Lost and Found (25 page)

She
ground the starter when she forgot to push the button to prep the diesel. “Dammit.” She slapped the steering
wheel
,
and this time waited for the ding and started the engine. Ryley just closed the passenger door when
she
shifted in reverse and backed up
,
right over Ryley’s bike he’d forgotten to put away.

She glanced at Ryley. He said nothing as he peered at his crumpled bike in the side mirror.
She
hit the gas and sped down the driveway and knocked over the newspaper box staked on the road at
the
edge of the driveway when she cut a sharp right onto the road. She wasn’t used to driving Richard
’
s large one ton. And being stressed, tired, and damn near freaking out
,
she probably shouldn’t be behind the wheel. Ryley appeared small in the passenger seat beside her. His hair was flattened on one side, and stuck straight up on the other.

Richard’s cell phone rang on the seat beside her. One handed
,
she held the cell phone to her ear. “Hello.” Her voice trembled.

“Maggie
,
its Diane
.
I just got your message. What the hell’s going on?”

She
had been so freaked out after the officers left
,
she couldn’t remember what message she left Diane. “Richard’s been arrested. They said he killed Dan. The officers took him to
Sequim Detachment
.
That’s
your detachment
,
right?” Her voice was breathless and filled with urgency. And she was driving too fast.

“Maggie
,
where are you right now?”

“I’m on my way to Sequim
,
to where the cops took Richard.”

“Turn around and come to my house. Do not go to the precinct. You are the last person who should be walking in there right now. You’ll only make it worse for
him
. I’ll see what I can find out. Do you hear me Maggie, go to my house
.
Meet
me there
!
” Diane yelled, which was so unlike her.

“Diane
,
I want to see my husband. I need to get him a lawyer. I’ve called Sam too, but he didn’t answer his cell phone. I don’t know how many messages I left. Why can’t you guys answer your phones?”

A loud beep cut through the line. Maggie pulled the phone away and glanced at the number on screen. “Diane
,
Sam’s on the other line
.
I gotta take it.”

“Okay
,
okay
.
But
do not go to the detachment
,
meet me at my house. Do you understand
?
Maggie!”

“Yes
,
okay
,
I will.” She clicked off before Diane could say anymore, before she missed Sam’s call.

“Maggie, it’s Sam
.
What
the hell’s going on. I’ve got twelve messages from you that Richard was arrested.”

“Oh Sam, they showed up an hour ago and took him in handcuffs
.
They
said he killed Dan. I need to get him a lawyer.”

“Where are you
,
Maggie?”

“I was on my way to Sequim to the police station where they took Richard, but I just spoke with Diane
,
and she doesn’t want me going there. She wants me to go to her place.”

“She’s right. I’ll take care of a lawyer for Richard. You just go to Diane’s
,
and if by any chance the police try and question you don’t talk. Ask for a lawyer.”

“Sam
,
I don’t know anything. What the hell’s going on? Is Dan really dead? And when would Richard have killed him? None of this makes any sense.”

“Maggie
,
I don’t know. But I’ll find out what’s going on. Go to Diane’s.”

“Sam
,
which ferry are you coming over on?”

He hesitated. “Marcie and I are already here.”

Diane was not home when Maggie pulled in. Ryley said nothing as he frantically clutched the seat belt across his chest. Maggie leaned back in her seat and really looked at Ryley with his pale face and eyes
staring like any frightened child whose world has been rocked, again.

“Ryley I know you’re scared. So am I. But Diane and Sam are going to help.”

He turned only his head to face her. “Did Dad kill Dan?”

The way his innocent yet worldly gaze searched and pleaded for her honesty, she knew if she lied, their shaky bond would be forever severed.

“I don’t know anything, Ryley. But your dad wouldn’t do something like that. I’m being honest with you. I don’t know how long Diane’s going to be. Do you want me to take you to one of your friends?”

He shook his head. “I’m not leaving. I want to know what’s going on.”

Maggie nodded and sucked her lower lip between her teeth. She couldn’t shelter Ryley.

She touched his arm. “Let’s go in and wait.”

Maggie dug out the spare key hidden under the big rock in the flower garden and had just shoved the key in the lock when Diane drove in spewing gravel and dirt. She jumped out of her SUV dressed in her uniform and slammed her door.

“Diane, what did you find out?”

Diane wiped her damp forehead as she stepped onto her front porch and glanced at Ryley.

“He needs to hear what’s going on, Diane. I promised Ryley I wouldn’t keep the truth from him.”

She slid open the door, and Diane motioned them in. Diane flicked on the kitchen light as the sunrise didn’t quite fill the dim room. “Right now, Richard’s being questioned. I couldn’t get in there, and I was called into my boss’ office and ordered to stay out of the investigation. They know we’re friends. IPB’s been called in to investigate my link with Richard. This happened so fast it doesn’t make sense. I did find out, before I got my hand slapped, a call came in early this evening to 911. Untraceable number. No idea who called, just that it was a woman. She said Dan McKenzie was killed, she gave the 911 operator Richard’s name as the man who killed him, and said he did it at the last house built on Richard’s and Dan’s property, the one just dry-walled. When the police arrived there was blood everywhere. Two 9 mm slugs found at the scene and enough blood to be ruled a homicide.”

“I don’t understand. You just said enough blood. What about Dan?”

“There was no body. The detectives assigned have concluded the body was moved.”

“Diane, that’s makes absolutely no sense. If there’s no body, how can they say Dan was murdered? Maybe it’s not even his blood.”

