad didn’t think he could manage it until spring. He’d gotten the last of the corn and hay in with Dooley’s help, but he couldn’t ask the man to give him more hours than he did now. Working as a custodian at Ivy Hills paid far better than he could, and expecting the man to give up a lucrative job for a poor paying one was just dumb.

  Liam watched his mother go back into the kitchen and heard the back door close. He hoped she wouldn’t read too much into this visit. He would like to think it meant he and Hannah were a real couple, but until he could walk, he couldn’t even ask her to be his girl. Turning back to the girls, he smiled.

  “Put your coats on the hooks by the door, then you can come see my inner sanctum,” he said, wiggling his eye brows and using a European accent similar to one you might hear in a bad vampire movie.

  Mina chuckled. “That sounds spooky, like there’s a torture chamber there or a mad scientist’s lab.”

  “There’s definitely a torture chamber,” he answered and laughed. “At least it feels like that at times when Larry pushes me like he did this afternoon. Sadly, there’s no strange laboratory or Frankenstein monsters. Mom and Dad redid half of the house’s main floor for me. I have a bedroom, study/den, a refitted bathroom, and a gym, every bit as well equipped as the rehab room at the hospital. Follow me.”

  Liam led them down the hallway to the back of the house and his suite. Earlier after church, before Larry had arrived for today’s disappointing torture session, he’d gathered all of the so-called evidence he could think of. There really wasn’t a lot—most of it half-baked theories based on incomplete research and faulty memories. Depending on what Erik had told the girls, he might have something new to share with them or it could be more of the same old thing. Either way, Erik was missing, and like Hannah, Liam was convinced it was because of his investigation into the accident.

  As soon as they were all inside his den, Liam indicated the sofa and the rocker.

  “Sit, please, and once you do, I want to know everything Erik told you Friday night, right up to the minute he walked away from you. Don’t leave anything out.”

  * * * *

  Hannah sat in the recliner-rocker as close to Liam’s wheelchair as she could get, while Mina opted to sit on the sofa by the door, listening for Mrs. Howard’s return. On the way over, she and Mina had argued about the wisdom of keeping quiet about anything that could help the police find Erik. One way or another their Friday night adventure was about to get them into deep trouble. With the bloody backpack in police hands, it seemed critical they divulge the fact they not only saw Erik on Flower Lake Road, but drove him there and dropped him off at the bottom of Coach Snow’s driveway. The police had to know he’d last been seen going down that driveway, with the specific intention of talking to the coach.

  Yesterday, they hadn’t focused their search there, but on the woods surrounding it, and on the vacant properties and empty houses, assuming Erik had either inadvertently gotten lost or walked in on a burglar. She tried to steer the search around the Snow property and had felt vindicated when someone had found the backpack. Looking at the bloody thing had all but destroyed Mari and her mother, but once the truck had turned up, the police had split their resources between it and the remaining vacant cottages. Telling the truth would mean admitting Mina had broken the law, and it the chief didn’t take her license away, her parents probably would, but it was the correct thing to do.

  As quickly as she could, Hannah explained what Erik had told them, glossing over his conviction that the driver had meant for Liam to die, and trying to keep her skepticism out of the rest of what Erik had said. She hated to admit it, but he had to be right; otherwise, why was he missing?

  “… And that’s the last time we saw him,” she said, keeping her voice low. “We waited for more than an hour and then concocted this lame excuse to go up to the house, but he wasn’t there. The problem is, while we didn’t actually see him go into the coach’s house, we didn’t see him not go in either, but where else could he have gone? We called his cellphone several times, but he didn’t pick up. I actually phoned him from inside the house, but I didn’t hear any suspicious rings. Now, calls go straight to his voicemail with the message that his mailbox is full.”

