Don't Ever Forget (Adler and Dwyer)

by Matthew Farrell

  “Never heard of him.”

  “We have reason to believe he might have come into this area at some point in the eighties and want to quickly retrace what happened with your daughter’s disappearance. That’s all I can really say at this point.”

  “That’s a hell of a drive to take for a simple question like that,” he said. “Could’ve called. No reason to come all the way out here.”

  “I’m planning to drive around a little. Get a feel for things.”

  “Waste of time, if you ask me, but if it’ll help find this guy and get some information on my daughter, then by all means. Ask me all the questions you got.”

  “Can you take me through the day Bonnie disappeared?”

  Rob shrugged his big shoulders. “Can’t tell you much more than what’s already on record. She was supposed to come home after her soccer practice. Never did. We looked everywhere for her, and she just disappeared. Wasn’t like the movies, where they find a piece of clothing or something and the bloodhounds catch a scent and we eventually track them down. This was years of searching with no results. Not a stitch of anything. One minute she was saying goodbye to her friends at the field at school, and the next she was gone.”

  “Did she always walk home alone?”

  “Yup. We lived too close for busing. She walked to school and home since she was in the third grade.”

  “So people knew she walked by herself.”

  “Sure, I guess. But the police have interviewed the people of this town two and three times over. It wasn’t one of us. We would’ve known by now if it was.”

  “Where were you and your wife the day Bonnie went missing?” Susan asked.

  “Liz was working at the supermarket. She was a cashier. And I was working at the railroad over in Renovo. We’re both retired now.”

  “Your chief tells me you have two other kids,” Susan said, pretending she hadn’t already done her homework on the family.

  “That’s right. Jake and Maggie.”

  “Where were they the afternoon Bonnie went missing?”

  Rob thought for a moment. “Jake always went to his friend Joe’s house after school when Liz was working. Joe Tock was the friend. They moved away about twenty years back, but Joe and Jake were best buds up until they left. Liz picked Jake up from Joe’s house that day on her way home from work, and Maggie babysat after school for a family in Drury Run. She never got home until after seven.”

  “Where are they now? I’d love to talk with them.”

  Rob laughed. “Can’t drive to them, that’s for sure. Gotta be a phone call. Maggie got married, and her husband works for the oil and gas folks. They live in Houston. Jake is in Afghanistan. Marines. Makes his dad proud every day. I’ll get you Maggie’s number if you want. I don’t have a number for Jake. He calls us.”

  “Understood.” Susan mentally scratched the Bernstein kids from her suspects list and reached into her bag. She came away with the same pictures of Darville that she’d showed the Ruleys and handed them to Rob. “This is the man I mentioned. James Darville.”

  “You think he took my daughter?”

  “Not really sure about anything at this point. Does he look familiar to you? These pictures were taken in the eighties, so that would be how he looked around the time Bonnie went missing.”

  Rob shook his head and handed the pictures to his wife. “Don’t look familiar to me.”

  Elizabeth took the photos and flipped through them. When she got to the last one, her eyes grew wide. “Oh my,” she said. Her voice was hoarse and strained.

  Susan sat up. “Do you know this man?”

  Elizabeth nodded. “Sure. I mean, I didn’t know his name, but I certainly know the face. He used to come to town with the woman who stacked the Sears catalogs in the grocery store I worked at. She loaded up the pharmacy too. Oh, what was her name?”

  The living room was silent with anticipation as Elizabeth racked her brain, trying to remember.

  “Talk through it,” Susan whispered. “How often did she come?”

  “Twice a year. Every time a new catalog came out. We got to chatting a few times, and she said how she was in charge of distribution for the entire state. The company gave her a car and everything. I used to fantasize about her life, how she was always on the road seeing all the different places, the big cities and other towns. Sears would mail the catalog to everyone’s house, and her job was to stack extra copies in markets and such.”

  “And James Darville was with her?”

