“Do you have a phone number?” Lin asked.
“Maybe,” Sue said, “there are three Jack Davises in the phone book.”
“Why don’t you try to contact him? We have plenty of time tomorrow afternoon. Perhaps we could go by the school to talk to him, if he’s willing.”
The sun was lowering in the western sky, promising a spectacular sunset. Clouds were gathering on the horizon and the light painted them in shades of gold and orange. “Looks like our weather is about to change again,” Lin commented as she gathered the remains of their wine and snacks and headed toward the kitchen.
“You don’t even want to know,” Sue groaned. “I checked Ray’s Weather site this afternoon, and we’re facing about five or six straight days of rain, mist, and fog punctuated by occasional thunder storms. Should be lots of fun.”
Lin grimaced as she contemplated this unwelcomed news. Not only did the weather make working at the parks more difficult at times, she had definitely developed a strong aversion to foggy days. Some people might enjoy them, but Lin didn’t like the feeling of isolation she had when they occurred, nor the eerie feelings she experienced when sights and sounds were obscured or distorted. It seemed to her that foggy days and nights were far from cozy.
I’d better snap out of this mood Lin thought, or I’ll really feel depressed. She heard Sue stirring in the kitchen and went in to help her with preparations for supper.
***
When they’d finished eating and cleaning up the kitchen, Sue went downstairs to her office to work more on her research notes. “I’ll try calling the listings for Jack Davis and see if I can make contact,” she added.
Lin went upstairs to shower and shampoo her hair; by the time she’d done that it would be evening in Arizona and maybe a convenient time to call Neal. He’d only been gone since Saturday but it felt like they’d been apart for weeks—she missed him a lot.
It was almost nine o’clock when Lin picked up her cell phone to make the call—six in Arizona. Neal answered on the second ring. His voice sounded a bit weary when he answered.
“Sounds like you’ve had a long day,” Lin said.
“Long and tiring, but I accomplished a lot. I’ve sorted through all my furniture and labeled items to be picked up for storage. The rest I’m going to try to sell, but if I can’t, I’ll probably donate them. The realtor thinks the buyers might want some pieces. They’re coming by tomorrow to look.”
“Sounds like you’re making good progress. Have you managed to line up some help?” Lin was eager for the whole process to move forward quickly so Neal could return.
“Some,” Neal said. “The storage company will send a truck over to pick up the pieces I’m putting there. Later they’ll pick up some of my boxes—they’ll ship them to North Carolina for me when I’m ready for them. That’s a big help. A friend of mine gave me the number of an agency that provides day labor for twenty bucks an hour. I think I’ll call them after I’ve finished discarding stuff, when I’m actually ready to pack.” Neal knew why Lin was asking these questions, “I’m working hard toward completing the whole process in two weeks—if all goes well. I miss you too, you know,” there was a chuckle in his voice. “Now catch me up on what you’ve been doing.”
Lin spent the next half hour catching Neal up on the changes in her assignment on the Parkway and on the visit she and Lin had had with Olivia Lee. She also told him that Mark Scott was checking into having the FBI look at some of these old unsolved murders. She was careful to avoid talking about Luke Taylor—afraid she might give away her wedding present surprise.
Neal listened patiently to her long account. When she’d finished, she noticed the usual silence on his end of the line. She well knew that Neal was always trying to bury his own anxieties about her activities that touched on crimes and criminals. He was trying to curb his own protective instincts where she was concerned, knowing what her reaction would be.
When he finally spoke about what she’d told him, it was to offer a measured caution to be careful. Sometimes Lin felt as if she shouldn’t tell him about such things, but that would violate her promise to him and to herself to always be up front and honest about her activities—of course, sometimes she postponed telling him things but…
When Neal’s side of the conversation began to sound suspiciously like telephone sex—at least what Lin perceived that might be like—she decided it was time to say goodnight. “If you keep talking like that, I’ll be so sorry you’re not here I won’t be able to sleep at all,” she whispered. “You just hurry up and get yourself back here in person so we can act on our feelings rather than just talk about them.”
She heard a deep sigh on Neal’s end, “You’re right. Nothing substitutes for live and in person anyway. It does make me feel better to talk to you though. Let’s try to talk every night, if we can.”
“That’s a plan. Next time is your turn. Now go get yourself some dinner and then get back to work. I love you.”
Feeling restless and far from ready for sleep, Lin made her way down to the kitchen for something to drink. She put the kettle on and searched the pantry for an assortment of herbal teas they’d bought earlier. While waiting for the water to boil, she went downstairs to see if Sue would like a cup also.
“How’s Neal?” Sue asked without looking up from her work.
“Fine,” Lin responded, “working hard to get ready for his move. He’s lined up some help so the process should go faster—at least I hope so. I’m heating water for a cup of tea, want me to bring you some?”
“I’ll come up and join you. I’m about done here, at least for tonight,” Sue responded, “I located Jack Davis. He seemed glad that I was looking into Sandy Hill’s murder. Apparently, he was never satisfied that the Florida suspect was guilty either. He said we could come by the high school tomorrow between three and four to talk.”