  Liam sighed and looked down at his hands. “I’m really sorry, Hannah. I know you admired your coach, but everything Erik told you about the notes and things leading up to my accident are as true as I can remember. As far as the steroids and kids from Ivy Hills gambling and owing money to someone at Central, it’s just a theory—one you and I discussed in the hospital—and if Erik thinks he’s found proof, then he knows more about that than I do. I don’t know who the bagman is, but if enough people were betting on me to win, even with reduced odds, like two to one, he might not have been able to make the pay-offs. Getting me out of the race would make sure that didn’t happen, but then Malcolm would be the obvious winner.”

  “Except that isn’t a given anymore. Malcolm may have won the last race, but he did it just a few tenths of a second better than some guy from Holy Trinity near Bangor. Coach Snow wasn’t happy.”

  Liam frowned and looked at her as if she’d lost her mind. “That makes no sense. Malcolm’s never been so far behind me that the Trinity guy should even have come close to winning. I need to think about this. Either Malcolm is getting complacent or he’s trying to fix the odds, and if that’s the case and he screws up...”

  Mina moved closer to the edge of her seat.

  “Malcolm’s a lot of things, I’ll admit, and if anyone on the track team is juicing, I would definitely put my money on him, but fixing a race, as in losing it on purpose? That I find hard to believe. He’s way too cocky for that, especially now that he’s tasted victory.”

  “He may not plan to lose it, just underperform to bring up the odds, but that’s dangerous. If he got caught, even if he won the race, he would lose everything.”

  “Well, it won’t matter,” Hannah said, determined not to accept that scenario. “Come the spring, you’ll be running again, and Malcolm will be eating your dust.” Her tone allowed no argument, and while Liam looked as if he wanted to dispute the point, he didn’t. “Now, let’s get back to Erik. He was convinced Mr. Snow had hit you with his truck, repaired it, and sold it.”

  “But that’s irrelevant since they torched it instead,” Mina added.

  Hannah nodded. Why did this whole mess feel like a dance with one step forward and two steps back?

  Mrs. Howard entered the room, carrying a tray of cookies, a pitcher of milk, and three glasses. Her arrival ended the conversation. She frowned at the sudden silence.

  “Sorry to interrupt. I brought you something to eat and drink. If you need anything else, I’m just in the kitchen.”

  “Thanks, Mom,” Liam said, smiling at her as if nothing were amis
s.

  She nodded and left.

  Hannah reached for the pitcher, poured the milk into glasses, and handed one to Liam and another to Mina. Picking up the plate of cookies, she offered them to the other two. The warm chocolate chip cookies were delicious as was the cold milk, but it was hard to enjoy them under the circumstances. Erik was still missing, and they had no clue as to his whereabouts. Where did they go from here?

  Chapter Twelve

  Liam finished his cookies and milk and reached over to place the glass on the tray. If he wasn’t stuck in the damn chair, he could be out there looking for his friend instead of sitting here discussing the case as if it were a philosophical argument.

  “You know, if you’re right, and Erik did go up to the house where something happened to him, the one pulling your leg was Coach Snow.”

  He sat up straighter and rubbed the back of his neck. The collar had come off last week, and every now and then, he felt a twinge of pain. The doctor said that was normal since the muscles had been weakened, but he saw it as further proof of his helplessness.

  “Think about it,” he continued, running his hand through his longer hair and messing it up. “The man lives more than twenty miles from town. If Erik did go in and confront him, the coach had to realize he wouldn’t be out there alone. Sooner or later, someone would come looking for him. Easy enough to strip, wet his hair, put on a robe, and say he’d just gotten out of the shower. Did Erik tell you what this proof of his was?”

  “Not exactly,” Hannah answered. “His main intention was to confront the coach with his allegations, use some weird ability he claimed to have to prove the coach was lying, and find the man’s cowboy boots. He planned to use Luminol to test them for blood. We thought you’d know what else he was looking for.”

  Liam shook his head, wishing he’d asked Erik exactly what proof he had.

  “I knew he thought he was onto something, but he didn’t tell me what it was. Let’s try looking at this from another angle. Why are you so convinced the coach was telling the truth?”