It was after 5 p.m. when Sam left Edgar Locke to his reading and drove into town. A bank of pewter clouds with swollen black bellies slid over the peaks and dumped a brief, but forceful, shower into the valley, complete with thunder and flickering lightning. By the time Sam pulled to the curb in front of the Gold Creek Police Department, the worst of the storm had moved eastward and the deluge had dwindled to a steady drizzle.
She ran up the walk to the front door and stepped inside. Wet boot prints, clearly visible on the linoleum floor, veered to the left toward Wade’s office. Sam followed them and found Wade hanging up his rain soaked jacket.
“Hello,” she said.
He turned toward her. “Good afternoon.” He took off his hat, slapped it against his leg, spraying water over everything, and hung it on the corner hat rack. “Got caught in the rain.” He flopped into his chair behind the desk. The usual droop of his jowls seemed more pronounced. “Just got back from Burt Eagan’s. Someone broke into his lab. Twice.”
“Twice?”
“Stole some journals. When Burt found out, he locked up everything again and then somebody sledge hammered the door again.”
“Any idea who?”
Wade shook his head. “What brings you by?”
“Thought I’d see what’s new.”
Wade motioned for her to sit down. “Got a report on the comparison of the prints. Same boot. Same brand and size as we saw at Varney’s the other night. Except those looked new. Right out of the box. Billy’s showed signs of use. Scars and nicks. Course, he’s been stomping around up in the mountains in them for the past week.”
“So they don’t match?”
“Not completely.”
Just enough to help convict Billy.
Wade tilted his chair back and propped one foot on the corner of the desk. “The hair fibers are different story, though. The ones you found in Lloyd’s hand and Billy’s are a perfect match.”
“I don’t believe it.”
He handed her a piece of paper. “Here’s the prelim. Got it off the FAX a couple of hours ago.”
Sam scanned the report. No mistake. The language was clear and unequivocal, the match perfect. She stared at Wade in disbelief.
He shrugged. “I told you he was guilty.”
Sam’s thoughts tumbled over one another. She was certain that they wouldn’t match. No way Billy was guilty. The killer, the real killer, was whoever broke her out of the lab last night and that definitely wasn’t Billy. He was chained to a bed. But, she couldn’t very well tell Wade about her rescue.
And that brought up another troubling issue. Why had the killer helped her escape? Why not kill her, too? After all, she was trying to prove that Billy was innocent and that he, or it, or whatever, was the guilty one.
And now, the hair analysis didn’t match what she believed to be the truth.
Sam stood. “What about the DNA?”
“Nothing on that yet. They said maybe in a few days. More likely a week or so.”
She headed toward the door, and then stopped. “Do you know a Morgan Russell?”
Wade couldn’t hide the wave of surprise that spread over his face. “Of course. He’s a local boy. Been gone a couple of years. Why do you ask?”
“I heard he used to work with Dr. Locke, doing research for Burt. I thought he might know something about those bones the kids found.”
“Haven’t seen him. Don’t expect to either.”
“Oh?”
“Once the young ones get out of here, for school or whatever, they seldom come back.”
“I see.”
Wade walked with her to the front door. The sun now peeked between gray clouds, which released only a light sprinkle. Sam ran to her Jeep. She saw Wade standing in the doorway, watching as she pulled away.
*
Wade returned to his desk, propped his elbows on the edge, and massaged his temples. Why had Sam asked about Morgan? What does she know about him? No way she or anyone could know the truth. That just wasn’t possible.
He picked up the phone and dialed. Burt answered on the third ring.
“This is Wade. We need to talk.”
*
Sam and Alyss sat at the kitchen table, sipping wine, while Sam told of her visit with Edgar Locke and her visit to Wade, including the results of the hair analysis.
“Does that mean Billy’s guilty?” Alyss asked.
“It doesn’t look good. But...”
She hesitated as she heard a vehicle come up the drive and stop in front of the inn. A car door slammed and then someone stepped onto the porch. Alyss walked to the door.
“Hello,” Alyss said. “Please, come in.”