  “Yes. Maybe not every time, but enough times that I remember his face. God, that was over thirty years ago. I know he was with her, but I can’t remember her name. Maybe you should ask the chief. He was around back then. He might remember or have some record or something. Oh, and ask in the pharmacy too. Ben Pillsman was the owner back then. He still lives here. His son, Jerry, runs it now. They might know, since he was one of her regular stops. I guess she quit or got laid off because one day a new guy started coming, and I never saw her again. I wish I could help more.”

  “You have helped,” Susan said, taking the pictures back. She dug into her pocket and came away with her card. “If you remember anything else, please call me. Day or night.”

  “I will.”

  She left the house quickly. Liam was waiting in the driver’s seat when she climbed in. The first thing she did was dial the Shintown police station. She needed to speak to the chief and whoever else might’ve been around in the late eighties who could recall the Sears catalog lady. She wasn’t sure where things were leading, but it finally felt like they might be getting somewhere.

  Her phone rang once before the call was picked up.

  “Adler.”

  “Susan, it’s John Chu. I got an update for you.”

  Chu was the head of the forensics unit and had been assigned her case. He’d been on the force for almost ten years and was good at what he did. “Hey, John, what’s up?”

  “We got the analysis from the dirt and mud that was in the nurse’s car. Some of it was from the lake, but some matched the soil samples we found in the carpet at James Darville’s house. It was Honeoye soil.”

  “Okay. What does that mean?”

  “Honeoye soils are fertile. They have a high base saturation, and they’re slightly acid at the surface but neutral in the subsoil. This type of soil is very deep and well drained. It was formed in glacial till and is distinct because it has limestone and calcareous shale in it.”

  Susan rubbed her eyes. “John, I’m too tired for the science. Sum this up for me.”

  “Honeoye soils are used for corn, soybeans, wheat, oats, alfalfa, grass pasture, and hay. They’re present on about five hundred thousand acres in New York State. But we also found trace amounts of cow feces and corn, which boils those half-million acres down substantially. We’re looking for someone who works on a farm in New York. Do you have anyone like that?”

  Susan looked out the window as they drove down another dilapidated road. “No, but we’re in Pennsylvania farm country now. Would that work?”

  “Maybe in some parts. I’d have to check.”

  “Okay, do that, because this entire region is nothing but farms and woods.”

  TRANSCRIPT

  I’d buried the boy at Pifer Mountain, just as I’d done with Tiffany Greene and Sonia Garland. And, like the others, it felt like a dream. By the time I woke the next morning, I knew this madness couldn’t continue. I decided I was going to tell the police everything that happened, and I’d accept whatever consequences came my way. I knew I’d most likely be locked away for the rest of my life, and I knew there was a distinct possibility that I’d even get the death penalty, but I deserved it. I’d had a hand in killing three children, and I’d helped cover up each of the crimes. My payment was due.

  Noreen was standing on my porch when I came outside. It was as if she already knew my plans or sensed I was going to do something drastic. She smiled when she saw me, tilting her head back so the morning sun caug
ht her silhouette in just the right way, and for a moment I could see a bit of the woman I’d first fallen in love with.

  “I wanted to stop by and make sure everything was okay,” she said. “I was thinking about you last night.”

  I pushed past her and walked down the steps toward my driveway. “Everything’s fine.”

  She fell in behind me. “Where are you going?”

  “To the police. I’m going to tell them everything. I can’t keep this secret anymore. We’ve disrupted too many lives. It has to end.” It felt good just to say the words out loud. “Don’t worry—I won’t implicate you in anything. I’ll say it was all me, and I’ll take whatever’s coming. I deserve it.”

  I expected Noreen to plead with me to reconsider or beg me to stop being so foolish. I assumed tears would follow, an entire hysterical scene that would play out for my neighbors to watch. But I was wrong. Noreen calmly caught up with me and slipped between me and my car before I could get in. In those few moments, a darkness had come over her, and the woman I’d caught a glimpse of when she smiled in the morning sunlight was gone, replaced by someone I didn’t recognize and didn’t want to know.

