Wrongful Death (41 page)

Blane spent quite a while intently studying the search record and map again. Anna, knowing he didn’t doubt her, just watched him as he slowly moved his index finger across the maps and then sighed deeply as the realization of what she had uncovered set in.

‘Dear God, this is unbelievable. Why did no one check over this search record two years ago?’ Blane said despairingly.

‘Mistakes happen, Don, we both know that.’

‘The damn answers were staring them in the face and they missed what was on the surface all along. Peter and Sally Anderson suffered because of incompetence and shoddy detective work and poor Mandy deserved better as well!’

Anna could see that Don was angry yet deeply moved by how the outcome would affect the Andersons.

He had returned to the fireplace and was resting his hands on the mantel as he stared into the blazing logs.

‘Why, Anna, why didn’t Carl come forward if it was an accident?’

She moved closer and rested her hand in the small of his back.

‘I don’t have the answers, but I do know when it comes to family, or in this case father and son, the saying “blood is thicker than water” is very pertinent.’

He nodded in agreement, but she could feel his sorrow.

‘We will need to inform the local Sheriff and get a warrant to search the Brennan house and the woods, but we can’t do that until morning so we may as well get a couple of hours’ sleep until then.’ He straightened up and headed towards his bedroom. Anna very much wanted to follow him, but sensed that he wanted to be alone with his thoughts, so she began to clear up the case file papers and map from the dining table. Not feeling at all sleepy she decided to put some more logs on the fire and soak up the warmth while resting on the sofa. She had just settled herself comfortably when she heard his bedroom door open, and looked up to see him come back into the room carrying an envelope.

‘Bill Roberts, the drug-enforcement agent in Jamaica, e-mailed some documents just after you went to bed. I’ve printed them off,’ he said and put the envelope on the dining table, next to her handbag.

She knew that he was feeling guilty about the missed opportunities during the FBI investigation into Mandy’s disappearance.

‘If you want to talk I’m a good listener,’ Anna said, moving along as he sat on the edge of the sofa.

‘I’m dreading telling Sally and Peter Anderson we screwed up. It will totally destroy them.’

‘You didn’t screw up, your colleagues did.’

Blane leaned forward and put his head in his hands. ‘If only I’d checked the statements and search records.’

‘If you hadn’t asked me to look at the case then I’d never have spoken with the Andersons, gone to the church or met Julie Collins. Call it fate or whatever you like, but you instigated it, not me.’

He gave a soft chuckle and then got to his feet. ‘I’m keeping you up and you haven’t had any sleep yet.’ He leaned forward, kissing her on the cheek.

Anna grabbed his hand. ‘I’m happy here on the sofa, but I’d feel even happier if you stayed with me.’ She drew him towards her as she lay back on the cushions. He knelt down beside her and looked into her eyes as they both nervously savoured the moment before he slowly drew her towards him, kissing her, a kiss that was passionate yet tender. Anna had no fear – this was a man who respected and cared for her. Even though the feelings between them were intense and she wanted their embrace to go further, as she was certain he also wanted, something held them both back. He lifted her gently to sit on his knee and put his arms around her. She knew that she had finally moved on from the loss of Ken as she snuggled her face into his neck.

Smelling bacon and eggs frying, Anna sat up and saw that Don was already awake and cooking. He looked over his shoulder and on seeing her he came and leaned over the back of the sofa and kissed her gently on the lips.

‘I phoned Sheriff Mitchell and the District Judge, who will do a special hearing at eight a.m. for search warrants.’

‘Is it okay for me to come with you?’ Anna asked.

Blane smiled and told her she would be the star of the show and moreover would have to tell the Judge what she had uncovered so that he could see that ‘probable cause’ evidence existed that Jack and Carl Brennan killed and/or disposed of the body of Mandy Anderson.

Everything went smoothly at the District Court and the Judge duly issued both arrest and search warrants for the Brennans and their house and vehicles. Sheriff Mitchell went with Blane and Anna to the Brennans’ address. When they pulled up at the house there were no cars in the driveway, although they realized the vehicles might be parked in the double garage. Blane had possession of the warrants and rang the doorbell but there was no answer, so he knocked loudly. Anna, who was standing back from the porch, noticed the net curtain of a front window move and Jack Brennan peep out from behind it. She told Blane what she had just seen.