Burt came through the door. He wore tailored jeans and a faded denim shirt, which enhanced the blue of his eyes. He flashed his perfect smile. “How are you ladies doing today?
“Fine,” Alyss said
Burt looked around. “I love what you’ve done with the place. Cozy and warm.”
“Thanks,” Alyss said. “I’m just glad to have all that behind me.”
“It is a lot of work,” Burt said. “But, worth it.”
“So, what brings you by?” Sam asked.
“I’m taking the gang to Mama Rose’s again tonight. You’re welcome to join us.”
Alyss looked at Sam and then said, “I think we’re going to relax here tonight. But, thanks.”
“Is everything OK?” Burt asked.
Alyss nodded toward Sam. “With all the excitement around here, we’ve hardly had time to visit so we’re doing leftovers and wine.”
“I understand. It’s been a crazy week.” Burt looked at Sam. “I hear you had a chat with Wade earlier. Guess the hair matching pretty well seals the deal for Billy.”
“Maybe.”
“You can’t still believe he’s innocent?”
“It’s not my job to decide that. Not Wade’s or yours either.”
Burt’s face hardened. “Fairly strong evidence though. It would be hard for a jury to ignore.”
Sam cocked her head to one side. “Why do you care? What difference does it make to you?”
“This is my town. Where I live. Where my son lives every summer. I’m concerned whenever something like this happens. Especially when it happens to someone like Lloyd. And Walt and Ted worked for me.”
Right. Like you give a shit about anyone but yourself.
“I see,” Sam said.
His eyes narrowed. She could see the muscles of his jaws tense. “Wade said you were asking about Morgan Russell? Mind if I ask why?”
Sam matched his steely glare. “What is it? Does Wade report everything to you?”
“No,” Burt said. “He just thought it was a little unusual that you asked about Morgan.”
“So he sent you here to quiz me?”
The sinews in Burt’s neck tightened. “What’s wrong? Why are you mad at me?”
“Maybe I’m tired. Maybe I’m a bitch. Maybe I’m sick of being told what to believe about Billy. Maybe I’m just curious about this Morgan guy.”
“Why?”
“I thought he might know something about those rabbit bones.”
“Why would you think that?” Burt said.
“He did work with you guys, didn’t he?”
“Yes. Nearly two years ago.”
“I know you weren’t doing any animal studies, but I thought maybe this Morgan might have done some stuff on his own,” Sam said. “Things you and Edgar weren’t aware of. And then these bones pop up. And since no one knows what they are, I put two and two together and thought there might be some connection.”
“There isn’t,” Burt said.
“How can you be sure?”
“Edgar and I would have known if Morgan had tried something like that,” Burt said.
“I hear he’s pretty smart.”
“Yes. He was.”
“Was?”
His eyes flicked toward the door, the floor, and then back at her. “He’s gone. Back east somewhere. Johns Hopkins I think.”
“I heard that, too.”
“Well that’s all I know about him. That’s all anyone knows.” Burt stared at her for a minute and then glanced at his watch. “I’d better get going.”
Alyss followed Burt out to the porch, said her goodbyes, and then returned to the kitchen, pulling the door closed in her wake. She looked at Sam. “What the hell was that about? He comes here to invite us out and you jump all over him.”
“He didn’t come here to invite us to dinner. He came here to intimidate me.”
“What are you talking about?”
“Morgan Russell.”
“Who’s that?”
“Researcher. Worked with Edgar in Burt’s lab. He may be the key to all this.”
“How so?”
“I don’t know. But, the mere mention of Morgan’s name was important enough that Wade called Burt as soon as I left his office. And important enough that Burt drove over here and threatened me. As he did Edgar.”
“It didn’t sound like a threat to me.”
“It’s not so much what he said, it’s that he felt the need to say anything at all.” Sam drained her glass. “Edgar fears that Morgan or somebody may have reopened the lab and done some renegade experiments. Animal experiments.”
Alyss sat down. “The bones?”
Sam nodded.
“And that means Burt’s involved and lied about the lab being closed,” Alyss said.
“Exactly.”