by Kathy Herman
“So this light came on in your head,” Kevin said, “and you suddenly knew what had happened to you. Why didn’t you tell Dennis right then that you were the man Brody saw?”
“Because I was stunned. I could hardly breathe. For the first time, I saw the whole picture. It was mind blowing. I’d been attacked by a spider drone. The spider I saw was a hallucination induced by the chemical. I realized that Kennedy had been kidnapped—and all her belongings hauled off—by eight men who had left me for dead. It was a lot to take in.”
Virgil cleared his throat. “You said you went to high school with Dennis and his cousin Brody. What can you tell me about Brody?”
“He had some mental issues that made it hard for him to fit in. I don’t know exactly what was wrong, but he seemed to be in a world of his own. I never hung out with Brody. No one did. Dennis and I were into sports, and Brody was a computer geek who loved to read. I remember he got bullied a lot, and Dennis and I kept him from getting beat up a few times. We graduated a year ahead of him. That was seven years ago. I could count on one hand the times I’ve run into Brody since.”
Virgil folded his arms on the table. “But he wouldn’t forget your face. Didn’t it seem odd that Brody was able to describe the drone attack in detail and yet didn’t recognize you as the man who was left for dead?”
“Not really,” Hawk said. “My hair’s a lot shorter now. I have a stubble beard. And I had sunglasses on, even when I passed out. But if Brody was looking at Kennedy through his binoculars, I promise you he wasn’t paying attention to me. The woman is drop-dead gorgeous.”
“Do you think you could describe her to the sketch artist?” Virgil said.
“Absolutely.”
“You seem pretty sure that Brody was forced off the road. Did he tell you he feared for his life?”
“No, I haven’t seen or spoken to Brody in ages. Dennis told me Brody was really scared that he was being followed.”
“But as you pointed out, Brody also had a history of mental problems,” Virgil said. “And yet, without ever talking to him personally about his fear that he was being followed, you believe he was murdered? Hawk, that’s a mighty big leap, don’t you think?”
Hawk shook his head. “No, sir. Not when you consider all the facts. The drone went right over Brody’s head. It most likely photographed him. Whoever controlled the drone had to assume that, at the very least, Brody saw the drone attack and Kennedy being carried off by the two guys in gas masks. It wasn’t a stretch for me to believe Brody was being followed. Or that they ran him off the road. They weren’t taking any chances that he’d seen too much.”
“Which bring us back to your concern,” Virgil said, “that whoever allegedly killed Brody is now trying to find you.”
“It’s not farfetched,” Hawk said. “Whoever killed Brody probably kidnapped Kennedy and left me for dead. But they must know I survived. Maybe they’re worried that Kennedy told me things in the course of our relationship that could expose them. Of course, she didn’t tell me anything, except that she inherited a fortune when her parents died, and she decided to buy that big house and settle in Foggy Ridge. And even that was a lie.”
Kevin underlined something in his notes. “How often would you guess the two of you were together over that six-week period?”
Hawk’s face and neck turned bright pink, his eyebrows came together. “Is that really relevant?”
“It could be, especially if you were being watched.”
Hawk stared at his hands. “Well, for the five weeks prior to Memorial Day, I was seeing Kennedy around nine p.m. on Sunday and all day Tuesday, which was my day off. Now that we’re into the tourist season, I only get Sundays off. But this past weekend, I switched days off with my sidekick and I took Saturday off, which happened to be the day of the sailboat races. It was the perfect cover for spending the day at Kennedy’s place without anyone questioning my whereabouts.”
“So prior to Memorial Day,” Kevin said, “you established a five-week pattern of being at Kennedy’s house around nine o’clock on Sunday night and again all day on Tuesday. And when did you agree to switch days off with your sidekick?”
“I talked to Connor about it on Friday night.”
“Did you discuss it with Kennedy over the phone?”
“Sure,” Hawk said, “right after I hung up with Connor. She was excited and invited me to spend all day Saturday with her at the house.”
“Did you call her cell phone or a landline?” Kevin said.
“Kennedy didn’t like cell phones because of the radiation. She had a landline—an unlisted number.”
“When you talked to her on the phone, did you ever hear clicking sounds that you didn’t get when talking to other people?”
“Now that you mention it, yes,” Hawk said. “I just assumed it was a bad connection, because of where she lived. Is that significant?”
Kevin wrote something in his notes. “The fact that the alleged drone attack occurred when you two were together on a Saturday, which was out of the ordinary and only spoken of over the phone, suggests to me that Kennedy’s phone was tapped. My guess is her house was bugged too.”
Hawk looked panicked, his face the color of Kevin’s hair. “So much for the expectation of privacy. At least they would know that she didn’t tell me anything.”
“Over the phone, yes,” Kevin said. “But most of your conversations took place at her house. Multiple bugs would enable them to clearly hear conversations within range. But pillow talk and the like … not so much, if you were speaking softly. And if you played loud music or had conversations in the bathroom with the shower on, your voices would probably have been drowned out, which might have made them think you knew they were listening in, and you had something to hide.”
