“All right.”
Trace left the office, experiencing a realm of emotions. After last night, he’d come to the conclusion he loved Regina and wanted to explore their relationship further. Now, after learning this so-called love could all be fake, he didn’t know what he wanted.
Staying away from Regina was best, but how could he do that when he was worried someone in town would take it upon themselves to punish her for Keith’s murder? He was stuck between a rock and a hard place, and there was no way to avoid the woman. Not until he found Keith’s killer.
He turned left and practically collided with Becky on the street.
She screeched, then smiled when she realized it was him. “Morning, Trace. You’re just the man I wanted to see.”
Great. This was the last thing he needed. Becky trying to get a date with him for the umpteen-millionth time.
“I’m in a hurry, Becky. What do you need?” The impatience in his voice was hard to miss, but she seemed to. Typical Becky. Living in her own fantasy world.
“I wanted to tell you I saw that Moon woman and her friend walking into the cemetery. We all know she couldn’t possibly have family there.”
Trace’s mind started working overtime. Why would the two go to Groves’ cemetery? Were they planning to conjure something else?
“Thanks, Becky. I’ll go take a look and find out what they’re up to.”
“Would you like me to come with you?” She gave him a sly smile.
“No. I’ll take care of this myself. Thanks, anyway.”
Again, she looked disappointed but nodded and took off, headed for the hardware store.
He shook his head. Couldn’t the woman hurry up and find someone, so he didn’t have to deal with her anymore?
Trace turned toward the cemetery on the edge of town. He had no idea why Regina and Tiah would want to visit the place, but he sure as hell planned to find out.
* * *
Regina stood next to Tiah. Both were staring down at a gravestone.
“How do we find out how she died?” Regina asked.
“I don’t know. Newspaper archives maybe.”
“Yeah but does Groves even have a newspaper?”
“Yes,” a deep baritone voice said from behind, making them jump.
Regina swirled around, and her heart stopped, then restarted. “Trace.”
“What are you ladies doing here?”
“We came to see Kelly Marley’s headstone. She was barely eighteen when she died.”
He frowned. “Who is Kelly Marley?”
“She was Keith’s girlfriend in high school. I guess they went to prom together, according to the women at the local hairdresser’s.”
“So. Why would you care who Keith dated in high school or at any other time.”
“Look at the date she died, Trace.” Regina pointed to the headstone. “She had just turned eighteen. What happened to her? Someone that young dying. Doesn’t it seem strange?”
His frown deepened. “Young people die all the time, Regina.”
“You were friends with Keith. Did he ever talk about her? I mean, this might have been his first love.”
He shook his head. “We didn’t talk about that kind of stuff.”
It was Regina’s turn to frown. Men that didn’t talk about women? Bull. Not unless they were gay. “Could you find out how she died? I want to know.”
“That could likely cause pain for the parents of this girl if I start asking questions about her.”
“Could you check the newspaper? Maybe they have an article about her. Look at everything after May of 1996.”
“Why?”
Regina sighed. “I just have a feeling it’s important.”
“I don’t have time to go looking for things you think are important. You two need to go home and stay out of this case. Understand? I will find who killed Keith.” He stared hard at Regina. “No matter who it is.”
Regina physically felt his cutting words. He was telling her if she’d killed the man, he’d get her. Well, to hell with that. She hadn’t done anything wrong, and she didn’t plan to stop looking into this Marley thing. She’d find the local paper and hope they had an archive. But she wouldn’t let Trace know. She and Tiah would head home and make a detour along the way. “Let’s do what the sheriff said, Tiah.”
Her friend gave her a scathing look, but Regina shook her head and shoved her toward the cemetery’s exit. Let him think she’d do as she was told. That way she wouldn’t have him breathing down her neck, making it much harder for her to find answers.
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
Trace walked into the station, not sure what to think about this Kelly Marley thing. Could Regina be on to something? Why hadn’t Keith ever told him about the girl?
He’d lied to Regina earlier. The two had talked. Keith knew the story behind Brianna and the woman he’d seen in Guthrie a time or two, but now he realized Keith had never revealed anything personal in all the time they’d been friends Why hadn’t he seen that in the last seven and a half years? Why had it taken Regina to point this out?
Trace turned when the door to the precinct opened. Muscle tension moved into his shoulders and neck at Rayland’s arrival.
“Sheriff,” the man said, his eyes filled with irritation.
“Rayland.”
“I guess I’m here to speak to Nathan Horn? Whoever the hell he is.”
“I’m a special investigator working the Walsh case,” the man in question said, walking up to both of them.
“I don’t know what I can do to help. Keith and I didn’t travel in the same circles.”
“Seriously?” Trace was already angry with the man. “You two went to school together. I believe you even graduated the same year, yet you hardly knew him?”
“But that was some fifteen years ago. I went off to college. I didn’t see him much after that.”
Trace snorted, loud enough for Rayland to get he didn’t buy what he was selling. “You want me to believe that in a town the size of Groves, you and Keith never crossed paths?”