  “You can’t go to the police,” she said. Her eyes were cold, staring into mine.

  “I have to. This can’t continue.”

  “I need you. When I see Sonia, I need you to put her back.”

  I grabbed her by the wrists and squeezed. “Sonia is dead. You can’t see her, and a wig isn’t going to change that. She’s gone.”

  “She’s gone because you didn’t lock the door.”

  I nodded. “That’s right. I didn’t lock the door, which makes this my fault. And now it’s time to confess. Everything.”

  I let go of her wrists and tried to push her out of the way, but she stood her ground. “She’s yours,” Noreen said.

  “Get away from the car.”

  “She’s yours, and if you do this, you’ll never see her again. I’ll make sure of it.”

  “What are you talking about?”

  Noreen looked at me. Through me. “Cynthia is your daughter. I never told you because I didn’t want to burden you with the truth. Jackson thinks she’s his, and my girls had each other, so I kept up with the charade. One big, happy family. But that’s all gone now. Because of you. Because you didn’t lock the door. So now you need to know the truth before you do something stupid.”

  It took me a moment for the words to register. I looked at her. “Cynthia is my daughter?”

  “Yes.”

  “You’re lying.”

  “I’m not.”

  I knew she wasn’t lying. I can’t tell you how, but I knew. I felt it in my heart the moment she said it.

  “If you go to the police, I’m going to kill her.”

  The words hung in the air. I remember a delivery truck rumbling down my street, and that was the only sound on the entire block. Even the birds had stopped singing.

  “I’ll kill her, and I’ll kill myself. That will be two more deaths on your hands. Another child you couldn’t save.”

  I retreated a step as if she’d just pushed me back. “You’re insane.”

  “No,” Noreen quickly replied. “I’m protecting you from yourself. You can’t go to the police. I won’t let you. I need you. So, if you go, you’ll be punished worse than any prison could punish you. I’ll kill your daughter slowly, and it won’t be like the others. She’ll feel pain. She’ll be awake the entire time. I’ll take pictures, and I’ll send them to you in jail. You’ll be helpless to stop it behind bars. I’ll drag her death out over days. Maybe weeks. And I’ll make sure she knows it’s your fault.”

  “She’s your daughter. Your child.”

  “I’ve already killed one daughter. You think I can’t do it again?” Noreen held out her hand. “Give me your keys.”

  “No, I—”

  “Give me your keys!”

  Her burst of anger tore down any defense I thought I had. I placed my car keys in her hand and watched her, fearing what else might come out of that wretched mouth.

  Noreen closed her fist around them, and her mood lightened. “I’ll give these back when we’re done with my route through Pittsburgh. You’re coming with me, so pack enough for three days. I need to keep an eye on you. Go inside and think about what I just told you. You have an opportunity to get to know your daughter, or you can become complicit in her torture and death. The choice is yours. I know you’ll make the right one.”

  “Why are you doing this?”

  She smiled, and this time there was nothing but lunacy behind her grin. “I’ll pick you up at seven tomorrow morning. Don’t sleep in. I need to keep my schedule. I have four stores to hit.”

  “Why are you doing this?” I repeated.

  Still smiling as she turned to leave: “Because I need you around. I’m not done making you pay for your sins just yet.”

  54

  Her name was Noreen Garland. The chief hadn’t remembered her, but the old pharmacy owner, Ben Pillsman, did. Noreen had visited him twice a year, whenever the Sears catalogs came out for the fall/winter and spring/summer seasons, and they were known to have had lunch together on more than one occasion.

  As was protocol, Noreen would contact Ben about six weeks before the new catalogs were issued. She would give him her scheduled delivery dates via telegraph or letter. No phone calls. The corporate offices at Sears needed the paper trail. She was in charge of the entire state of Pennsylvania, stocking the catalog in supermarkets, doctor’s offices, post offices, retail stores, delis, and pharmacies. According to Ben, she’d been a regular up until one day some new driver, Skip Tooro, started making the deliveries. Skip became the new rep until the magazine ceased to exist in 1993.

