Burnt River (28 page)

Aiden brushed away a mosquito that had settled on his arm. “One of Ethan’s followers, then?”

“Someone could have found out what happened and decided to go after them.”

“What’s the downside to opening up the roof and pulling him out that way?”

“We’d compromise the crime scene. Lose evidence.”

“I think I’d better call Ray. He’s the one who’s been pushing Ethan as a suspect. Who knows? He may want to wait a while longer before being proven wrong.”

“He hates when he’s wrong.”

“At this point I really don’t give a shit.”

“Anyway, all that aside. We really need to go through all of Ethan’s known associates again and decide who to bring in for questioning. Start seeing if we can pull any of these strands together.”

22

Aiden took the chair opposite Macy and signaled to the waitress. “Sorry we couldn’t have dinner last night. By the time we wrapped things up at the lake I’d lost the power to speak.”

“You and me both.”

“I imagine you needed some time to yourself anyway.”

“What I needed was sleep.”

“Did you get any?”

“Eight hours uninterrupted. I feel like a new woman.”

“You look rested.”

“Probably helps that I haven’t had a drink in three days.”

“Three whole days? Is that some sort of record?”

She didn’t smile. “It might be.”

He thanked the waitress for his coffee and took his first sip, grimacing because it was too hot.

Macy poked at her scrambled eggs. “Has Ray been in touch?”

“Not since I broke the news to him about the body we found up at the lake.”

She lowered her voice. “I imagine he’s been busy covering his ass.”

“As long as it’s not at your expense.”

“Don’t worry, I’ve been keeping notes. I put my reservations about going ahead with the press conference in an e-mail and sent it to him before he went on air.”

“Remind me not to mess with you.”

She deadpanned, “Don’t mess with me.”

“Noted,” he said, laughing as he picked up the menu. “What’s on the agenda today?”

“Jeremy Dalton called late last night. He wants to come in for an update. He’s heard some worrying rumors. I’ll meet him over at the station in the next hour.”

“Until we officially identify the body we’re in a bit of a holding pattern. I’ve put a team together to interview that amended list of Ethan’s associates we made up yesterday, but I’m not all that hopeful. I can’t see any of them being loyal enough to do something like this.”

“Some heavy equipment passed through town a half hour ago. I imagine it’s the crane they’ll use to lift the truck.”

“I saw it too. It’s a beast. The water is pretty shallow at that end so I hope it doesn’t run aground.”

“You’d think they could pull it out with a helicopter.”

“Too close to the cliffs.”

Macy placed her napkin on the table. “I thought as a matter of courtesy I’d put in a call to Tyler’s commanding officer.”

“It’s a sad business.”

“It’s hard to imagine why those boys thought it was a good idea to cover up what happened to Jessie that night.”

“They had a lot of experience in combat situations. They probably thought they could handle it on their own.”

“But this wasn’t combat. Jessie needed the sort of help they couldn’t give her. If those pictures are anything to go by, she was in bad shape. She should have gone to the hospital.”

“I’m not surprised she’s had a relapse. The stuff Annie has been telling them. I hope she can keep it together. She’s worked hard to stay clean all this time.” He looked around for the waitress. “I’m going to order at the counter to save time. Do you want anything else?”

“Just more coffee when she has a minute.” Her phone buzzed and she checked the caller ID. It was Ray and she ignored it. She pulled Charlie Lott’s file up on her laptop and scrolled through it, glancing up at Aiden when he returned to the table. “We’re running out of suspects.”

“Are you looking through Charlie Lott’s file again?”

“He was a guitar player who dealt drugs to make ends meet. He didn’t know anything about building bombs. Plus he didn’t know Lindsay Moore. There’s no motive.” She sat back in her chair. “I’m troubled that the father of Lindsay’s unborn child hasn’t come forward. Someone got her pregnant, and she didn’t strike me as the type of woman who slept around. It’s a shame we didn’t get a match on the DNA we took from the fetus.”

“That just means the guy isn’t in the database. The people we’re interviewing again also had direct contact with Lindsay Moore. Something may come up.”

“Ethan Green is still the most logical suspect, and he’s been dead for a year.”

“We’re going to have to charge Jessie and Dylan with obstruction.”

“They need help, not jail time.” She took another stab at her eggs. “Sometimes I wonder why I went into law enforcement in the first place.”

“If you want to stay sane you need an exit strategy.”

“Do I now?”

“I’ve got mine all mapped out.”

“The cynic in me is picturing a fifth of JD and a loaded gun.”

“Christ, you need to take some time off.”

“Tell me something I don’t know.”

“I have some land along the Flathead River and a few investors lined up. We’re building a fishing lodge. It should be sweet.”

“Sounds idyllic.”

Aiden made room for the plate of food the waitress placed in front of him. He picked up a piece of bacon and took a bite. “What about you? Do you have an exit plan?”

“Rewriting it as we speak.”

“Just so long as it doesn’t involve whiskey and firearms.”

She stole a piece of his bacon. “I’ll keep you posted.”

*   *   *

Despite his size, Jeremy Dalton looked a little lost waiting on the steps outside the police station. Macy shook his hand and guided him through the glass double doors. A couple of the officers stood up as he walked between their desks. He did not meet their eyes.

Macy closed the office door and apologized that Aiden wasn’t there to meet with him. “He’s heading out to Darby Lake. It’s going to be a busy day.”

Jeremy took off his hat and tucked his hair behind his ears. “I hear that you’re expecting to find Ethan’s body.”

“That rumor is true.”

“Two days ago the captain of the state police announced that Ethan Green was the prime suspect in my son’s murder.”

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.”