As he wrapped the extracted starter motor in old newspaper found on the floor in Kelsey's office, he heard his phone ringing in his back pocket. It was Oliver Vasey at the newspaper.
‘Hey, Cory, Oliver here. You okay? We heard there's been an incident at the junkyard at Summerfields—nothing nasty, I take it?’
‘It's a long story, but we're fine. I'm heading back to the office shortly.’
‘Pleased to hear it. We've had a tip-off from that poster Bianca hung all over town. A good one, too, bearing in mind Xander Griffen's been in custody for twenty-four hours.’
‘What is it?’ Cory asked, immediately intrigued. ‘Anything that moves the story on?’
‘You might say that,’ Oliver replied. ‘It's an anonymous tip-off. The caller said that Xander Griffen's cell will be found thrown away in the bushes just along from his house. And the caller insists that if the police get their hands on that, it'll confirm his whereabouts on the day Poppy disappeared.’
Chapter Eighteen
Cory was grateful for the lift that Louise gave him and Bianca back to his car. The sooner it was fixed, the better.
‘You should get those cuts cleaned up and checked out, Cory,’ Louise called after him as the patrol car drove away.
Cory gave her a wave to acknowledge the advice, but it would have to wait until the car was fixed. He'd wasted enough of the day already and he wanted to chance another visit to Reece Norman, too. There was something on his mind about the land on which the trailer was located. He had to remember that he was picking Zach up at five o'clock, too.
‘What will happen about Xander's phone?’ Bianca asked as she peered into the engine compartment, watching closely as Cory pulled the wires away from the broken starter motor, then released it from its fixing and moved the new one into place.
‘We have to report information like that directly to the police; we can't take the law into our own hands,’ Cory explained. ‘Our intelligence could help to free an innocent man, and we'd be obstructing justice if we dealt with it as a newspaper. Besides, I think that anonymous call came just in the nick of time for everybody—they have to decide what they're going to do with Xander within three days. The pressure usually starts after twenty-four hours. Chief Tarrant looks sillier the longer he holds him without a charge after that, especially if they do have to release him after seventy-two hours.’
‘It seems complicated to me,’ Bianca said.
‘I think you'd be grateful for those seventy-two hours if you'd been wrongly arrested,’ he replied, tightening the final bolt on the newly installed motor. ‘Right, let's see if that's done the job. Fingers crossed.’
Cory reattached the electrical wires and got into the car on the driver's side. For a moment, he had a scary sense of deja-vu. Only two hours previously he'd been trapped in a car just like his own, fearing for his life. And now he was sitting in the driver's seat like nothing had happened. He forced the thought to the back of his mind. The car started the first time, and Bianca let out a victory cheer.
‘Oh, yeah, we're back in business,’ Cory declared. He put the old starter motor, along with the tools that he'd borrowed, back into the trunk of the car, ready to return to Kelsey when he was released from the hospital. While the car was idling, Cory made a couple of calls: firstly to the newspaper office to let them know his whereabouts, and secondly to the police station to ask after Xander Griffen.
‘Released without charge,’ Cory said to Bianca as he ended the call. ‘Xander's been released. He had photographs on his phone that showed he wasn't even in town when Poppy disappeared. The cell towers confirm it. He has a full alibi. I wonder what made the chief so keen to pull him in?’
‘Don’t you think there's a lot of weird stuff going on?’ Bianca asked out of the blue. ‘I don't just mean Poppy. You had your window broken, there was that thing with the crows, and now the junkyard.’
‘I agree, and it's why I'm trying to get to the bottom of this land ownership situation. It doesn't help that Imogen hasn't gotten all those documents for me yet. My journalistic senses are working overtime and I can't help but think there's more to this than meets the eye. So yes, Bianca, we're on the same page with that feeling. But until the police turn up a fingerprint, a decent witness statement, or a suspect, we're all taking shots in the dark.’
‘That cut on your face looks sore—do you think we should drop in to the ER before we see Reece? We can check up on Kelsey, too, while we're there.’