“Good,” Lin said. “The more we can learn, the more likely we can persuade someone to reopen these investigations.” The kettle began to whistle. Lin went back up to the kitchen and Sue followed shortly.
They’d just settled down at the table to enjoy their tea, when they heard the sound of rain hitting the roof. “Here comes our wet weather,” Lin sighed, “we’ll probably be socked in by morning.”
“That’s likely,” Sue said, “but that’s mountain weather for you—wet summers aren’t all that unusual from what I’ve been told.”
“True and the weather is always changeable,” Lin replied. “I shouldn’t complain, but there’s something about the fog and mist that really bothers me. I think it’s spooky, and it seems as if the fog just provides a cloak behind which those who are up to no good can hide. Both our incidents of vandalism here at the house occurred on foggy nights, and then there was my encounter with that Hinson man…”
“That doesn’t count,” Sue admonished, “sure, you almost had an accident, but he didn’t threaten you or anything.”
“It counts in my book,” Lin objected, “there was something about him I didn’t like. I can’t quite put my finger on what it was, but he definitely made me feel uncomfortable.”
“You were tired and stressed out driving in foggy conditions,” Sue said in her usual, practical down-to-earth manner, “and you did narrowly avoid an accident when he pulled out in front of you. I’m sure all of that combined to make you feel uneasy. It could be said that it was a positive thing that he stopped to speak to you.”
“Stop trying to make me feel guilty,” Lin teased. “I know what you say is true but I still think there’s something about him…”
“Whatever you say,” Sue replied. “I’m heading up to bed. Morning will be here before you know it, and we’ll need to leave early in this weather.” She made for the stairs.
Lin fixed herself another mug of tea and took it up to her bedroom. She wasn’t really sleepy, so she decided to sit up for awhile and read. The soothing effects of the tea and the sound of the rain on the roof soon worked their magic and she found hers
elf nodding off over her mystery. She turned off the lamp and drew the downy comforter up under her chin. I wish Neal were here right now, she thought as she drifted off to sleep.
Chapter 19
The rain that had lulled them to sleep the night before was a downpour by morning. Fortunately, there wasn’t much fog, but the ride out to the Cone house was still slow. There were few visitors that morning, and, fortunately, Pat didn’t ask them to go outside to monitor the walks. Instead they spent most of their time working on displays in the craft shop and straightening up shelves in the bookstore while waiting on the occasional visitor. By mid-morning the heavy rain had ceased, only to be replaced by a veil of mist and fog. The number of visitors increased as folks who were on vacation decided to make the best of it and to spend their time shopping since outdoor activity had limited appeal.
Lin was grateful for the increase in shopper activity; it made the morning move more quickly and kept her mind off the abysmal conditions outside. Finally noon arrived and Pat indicated that they could leave.
“You’re sure you don’t need us this afternoon,” Sue asked. “We have an appointment at three, but we could stay if you need us.”
“No, no,” Pat assured them, “We’ve got it covered. There are a couple of local volunteers who come in every week at this time. They’ll be here shortly; you two go ahead.”
“I have an idea,” Sue said as they reached their car. “It’s not a good day to be outdoors, but we really don’t need to go home—nothing special to do there. Why don’t we go shopping? We haven’t checked out the stores at the outlet mall yet.”
“Shopping?” Lin asked, a bit surprised. “ You don’t strike me as a dedicated shopper. Did you have something special in mind?”
“Not really,” Sue confessed, “and you’re right, I don’t often suggest shopping as an activity, but we haven’t been, and, who knows, we might find something we like. My wardrobe could probably use a boost, and I actually need a new pair of sneakers.”
Before hitting the stores at Shoppes on the Parkway, they stopped at a small sandwich place for a bowl of hot vegetable soup. Even though the temperatures were moderate, the damp made Lin feel cold, and the soup was a perfect choice.
“I was hoping that Mark Scott would come by this morning,” Lin said. “I’m eager to know if he’s contacted anyone from the FBI yet.”
“I expect that will take a few more days, at best,” Sue replied. “Maybe soon though, I’m wanting to move forward with these cases, and that seems to me to be the best route to pursue. We’ll just have to hope that they’re willing to take an interest.”
“They should be,” Lin remarked, “after all, the Parkway is one of their most visited properties. People feel safe there. What if these unsolved murders suddenly got a lot of publicity?”
“It could create quite a stir,” Sue admitted. “I really would rather share information and questions with law enforcement, but publicity can sometimes help wake folks up in such situations.”
They finished their lunch and hit the stores. Sue wanted to shop for shoes, but Lin opted to visit some of the dress shops. After all, she thought, I’m getting married in a couple of months, and I’m sure that some of my friends will want to meet Neal. The Clarks had mentioned having a party of some sort, and Lin had also planned to have something for out-of-town guests. With these thoughts she started seriously looking for something dressy that might work well. Soon she was caught up in the process—selecting dresses and trying them on. She had narrowed her choices down to three outfits—two dresses and one silk pants suit that she really liked. The dresses were in her favorite colors of bright blue and green—she thought those shades made her blue eyes stand out—and the pants suit was a beautiful bright rose color. She was still trying to make a decision when Sue joined her in the dress shop.