Hawk sighed. “That explains why they tried to kill me with the drone.”
Virgil glanced over at Kevin, then leaned forward and made eye contact with Hawk. “Son, if a group this organized wanted you dead, they would’ve made sure you were dead at the scene. It’s hard to know what we’re dealing with.”
“But you have a hunch, right?” Hawk said.
“It’s too early to speculate.” Virgil turned to Kevin. “Have Hawk tell you where he stashed the clothes he was wearing during the drone attack, and send someone out to the house immediately to collect them. Then get the sketch artist in here. Let’s see if we can find out who this woman is.”
Chapter 9
Kate slid her meatloaf into the oven along with seven foil-wrapped potatoes. She glanced at the clock. It was almost five. The phone rang and she grabbed it.
“Elliot, please tell me you’re on your way home,” she said. “Kevin Mann sent some officers out here to get the clothes Hawk was wearing the day of the drone attack, but they wouldn’t tell me anything. I hate feeling like an outsider.”
“I’m sorry, honey. But we’re not on our way home. When I talked to you before, Virgil’s assistant had just told me that Hawk finished his interview with Virgil and Kevin Mann and had finished working with the sketch artist. I just assumed Hawk was done. But now I’ve been told that the deputies who interviewed Dennis wanted to question Hawk. And Virgil and Kevin wanted to question Dennis. There’s no telling how much longer we’re going to be.”
“Oh well,” Kate said. “I just put a meatloaf in the oven, but dinner can wait.”
“I’d rather you didn’t make the kids wait. Hawk and I can eat in town. It’ll give him time to unwind before he gets home.”
“Did Virgil’s assistant give you any idea if it’s going well?” Kate said.
“Not really. She was just letting me know before she left for the day.”
Kate sighed. “Poor Hawk. I’ll bet he’s wiped out. How are you holding up?”
“I’m fine. I did a little work on my laptop, but I’ve been praying a lot too. I imagine it’s been gruel
ing for Hawk. Not only did he have to revisit in detail everything he knows or thinks he knows related to this whole mess, but I don’t imagine it was easy for him to look Virgil in the eye and admit the nature of his relationship with Kennedy Taylor.”
“I’m sure it wasn’t,” Kate said. “Hawk wouldn’t want to disappoint Virgil.”
“That’s all part of stepping up and owning his role in what happened, but I hurt for him.”
Kate wiped her hands and sat at the table. “I’m glad you convinced me to let you go with Hawk to the courthouse. He really doesn’t need his mother trying to make it all better. He relates to you man to man. I can’t give him that.”
“But you’re his mother, Kate. He loves you more than anyone on earth. He just needs something different from each of us, that’s all. So how long before dinner’s ready?”
“If you don’t want me to hold it, it should be on the table around six fifteen.”
“I really hate to miss your meatloaf … Do you think there’ll there be enough left over for sandwiches?”
“Are you kidding?” she said. “I’m way ahead of you on that one. I even bought an extra loaf of rye.”
Elliot chuckled. “Oh me of little faith.”
The long stretch of silence that followed changed the mood back to serious.
“Elliot, promise me you’ll be careful coming home. I know Hawk did the right thing reporting everything that happened. But now it’s on record. Someone’s bound to leak it to the press. For all we know, whoever ran Brody off the road is still here.”
“Honey, would you be more comfortable if we just came home when we’re done and skipped eating out?”
“Truthfully, I would. Abby talked Jay into bringing Wolf back tonight and staying over. I think the kids are scared. I’m trying not to be. They’re taking their cues from us.”
“All right, Kate. Don’t worry. As soon as Hawk is finished here, we’ll come straight home.”
t
Virgil sat in his office, his hands folded on his desk, mulling over his and Kevin’s interview with Hawk Cummings and their subsequent interview with Dennis Armison. He couldn’t believe the trouble that had found these two young men. He hoped it wasn’t organized crime. Or a drug cartel. Those situations could get so ugly—and dangerous. He really dreaded the idea of Kate’s family being pulled into another violent ordeal.
He was encouraged that Hawk thought the composite sketch looked remarkably like the woman he knew as Kennedy Taylor. Virgil was able to put that composite sketch and all pertinent information on the National Law Enforcement Telecommunications System (NLETS). That was quickest way to find out if she was on anyone else’s radar.
A knock on the door broke his concentration, and he looked up at Kevin Mann standing in the doorway.
“You ready for us?” Kevin said.
“Yes, come in and have a seat. Make yourself a cup of coffee, if you like.”
Kevin came in followed by Deputy Jason Hobbs. Deputy Billy Gene Duncan went to the back of the room and made a cup of coffee on the Keurig, then took his seat with the others at the conference table.
“Okay,” Virgil said. “We’ve each had a chance to interview both Hawk Cummings and Dennis Armison. Did everybody think their stories were consistent?”
“I did,” Kevin said.
Duncan and Hobbs nodded.
“Anything stand out?” Virgil said.