‘Good idea,’ said Cory as he pulled out of the library parking lot.
Within the hour, they were back at Reece's trailer. Cory had had three pieces of glass removed from his legs and a small sliver taken out of his cheek. The wounds had been disinfected and bandaged, and after a couple of routine checks on his heart and blood pressure, and a condition check on Kelsey, they were on their way. Kelsey was fine—one night in the hospital for observation, and he'd be back at work in no time.
‘Let's not tell Nadia about what happened,’ Cory said as he set the emergency brake. ‘I think it's one complication too much at the moment. Hopefully, this cut on my cheek will have calmed down a bit by the next time I see her.’
Bianca agreed not to mention it and they walked over to Reece's trailer. Officer Ambrose was back on shift and answered the door. She knew better by now than to challenge Cory and Bianca; she let them in right away.
Reece seemed to have lost weight since they last saw her, and her face was drawn and pale. Poppy’s disappearance was obviously responsible for her puffy, bloodshot eyes and the way her hands were shaking. Cory could have cried for her. He hoped more than anything that the police would be able to signal some sort of breakthrough soon.
‘You've heard that they released Xander?’ she asked, not even bothering to greet them.
Bianca sat at the table with Megan and Toni, joining them in their coloring. It struck Cory that there had been no gifts of flowers or food for Reece; how lonely it must be for her.
‘At least it wasn’t your neighbor,’ Cory tried to reassure her.
‘I honestly don't care who it is at this stage,’ Reece replied. ‘I just want to know where my little girl is. Not knowing is killing me. Even Officer Ambrose has begun preparing me for the worst. They're not talking about what happens when she comes home. They're asking me to think about who will identify her when a body's found.’
Reece began to sob gently, and Cory wished desperately that there was something he could do.
‘Reece, I know it's a horrible time for you, but I want to ask you something. It might just be something about nothing, but I have to ask. It might help us to find out what's going on with Poppy.’
‘If you think it'll help find my little girl, do what you have to. Anything to get Poppy back—I don't care what it is.’
‘Did you know that you own all of this land around the trailer?’ Cory asked gingerly. ‘And do you know if the old house was insured?’
‘I don't know anything about that,’ Reece answered. ‘My Ma and Pa used to deal with all that, and Spencer Jones used to advise them. I couldn't read the paperwork, it made no sense to me. When Ma and Pa died, Jerry took care of things.’
‘Jerry?’ Cory asked.
‘He's Toni's father,’ she replied, ‘And a complete waste of space, too.’
She spoke those words quietly, making sure that Toni was engrossed in her play.
‘So Jerry was around during the aftermath of the fire? Have the police checked out the girls' fathers? Presumably they're potential suspects. Are there any custody issues?’
Officer Ambrose chimed in.
‘One of the fathers has been questioned in connection with the case.’
She looked at Reece for approval. ‘Do you mind if I tell him?’
Reece shook her head.
‘Megan's father is dead, a drug overdose. Toni's father, Jerry Hunter, lives in the next town. He's estranged from Reece and his daughter. He's been questioned already and has a firm alibi.’
‘What about Poppy's father?’ Cory asked.
‘AWOL,’ Reece answered.
‘How do you mean?’
‘Absent without leave. He's a private in the Army. He’s been missing for two months. I haven't seen him for over seven months. As far as I'm concerned, he's best out of our lives.’
‘Does anybody know where he is?’ Cory persisted.
‘Not a clue,’ Reece laughed. ‘But I'd expect nothing less from Harry. The moment the going gets tough, he always bolts for the hills. He's been in and out of Poppy's life since she was born. He's best out of the way; things get difficult whenever he's around.’
‘I assume the police want to question him?’
Cory addressed his question directly to Officer Ambrose.
‘Of course we do—we've got an interstate search out for him. But if the man doesn't want to be found, he doesn't want to be found. And if the Army can't lay their hands on him, I don't hold out that much hope for the police. Like Reece said, it sounds as though he bolted, probably responsibility isn’t his thing.’
