Chapter Fifty-eight

Parrott called Tonya before driving to Claire’s. He surprised himself by saying he was also excited about the prospect of finding a new house. Perhaps part of his change of attitude came from having the stress of a multi-million-dollar house off his plate. “I’m sorry I can’t free myself to look at the house with you, but if you love it so much, I probably will, too.”

“That’s okay. Elle’s going to go with me this afternoon. That way you can hear the plusses of the house from two of us.”

Parrott disconnected but held the phone to his chest for several seconds afterward. Tonya’s voice hadn’t sounded so full of vitality in a long time. He hoped this signaled a turned corner in her PTSD treatment, though, more likely, the cheeriness would be temporary.

On the way back to Claire’s Parrott drove to the area where the bank barn had been. He parked his car next to the remains of a stone wall. Before going back to work at Sweetgrass, he needed to change out of his jeans and t-shirt and into the pants, shirt, and sport jacket he kept in the trunk. Maybe it wouldn’t have mattered to Claire—or Tammie—that he was dressed like a farm hand, but Parrott believed clothes made a huge difference in people’s attitudes, including the attitude of the wearer.

First, he walked through the rubble again. The meth smell had subsided, but the odor of burned flesh still hovered, and, as Parrott walked, he kicked up a vile-smelling dust. He returned to the spot where Tripp Anderson’s body had been found.

He put on gloves and squatted there, sifting debris through his fingers. The heart of this case was Tripp Anderson. Someone went to great extremes to poison him, to keep Charlie Wukitsch away, and to blow up this barn. Someone with the means, motive, and opportunity.

The list of people in Brandywine Valley who had the means to commit this crime was extensive. The poison, the meth ingredients, a vehicle to transport the body—these weren’t expensive for someone who lived or worked here. The opportunity might have been trickier, but once Wyatt tied Charlie up, the killer would have free reign. Keys to the barn had apparently been available to Claire, Charlie, Wyatt, Tammie, Bonnie’s boyfriend Ray, and Brock Thornton.

That left motive. Parrott stood and paced around the rubble, poking at pieces of unidentifiable objects with his shoes. Who could have had it in for Tripp Anderson, and why? Coming from out of town, Anderson’s only significant connection appeared to be with Tammie. Did someone want to prevent the two of them from getting married?

Tripp’s father had thought the relationship was over, and he was admittedly happy about that. He didn’t seem to know anything about the “project” that Tammie said was bringing Tripp back to Brandywine.

Parrott chided himself for letting himself be caught up in so many possibilities. This case had way too many pieces to it—like a mosaic crowded with too many tiles. To solve the case, he was going to have to ignore the distractions and prioritize. He needed to know more about Tripp Anderson, and he needed to know it quickly.

Hopefully, Claire and Tammie were back from the doctor now. He changed his clothes and headed to the house to question them both about Tripp Anderson. He wouldn’t leave until he had some answers.