Burnt River (32 page)

“So I hear.”

He gave her a quick glance. “It was just a thought. Feel free to ignore it.”

“Aiden,” said Macy. “It is a nice thought, but it’s probably not a good idea.”

“Like I said, it was just a thought.”

They turned onto the long drive leading up to the Dalton’s ranch house. Every light was on. They drove past a pickup truck parked on the side of the main access road. A man with a rifle waved them through.

“It seems like Jeremy isn’t taking any chances.”

“There are too many guns around. It’s making me nervous.”

“There have always been too many guns around. Does Jessie know yet that she didn’t kill Ethan?”

“I don’t think so. Ryan seems to have kept that quiet.”

“I hope Jessie and Dylan know where Tyler’s taken Lana.”

“I wouldn’t hold my breath. Tyler seems to have thought this through. I doubt he’d have told them anything.”

Aiden parked near a patrol car that was stationed out front and had a quick word with the officers on duty before heading to the front door. Jeremy stood behind the screen with his thick arms folded around his chest.

“You’re high if you think I’m going to let you arrest my daughter for murdering that lowlife.”

Aiden shoved his hands deep in his pockets. “Jeremy, we’re not here to arrest anyone.”

Jeremy Dalton didn’t budge.

Macy peered into the front window. “Mr. Dalton, is Jessie on the premises?” Macy hadn’t seen his daughter’s car in the driveway. It had dawned on her that Jeremy had the resources to hide her from the authorities. For all they knew, Jessie was already on her way to Canada.

“She’s here but you’re not speaking to her.”

“That’s not what we agreed to on the phone.” Aiden caught sight of a Cadillac parked under the trees. “I see you’ve called your lawyer.”

“If it was your daughter, you’d do the same thing.”

Macy looked up at Jeremy. “Mr. Dalton, as far as I can tell, Jessie didn’t kill Ethan Green. The most I could get her on is obstruction, and compared to the shit storm brewing out here, that’s the least of my priorities.”

Jeremy stepped out onto the front porch and the screen door snapped shut behind him. “What are you talking about? I heard you found Ethan’s body.”

“You heard correctly, and once I’m in a room with Jessie and Dylan, I’ll tell you everything else you need to know.”

They gathered in the formal dining room. There was an imposing cupboard made of dark-stained wood along one wall. It was full of cut-glass crystal and delicate teacups that looked as if they’d never been used. The room felt incongruous to the rest of the house, which was a warren of intersecting rooms that lacked any sort of order. This was the type of room you came to only when summoned. Macy took a sip of the iced tea she’d been served and looked around the table. Aiden sat on her left; Jeremy was at the head of the table, his back to a bay window overlooking the front yard. Jessie and Dylan flanked a long-faced lawyer named Frank Hobbs. Aside from the lawyer, no one looked as if they’d slept for some time. The door opened and Wade Larkin stepped in. He took the seat opposite Jeremy and apologized for delaying them.

Macy kept her eyes on Jessie. “Jessie, in your original statement you said that you struck Ethan Green in the head several times with a rock. We found bruising on his forehead to suggest this was the case, but the bruising also indicates that Ethan Green was still alive. We don’t believe your actions killed him. It is more probable that he lost consciousness for a period of time.”

“Did he drown?”

“Ethan Green was shot twice with the same gun that was used to kill highway patrol officer Timothy Wallace last summer. We believe that Tyler used that same weapon to murder your brother and wound Lindsay Moore.”

Jessie started to say something again, but this time the lawyer put his hand up to stop her. “Not another word.”

“We now know that Tyler didn’t die in that explosion. We’re waiting for confirmation, but it was probably Charlie Lott’s remains that were found in the garage. There is evidence to suggest his body had been kept in one of Tyler’s deep freezers for the past month.” Macy glanced over at Dylan. “It was Tyler who was stalking Lana Clark back in Georgia, not Charlie Lott, as was previously believed.”

Dylan interrupted her. “That can’t be right. Tyler wasn’t at Fort Benning. He was in Afghanistan.”

“Again, Tyler covered his tracks. He created an e-mail account and sent us falsified service records. We’ve since learned the truth. In late January, Tyler was evacuated from Afghanistan for mental health reasons. He was stationed at Fort Benning until he was discharged from military service four weeks ago. Given that they served in the same platoon, we’re assuming that John was aware of this, but kept it quiet.”