“Not really. I married and started a family. Keith was single. We had nothing in common. I believe for the last seven or eight years, he’d hung out with you and Garrett, had he not?”
Nathan placed a hand on Trace’s shoulder. “I’ll take it from here, Sheriff.”
Trace knew that was the right thing to do since all he wanted to do was rip Rayland’s head off. “I’ll be in my office if you need me.”
“All right. Come with me, Mr. Grimes. I want to talk to you about the night Keith was killed.”
Trace smiled and headed for his desk. He trusted Nathan would do everything in his power to learn why Rayland had been there. But then, according to Regina, he was watching her. Not too farfetched considering the man’s interest in her at the dance that night. His eyes spoke volumes about what he wanted. Asshole.
While he waited for Nathan to interrogate Grimes, Trace would research what he had planned to before he got sidetracked by Regina in the cemetery. He booted up his computer and waited. If it took him all day, he was going to learn everything he could about this Wiccan thing.
An hour into his search, he was feeling a little less concerned about the religion itself, when someone knocked at the door. Trace looked up to find Nathan standing in the archway. “Come on in. Is Grimes gone?”
“Yeah. He just left.”
“You find out anything?”
“You were right about him. He’s no dummy. He evaded just about every question I asked.”
“What did he say about why he was outside Keith’s that night?”
“He said he was on his way home when he heard the sirens.”
“Do you believe him?”
“I don’t believe a word the man said in the whole time we talked. He’s hiding something.”
“Do you think he killed Keith?”
“That I couldn’t say. I just know he was keeping something from me.”
“How do we find o
ut what?”
Nathan smiled. “We don’t. We wait to see what he does. Nervous people tend to make mistakes, and we hold out for him to make one.”
“What if he doesn’t do anything?”
“Then he’s not guilty, and we move on.”
“Rayland is guilty of something. I know it.”
“Then he’ll make a mistake, and we’ll catch him. Now, I want to know why you asked about this Wiccan thing.”
Trace shifted in his chair. “I heard something about the religion and was curious.”
Nathan stared hard at him. “Is Regina Moon Wiccan?”
Trace tensed at the question. The man was good, or Trace was as easy to read as a Dick & Jane primer.
“You don’t have to answer. I can tell she is. The woman has a good soul, Trace. You can feel it.”
In his heart, Trace knew Nathan was right, but could she be kind and still put a spell on him? He wished he could be sure.
“She had a necklace that had the same symbol that was on Keith’s wall. What does that mean?”
“It’s simply a symbol, Trace. It was originally used for protection in Wiccan ceremonies. It got turned into something dark later by satanic worshippers.”
“Are you sure?”
“Do your research. You’ll find I’m right.”
“I guess I’m just not up on this dark magic crap. I never worked any of these cases in Chicago. They always called in experts like yourself.”
“Well, I hate to tell you this, but we’ll have a full moon by the end of the week. Top that off with a lunar eclipse and watch out.”
“And that’s significant how?”
“Wiccan and pagans worship the moon. Strange things happen when that moon is full. More babies are born. And, with the darkening of the moon, anything could happen. People get weird. Let’s hope nothing bad occurs, since we already have our hands full with this murder investigation.”
“From your mouth to whoever’s listening above.”
Nathan grinned. “Can I ask you a personal question?”
“Sure,” Trace said, then wondered if he should have agreed so quickly.
“Are you and Regina together?”
“No.” Trace wasn’t really lying, though after sleeping with her, most would consider them dating. But he was too unsure if their attraction was real now.
“I got the distinct feeling the two of you had something going.”
Trace cleared his throat. “I could say the same about you and Regina’s friend.”
“No. That blonde has to be the most forward woman I’ve ever met.”
“She’s is gorgeous, though.”
Nathan’s eyes rolled upward. “With wayward feet.”
Trace laughed. It had been a while since he’d—actually the last time had been at Keith’s. The thought instantly sobered him. “So what do you suggest we do next on the Walsh case?”
“I have a few ideas, but I need to check into something first,” Nathan said as he turned toward the door. “I’ll call you later.”
Trace wondered what the man had planned, but he had something to check on himself. He wanted to make sure Regina did as she was told. If she didn’t go home, he was going to have her arrested for obstructing justice or whatever else he could hold her on until this case was solved.
* * *
Regina rubbed at her eyes, weariness hitting her hard. She’d barely gotten a wink of sleep last night because of Trace, and after poring over all these old newspaper articles, she could hardly see straight.
“I think we’re wasting our time, Tiah. I can’t find a thing on Kelly Marley. Maybe her death wasn’t noteworthy?”
Tiah looked at her as if she were daft. “You’re kidding, right? She was a young person from a small town. That in itself is worth writing about.”
“So then why aren’t we finding anything on her?”
“Don’t give up, yet. We still have those papers,” her friend pointed to a stack behind Regina, “to go through.”
Regina sighed when she stared at the pile. There had to be at least thirty dailies yet for them to look at.
Regina folded the paper in front of her and rose to get the stack. If they didn’t find anything in this last set, they would have to call it a day.
