“Yeah. Bet the SOB plans to sneak across the border,” Chad said. “You know, they say it’s full of holes. If tens of thousands can come this way, what’s to stop one old fart from goin’ the other, huh? That way there’d be no record of him crossin’ into Mexico either.”
He reached around Jessie and patted Nate on the shoulder. Her brother gave their uncle a grateful smile.
Sean didn’t look convinced. He speared each of them in turn with his intimidating glare.
Jessie huffed. They’d kept their end of the deal. Too bad if he didn’t believe them. She could barely believe it herself. And if he didn’t like what had happened, too fucking bad. It couldn’t be undone.
She raised her chin. “We need to call Luke so they can get…whoever…to start looking for Hal and his truck. But remember, no one breathes a word about the letters from Mom, the bomb shelter, or the pictures. And while we wait for Luke to arrive, it’ll be your turn to tell us what you know.”
* * *
Sean listened to Jessie make the call to Luke. The deputy was on duty, so he’d be coming in his official capacity. But now she, Chad, and Nate sat on the couch, glaring at him, waiting for him to keep his part of the deal. He wasn’t sure how they were going to take it.
“Remember when you sent me out to Hal’s workshop to get the duct tape?” he began.
Jess nodded.
“In the drawer with the tape I found a baggie containing an external hard drive.”
“That can’t be. Hal has them in the master bedroom.”
“This isn’t one of those. My friend, the one who’s a private investigator, and I were able to open the files.” He left out the part about a CIA spook named Salami helping them with the password. “Hal was hiding the hard drive because it contains hundreds, maybe thousands, of child pornography pictures.”
Jess gasped. “Oh God. All those innocent children.”
Chad and Nate swore.
“How did Mom ever fall in love with such an awful man? How could I have loved him, too?” Jess asked. “D-did you see…?” She wasn’t able to finish the question.
“Yeah. He had the files organized by gender, age, and first name.”
“Damn him. He was lying when he told Mom he’d only done it that once.”
“Yeah. From the dates on the files, it looked like it’d been an ongoing…activity. He’d obviously taken the time to digitize photos he’d originally taken with thirty-five millimeter film.”
Her eyes widened. “That bastard. He hadn’t stopped even after Mom caught him?”
Sean shook his head. “No, except maybe with you. There were plenty in the past twenty years. But you gotta understand, we didn’t look long. It was too disgusting. Callie’s were the most recent I noticed.”
“Shit. You mean he’d taken pictures of her before today and Friday?” Nate asked.
“Afraid so.”
“Oh my God. Hal was hurting kids all this time. I know Mom would’ve reported him if she’d even suspected. But how could she not find out? Maybe…maybe he never took the pictures here again…until now,” Jess said.
Another stunned silence enveloped them. Everyone looked pretty shaken up. And rightfully so.
Should he tell them that he and Jake had figured out Hal’s true identity? How would they react to learning that the man who’d been their brother-in-law and stepdad was also a convicted felon? Previously convicted of the same crime he’d committed against their family. He understood Jess’s adamant opposition to letting the child pornography become public knowledge. Uncomfortable, unanswerable questions would invariably be raised. But damn it, they needed to know how evil this man was.
“One more thing,” he said, drawing their attention back to him. “Hal’s previous name was Ronald Usborne. He was in prison for child pornography until he escaped about a year before he married Molly. He went to ground, changed his name, and successfully hid from the feds ever since. But they’d damn well love to get their hands on him. If they figure out the missing Hal Freeman is their guy, the shit will hit the fan.”
The three people on the couch looked shell-shocked.
Jess buried her face in her hands and sobbed. After a few minutes, she raised her head. “I can’t stand the idea of that pervert hurting more kids. If we have to, we can tell the feds who Hal really is, and he’ll go back to jail for his previous conviction and for escaping, right?”
“Yeah,” Sean said.
“So they don’t need to know about me and Callie to keep him from preying on more innocent children.”
