“I agree,” Troy said. “Initially, he was just watching you. Amy was the one behind the mutilated animals which explains him having a dead, but intact, opossum, when we caught him.”
“I’m on the same page with them,” Colt agreed. “As I said before, she’s been building this web for a long time. It’s going to take a while to unravel it.”
“Roxbury and the Engleharts weren’t directly involved in the harassment?”
“They are far from innocent. The Engleharts reveled in the terror you were going through. That’s sick, but it’s no crime. Last night, however, was another step to set up Roxbury.” Kevin gave her a reassuring squeeze. “Your aunt gave him his marching orders not knowing Colt and Troy were keeping tabs on the preacher. Other than our team, no one knew they were here. Amy was at the service, so she’d have an alibi if her name ever came up. He wasn’t supposed to get caught but if he did leave any evidence behind, it would tie him to the past harassment. She was probably counting on it. Amy kept him involved so there would be a fall guy when the time came for one. If he mentioned the Engleharts, they’d be more than happy to point a finger back his way. There’s not much more the system can do to them. My best guess is they enjoyed toying with him. It probably gave them a perverse sense of satisfaction.”
“I don’t doubt that,” River agreed.
“He made one phone call when he was picked up and it wasn’t to a lawyer,” Troy said. He dumped the remains of the coffee pot into the sink. “We tried the number. It went straight to an automated voice mail. No name attached to it. The cops will check it out, but odds are it was to the second number on his burner phone—your aunt’s phone.”
“Amy had to act quickly once Roxbury notified her that he’d been picked up,” Colt explained. He drained his coffee cup and headed toward the kitchen. “There was a second call to the same number after he was released. Roxbury had to be free in order to become a suspect in your disappearance. He was told to call her as soon as he was released. That was her cue to move.”
“Why go to the trouble of killing me and burying me in the forest? Wouldn’t it have been easier and faster for her if I was just found dead? Wasn’t she taking a chance my remains wouldn’t be found?”
“I suspect an anonymous tip would have led them to you. She most likely had a plan to connect Roxbury to the grave and, even in her panic, stuck with her plan,” Kevin said. He came around the front of the couch and offered her his hand. When she took it, he pulled her to her feet and encircled her in his arms.
“What if you’d been here?” River asked.
“Until she talks, all we can do is guess. She might have waited for an opportunity to grab you. She might have tried to kill us both. We’ll have to wait for those answers, if we get them at all,” he said, hugging her tightly.
“And nothing of this had to do with the shit that happened on Sanibel? Did they ever find out what happened to Kane’s wife?” She pulled away from Kevin, her gaze passing from man to man.
“Other than your aunt’s surreptitious visits, nothing else looks like it’s connected to your aunt. Mrs. Kane’s body—or what was left of it—was found floating off the coast near Miami,” Colt told her. “Another lesson from the SATG.”
“Do you have any idea what spooked your aunt last night?” Colt asked, rinsing his cup. “She had to be freaked out to take off with you without setting the scene. She’d been doing a damned good job of that all along.”
“I think I might have triggered that. I let it slip that you were all at Roxbury’s.”
“That would have done it,” Troy leaned against the door jamb. “She panicked. Panicked people make mistakes.”
“I’m sorry, River,” Kevin said. They’d been discussing her planned murder like it was an episode of 48 Hours.
“You’ve got nothing to be sorry for,” she said, laying a kiss on his cheek. “You saved my life. If you all hadn’t helped, I’d still be clueless or dead.”
“I think we need to get our asses down to the Sheriff’s office,” Troy interjected. “They’ve been patient and we need their help to fill in some holes.”
41
A concern River hadn’t voiced to any of them, was the fear of running into her aunt. She wasn’t ready to face her. Anger battled with heartache. She needed time to digest and dissect her aunt’s role in all this. Fortunately, that particular worry was a waste of energy. Her aunt was in the county jail. The sheriff’s office was located in another building.
“Ms. Chandler?”
River had been studying her hands. The sheriff had ushered her into his office when they arrived at the station. The guys were elsewhere—presumably being questioned. It was odd to be on her own. She’d spent so much time with Kevin recently, she now felt strangely abandoned. Shit. He’d be going back to his base, then he’d be deployed. There were times when she thought they could do this thing. Be apart and still be together. There was no guarantee he’d come back to her. She’d already lost too many people. Selfish. She recognized the selfishness of it, but it was better to cut the ties than spend months wondering if he’d come home. He deserved someone stronger and unafraid.
“Ms. Chandler? Are you all right?” the sheriff asked.
“Sorry,” she said, bringing her gaze up to meet his.
“No problem, Ms. Chandler. You’ve got a lot on your mind.”
“Call me River, Sheriff. We’ve known each other a long time.”
“Sadly enough, that’s a fact. Since we’re on a first name basis, call me Lance.”
Lance Chamblee had been a deputy when River’s family was murdered. She’d occasionally see him when she was in town. She voted for him for sheriff. He’d personally taken the lead on her case when she was receiving the gifts which had been left for her. He’d done his best. People trusted their neighbors here. If it hadn’t been for Kevin and his friends, she seriously doubted anyone close enough to know her family would ever suspect her aunt was behind this craziness.