  Liam drove while Susan called her house. She said her hellos, got the rundown from her mother (all was fine), and talked to the twins about their day at school. Casey apparently got a gold star for cleaning up after art without anyone having to ask her, and Tim’s team won their dodgeball game at recess. Both kids sounded happy and didn’t seem bothered that they wouldn’t see her until the following day. Spending weekends with Eric had gotten them used to nights without Mommy, and that was a good thing. But she couldn’t kid herself. It tugged at her heart to know they were more than fine without her.

  Susan disconnected the call and placed her phone in one of the empty cup holders. The radio was off, with only the steady hum of the engine filling the car.

  “Sounded like everything was good at home,” Liam said, breaking the quiet.

  “Yeah. Both kids had good days at school, and they were getting ready for peanut butter squares.”

  “What’s that?”

  “It’s their favorite snack. It’s just a peanut butter sandwich cut in fours. They like the little pieces.”

  “No candy bars or chips or gummy bears or something junky like that?”

  “I don’t know what to tell you. We go with what works.”

  Liam laughed and switched on the radio, turning it low. “You give any more thought to moving?”

  “Yes and no.” Susan looked out the window, watching the landscape pass by in a blur. “When this case is over, I’m going to find a real estate agent and get some figures. Then I’ll have to sit everyone down and talk through it. Eric too. I’m just not sure what I want to do. I keep telling myself I can’t afford to move, but the truth is, that’s crap. I can afford it. I just don’t want to. I brought Casey and Tim home from the hospital to that house. Eric and I fixed it up to make it ours. The good memories far outweigh the bad ones. I know I could sell it and get enough for a down payment on something else. Maybe we’d need to move a little north or head across the river into Rockland County or something, but it’s not like I can’t afford anything. I just don’t want to give up the one I’m in.”

  “Then don’t,” Liam replied. “Find those good memories and talk about them with the kids. Maybe those good times will start to outweigh what happened for Casey and Tim too. You n
ever know.” He looked at her, then back to the road. “After what happened with my brother and my wife and the entire department thinking I was a murderer, I didn’t think I’d ever be able to step foot in the city again or live in the same house where everything went down. I was in the same position Tim is in. Every time I’d walk into my house or come downstairs, I’d be reminded of that afternoon when I got home and found Vanessa in the dining room. I’d relive it all over again. Every time I drove into Philly, I’d be reminded of the streets I had to hide out on and the people I needed to run from in order to find the truth.”

  “How did you get through it?”

  “Takes time. I sold the house and moved. That was my decision. I’m not saying it has to be yours. I started going into the city and walking the streets and recounting the places I went to during that time, and it ended up being very therapeutic. Kind of faced my fears, you know? After a while, I started to find the places where I had good times and good memories. It helped a lot. I eventually moved back to South Philly, and things started becoming routine. It began to feel like home. I’m not saying you guys moving will help Tim. I’m just saying I kind of went through what Tim is going through, and it’ll take some time before he starts to come out on the other end. But it’ll happen. Did for me. Talk about the good times you’ve all had at the house. Remind him of them. Relive them. That could be a huge first step.”

  Susan let the words sink in and choked back tears that came out of nowhere. She thought about her little boy and cursed herself for letting her work invade her private life. She’d been too trusting, and it had almost cost her everything. She promised herself she wouldn’t make that same mistake again.

  They drove for another hour before stopping in Milton, Pennsylvania, about halfway between Shintown and Hawley. It had been a long day, and both of them were tired from driving. Liam pulled into the parking lot of the Quickway Motor Inn and shut off the engine. They sat in silence.

  “Okay,” he said, playing nervously with the edge of his jacket. “Is this the part in the movie when we have to share a room, and the manager asks if we want one bed or two, and we both shout, ‘Two beds!’ at the same time?”