Jessie ignored her lawyer. “You’re wrong. Tyler wouldn’t have killed John. They were like brothers.”

“I know this is hard to take in all at once, but he’s fooled everyone. Earlier today he assaulted a patrol officer and abducted Lana Clark. There’s a statewide manhunt being organized as we speak. He’s a very dangerous man. That bomb was probably meant to kill the two of you. I just happened to get to Tyler’s house first.”

“Tyler is an explosives expert,” said Dylan. “If he wanted you dead, you’d be dead.”

Frank Hobbs looked up from his notes. “Is the state planning on bringing charges against my clients?”

Macy put an evidence bag on the table. Inside was a crumpled Ziploc baggie containing several capsules. “Jessie, are you familiar with Rohypnol?”

Jessie picked up the bag and turned it over in her hands. “They’re roofies.”

“Have you ever taken them before?”

“I’m not sure.”

“You’re aware that ‘roofies’ is the street name for Rohypnol, also commonly known as a date rape drug?”

“So I’ve heard.”

“In your statement you said that you drank a Coke that Ethan Green bought you at a convenience store and that later you were dizzy, had difficulty breathing, and that you suffered memory loss. All these are symptoms of someone who has ingested Rohypnol. We found this bag of tablets in the front pocket of Ethan’s jeans. He could have slipped some into your drink. It’s pretty much tasteless, so you would have been completely unaware you were being drugged.”

Aiden continued, “Ethan Green has been wanted for questioning related to an event that occurred in Collier the evening before he picked you up at The Whitefish. A tox screen revealed there was Rohypnol in the victim’s system, and she identified Ethan Green as her assailant. The authorities have been looking for him ever since.”

Macy looked up at the lawyer. “It’s up to the district attorney as to whether Jessie and Dylan are charged with obstruction, but given the extenuating circumstances and the threats Jessie received from Tyler, I somehow doubt she’ll bother. Right now my main priorities are finding Tyler and getting Lana home safe and sound.” She unfolded the map and placed it on the table. “This has already been marked with properties known to be associated with Tyler’s family. We’re pretty confident he’s stayed in the valley, but the area is vast. There are a lot of abandoned properties, hunting and fishing lodges, and many people live off the grid. If you have any idea where he might be, you need to tell us now.”

Dylan circled a large area south of Darby Lake. “Tyler didn’t say exactly where it was, but he mentioned a house he’s been looking after that’s down in this area. It belongs to some friend of his who’s been living off the grid.”

“Did he mention a name?”

“All I know is that his first name is Lacey and that he’s down on the Mexico-Arizona border for the next few weeks training with a militia group.”

Wade spoke for the first time. “That would be the Minute Men.”

Jeremy leaned in so he could get a better look at the map. “I’ve heard of Lacey. He’s ex-military.”

Aiden frowned. “We’re looking at an area that’s twenty to thirty square miles. We’ll check all the access roads first. There’s no way Charlie Lott’s car could handle the terrain. We find the car, and we know we’re on to something.”

Wade pushed his chair from the table. “Aiden, I’ve got some friends down in Arizona. I’m going to make some calls.”

“Thanks, Wade. Let us know if you find anything.”

Macy put the evidence bag away. “Dylan, I need to ask you about your mother, Sarah.”

Dylan glanced down at his phone. “She left for her sister’s in Boise early this morning.”

“I imagine she was pretty upset. That’s a long drive. Have you spoken to her?”

“No, but that’s not unusual.” He pressed some keys on his phone.

“You’re worried about her, aren’t you?”

“Yes, ma’am.”

“How was she with Tyler? Would she help him if he asked?”

“I’m afraid she would.”

“You need to let us know the minute you hear from her.”

“She was on the phone with someone last night. I thought it was my aunt, but I could have been mistaken. They don’t get along too well. It would be weird for my mom to reach out to her now.”

“Do you think it was Tyler?”

“Hard to say. She started packing right after she hung up.”

“What type of car does your mother drive?”

“She’s got a pickup truck just like mine. It’s dark green though.”

Macy glanced over at Jessie. She still wore a bandana around her neck. She looked as if she was holding her breath.