They spent a great deal of time breaking down interactions with her aunt before and after the death of her parents and brother. Either Aunt Amy was skilled at covering up any negative feelings or River was extremely bad at reading them. She opted for her aunt’s skill at hiding her sick mind or her mother would have never named her the guardian of her children.
“Did your aunt ever ask you for money? Ever tell you her business was in trouble?”
“Never. It wasn’t until recently that I gave it any thought. I could have helped her out if she needed something. It was selfish of me not to have asked. I’d planned to rectify that when we got this shit behind us.”
“And it looks like she was responsible for this shit,” Chamblee said, rubbing his jaw. He was a handsome man. River guessed he was in his late thirties. Young for a sheriff but this was a small town, and he was more than qualified from what she knew.
“They’ll be looking at her books—and yours too.”
“I’ll make them available. I plan on hiring a forensic accountant to review them, as well. I’m assuming that won’t be a problem?”
“They can work together.” Chamblee paused. “Would Ms. Scott have received the bulk of your estate if something happened to you?”
“Not everything. A big chunk would go to charity, but the majority, including the cabin, would have gone to her.” River had become a dollar sign as far as her aunt was concerned. It made her sick inside.
“I never looked into your aunt when your harassment began. I can’t apologize enough for that.” Chamblee threw his pen on his desk and ran a hand through his hair. His jaw tightened.
“You had no reason to. Hell, she played the part perfectly. Has she talked at all?” River had gotten past the crying stage. She was still stunned and hurt. She suspected the pain would remain with her for a long time.
“She refuses to answer questions and has contacted an attorney. What we know is what she told you and your friends.”
“She killed Dan,” River stated flatl
y. She didn’t doubt Kevin’s assumption now—not after seeing the hate behind those wild eyes.
“I suspect so, but we still have to prove it. Did your aunt say anything you can think of that would help?” Chamblee picked up the pen he’d thrown down. He was recording the conversation, but he still took notes on a yellow pad. Highlights, she supposed.
“When she came by the cabin, she said she’d come to check on me. I should have been on alert then since she hadn’t stepped foot in the place since my family was murdered. She asked me a lot of questions about Kevin. Pressed me to the point I got annoyed.” It was easy to understand her interest now. Kevin and his friends were possible wrenches in her plan.
“She was very curious about Roxbury. I couldn’t tell her much. I didn’t know much at that time.” She looked at her hands as she literally twiddled her thumbs around each other.
“The fact that your friends were at his place must have scared her.”
River’s head snapped up.
“They’re not in any trouble, although they did get a stern warning,” he said, answering her unspoken question.
“They were just trying to help.”
“And if they hadn’t been helping, you might not be sitting in that uncomfortable chair right now, so I’m grateful they had your back. I wouldn’t mind having one or two of them on the force.”
“I think they’re all happy doing what they do,” she responded. Was Kevin happy? He said he was thinking about leaving the service. If he decided to leave, he’d head to South Florida and join his friends there. She understood that. Now wasn’t the time to think about it.
“Getting back to Ms. Scott, how did she respond when you mentioned your friends were making a visit to Roxbury’s place?”
“She didn’t react at all, not that I could tell. I guess she’s a pretty good actress.”
“She had everyone fooled, it would seem.”
“There was one question I’ll never forget.” River remembered her aunt chugging her glass of wine before asking the question. “She wanted to know if Roxbury had killed Dan. How could she ask me that when she knew?”
“River, you have my word, we’ll see Dan gets justice,” he assured her. “Is there anything else you can tell me?”
“I walked out to the car with her to get some baked goods she had for us. That’s when I was hit on the head.” She should have pocketed her phone. While she hadn’t suspected her aunt of anything at the time, they still could have been targets. Going anywhere without her phone under the circumstances was taking chances. It was a lesson learned too late.
“Have you seen a doctor?”
“Yes. Last night. I apparently have a hard head.” River took a deep breath. “When I regained consciousness, I didn’t hear anyone speak. I assumed she was a victim, too. It wasn’t until I was free that I discovered she was the one behind my abduction.”
The sheriff nodded, his jaw clenched. He was angry on her behalf. That knowledge loosened the knot in her stomach—just a hair. He got to his feet.
“You’ll be hearing from the District Attorney, but I think we’ve covered all we can for now. If you think of anything else, contact me,” he said, extending his hand.
“Thank you,” she said as he escorted her to the door.
“I wish I could have done more when this all started. If I had, things may have never gotten this far.”
“I know you did your best.”
“Your friends figured it out.”
On cue, the men he was referring to, rounded the corner and headed down the hall toward her. Kevin reached her first, pulling her into his arms. The knot which had begun to loosen in the sheriff’s office, unraveled at his touch.
“Let’s go home,” he said.
Home. She had no family. Did that mean she had no home?
They stopped for a fast-food dinner. River picked at her sandwich and nibbled on a few fries, but Kevin was unsuccessful at getting her to eat. The mystery was solved and she was safe, but the resolution came at the loss of her remaining family member.