She plopped the pile onto the small table and sat. With a deep sense of frustration, she picked up the first and froze. On the cover, the very first article said, LOCAL TEEN VANISHES WITHOUT A TRACE. Regina scanned the article and sucked in a ragged breath. It was about Kelly Marley.
“I found it,” she said, her voice barely above a whisper.
Tiah shot out of her chair and raced to her side. She skimmed the story and then looked at Regina. “What do you think could have happened to her?”
“I don’t know, but we need to find someone from town who knew her or her family. Maybe Sylvia Heart could tell us something. She’s lived here all her life. She surely heard what was going on with this girl’s case fifteen years ago. Maybe rumors of some sort.”
“So how do we find Sylvia?”
“I don’t know, but we need to somehow.”
“Maybe the editor of this paper could tell us,” Tiah suggested.
A smile crept across Regina’s face. “That’s a great idea. Let’s get a photo copy of this article, put these newspapers back, and ask.”
As quickly as they could, they ran the paper under the photocopier, then tucked the newspapers back in the archive section of the building before approaching the man sitting behind a computer, typing away.
“I hate to bother you again, but could you tell me where Sylvia Heart lives?” Regina queried.
The older man looked up from his keyboard and frowned. “Can I ask why you’re looking for Sylvia?”
“I need to ask her if she knew anything about this.” She stuck out the printed article, and he glanced at it.
“Why are you interested in Kelly Marley? The girl has been gone for fifteen years. They declared her dead years ago.”
“Did you know her?”
“It’s a small town. Everyone knows everyone. Kelly was a pretty little thing. Head cheerleader all through high school. Very popular. As I recall, she dated Rayland Grimes.”
“Really, because a few of the ladies at Cut-n-Curl said she went to prom with Keith Walsh.”
The old man rubbed at the whiskers on his chin. “I guess I don’t remember that. Is that why you want to talk to Sylvia?” He shook his bald head. “She wouldn’t know. She was in the hospital around that time.”
“Really?” Regina wondered about that, since the woman hadn’t looked well the first time she’d met her.
“I think Carol Evans could probably tell you a thing or two. Kelly and her daughter went to school together. I think they were both on the cheerleading squad.”
“You mean the woman who owns the department store?”
“Yes. That’s her.”
“Thank you. I appreciate all your help.”
Regina and Tiah left Groves Daily and headed for the woman’s shop. As they crossed the street, Regina caught a glimpse of Trace. “We need to hurry. The sheriff is going to catch us,” she said to her friend, whose eyes widened at her quickened pace.
When they entered the shop, the two had to suck in much needed breaths.
“Are you two all right?” Carol walked toward them.
“A bee was chasing us.” Regina was a terrible liar. She hoped the woman would believe the story.
“Sorry to hear about that, but it’s nice that we are actually seeing bees this year. Last summer nothing grew right, since there were so few of them.”
“Why is that?” Tiah looked at Regina strangely.
The woman shrugged. “I think they’re all dying out. I believe the scientists think it’s a virus that’s killing them.”
“Wow, I hope things improve for the insects,” Regina said.
“Just think of what no bees would mean,” Carol said, frowning, “no pollination. No flowing trees or pla
nts would survive without them. We would eventually all die of starvation.”
Regina shuddered.
“What brings you ladies in? I got a brand new shipment of summer dresses today, and they are simply delicious.”
“I’d love to take a look, but I came in to ask you a few questions, if that’d be all right?”
“Of course. What do you need to know?”
“The man over at the daily newspaper said your daughter went to school with Kelly Marley. Is that true?”
The woman’s face whitened. “Why are you interested in Kelly?”
“I heard she dated the man who was murdered and was curious.”
Carol shook her head. “No. Kelly wasn’t allowed to date. Her parents were very strict.”
“Really? The man over at the paper thought she was dating Rayland Grimes at the time of her disappearance.”
Any remaining color in Carol’s face drained away. She cleared her throat and stepped back, busying her hands with a rack of scarves. “Kelly wouldn’t have ever dated that man,” she said after a few moments. “Every girl in high school stayed away from him after …” She shook her head. “I’m busy. I don’t have time to talk about this.”
Regina could see Mrs. Evans was scared, and she wasn’t going to push the issue. “It’s okay. Can we take a look at those dresses?”
The woman sighed. “Of course. Come with me.”
Regina followed her to the back of the store, Tiah trailing behind. Somehow she had to find out why the girls had been afraid of Rayland fifteen years ago. It might be the key to something. At least, that was her hope.
* * *
Trace blew out a breath and stepped from the Groves Daily on his way to the department store. He was furious with Regina for not listening to him, even though this thing with Kelly Marley now had him wondering. He planned to look into it once he got back to the station. But Regina and her friend needed to stay out of it.
Outside the storefront, he tamped down his anger before walking inside. For a few seconds, he stood by the door, allowing his eyes to adjust to the lighting.
“Sheriff Langston, what brings you in?” Carol came toward him.
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