While riding back to the state police post with one of the troopers, George Stanley went over the known facts about the death of Art Cane.
He was by himself when the perpetrator entered the office. No witnesses have surfaced to dispute that. The office is in an isolated area and even though we will put out a request for information, there probably weren’t any other people in the area at the time the crime was committed, or they would have called already.
It looks like he was running from his attacker but there were no signs of a struggle; everything was in order. The victim was caught by surprise. He tried to escape but didn’t get far. The person who killed him came up from behind and stabbed him in the heart. No blood spatters were in any other part of the office. He dropped right where he was standing beside the table, and died almost instantly.
Fingerprints from the scene might yield some more clues, but without the weapon, we’re at a real disadvantage. There’s likely to be a lot of fingerprints in the office; most of them will be people who work there, including Trent Newman.
George felt the car slow down as the driver focused on the road ahead. The fog was hampering his ability to see clearly.
DNA might yield some blood that doesn’t belong to the victim. It will take some time before we have the results due to the backlog at the lab. And then, if there is DNA that doesn’t match Art Cane, we’ll have to have probable cause to collect a sample from Mr. Newman.
Officer Stanley shook his head dejectedly when considering the time required for any results to come back.
The frustrating part is the waiting, he thought. It could be months before we know for sure if there is other DNA…and then we would have to convince Trent Newman to supply us with a specimen…or try to get one ourselves.
He sighed knowingly at the realization that this case could occupy his mind for the next several months.
Sure hate the thought that Chief will be involved with the investigation. He was so looking forward to his retirement.
George smiled. I guess it’ll be put on hold for now.
He glanced up in surprise when he realized that they had already arrived back at the post.
I’ll just go in and drop off what I have and go home!
Suddenly recognizing how tired he was, George yawned and rubbed his eyes.
He walked into the building and acknowledged some of the staff with a wave before arriving at his desk. He put the crime evidence in his file basket as his attention was drawn to a note left on the desk.
Raising his eyebrows, he recognized the seriousness of the information that Clark had shared.
If he’s right and we’ve found a link, we have a possible serial killer on our hands.
* * * * *
After assigning a variety of duties to some of the shift personnel present in the office, George Stanley decided to call and see if Marvin had gone to bed yet. He wanted to get Clark’s conclusions to him as soon as possible.
Mary answered the phone and told George, in no uncertain terms, that he was asleep and she would give him the message when he woke up.
He had to smile because he knew how protective Mary was and the tone of her voice indicated that she was a little irritated too.
I understand. After all, he’s supposed to be retired! Of course that hasn’t lasted one day yet!
George apologized and left a brief message to tell Chief when he woke up that the suspect they were checking on probably does have multiple identities and that it seemed to be confirmed by separate phone interviews with two different trucking companies. George explained that Marvin would understand what he was talking about and he would fill him in on the details when he called back.
Mary relented a little and promised to let Marvin know as soon as he woke up.
After the conversation ended, George realized how tired he was and made preparations to go home himself and get some sleep.
He left the office feeling satisfied with the progress the investigation was taking so far and looking forward to a good sleep before returning the next day.
* * * * *
Claire drove to the Pine Lake vicinity cautiously and slowly. Remnants of the morning fog were still hanging in the air like a shroud, making driving difficult. But, she occupied her mind by remembering some of the landmarks, and they brought back good family memories.
Dad used to stop here at this little store and get his bait for fishing. I remember the man who owned it then would always give me a piece of that hard candy. What did they call it? Let me think. I know they still sell it at the Old Nashville Sweet Shop…horehound. That’s what it was.
Or, if he was feeling really generous, I got one of those sugary orange slice candies. Those were my favorite! Dad used to laugh at me because I would make it last as long as I could, licking all the sugar off, chewing slowly, savoring the last bite for what seemed like hours before I swallowed it. Claire grinned at the memories.
Haven’t been back in this location for several years. Last time I was here was probably ten years ago. It’s really changed since then! More houses, more businesses. What a shame! It used to be such a beautiful area. Now it’s occupied by buildings instead of trees! Well, that’s progress I guess.
She frowned. But that’s why I moved down here…to get away from the downside of progress…and to enjoy nature.
She brought her mind back to the present and looked around in time to notice that she had passed a familiar intersection. Oops. I think that is where I was supposed to turn.
She hastily wheeled around in a gas station parking lot and headed back towards the side road.
With all the changes in topography, it might be hard for me to locate the area that Libby showed me in my dream.
Claire glanced at the clock and realized that she might not have much time left before darkness settled in. Even though it was afternoon, due to the time change and shorter days, her search could last into nightfall.
I should have started earlier. I knew how long it would take to get here…but I couldn’t make up my mind about leaving with or without Jim.
She remembered hearing Jim begin to stir and made a swift decision to leave before he woke up. She was so concerned about his injuries that she didn’t want to put him in any more danger.
I’ve never felt like this before, she admitted. He’s such a wonderful guy and I need to pinch myself to believe that I might have found ‘the one’ at this time in my life!
She felt the car sway and looked up in time to realize that she was driving too fast for the road conditions. She almost went into a spin when she hit a hard clump of ice. Luckily she did not overcorrect and had the car under control again in a few seconds.
Whoa! I’d better pay close attention to the road and not get lost in my thoughts again, or I’ll wind up in the hospital like Jim!
Neither one of us would be of any use to Libby if that happened!
Claire focused all of her attention on the road and gradually made her way to the Pine Lake recreational area parking lot. She parked her car, stepped out, looked around, and tried to get her bearings.
As remote as it seemed in the vision, I’d better get my boots out of the trunk. It’ll be muddy, snowy, sloppy, and tricky if I’m planning to hike for a while…and I think I will be. If I remember correctly, it’s a ways from here, but I can’t recall any other parking areas.