Over cold hamburgers and soft drinks they picked apart the questions they’d been asked by the authorities. Using those questions, they filled in the holes in their theories. A clearer picture began to develop.
With River’s permission, the authorities had quickly opened the spigot and began the flow of documents from her financial institutions when Amy Scott was still on her accounts. A superficial look told them her aunt had almost immediately began to skim money from River’s trust fund after she was named guardian. The expenses for the cost of the care of the fourteen-year-old were excessive, but not so evident that any of the transactions had been questioned by her bank or the courts. River didn’t take an interest in her finances until she started her search for a college.
While drawing circles in a mound of ketchup with a french fry, River admitted that once she taken over the financial end of things, something had teased in the back of her mind that it had cost more to raise her than it did to live on her own. She’d ignored the feeling.
“I didn’t look any further than the balance on the accounts when I accessed them. Maybe I was subconsciously afraid of what I’d find,” she admitted. “Why did Aunt Amy wait? Why wait until last year to start her assault?”
“Did she ask you for money recently?” Kevin asked.
“No. And I didn’t offer any. I didn’t know she needed it.”
“You don’t know she needed it,” Kevin said. “Maybe she just wanted it.”
Kevin regretted the statement as River’s eyes pooled with unshed tears. Her aunt wanted her dead—because she wanted money more than she loved her niece.
“I’m sorry,” he said as she knuckled away tears.
“I wish you’d all stop saying you’re sorry. I don’t want anyone’s pity,” she snapped.
“River…”
“Can we go now?” She reached for her purse. “People are watching and I’m tired of being a star in a freak show.” She slid out of the booth and headed for the door.
“Tread lightly,” Troy warned, staring after River. “She’s not in a good place right now.”
“Hang in there,” Colt said, adding his support.
River was waiting by the car when he stepped out into the cool air. She said nothing as he popped the locks, then buckled herself in. Something told him now was not the time for conversation.
Colt and Troy headed back to the resort while Kevin drove River to the cabin. She was quiet, staring out the passenger window at the long shadows cast by the setting sun. They had one last night together in North Carolina. Tomorrow they’d be heading back to Florida. At least he assumed River would be joining them on the flight back. She’d brought a minimal change of clothing with her and a small part of the current project she was working on when they’d left Sanibel.
When they pulled up to the cabin, River let herself out and into her home. She shrugged off her jacket, hung it on the hook near the door.
“Are you upset with me?” He’d been mentally running through what he’d said and if any one of his comments could have wounded her.
“You?” she asked, her eyes widening in surprise. “No. I’m angry at myself. I’ve elected to live a solitary life. Maybe if I’d been more involved with Aunt Amy, I wouldn’t have missed the signs. Still, how could she be so cruel as to pull the Engleharts into her personal mission to obtain my finances? That goes beyond greed. It’s mental terrorism. What sort of person does that? What sort of person kills a decent man for the sole purpose of luring me home? I don’t understand any of this. How much of this is my fault?” She gulped air. “It hurts. God, it hurts so much.”
Kevin pulled her into his arms. He continued to hold her as she soaked his shirt. She deserved to fill buckets with tears. Kevin personally wanted to kick the shit out of her aunt. The Engleharts were evil, mentally ill bastards. Roxbury could be dumb as a rock for all he knew. Amy, on the other hand, was greedy, cold, calculating and cruel.
Eventually, River’s well ran dry. She took a deep breath, exhaled and stepped back. A gentle smile graced her face. The bloodshot eyes tore at his gut, but the smile soothed it.
“You okay?”
“Better.” She brushed her hand over the damp spot on his shirt. “Sorry.”
“Saves me a wash,” he joked, making her smile grow wider.
“Let me crank up the heat,” she said.
“I’ll take care of it,” he offered, turning her toward the bedroom. “Why don’t you get comfortable. It’s been a long day.”
He was glad to see a ghost of a smile still on her face as she stepped into the bathroom. He knew a good cry was cathartic. There were times on the battlefield he certainly felt like crying, but being a medic, he needed to project an air of confidence. He didn’t want his patients to lose hope. Many nights, lying in the darkness, he would sometimes hear sobbing coming from another tent or bunker. It was hell. You didn’t get through hell unscathed. Had his comrades who’d set their emotions free fared better than those who’d kept them in check?
Grabbing a few logs from the woodpile out back, Kevin started a fire. The crackling of the burning wood gave off a soothing sound. By the time River returned to the cabin from Sanibel, it should be warm enough that the fireplace wouldn’t be needed. He was making assumptions again. Turning away from the mesmerizing flames, he noted the bathroom door was open, but the bedroom door was closed.
He stepped into the room and smiled. A candle flickered on the bedside table. River was in bed, the covers tucked under her bare arms. She was waiting for him.
42
River slipped out of bed early the next morning. She started a pot of coffee, then headed for the bathroom. Kevin joined her as she was rinsing her hair. It was a tight fit, but they didn’t need much space between them.
Run, River, Run Page 29