Macy hesitated. “It seems he was mistaken.”
“I noticed it wasn’t you talking to the press.”
“I had reservations about going forward with Ethan’s name at such an early stage. There wasn’t anything in Lindsay Moore’s notes that made me believe that Ethan was still active in the area. She was under the impression that he had either died or left the valley sometime last summer. There is still a possibility that someone loyal to Ethan could be involved in your son’s murder. We’re interviewing everyone who was close to him again.”
“What about this Charlie Lott?”
“We’re still looking. No one has seen him since he left his grandmother’s house in Spokane last month.”
“I need to know what happened out at the lake last summer. Dylan’s not answering his phone and Jessie and I aren’t speaking.”
“We’re still piecing together the events of the night of July thirteenth. Dylan and Jessie are the only witnesses, and so far their statements match up. We’re waiting until we pull the truck from the lake this afternoon before making our findings public.”
“I’d rather know everything now.”
“I think you’re going to find what I’m about to tell you very upsetting.”
His small eyes flicked up at her. “My son died this week. I doubt it could get much worse.”
“Mr. Dalton, I’m afraid that might not be the case.”
“Try me.”
“Last summer Ethan picked up Jessie in the parking lot at The Whitefish. It was late and she’d been drinking heavily and decided to sleep it off in her vehicle. He approached her and offered to give her a lift home. He took her to Darby Lake instead.”
“That son of a bitch.”
“She was physically assaulted, and she’s not sure she stopped him before he could take it any further. Other than hitting him on the head with a rock, she remembers very little. She woke up and found him lying on top of her. She believed he was dead. Instead of calling the police she called John. He and Tyler dumped Ethan’s body in the lake while Dylan took Jessie home. You should thank Dylan. He was smart enough to take photos of your daughter’s injuries.”
“Can I see them?”
Macy shook her head. “I wouldn’t show them to you if I could.”
“Until last summer, John was thinking about staying in the military. His contract was coming up for renewal, but he suddenly changed his mind. Before he left to rejoin his unit he told me he was needed more at home. Now I know why.”
“Were you aware that Annie had told John and Jessie that Ethan Green was their father?”
“Are you serious?”
“We’re not sure whether John really believed it, but Jessie did. I’ve informed her that DNA analysis of the crime scene proves otherwise. I assume you’re aware that your wife had an affair with Green before they were born.”
He stared down at his hands. “Back then Ethan was a heavy drinker. I doubt he remembers much of anything, whereas Annie obsesses on it. She’s convinced that it was the best time of her life. I can’t believe she’d lie to the kids like that.”
“Given her mental state, she may not be aware that she’s lying. Have you spoken to Jessie?”
“That may be difficult. We haven’t talked much in the past ten years.”
“I’ve seen the family photos up at your house. I get the impression that you used to be close.”
“You wouldn’t think so from what Annie says. She’s been taking medication for bipolar disorder since high school. Sometimes when she was feeling good she’d stop her meds. She’d be euphoric one minute and suicidal the next. I admit that I should have been more patient.” He rubbed his hands down his face. “I really tried hanging in there for a long time, but I could only take so much.”
“That must have been hard on your children?”
“Jessie couldn’t cope. She started staying out later and later and then not coming home at all. I was worried sick. Around the time she was sixteen it spiraled out of control. She was drunk or high or both most of the time. Barely made it to school. I can’t tell you how difficult it is to sit back and have your heart broken on a daily basis.”
“I hear you cut her off financially at one point.”
“Even her therapist said I was out of options. She went missing for nearly four years. We think she was living on the streets in Denver for a while, Reno after that. Tara was two when someone dropped them off at the house in the middle of the night. Jessie was skin, bones, and bruises … She covers them up but I know about the cigarette burns and scars on her wrists.”
“I figured there was a reason for all the bracelets she wears.”
“We had her declared an unfit mother and were awarded sole custody of Tara. That might seem harsh but it’s what finally got Jessie into rehab. She couldn’t have access to her daughter until she was sober. It was blind luck that Tara turned out normal in the first place; I wasn’t going to let Jessie near her again until she got help.”
“I hope you find a way to reconnect with her. She needs you more than ever right now.”
“Are you going to charge her?”
“It’s up to the state attorney.”
“These photos Dylan took. Are they compelling?”
“They are. Her phone records give us a time frame. She doesn’t remember doing it, but she did text John earlier that night from The Whitefish, asking for a ride. If they’d come forward that night, I doubt she’d have been charged with anything.”
“I feel like it’s my fault. She knew I’d take Tara away again if I found out she’d been drinking.”
“Don’t blame yourself. Jessie is an addict, and you are right to put Tara first. I have a hard time understanding why your son and Tyler Locke thought it was a good idea to cover up what happened instead of going to the authorities.”
“I hate to accuse those who can’t defend themselves, but I doubt very much that it was John’s idea. As a rule, he followed Tyler’s lead. Tyler was his platoon sergeant, but the lines of authority have been fixed for a long time.”
