30

Emily zipped across the street to the Freeport Public Library. She wanted to find out more about Tim Hart so she could tell Nick. Emily also knew that now that the toxicology report was released, there would be even more finger-pointing. The Dobsons would blame David for leading Julie into a life of drug abuse and criminal activity that eventually led to her murder. They would demand to put him under the microscope. This was exactly the kind of juicy tale that could garner all sorts of media attention and sway community and jury members. If Emily could come up with solid evidence that pointed this investigation in the right direction and potentially even result in an arrest before the news broke, Nick and his team could sweep in and make Tim’s arrest. David could be saved from public harm.

Emily selected a computer and tried to log in. She quickly realized she needed an account. Of course. She found the only librarian on duty, stacking books in the shelves.

“Oh, you’re a familiar face, Emmie Hartford. Remember I used to call you that?”

“Miss Sally Overzet?” Emily exclaimed, recognizing the woman. She had let her hair go gray and had put on a few pounds under an oversized sweater and elastic-waisted polyester pants. She had the same warm smile and calming personality.

“I suppose you’re back in town for your dad? How’s he doing?”

“A little better. Thank you for asking.” Emily didn’t want to get into it with her. “I need to use the computer, and it’s asking for my log-in. Can you help me set up an account?”

“Of course. Have you tried your old log-in?”

“Well, no, I didn’t think it would still be active.”

Sally walked with Emily to the computer station. “Try it. Let’s see. If not, we’ll get you set up with a new one.”

Emily typed in first initial and last name.

“Do you remember your password?” said Sally.

Emily thought for a second. She had started her own account shortly after her mother passed away. So … what would have been important enough for her to set as a password when she was fifteen? Then, in a flash, it came to her. She entered “NICK4EVER.” The log-in screen disappeared, and she was in the system. Emily laughed out loud.

“What’s so funny, dear?”

“Oh … oh … just … I can’t believe it … after all this time.”

“I’ll let you get to work. If you need anything, I’m just right over there in the steamy romance section,” Sally said with a wink.

Once in the local periodicals system, Emily did a quick search for Tim Hart. From what she found, she learned that Tim would have been a freshman at Freeport High School when she had been a senior. But he didn’t look familiar to her, and she wondered why she had never heard of him. His address popped up. She jotted it down and then scrolled down a few pages to see if she could find out anything more about him.

The Freeport County Examiner had featured him in a few hunting photos when he was a teenager. There was a graduation picture from seven years ago. She kept scrolling until a link titled “Hart Arrested for Assault” caught her eye, and she clicked onto the link.

Timothy Hart, age 23, was arrested Saturday night for assault on his girlfriend, a Freeport resident. Hart and his girlfriend were leaving Bart’s Bar a little after 1 AM, when a witness reported Hart threw his girlfriend to the ground and kicked her. Police took Hart to the Freeport County Jail, where he was placed in jail with a $500,000 bond. Trial date to be set Tuesday.

Nice guy, Emily thought smugly. She clicked onto another link. Hart had been sentenced to eight months in jail two years ago. Another link informed her that he had been released from jail on good behavior after five months.

Emily clicked on a third page of links and found a source stating that Tim had been arrested as a minor for robbing a gas station and for truancy. He had been sent to juvenile detention. Between his truancy and juvenile detention, Tim had virtually been absent his freshman year. No wonder she didn’t know who he was. And now he was dealing to the high school population of Freeport and quite possibly Julie’s killer.

Emily got back into her car and pressed Nick’s number. It went right to voicemail. He was probably tied up in interviews. She wasn’t sure what to do. A texted pinged from Nick: In interview. Urgent?

She quickly texted back: Tim Hart is go-pro guy. Dealing drugs to Julie & David.

Nick came right back with Nice work.

She waited for more. Nice work? That was it?

Are you gonna arrest him? she texted.

Based on what cause? came the answer after a few minutes.

Based on wht Davd said, Emily typed quickly, misspelling half the words.

Doesn’t work that way. Gotta go.

Emily was quaking inside. Why wasn’t Nick dropping everything? Certainly none of these other interviews held this much weight! She had practically handed him his killer.

Emily stewed for a minute about her next course of action. She had to get in front of this story before the news cycle did. Once Tim got wind of Julie’s tox results, there was no doubt in her mind that he would go on the run. He might even head out of the country. The Canadian border was only five hours away. David was counting on her.

Then she remembered one very important detail about the position of medical examiner. The medical examiner outranked the sheriff when it came to matters involving death investigation. And if public safety was at stake—and she believed it was—Tim Hart was dealing drugs to minors. Worse, if Tim even got a tiny whiff that he was being considered as a suspect in Julie’s murder, she knew he would ditch Freeport. This had to be handled carefully. And even though Emily had the right to demand the sheriff’s department to take immediate action to secure public welfare, she thought she would do a little more reconnaissance first. The more puzzle pieces she could put together for Nick, the better equipped he would be to make a clean arrest.