“Jessie, I know you’re tired, but I have one more question and we’ll be going.”

Frank Hobbs folded his hands together. “I think my client has been helpful enough for one evening.”

Jessie puffed out her cheeks. “Frank, it’s okay for her to ask. I already know I don’t have to answer.”

“Jessie, there’s something that’s been bothering me since I learned Tyler served time as a juvenile for dealing drugs. Was he the one who got you started?”

She hesitated and Frank spoke again. “Detective Greeley, I fail to see how this is relevant.”

Jessie glanced up at her father. “I know it sounds stupid, but it made me feel special when he singled me out.”

“How old were you?”

“Thirteen.”

“Did your brother know?”

She looked down at her hands. “No, it was our secret.”

“Were there other secrets? Did Tyler ever tell you anything that might help us find him?”

“He knew a lot of people around here who lived on the fringe. He’d take me to meth labs, abandoned houses in the hills. He knew a lot of guys in the militias. There were always guns around.”

Macy pushed the map in Jessie’s direction. “I need you to try to remember where some of these places are.”

Jessie picked up a pen. “It’s been a long time. They might not be there anymore.”

“That’s okay. You let us worry about that.”

“There was that place north of Collier that they found last year.”

Macy bit her lip. “You were there?”

“Yes, ma’am.”

The pen hovered over the map. “This may take a while.”

Macy sipped at her iced tea. It had gone tepid. “This is important. Take your time.”

*   *   *

Macy climbed into Aiden’s car and pulled her seat belt on. He’d been waiting with the engine idling while she had a few last words with Jeremy and the lawyer.

“Well,” he said, pulling out of the parking space. “That went better than expected.”

“I don’t like lawyers.”

“Isn’t Ray Davidson a lawyer?”

“There you go.”

“Just so you know, I’ve been on the phone with him. His plane landed a half hour ago. He’s expecting us at the station.”

“Did you put an APB out on Sarah Reed’s car?”

“Yep. I still can’t believe she’d be so stupid.”

“Love seems to have that effect on people. He probably fed her some line that he was being set up, and she bought it.” She turned on the light and held up the map. In all, Jessie had marked the location of half a dozen meth labs and three militia compounds. “This should keep us busy for a while.”

“I’ll do a cross-check. I’m pretty sure most of those labs are shut down. Meth isn’t as much of a problem as it was a few years back.”

“I need to pick up my car. It’s still out at Darby Lake.”

“We’ll swing by on the way into town.”

Macy leaned against the window and closed her eyes. “I guess the one good thing that’s come out of this is that Jessie and Jeremy seem to be talking.”

“Is that what you were discussing?”

“Jeremy feels awful knowing he let Tyler near his kids.”

“I wonder why Tyler didn’t try giving drugs to John.”

“Jessie must have been the easier mark. You wonder how she’s still standing after everything she’s been through.”

“How are you feeling?”

“Barely standing. I’m exhausted. I feel pretty beat up.”

“After we pick up your car, you should head straight back to your hotel. Given what you’ve been through in the past three days, it’s perfectly understandable. We’re organizing a team to search the access roads south of the lake. They’ll head out sometime tonight with dog handlers. There’s not much more that you can do today.”

Macy stared out the windshield. Beyond the reach of the headlights the world was black. She closed her eyes and slept.

*   *   *

The hot water burned into Macy’s bruised shoulder blades. She placed her palms flat against the bathroom tiles and focused in on the pain. Somewhere along the way, recounting Ray’s many transgressions had become her daily mantra. She’d been wrong. Nothing was worth this much misery. She shut off the taps and opened her eyes. The bathroom was so hot she felt light-headed. She held on to the rail attached to the wall and waited for the dizziness to pass. The overhead fan was on and pipes clicked and hissed in the walls. She pulled the curtain open and took care stepping out of the shower. Her reflection in the mirror was so steamed over she could have been a stranger approaching in the fog. Using a towel, she wiped a small window of steam away so she could see her face. Her eyes were swollen but clear. She wrapped up and opened the door.

Ray was sitting on her bed with his legs stretched out and the top button of his shirt undone. His tie hung loose at his throat. He looked up from his cell phone and ran his eyes over her. He didn’t smile. Macy pulled the towel up farther and secured it tightly. She didn’t smile either.