“I don’t mean to pry, but you don’t seem saddened by Tyler’s death. Weren’t you close? He worked up at the ranch for quite a few years.”
“As close as one could get to him. Tyler had good intentions but he could be prickly at times. I was completely against taking him on, but Annie was determined to make it work.”
“His juvenile record is sealed so I’m not sure what he got up to.”
“Quite a bit is the answer. Annie caught him breaking into one of our storage units when he was fifteen. He was on the run from one of those youth camps they have during the summer down near Kalispell. Instead of calling the authorities, she made him dinner. I didn’t realize he had a criminal record until it was too late to change her mind.”
“Did the authorities tell you what he’d done?”
“I found out everything I could but I’m almost certain there was more. He’d stolen a few cars and robbed a liquor store at gunpoint. He’d also done a bit of dealing.”
“It couldn’t have gone too smoothly.”
“I’m convinced he stole money off me on occasion but I don’t have any proof. Some of Annie’s jewelry went missing and she blamed herself for being absentminded. One of our female employees found his behavior offensive. That sort of thing.”
“What do you mean by offensive?”
“Karen Walcott worked in the stables. She came to us a few months after she started, saying Tyler was harassing her. He’d asked her out a few times and didn’t seem to want to take no for an answer. She claimed he was stalking her, hanging around her neighborhood late at night, calling her and hanging up, that sort of thing. Annie and I talked to him, but he denied it all.”
“What happened?”
“Annie told Karen she was overreacting, so she quit.” He paused. “The thing is, I kind of believed her. Tyler could be weird around women. It was around that time that Annie and I started having problems in our marriage
again. I didn’t want Tyler around anymore. We argued about him a lot.”
Macy picked up her pen. “Do you have any idea where Karen is now?”
“I ran into her down at the rodeo in Cheyenne last year but she wasn’t too keen to have anything to do with me. I got the impression she’s still angry.”
“Any idea what she’s doing these days?”
“As far as I know she never married. A friend of a friend told me she ran a riding school in Cheyenne.”
“I read that you brought charges against Tyler for theft?”
“A sizable quantity of fertilizer went missing. This was following the Oklahoma bombing so we had to report it. There were rumors that Tyler was planning on selling it to some militia group down near Billings, but nothing could be proved. God knows what they would have done if they got their hands on it. After I called the cops Annie didn’t speak to me for months.”
“You did the right thing.”
“I have to admit I was looking for any excuse to get rid of him. John was at an impressionable age and I didn’t like how he’d hang on Tyler’s every word.” He placed his thick hands flat on his lap. “I may have had issues with Tyler in the past, but in the end he made good. He’s taken some serious knocks for our country.”
“Were there hard feelings?”
“I don’t think so. He came to me a few years back and thanked me for all we’d done for him … apologized for his behavior. I think he should be commended for turning his life around.”
“Maybe you should extend the same generosity to your daughter.”
“I’d like to. I’m just worried she’ll throw it back in my face.”
“She’s lost so much. It would surprise me if she wasn’t willing to meet you halfway.”
“I hear you had a near miss yesterday.”
“Thankfully, there was a big hole in the middle of the backyard to jump into.”
“Tyler’s famous nuclear fallout shelter.”
“I was dubious but now I’m now a believer.”
They both stood and shook hands.
“Thank you for taking the time to speak to me today.”
“I’ll let you know what we find today. Unfortunately, it looks like Jessie and Dylan will both need lawyers.”
“I’m going to see one now.”
* * *
As soon as Jeremy left the office, Macy opened her laptop. Karen Walcott ran a small riding school in the suburbs of Cheyenne. There was a photo of her on the home page of the Web site. She looked like she was in her late thirties. She had a nice smile, pale complexion, and thick dark hair. Macy called the listed number and it went straight to an answering machine. An automated voice informed Macy that Karen Walcott would return the call as soon as possible. Macy explained why she was calling and left her details. The phone rang less than a minute later.
She sounded out of breath. “Detective Greeley, this is Karen Walcott. I’m so sorry I missed your call.”
Macy opened her notebook. “That’s no problem at all. Thank you for getting back to me so quickly. Do you have time to talk?”
“Yes, of course.”
“I understand you made a complaint against Tyler Locke when you were employed by the Daltons. It’s been more than ten years, so I understand if you don’t remember the details, but I’d be grateful if you could tell me everything you recall.”
“Oh, you don’t easily forget something like that. May I ask why you’re asking after all this time? Has Tyler done the same thing to someone else?”
“That’s what I’m trying to figure out.”
“I knew I couldn’t be the only one. He was so intense. The way he stared at me made my skin crawl.”
“I want to know if he did more than stare.”
“Mostly he followed me. I could be going to a bar as far away as Butte and he’d somehow manage to find me. The first couple of times I was polite, but then I confronted him at work. He told me I was a stupid bitch and that he wanted nothing to do with me. He was really abusive, but after that he quit following me so I figured it was worth it. A few weeks later I realized he was hanging around my house instead. He’d drive by with the headlights off, but I could see it was him.”