Cory changed the subject.
‘So, Jerry dealt with all the paperwork after the main house burned down. What did he tell you about that?’
‘Just that there was no insurance and that the landowner said I could live on this piece of land until I was told to move on.’
‘But that's not right, Reece; you own all this land,’ Cory continued to push. ‘Or your family does, at least. And that's you now, isn't it?’
‘You know, Reece, I'll be happy to come around and help you with your reading, if you like,’ Bianca offered. ‘After they find Poppy, that is.’
Reece looked over at Bianca with a warmth that suggested it was the first kindness anybody had shown her in a long time. It made Cory feel immediately guilty. He'd been all about the news story, forgetting that there was a real family suffering because of it.
‘I'd like that, Bianca, when they find Poppy. Thank you.’
‘I have to be in Westview at five o'clock to pick up my son from an afterschool activity. Would you have any objections to me paying Jerry Hunter a visit while I'm there?’
Chapter Nineteen
‘Why do they call it Shallow Falls?’ Bianca asked. ‘I've lived here most of my life, but I haven't got a clue.’
‘When I started work at the Tribune, they gave me a written guide about the locality. There are all sorts of interesting bits and pieces in there about the community. I've been telling Mitchell that we should publish it and sell it to the locals and tourists. One thing I remember about it, though, is where the name Shallow Falls came from. It started as a warning in the late nineteenth century when people first started to settle here.’
Cory looked over as the water cascading down from the rocks, its white froth skipping like pure white lambs, a beautiful array of rainbow colors breaking through as the sun kissed the water.
‘You see how the water crashes down and you'd expect it to be really deep? Follow my finger towards that ledge over there, just below where the parking lot ends, by that wooden post. People used to try and jump off that ledge into the water. But they'd break their arms, legs, or necks because it's really shallow—in spite of how it appears. So, it started as a warning sign and became the name of the town. If you look really carefully, you'll see a couple of hazard signs attached to the rocks just behind the ledge there.’
Bianca squinted. The sun's rays catching the water made it difficult for them to look directly towards the falls, but she nodded; Cory took it that she'd managed to get a proper glimpse.
‘It was a good idea of yours, coming out here for a late lunch,’ Cory said after swallowing a bite of his sandwich. ‘It's been quite a day so far. It's not every day someone tries to crush you in a junkyard.’
‘Did the police have any ideas about what's going on? I mean, that's not normal, is it? A brick through a window, somebody trying to kill you… and Poppy missing, too. I'm no detective, but there's something going on.’
‘I think you just hit the nail on the head, Bianca.’
Cory looked at her, admiring the insight that she was displaying at such a young age. She seemed to have that knack of making connections, a good sign for someone interested in becoming a reporter.
‘How interested are you in a newspaper career?’ he asked. Most of their interns at the newspaper were just passing through, more interested in getting on TV or becoming a news anchor. They didn't want to do the ground work that was necessary to become a great journalist. Bianca was different—she seemed to get it.
‘I'm very interested. I'd like to major in journalism in college. This problem I had with school might cause a bit of an issue for me, though…’
Cory decided to chance his luck and push for a bit more information.
‘So, what happened there? Spencer Jones was pretty rude to you in the diner. I know you well enough by now to realize that you wouldn't do anything terrible. Were you set up by somebody?’
‘What do you think?’ Bianca replied abruptly.
This was clearly still a very sensitive issue for her, but Cory wanted to know. The altercation on the street the previous night was still bothering him. It had looked threatening and aggressive.
They both took a bite of their sandwiches, allowing the sound of cascading water to distract them from the uncomfortable silence. Bianca looked out onto the river as it flowed calmly into the woodland.
‘I wish I could be like that water,’ she began, ‘so calm and still after all that crashing and drama. It's not quite so easy in real life, though.’