She hesitated, not sure if she should begin her search in the immediate area or not. Eventually she made a decision that would cause her search to last into dark.
I guess it’s as good a place to start as any.
And with that, Claire prepared to hike the trails until she found what she was looking for.
* * * * *
In the background Marvin Hennessey faintly heard the persistent ringing of the telephone. After several rings, he was tempted to roll out of bed and get it himself until he groggily remembered that Mary was home and she would answer it.
As many years as we’ve been together, she’ll wake me up if someone needs me.
After a few minutes of silence, he yawned and turned over to go back to sleep.
Must not be that important.
He quickly fell back to sleep, oblivious to the fact that Mary was deliberately not answering the phone.
* * * * *
Hmmm. Must not be home yet. Jim looked at the receiver, pondering what to do next. I guess I could call Rusty and have him come over and take me home.
Frowning, I’d hoped to have Chief go with me to find Claire, but guess I’ll need to do it on my own.
He studied the phone and considered his options once more. I left a message, so Marvin knows where I’ll be…
Urgently he radioed and requested that Rusty come and pick him up at Claire’s house.
He wasn’t sure but thought he could almost hear the teasing tone that Rusty tried to suppress in his most professional voice. “I’ll be there in five.”
Jim gathered up his jacket and wrote a quick note to Claire before Rusty arrived. He hoped that his instincts were wrong and that she would be home soon. On the off chance that he might be mistaken, he carefully worded it so that she would not become unduly alarmed.
On my way to Pine Lake. Called Chief and left a message for him to join us. Meet you there. Love, Jim.
* * * * *
Trent Newman rushed back to the Conservancy to keep tabs on Claire after completing his overnight assignment. With no sleep, he fought desperately against the drowsiness his body was experiencing, but his senses were startled awake when he drove up just in time to see Jim Hoppes exit her house and hop into a patrol car. Thrown off guard, he decided to follow the car at a discreet distance as it turned onto another street. This must be where he lives.
Trent slowed down to turn onto a side street, still within view, but unobtrusive to any witnesses. He watched as Jim waved goodbye to the officer in the police car and walked into his house. Think I’ll lay low for a while and see what he’s planning to do.
His eyebrows shot up when he saw Jim exit his house quickly and get into his car.
He seems to be in a hurry to get somewhere.
Making a snap decision to monitor Jim’s whereabouts, Trent carefully stayed hidden until Jim turned on to the main road. Then, he pulled out and followed him. Maybe he’ll lead me to Claire.
If so, I’ll reveal my true identity to her…and get rid of Jim Hoppes. He grinned at the thought. Then she’ll be mine and mine alone. No one else can have her but me!
Trent focused on the road ahead, but if anyone had seen his eyes, they would have remarked on the burning intensity that seemed to emanate from them. It could almost be described as rage. And if they had looked down, they would have been convinced. A glint of steel would have captured their attention and their own eyes would have widened in surprise and anguish as they realized that the steel belonged to a knife that was placed surreptitiously on the passenger seat.
* * * * *
Turning over in bed, Marvin Hennessey opened his eyes when the sunlight flooded his consciousness. Sighing restfully, he started to close his eyes again when he realized that if the sun was out, it must mean the fog had lifted and it was afternoon. He needed to wake up.
Still…he smiled at the thought that since he was retired he could stay in bed as long as he wanted. But then he remembered last night, and his professional obligations came flooding back into his memory like a waterfall cascading over a mountain. I need to check with Mary and see if there are any messages.
He yawned as he started moving towards the bathroom. Better take a shower first or she won’t even talk to me!
Turning on the water, Chief stepped gingerly into the bathtub and let the hot blast of liquid force him awake with its soothing but potent outpouring. He heard Mary open the door while he was applying shampoo to his head.
“So, you’re finally up,” she joked.
“Yeah, I think so,” he responded, “but you can come in and check if you want to.”
She grinned and replied, “In your dreams, buddy.”
Marvin laughed and said, “For all you know I could still be dreaming.”
Mary laughed with him but added, “Listen, you got a message from George and he wants you to call as soon as soon as possible.”
Marvin’s hands stopped in mid-air as he was massaging his head with shampoo. “What did he say?”
“He said to tell you that both guys were definitely the same man…whatever that means.”
Frowning, he asked her, “Did he tell you anymore?”
“No,” she stated, “But he did say to call him at home when you were able.”
Chief turned off the water and opened the shower curtain. Mary was there, ready with a towel. He grabbed it and leaned over and gave her a quick peck on the cheek. “I hope you have some coffee left, because I think I’m going to need it.”
Playfully, he reached for her as she quickly scampered from the bathroom.
“You’d better have that coffee before you call him back. I want to have you to myself for once.”
He smiled, “Okay, I’m on my way.”
She yelled as she went down the hall towards the kitchen, “I’ll be waiting!”
* * * * *
Claire trudged down the muddy, icy trail, growing more and more uncertain that this was the way she should be headed. Let’s see. I know this leads to the lake but I’m not sure if this is the right path. I’m looking for an old dock, one that has a canoe tipped upside down, laying next to it. From what Libby showed me it’s still there.
She looked ahead, trying to get her bearings. Her steps slowed down as she concentrated on her surroundings. This doesn’t look like it. I wonder if I went to the wrong parking area after all. I thought that was where Dad and I used to park his car, but now I’m beginning to remember another parking lot further down, off the main road.
She stopped and looked around. I’m sure of it! This is not the right area.
She turned around to head back to the car but hesitated and thought, maybe I’d better just continue this way. I’ll probably have to go around the lake, and that might take longer, but I’m already half-way there anyway.
Claire resumed her progress on the path. Yeah, I need to get there as fast as I can. Libby is waiting for me.