“Did you ever think of calling the police?”
“I went to speak to Annie and Jeremy Dalton instead. I’d been working there for a few months by then. Annie and I had become close. I figured she would listen to me. The way she reacted you would have thought I was the one harassing Tyler. I’ve never felt so betrayed. To his credit, Jeremy tried to get Annie to see things from my point of view, but that woman wouldn’t listen. I saw a completely different side to her that day. It wasn’t pretty.”
“Did you leave town after that?”
“Damn right, I did.”
“Did Tyler try to make contact again?”
“There were a few late-night phone calls but thankfully no visits. Even though he never said anything, I knew who it was. He’d done the same thing when I was living in Wilmington Creek. Last year I opened a riding school so I had to put my address online. I’ve been really anxious but so far he’s left me alone. I suppose that just means he moved on to someone else.”
“I’m afraid that might be the case.”
“Can you tell me what’s going on?”
“I have your details. Once I get to the bottom of this I will call and explain everything.”
Macy checked the time before venturing into the outer office. A couple of officers were working the phones. Most of the other staff was out at the lake or interviewing potential witnesses. Even by Wilmington Creek standards it was unusually quiet. The officer she’d met when she interviewed Lana put his phone down and waved to get her attention. He handed her a phone message.
“I didn’t want to interrupt your meeting with Mr. Dalton. Aiden called. It looks like it will be another couple of hours before they raise the truck.”
“Thanks. Anything else come through?”
“So far we’ve got nothing new from the interviews we’ve been conducting this morning. Everyone seems to have a solid alibi for the night John was murdered.”
Macy headed for the office. “Keep digging. Someone must know something.”
She closed the door and checked her phone. There were still no calls from the medical examiner in Helena, but Ray had tried calling her three times. She couldn’t be bothered with checking her voicemail. She scrolled down to his number and put the phone to her ear.
“Ray, it’s Macy.”
“Hey, did you get my messages?”
“Yes, I’m heading out to the lake soon. We should know if it’s Ethan Green within a couple of hours.”
“I’m not sorry for the way I handled things. I based my decision to go forward with the press conference on the information we had at the time.”
Macy scraped her hair away from her face and stared up at the ceiling. “Good thing I wasn’t expecting an apology.”
“I should have never accused you of putting our personal issues ahead of your job. That was out of order. I can only imagine how hurt you felt.”
“Ray, I’d rather not talk about us right now.”
“I need to know what you’re thinking.”
“I’m not thinking anything at the moment. I just want to sort this case out so I can get home to Luke.”
“What about your health? I was told you spent the night in the hospital.”
“It’s just a few bruises. I didn’t even have a concussion.”
“Are you sure? I don’t want you to overdo it.”
She raised her voice. “Ray, back off. I’m fine.”
“I’m just concerned.”
“I need to go. I promise we’ll talk properly when I’m back in Helena.”
“Will you keep me posted on developments?”
“I’ll call you later when we know more.”
Macy sat drumming her fingers on the desk. Tyler had barely been out of high school when Karen Walcott accused him of stalking
her. In between he’d done five tours, and aside from stealing some fertilizer he had a clean record. According to his service record he was with his platoon in Afghanistan during the time Lana was being harassed. She put in a call to his CO in Afghanistan and wasn’t surprised that it went straight to voicemail. After leaving him a message, she checked the cover sheet stapled to the front of Tyler’s service record. Someone named Stuart Long had sent the e-mail. The address and phone number for the Fort Benning human resources department was listed below his name. While she waited to be put through to Stuart Long, she found the original e-mail on the mainframe and downloaded it to her computer.
“Stuart is in a meeting. Can I help you, ma’am?”
“My name is Detective Macy Greeley. I work as a special investigator for the state of Montana. I’m working on a case that involves an active duty platoon sergeant named Tyler Locke. I’m following up on the service record your office sent us last Wednesday. I need to speak to Mr. Long. I’m worried that the file may be incomplete.”
“Are you sure Stuart Long was the individual who sent the file?”
“Absolutely, I have the original e-mail up on my screen right now.”
“I’d like you to forward it to me so we can look into it from our end. Service records are normally distributed out of the U.S. Army Personnel Command Center in Kentucky.”
“Is it possible Mr. Long’s account was hacked?”
“I can’t say. I’ll know more once we have had a chance to look at the e-mail.”
Macy typed in the clerk’s e-mail address and hit the Send button. “If there’s even a chance that Tyler Locke’s service records have been altered, I need you to send me a valid copy right away.”
“I’ll have to speak to my supervisor. Sorting this out could take some time. Like I said, all requests would normally go through the command center.”
“It can’t wait. I’m in the middle of a murder investigation. I need to know if Tyler Locke was in Georgia during February of this year.”
“I can’t promise you anything, but I’ll do what I can. We’ll certainly get something out to you today.”
After hanging up, Macy tried calling the medical examiner’s office.
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