‘Jack, it’s me, Don Blane,’ he called. ‘Is your father in?’

At first there was no reply and then they heard a voice from behind the front door.

‘He said I wasn’t to let anyone in until he got back.’

Don glared at Sheriff Mitchell, wondering if someone in his office had let something slip.

‘Jack, you need to let me in.’

‘I can’t or my dad will be mad with me, like he was last night ’cause I spoke with that English lady.’

Although the warrant allowed Blane to force entry he was loath to scare Jack by doing so. ‘It’s okay, Jack, I promise you he won’t be mad, but he’s in a bit of trouble and you can help him.’

The door opened and Jack Brennan appeared wearing knee-length shorts, a T-shirt and trainers. He was visibly agitated, a look of anxious concern on his face.

‘What’s happened to my dad?’

Blane took Jack through to the living room and told him that his dad was fine but asked if he knew where he was. Jack said he didn’t but he’d gone out early in his Park Ranger’s truck. Blane knew that as Carl Brennan would never run off and leave his son, they could just sit and wait for him to return, but he and the Sheriff agreed it was better to be safe than sorry and put out an APB on Carl. They also knew that legally they were treading a fine line by questioning Jack, but they needed to trace Carl Brennan quickly.

Blane sat Jack down and calmly explained that the District Judge had said that they could search the house and cars and held up the warrant.

‘I haven’t stolen anything,’ Jack said defensively.

‘It’s not about stealing things, Jack, it’s about the day Mandy disappeared. Did she come here with a birthday present for you?’ Blane asked.

‘No.’ Jack sucked in his breath and bit down on his lips in a childlike manner.

‘Is that the truth, Jack?’

‘Yes, you can ask my dad, he’ll tell you it’s the truth. It’s the truth, honestly that is the truth.’

The Sheriff was outside putting out the APB when Anna noticed that there was a kitchen to her left, which led her to wonder if there was a door that led out to the garage. Indeed there was and it was open. The garage was huge and would comfortably hold four cars. There was a sink in one corner next to a washing machine and dryer, and a door to the rear garden. Next to this was a wall rack with a range of neatly assembled garden tools hanging from it. There was one car, an old red Ford Fiesta, which was in good condition and well polished. Anna looked through the passenger window and was astonished by what she saw. The car keys were in the ignition and dangling from them was a tiny digital camera.

As Anna returned to the living room it was clear that Blane was becoming frustrated at his lack of progress with Jack.

‘That’s a lovely looking car in the garage, beautifully polished. Is it yours, Jack?’ Anna asked.

‘Yes, ma’am, my dad bought it for my sixteenth birthday and taught me to drive in it.’

Anna held up the Fiesta’s car key while hiding the digital camera in the palm of her hand. ‘I found this on the garage floor.’ She paused as Jack peered at the key.

‘That’s the key for my car,’ he said.

Anna let the camera fall from her palm and it swayed like a pendulum, yet Jack didn’t bat an eyelid or even break his eye contact with her. She thought this strange, particularly if Mandy Anderson had bought it for him. Blane glanced at her, as she moved a fraction closer to Jack, whose big raw hands clenched and unclenched.

‘Where did you get the lovely little camera?’ Anna asked.

‘I found it,’ Jack said, now avoiding eye contact and looking worried.

‘Mandy gave it to you on your birthday and told you not to tell anyone, didn’t she, Jack?’ Anna asked with a cheeky smile.

Jack smiled back and nodded. ‘Promise you won’t tell my dad, or he’ll be upset with me again.’

‘Yours and Mandy’s secrets are safe with me and Don. I bet she gave you a birthday card as well?’

‘Yes, she did,’ Jack said proudly.

Blane smiled at him. ‘Have you still got it?’

Jack leaned forward to Blane and whispered, ‘I hid it from my dad but you can see it if you want. It’s signed, she signed it, because it is very special, she signed, “Love Mandy”.’

‘It must have been a wonderful surprise when Mandy came round with a card and present?’

Jack looked away from Blane and shook his head firmly.

‘No, she’s never been to my house, not ever. You can ask my dad.’

Blane kept his voice relaxed and smiled, saying he’d love to see the birthday card.

‘Okay, I’ll go and get it for you,’ Jack said and dashed off upstairs.