Although he understood her reasons for wanting to hide the child pornography, he wasn’t sure how they were going to pull it off. Especially without breaking the law. Especially without him breaking the law. One wrong step, and he could kiss his career good-bye.
There were so many factors: the lawyer, the letters, the bomb shelter, the hard drive, the FBI. So many possible connections that would reveal the truth. Shit.
“Did you tell the attorney what Molly’s letters said?” he asked.
Chad looked up. “No. We didn’t even see him after we opened them. Why?”
“So Swanson can’t raise the pornography issue.”
“He said Mom never told him what had happened with Hal or what was in the envelopes, and we sure as hell didn’t,” Nate said.
“But if the cops interrogate Mr. Swanson, he’ll mention the letters. Where are they?”
Nate squared his shoulders. “We burned them. It was my idea. We’ll claim…uh…Mom said Hal had an affair, but she forgave him. We were so angry that we decided to burn the letters. You know, kill the messenger.”
Damn. Sean hadn’t seen that coming. He’d have to figure out the ramifications later. “You two, go make sure the darkroom is put back together,” he ordered, pointing outside. “That means putting the rug and worktable back in place to cover the bomb shelter entrance. When you’re done, lock the door. Of course, if it’s searched, they’ll be able to tell stuff’s been moved because of the dust being disturbed. But nothing we can do about that now.”
Chad and Nate darted toward the kitchen.
“What about…?” Nate gulped.
Chad gave him a stern look.
“What about Hal’s…camera and stuff?” he finished.
“No time. Leave it. Hopefully we’ll have a chance to deal with it later,” Sean said.
“Grab Callie’s clothes. She might realize they’re missing and start asking about them. In front of the wrong people,” Jess said.
Nodding their understanding, the men raced out through the kitchen.
The despair on Jess’s face made Sean want to take her in his arms and make all the hurt go away. But he couldn’t. All he could do was try to protect her from more pain. “Spray some air freshener,” he called over his shoulder as he ran toward the kitchen.
“Where’re you going?”
“To get the hard drive.”
When he reached the workshop, he could hear Chad and Nate arguing in the darkroom next door.
“No,” Chad said. “We stick to the plan.”
“But…but…what if…?” Nate said.
“Hurry. Luke will be here any minute,” Sean hollered before darting into the workshop, thanking his lucky stars that no one had locked the door since his confrontation with Hal yesterday. After retrieving the hard drive, he yanked the workshop door shut and glanced down the road. Sure enough, headlights were speeding in their direction. “Shit.”
He raced across the space to the darkroom door. Nate and Chad were just setting a large worktable on top of an old area rug. “Luke’s coming,” he said, flipping off the overhead light and closing the door.
The musty room turned pitch dark. Since there were no windows, Sean couldn’t watch Luke’s approach. Crouching beside the door, he heard the patrol car pull into the driveway and stop. A car door slammed, and gravel crunched under shoes heading toward the house.
Behind him, either Chad or Nate knocked something onto
the concrete floor with a crash that probably seemed louder than it actually was.
But the footsteps outside stopped. Sean held his breath. The heartbeat in his ears counted the seconds.
“Hey! Someone out here? Show yourself,” Luke called.
The footsteps started again, heading away from the house and toward them.
Chapter 19
After checking on Callie, spraying air freshener, and lighting a fragranced candle, Jessie stood at the living window watching for Deputy Luke Johnson. Her stomach cramped with knots, and exhaustion threatened to swallow her whole. Honestly, she didn’t know where she’d find the energy to continue to spin their tale. But she had to. For so many reasons.
Thank goodness Sean had agreed to go along with her plan not to disclose the child pornography. Was he endangering his career for her? Hopefully not, but if so, it couldn’t be helped. He’d be gone soon, back to congested LA, but she, Callie, Nate, and Chad would continue to reside in Ramona. No way could they live in this small town with a black cloud like that hanging over them. God, she hated Hal for what he had done and for what he was doing to her family.