“Found my shoes,” she smiled. “In fact, I bought two pairs because they were so comfortable. Looks like you’ve found some nice dress-up outfits.”
“I can’t decide,” Lin said, “I want something to wear to a party and maybe a dinner for out-of-town guests coming to the wedding. What do you think?”
“That you need to buy all three if you like them. Who knows, you may have more than one occasion related to the wedding, and you still don’t know where you’re going on your honeymoon.”
“That’s true,” Lin replied, “but somehow, I don’t think our honeymoon will require a lot of dressing up—Neal’s more inclined toward casual activities and, truthfully, I am too.”
The saleslady stepped in, joining Sue in insisting that Lin would probably have a need for all three outfits. She finally succumbed, putting a healthy dent in her credit card in the process, but making both her friend and herself happy.
***
Shortly after three they were pulling into the parking lot at Watauga High School. There were almost no students around at that hour. Of course, it was summer, so only those attending the summer session would’ve been present. In fact, Lin was a bit surprised that Jack Davis was apparently working a full day. Most summer school classes should’ve ended by mid-day.
The high school was a relatively new one, having been built within the past couple of years. Lin recalled reading about its eco-friendly design and the use of new technologies. Every student was issued a laptop computer for use at school and at home during the year. The heating system tapped into sources of geothermal energy. Lin was glad to get a close-up look at the facility.
They reported to the office, currently manned by a single receptionist.
“We’re here to meet with Mr. Davis,” Sue announced. “He suggested we come by this afternoon.”
“I’ll call him,” the young lady smiled, “I’m sure he’ll come up here to get you. I could direct you to his classroom, but I’m not sure he’s still there at this hour.”
Soon a tall, handsome young man dressed in T-shirt and shorts appeared. His hair and shirt appeared damp, as if he’d been out in the fog and mist.
“You’ll have to excuse my appearance,” Jack said as he extended his hand in greeting. “I’ve been down in the gym playing basketball with some of the kids in the summer program. We try to run some intramurals for the students attending summer classes. Helps to keep them interested and keeps attendance up.” He led the way through the building to his room in the science wing. Lin was impressed with the facility overall and asked a lot of questions.
“You’ll have to forgive me,” she said as they arrived in Jack’s classroom, “I’m a retired school principal, and I’m really interested in all the innovations you folks have built in here.”
“We’ve enjoyed the new building also,” Davis remarked. “I’ve been very happy teaching here. I’d be happy to take you on a tour of the place, but I know the two of you came here to talk about Sandy.”
Sue explained that she’d been doing research on unsolved cases for a book and happened to read about Sandy’s murder also.
“I know what you’re going to say,” Jack interrupted. “You don’t think Sandy was killed by that guy they shot down in Florida, and I agree with you. I was angry when they closed her case at that point. They found no real evidence linking that guy to Sandy. The only common thread between the two cases was the location—the bodies were within five miles of each other. They never found her camera or anything else linking that man to her.”
“That’s why I added her case to my list of those I’m doing research on,” Sue explained. “That’s why I’m glad you agreed to see us. We’re trying to talk to people who had contact with the victims in these cases—trying to learn what they think and if they have any information that might open any doors—assuming there could be a new investigation.” She didn’t mention the possibility of the FBI doing anything—that seemed premature at this point.
Lin picked up the conversation, “What can you tell us about Sandy Hill? Were you close friends?”
Jack leaned against the edge of one of the lab tables, “Not really close, I
guess. I was in my second year of grad school and Sandy was a new student,” he smiled at the memory. “ She was very smart, very attractive. I guess I was hoping we might become close. I was trying to help her get started with preparing for her classes, and I had asked her out for a dinner date.” He looked a bit wistful. “We never got to have that date. She was killed before that.”
“You mentioned a camera. Sandy was out photographing plants, is that correct?” Sue asked.
“Right,” Jack replied. “Every biology student needs a good collection of plant photos. It’s illegal to collect actual specimens on federal parklands and you need to get permission from landowners to collect on their property. Pictures are better anyway—you can get photos in all seasons. Most student’s have a really nice notebook of pictures, better than most wildflower books actually.”
“And she was alone?” Sue continued.
Jack Davis’s demeanor clearly revealed how he felt as he answered, “Yes, she was. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve wished that I’d gone with her. I had some other things I needed to do that day—now I wish I’d just put those things aside. If she hadn’t been alone… After Sandy’s death the department sent out a memo recommending that students not try to gather field notes or take photos alone. I guess I’ll always regret that decision,” Davis was thoughtful.
“If you don’t think Sandy was killed by the man authorities tracked to Florida, what do you think happened?” Sue queried.
“That guy was some sort of serial-type killer. He’d shot a couple of folks in Virginia then he killed that hiker here and stole his car. His earlier victims were hikers on or near trails, just like the guy he shot here. Sandy was off-trail. She was taking pictures of wildflowers in the woods. I doubt that guy would’ve even found her. Her location and activity didn’t fit his pattern.”
Fogbound: A Lin Hanna Mystery Page 23