“Armison was shakin’ half the time,” Billy Gene said. “I figured it was because of dealing with his cousin’s death and him havin’ to tell his aunt and uncle that he believed his cousin Brody was run off the road. I didn’t see none of that with Cummings.”
“All that stood out to me with Cummings,” Jason said, “was that he seemed embarrassed about his affair with Kennedy Taylor and blushed several times. I’ll bet he wishes he’d turned and run from the woman when he had the chance.”
“Both young men were obviously nervous,” Virgil said, “but we’re in agreement that their stories were consistent. Did you find their stories believable?”
“Shoot,” Billy Gene said, “they were so far out there, I don’t think they could’ve made it up.”
“I was impressed by the way their two stories connected,” Jason said. “How neither of them knew what was going on until they heard the other half of it. I can’t believe I’m saying this, but I found it believable.”
“Did anybody else pick up strange vibes from Cummings,” Kevin said, “that maybe he was more taken with the woman than he was letting on?”
“Did you?” Virgil folded his arms.
“A couple of times I thought I did,” Kevin said. “I mean, I get that he was embarrassed to tell us about the affair. We’ve known his family a long time, and this was really personal. But to me, it was almost as though he didn’t want us to think badly of the woman.”
“I got the impression she was more to him than just a good time,” Jason said. “But he told us the same things he told you about her. I believe they met by chance. I believe he doesn’t know more than he’s telling us.”
“Which is all that really matters,” Virgil said. “So let’s assume Hawk got involved with this woman by chance. Whoever kidnapped her could have made sure he was dead at the scene, and didn’t. And yet it appears they may have taken out the one eyewitness, Brody Armison. Should we assume they got what they came for, and the threat to Hawk is over?”
“Hawk wasn’t an eyewitness to the drone attack or the kidnapping,” Jason said. “He really doesn’t pose a threat to them.”
Billy Gene took a sip of coffee. “Unless they picked up somethin’ on the phone tap that led them to believe he was. Then again, they probably didn’t because they let him live when they took the woman.”
“About all he could do that could pose a threat is identify the woman,” Kevin said, “though that would be a moot point if her composite sketch comes back with her ID.”
“I’m fairly confident there’s no threat to Dennis,” Virgil said, “now that Brody is out of the picture. I know I tend to be overprotective of Kate and her family, so I’m asking for your objective input. How good do you feel about sending Hawk home and proceeding with the investigation of Kennedy’s disappearance and Brody’s accident as if the threat to Hawk is over?”
“I don’t see how we can do anything else,” Kevin said. “I’d like to see Hawk keep a low profile, but I think it’s safe to assume the threat is over.”
“I agree,” Jason said.
Billy Gene nodded. “Whatever this was about seemed centered around the woman. With her gone and Brody dead, I think the threat to Hawk is over.”
“Okay, I’ll send Hawk home,” Virgil said. “But that’s not to say we haven’t got a big job on our hands. We need to investigate the disappearance of the woman known as Kennedy Taylor, and investigate the alleged murder of Brody Armison. I’ve already posted the composite sketch of Kennedy Taylor and supporting information on NLETS. Maybe we’ll get a break. We’ll get on this first thing in the morning. Thanks for putting in a long day. Go home and enjoy some time with your families.” Virgil smiled. “Jill Beth’s got curry chicken in the oven, and I can almost smell it now.”
t
Hawk came out the wood-and-glass door of the sheriff’s department and saw Elliot sitting in the lobby, reading a newspaper.
Elliot rose to his feet, met him halfway, and a second later, they were locked in an embrace.
“You okay?” Elliot said.
Hawk nodded. “It’s been crazy.”
Elliot let go of Hawk and pointed to the bench. “Why don’t we sit for a minute? You can give me details on the way home, but tell me what the sheriff said. I assume you’re free to go?”
“Yes, Dennis already left. The sheriff thinks the threat to me—and Dennis—is over since Brody’s dead. There are no eyewitnesses to what happened.”
“So he believes you?”
“Sure looks like it. They plan to start investigating Kennedy’s disappearance and Brody’s accident and alleged murder right away. Since it’s on record, it’ll make the news, but mostly because of the investigation into Brody’s accident. Of course, we can’t talk about this to anyone.”
Elliot patted Hawk’s knee. “I’m proud of you. It took courage to do what you did. You hungry?”
“Starved.”
“Come on. Your mom made me promise to bring you straight home, but she’s got leftover meatloaf and a loaf of rye bread with our name on it.”
Elliot and Hawk went out the door, past the white columns, and down the courthouse steps. They walked over to the visitor parking lot, and stopped for a moment to remember where Elliot had parked his car.
A man in a dark suit, accompanied by two armed men, crossed the street and walked briskly toward the courthouse.
“I wonder who they are?” Hawk said.
“My best guess is the feds.”
“What would the feds be doing at a county courthouse?” Hawk turned and watched as they neared the courthouse steps. “Look, the sheriff’s standing in the doorway.”
Sheriff Granger came outside, then walked down the courthouse steps. He stood, his face expressionless, as the three men walked up to him. The man in the dark suit started talking.