Approaching headlights caught her eye. No, not yet. She ran into the kitchen. From that window, she spied Sean darting into the darkroom. Oh God, were Uncle Chad and Nate having problems putting things back where they belonged? Was there some trick to closing the bomb shelter door that none of them knew? When the light flicked off and the door closed, she knew there was trouble. Panic kicked in.
A car door slammed in the driveway. After racing back to the front room, she watched Luke turn toward the outbuilding and holler something she couldn’t make out. Then he marched in that direction. Her panic rising, she yanked open the door and stepped outside.
“Hey, Luke, where ya going?”
He hesitated a moment before angling his head toward her. “I heard something. Thought I’d take a look.”
She stepped off the front stoop and strolled to the driveway. She clenched her trembling hands behind her so his cop Spidey sense wouldn’t notice them. “Oh damn. I’ll bet it’s rats again. We were going to put out traps on Saturday, but with Mom missing and all, it never got done.” She shook her head. “And the workshop and darkroom are locked up. Thanks anyway. C’mon in. Would you like a drink?” She took two tentative steps toward the house.
Narrowing his eyes slightly, Luke peered at the outbuilding again. Jessie held her breath. Finally, although obviously still curious, he joined her.
On the front stoop, she stopped, put her arm around him, and turned him toward the opposite end of the house. Sniffling, she leaned into him and rested her head against his shoulder, hoping he couldn’t feel her wildly beating heart. “Oh, Luke, I can’t believe this is happening. I’m so glad we get to deal with you and not some stranger.”
He hugged her and propped his chin on her head. “I know all this is unbelievable, but you’ll make it through. You have lots of support.”
She shifted to peek over his shoulder, through the open doorway. No sign of anyone. She sniffled again and made her voice whiney. “How could Hal do this? I mean, he’s been my dad for twenty-six years. We loved him.”
Luke shook his head. “I’m shocked, too. But don’t worry. We’ll figure this out.”
“But how are you going to find—”
“You gonna question us out there or in here where it’s more comfortable?” Sean asked from just inside the front doorway.
Jessie barely contained a huge sigh of relief. She gave Luke another squeeze and a peck on the cheek. “He’s just calming me down, Detective Burke.”
Sean reached out and pulled her from Luke’s arms. He looked none too happy about her delaying tactic—the delay, yes, but not the tactic.
“Chad and Nate are working on drinks to help all of us calm down.”
She clung to Sean as he guided her to the couch. He settled her in the middle before sitting down beside her. Wrapping his arm around her shoulders, he nestled her against him like a mother bird protecting her young under her wing. Strong. Warm. Comforting. It couldn’t hurt to accept his support while he was still here, right?
Luke closed the door and claimed the recliner. Chad and Nate entered the living room, carrying the four refilled tumblers of whiskey and a can of Coke for Luke since he was on duty. Nate sat on the couch next to Jessie, and Chad chose the love seat.
No one spoke. Could Luke sense the tension, the apprehension she could see in their grim expressions and their jerky movements? More deception in the making.
After a long swig of Coke, Luke pulled his notebook and pencil from his shirt pocket. “We already put out a BOLO for Hal and his truck. I also called the highway patrol and the southern division of the San Diego Police Department since they provide law enforcement in San Ysidro.”
He took another drink, and everyone followed suit. The whiskey burned all the way to Jessie’s knotted stomach, reminding her that she hadn’t eaten since breakfast.
“The detective from the Ramona substation isn’t available until morning. And by then, this case may be turned over to one of our homicide investigators from San Diego. I’ve been ordered to question you separately. I’ll start with Jessie. Chad, you go wait in the master bedroom. Nate, you take one of the other bedrooms.” He pinned them with a no-nonsense look. “With the doors closed.”
Grumbling, the two men trudged down the hallway. Luke watched them until the bedroom doors closed. Sean took one of her hands in his and gave it a reassuring squeeze.
“Okay, Jessie, let’s start at the beginning,” Luke said.