Diane waved her hands in front of her face to stop Maggie’s rant. “Look Maggie, they’ve built cases with far less. The crime scene technicians will type match the blood to Dan’s from his medical records. They’ll reconstruct the scene. But from the 911 call, the woman identified Richard as the one fighting with Dan and said Richard pulled out a gun and shot Dan. That’s all I know.” Diane turned away, grabbing her coffeepot and then filling it with water. “I’m going to try and get a hold of that tape.”

“My dad was at home all night with us.” Ryley piped up in a voice determined to challenge.

Maggie pivoted to face her eleven year old boy. Why hadn’t she picked that up? “Ryley’s right. Richard was home with us. He didn’t go out. I’m his alibi, call them, or better yet let’s go down there, and I’ll tell them. They’ll have to let him go. It’ll clear this whole thing up.”

Diane gestured for her to stop when all she wanted to do was bounce out that front door.

“Slow down. We will, but it’ll be with a lawyer.”

Maggie tapped her forehead as if just remembering something. “Sam said he would take care of a lawyer for Richard. Sam and Marcie are already here.”

Diane hesitated and opened her mouth to say something, and looked like she felt strangely out of the loop.

Diane yanked her cell phone from her belt and turned away from her as she dialed and pressed the phone to her ear.

“Sam…yes, Maggie’s with me. Why are you in town?”

The one sided conversation did little to calm her. She hated being out of the loop. So she crossed her arms and paced in the bright airy kitchen.

Diane sighed and faced her. “We’re on our way down now. Maggie’s Richards alibi. Okay, okay we’ll meet you there.” She clicked off her cell phone and clipped it to her belt. “Let’s go. Sam’s just retained Harper Lee. They’ll meet us down at the Sequim Detachment.”

“Harper Lee, I thought you guys hated him, you called him a blood sucking, slimy scumbag of a lawyer. Why would Sam call him?”

Diane’s face remained hard when her gaze shifted to Maggie’s. “Because when the shit hits the fan, he’s the one lawyer you want representing you. He’s good…slimy…but he’s really good. Let’s move it, and see that Richard’s home in time for breakfast.”

Breakfast, that’s exactly what didn’t happen. What they walked into when they entered the front doors of the Sequim detachment was trouble. Sam and Harper Lee were nowhere to be found. But Diane’s boss was at the front window and refused to allow Maggie and Ryley access. Diane was buzzed in through one of the brown locked doors. Maggie was told to sit and wait in the eight by ten sterile entryway that had locked doors and sealed glass.

After an hour, Maggie tapped the reception window. “Excuse
me, I’d like
to see my husband, Richard McCafferty. Your officers brought him in hours ago.”

The dark haired cop behind the glass had a pot belly and glasses. He slid open the glass window. “Sit down, ma’am.” He pointed his pen sharply at the empty plastic chair beside Ryley.

She gripped the counter, and the cop jabbed his pen in the air pointing toward her chair. “Ma’am, either sit down or leave.”

So she returned to her seat and patted Ryley’s hand.

“Mom, why is this taking so long? Why won’t they let us see Dad?”

She shook her head
and stared at the cop behind the glass. “I don’t know, Ryley.”

The front door opened and an elderly couple walked in. A very different smiling cop slid open the window, greeted them, and laughed at something the white haired gentlemen said.
The cop handed the elderly man a piece of paper. He thanked the cop and the couple turned to leave. The woman’s eyes widened when she glanced at them, and she hurried with her companion out the door.

Maggie looked down at the worn blue jeans and heavy black coat she normally wore out in the garden. She brushed her tangled hair back with her fingers. She probably looked as if she spent the night in jail. Maggie strode to the window again and tapped the glass when the cop ignored her.

He slid open the window. “Ma’am, I’m going to ask you one more time to take a seat.”

“No, where’s Diane? I want to see Diane.”

The cop leaned back to take a look around the corner.

“What about Sam Carre and Harper Lee, my husband’s lawyer? I understand they’re both here. Or let me talk to your boss. I’ve been waiting over an hour…”

“Hey, if you don’t sit down, I’m going to have you and your kid thrown out of here,” he yelled and then picked up a phone as if to call someone.

She had no time to do anything before the side door flew open, and Sam and another short balding man wearing designer gold rimmed glasses, hustled out the door from the inner sanctum of the detachment.

“Sam, where’s Richard? What’s going on?” She grabbed his arm and didn’t notice the officers who followed Sam.

“Maggie, this is Harper Lee. He’s the lawyer I retained for Richard.”

Harper thrust his large hand toward her, a gesture that seemed a little formal under the circumstances. Nonetheless, she accepted his cool touch and was somehow hustled out the front door, his hand draped across her shoulder, aware Sam followed with Ryley.

“Wait, where are we going? Where’s Richard?”

“Keep walking my dear, we’ll talk in the parking lot, not inside a police station where they’re listening in.” Harper was her height, and he let go of her shoulder when they reached the middle of the lot where she’d parked Richard’s truck.

Sam somehow got Ryley to sit in the truck and wait for them. Harper removed his glasses and rubbed the bridge of his nose. He looked tired.

“What is it? What’s going on?”

“There will be an arraignment this afternoon…a bail hearing, at which time I’ll attempt to get the charges dropped.”

“I don’t understand. Richard was home all night with me and Ryley, I’m his alibi, we just need to tell them, and they’ll let him go.” She stared at Sam and then Harper. She couldn’t understand why they weren’t jumping all over this, instead their faces appeared grim.