Anna was surprised that Blane hadn’t followed up on Jack’s obvious lie and was about to ask why but he preempted her.

‘Jack doesn’t think he’s lying because he’s erased the memory of Mandy ever being here that day.’

‘But why be so open about the camera and card?’ Anna asked.

‘Because you were right, Mandy wanted it to be kept a secret. To Jack they are precious keepsakes that it would seem even Carl doesn’t know about.’

Anna agreed but was still confused as to whether or not Carl was involved.

‘Jack knows right from wrong and is not a habitual liar,’ Blane insisted. ‘He and Carl may not have spoken about Mandy since the day she went missing, but they certainly did yesterday as Carl’s phone call last night revealed.’

‘So you think that Jack telling his father about meeting me may have relit the fuse,’ Anna said.

‘And it made Carl twitchy – his call was really a fishing expedition to see what was happening.’

Jack came back into the room and proudly presented the birthday card to Anna to look at, childlike and smiling as he tapped the card in his hand.

As he did so, Blane spoke to Sheriff Mitchell, and quietly suggested that Jack be interviewed at the station by a forensic psychiatrist, who might be able to jog his memory into recall, without causing an emotional breakdown.

It was a sad moment as Jack was driven away in a patrol car. He was still smiling happily, but only because he had no real understanding of what was happening to him.

‘Any luck with Carl’s whereabouts?’ Blane asked the Sheriff as they stood in the driveway.

‘Not as yet – they put out calls over his car radio but either it’s switched off or he’s deliberately not answering.’

‘Shit. Carl’s gone to dig her up. The tool rack in the garage – there was no shovel!’ Anna exclaimed.

‘Then he has to be at the area that he made sure was never searched,’ Blane said. ‘Okay, let’s go.’

The three of them were in the Sheriff’s car in an instant, driving at high speed down the I-95, magnetic blue light flashing and sirens on. Sheriff Mitchell recalled that there was a single dirt track road into that section of woodland and it was a mile long with a dead end, so if Carl Brennan was there he would have to come back out the same way.

It was about three minutes more before they reached the location. As they drove slowly down the track they caught sight of a Ranger’s truck in the distance, at which point the Sheriff took out a pair of binoculars to get a closer look and confirmed that it was Carl Brennan’s. Turning the binoculars towards the woods he reckoned that he could just about see the figure of someone walking back towards the truck carrying what looked like a black trash bag. Mitchell turned off the patrol car’s engine and said that it was best to get out and approach on foot.

As they got closer to the vehicle a man came out of the woods, but he wasn’t carrying anything. He was tall and dressed smartly in a park ranger’s tapered grey shirt, green trousers, matching arrowhead tie and brown felt hat. On seeing them he smiled, waved and started to walk along the dirt track in their direction. Blane muttered to Anna that it was Carl Brennan, and positioned himself in front of her, saying she was to stay behind him. Anna could see that he had his right hand behind his back and was carrying a small Glock pistol, concealing it from Carl’s view. Simultaneously, Sheriff Mitchell put his hand down to his right side, unclipped his holster and gripped the gun, ready to use it if he had to. Although Carl Brennan wore a holster and firearm, his hands were loosely by his sides as he approached them.

Anna started nervously as the man suddenly raised his right hand slowly upwards, thankfully past his sidearm to his hat, which he lifted and doffed politely.

‘Hiya, Sheriff, Don, everything okay?’ Carl said and placed his hat back on his head.

‘What you doing out here, Carl?’ Sheriff Mitchell asked.

‘I had a tip-off about some poachers out looking for black bears, so I came to check it out,’ Carl answered.

‘Where’s the black bag you were just carrying?’ Sheriff Mitchell asked.

Carl looked uneasy and paused, obviously thinking up an answer. ‘Oh that, it’s a coyote carcass I just found, I’m going to put it in the incinerator.’

There was a wretched few seconds’ pause, Carl’s eyes flicking nervously.

‘There’s no point in lying, Carl. We know that you falsified the Mandy Anderson search records,’ Blane said gently.

Carl’s body sagged as if he had been punched and the air drained from his body. Blane stepped forward, removed the Ranger’s gun from its holster and handed it to Sheriff Mitchell, who turned to face Carl and spoke as a friend. ‘The District Judge has issued warrants for your and Jack’s arrest, Carl, and forensics are searching the house now.’