Above them, out on the road just beyond the parking lot for the falls, Cory heard the screech of brakes as yet another car took Devil's Corner too fast and had to make a sudden speed adjustment.
He sighed. ‘You know, the newspaper should start a campaign to get that stretch of road made safer somehow. The number of near misses there must be practically every day…’
‘It was Chief Tarrant's son.’
It came out of the blue, like Bianca wasn't even listening to him.
‘What was?’
‘Dean Tarrant and his friends—that's who caused the problem at school.’
‘How?’ Cory asked, intrigued.
‘It was horrible. I get why you said Reece doesn't want to speak to Chief Tarrant. If he's anything like his son, he's a nasty piece of work.’
‘I didn't even know Tarrant had a son. I mean, I guess I do, but I wouldn't be able to pick him out of a crowd if you asked me to.’
Cory thought about it. Dean Tarrant was just another face in a stream of teenagers to him. He simply hadn't registered him.
‘Come to think of it, he's not the kid who won the football scholarship, is he? He was called Dean something—was that Dean Tarrant?’
Bianca snorted.
‘Yes, that's the one,’ she said. ‘He's an entitled little shit. Excuse my language, but he is. Securing Dean's scholarship was more important to the school than getting to the truth. They threw me under the bus because it was less damaging for everybody. Everybody except me, of course.’
‘What did he do?’ Cory asked. He felt a rising surge of indignation flowing through his veins. It wouldn't be the first time a sports jock had gotten away with something in order to ensure his career continued on its stellar trajectory.
‘Let's just say he tried to force himself on me at a house party. And his friends were cheering him on. I managed to get out of the room and run home. My parents came with me to report it to the police. There was even video evidence, I saw someone filming it in the bedroom.’
‘Did he hurt you, Bianca?’
A single tear ran down her cheek.
‘No, I pushed him off. But it was frightening and humiliating. He would have hurt me if I hadn't escaped. They were like a pack of wolves. They were my classmates, Cory. They shouldn't ever behave like that, should they?’
‘No, there is never any excuse for acting like that, Bianca.’
‘We reported it to the police and the whole thing was covered up. There was no sign of the video—it mysteriously disappeared, even though the police were supposed to have investigated. With no reliable witnesses on my side, the dialogue soon began to change. It was suggested to my parents that I'd led him on and taken it too far—that maybe it was a false claim. Dean's friends backed up his version of the story, saying I encouraged him. I hadn't, Cory.’
‘I know,’ Cory reassured her. ‘I believe you.’
They sat in silence for a few moments. Cory needed some time to think.
Bianca broke the silence.
‘How do you make a complaint about the chief's son?’
He didn’t answer, sensing she wanted to talk.
‘I never stood a chance. It turned out that Dad had let his insurance expire on his car soon after—it was a genuine omission—but somehow, Chief Tarrant was able to work it out before Dad realized. He got a caution from the police, and they let him off. They basically warned him that if news of him not being insured got to the newspaper, it could ruin his business and his reputation. At the same time, the school came up with a settlement package. I was asked to withdraw all claims about Dean Tarrant and take a hit with the yearbook and prom. They said I was making false claims which could have ruined his promising career. I was made out to be the villain. In return, they'd let me leave school quietly, with a reference intact, so long as I stopped making a fuss. They wanted to paint me out of the picture for the trouble I was supposed to have caused. I don't know if Dean even got a rap on the knuckles.’
Cory was thankful for the background noise of the water and birdsong filling the silence, as Bianca’s story simmered between them.
‘Dean’s still threatening you, isn't he?’ Cory said.
‘Yes,’ came Bianca's answer. It was a single word, tinged with pain and sadness.
‘Do you think you're in any danger?’
‘He keeps taunting me whenever he sees me. I try to ignore him, but sometimes I get angry and frustrated. That's what you saw the other night. I was telling him to leave me alone. He keeps goading me with it. I had a great time in the bedroom that night, Bianca, how about a rerun sometime? I don't know how to make him stop.’
Now You See Her Page 10