Numbness crept through her like ice covering a pond. First the extremities, then progressing up her limbs to her torso, and finally overtaking her heart, freezing her emotions. Maybe frozen feelings were a self-preservation ploy. Maybe she was in shock. Maybe Sean’s presence gave her strength. Whatever the explanation for her composure, she managed to recite the story they’d all agreed to. The version without the evil in the bomb shelter.
When Luke finished questioning her, she sighed with relief. What she wouldn’t give to be able to simply collapse on the couch. Unbelievably, thankfully, she’d survived another ordeal with Sean’s help.
His arm protectively around her waist, Sean led her to the master bedroom and then sent Chad to the living room. “Just rest,” he said, pulling the sheet over her. He swallowed hard. “I wish I could stay, but it’s really best if I listen to the other interrogations.” He kissed her forehead.
“I understand.” She grabbed his hand. “D-don’t let…”
“I won’t.”
* * *
Sean wore his cop hat—figuratively, of course—because if he didn’t, he would give in to the impulse to curl up on the bed with Jess and hold her forever. The pain in her eyes tore him inside out. He had to do everything in his power to make it go away. With that goal in mind, he forced himself to leave her and return to the living room.
Grim-faced, Chad was just sitting down with a fresh whiskey. Hopefully, the liquor wouldn’t loosen his tongue but would strengthen his courage instead.
“Do I need an attorney?” he asked, taking a seat on the couch. He leaned forward, resting his forearms on his legs, holding the glass with both hands. The ice tinkled from the trembling. Chad looked ready to crack.
“I don’t know, Mr. Brown. Do you?” Luke asked, straight-faced.
“Back off, Johnson,” Sean hissed. “Don’t play mind games. The man’s just learned his brother-in-law killed his sister.”
“Shut up, Burke. I’m here as a deputy, not his friend. If you interfere, I’ll make you leave.”
“I’d like to see ya try.”
“Boys, boys.” Chad shook his head. “Y’all are actin’ like teenage bucks. I knew ya back then, remember?” He leaned back against the couch cushions, a slight grin lifting the corners of his mouth.
Sean hid his own smile as he sat down. Good, he’d managed to relax the old guy a bit. Now, if Chad could just hold it together
and tell the story exactly as Jess had done. When Luke started the questioning, Sean held his breath.
Chad did pretty well until Luke asked, “Who was driving?”
“I was drivin’ my truck, and Nate—” His eyes widened, and he coughed.
Sean leaned toward him. “You okay?”
Chad cleared his throat. “Yeah. I…I get choked up when I think of Hal…gettin’ away.”
Sean could feel Luke’s eyes burning into him. Did his friend think he was trying to coach the witness?
The old man drank a long swig of whiskey. He tried to camouflage wiping the sweat from his upper lip by rubbing the back of his hand across his mouth. He cleared his throat again. “As I was sayin’, I drove down and Nate drove home.”
Luke studied him a second before scribbling something. The interrogation finished without further incident.
Now came the wild card. Nate’s high-strung personality and behavior would make his reaction to the questioning unpredictable. After ushering Chad to the guest bedroom, Sean tried to calm Nate as he escorted him to the living room.
“Just stay focused, man. Keep your answers as simple and honest as possible. Take a second to think before you speak,” Sean whispered.
Jess’s brother nodded like a bobblehead doll. Shit. Not good. He’s a nervous wreck.
After the two men sat down on the couch, Luke eyed Nate closely. “You feel okay?”
“What you really mean is have I taken my meds.”
Sean cringed. Down, boy, down.
“No. What I ‘really mean’ is are you up to answering my questions?” Luke explained.
Nate huffed. “Yeah. Sure. It’s just been a helluva day.”
“Sounds like it. When you’re ready, start at the beginning,” Luke instructed with a hint of concern.
Sean was feeling more than a hint.
Nate had only made it through the meeting at the attorney’s office when Luke interrupted. He frowned. “Where was Callie when you got here?”
The color drained from Nate’s face, and he shot a panicky glance toward Sean.
Deadly Deception Page 19