“You’ve done the right thing by coming to me first.” Graves was seated at her desk, frowning. “If you had just gone ahead to the man’s home, we’d be having a very different conversation.”
Amanda had just finished laying out everything in the case they’d gathered to date, including what Rideout had told them. She was aware Graves’s most-used control tactic was holding threat of unemployment over her officers’ heads. Of note was the fact Graves had referred to Archer as a man, not an officer. That felt significant somehow. “We appreciate the delicate nature of the situation and that it needs to be handled the right way. Armed with warrants, likely preferred.”
“Glad to hear you say that, but I don’t see a warrant happening just yet. But if Roy Archer has nothing to hide, he shouldn’t have a problem letting you inside.”
“We’d want to see in his vehicle too,” Trent interjected. “Jill and Charlotte Archer weren’t killed at Prince Park so they had to have been transported there somehow.”
Amanda nodded to support what Trent had said, though technically they just knew they weren’t killed near the burial site.
“If he’s innocent, he shouldn’t care what you look at,” Graves said. “But before we go there, why don’t you feel out Jill’s parents about their daughter’s marriage? Don’t raise accusations against Roy. Notify them of their daughter’s and granddaughter’s deaths, and see what they say in response.”
“We can do that.” Roy would expect they’d talk to them, as he’d provided them with the parents’ number. It would be a safe and neutral path. “They live in Edgewater, Maryland. Not far. We could go there today.”
“Do it. If this guy killed his family, he doesn’t deserve the badge and needs to be pulled off the street immediately.”
Amanda was surprised at Graves’s judgment but also felt a new level of respect for the sergeant. Graves had given the impression in the past that she was more interested in pats on the back than much else. But it would seem she also had strong convictions about getting justice. “We’ll head out right now.”
“Keep me posted. You both have my cell phone. If I’m not here when you’ve finished, call me. Oh, and I already forwarded a signed subpoena to the service provider for Jill Archer’s phone records and GPS history.”
“Great. Thank you,” Amanda told her.
“Doing what I can to help.”
Amanda slowly rose from her chair, keeping her gaze on Graves until she reached the door. She wasn’t sure what to make of Graves’s new cooperative spirit.
In the hall, she turned to Trent. “I just need to make a quick phone call, and I’m good to go.”
“Zoe?”
“Yeah. But it’s the job, right? There are no set hours. It’s also the first twenty-four in this case, and I want answers as much as you do. Go ahead and get the car warmed up, and I’ll be out in a minute.”
Trent nodded and headed for the parking lot, while Amanda took out her cell phone.
She didn’t relish the thought of disappointing Zoe. Today was Pizza Tuesday, something they’d dubbed the day in place of conforming to Taco Tuesday. Tonight Logan was going to join them, and even he had been looking forward to making a homemade pie. Normally when an investigation took her into overtime, she would call Libby Dewinter, Zoe’s adopted aunt, and let her know. As it was, Libby brought Zoe home from school and stayed with her until Amanda got off work. But maybe tonight Logan would be interested in assuming the extended shift.
She landed in his voicemail, as expected. He worked in construction and wasn’t always available to take a phone call. She left a message for him to call her back and then called Libby and filled her in. “Sorry I can’t be more definitive right now. I’ll let you know when Logan can get there.”
“You know me. I always go with the flow.”
“I do.” Amanda respected that and admired the quality, wishing to be more like that herself. But she preferred plans over spontaneity, even if the latter could present some fun adventures. “Can I talk to Zoe for a minute?”
Libby’s answer was to call out Zoe’s name. “She’s running for the phone.”
Amanda smiled, loving the relationship she had with the girl. It was crazy to think that she just came into her life a year ago, on the tail end of a tragedy. Zoe had witnessed her parents’ murders, and it had been Amanda and Trent who were tasked with the investigation. Amanda had fallen hard for Zoe, and Zoe had taken an instant shine to Amanda.
“Mandy!” It was what Zoe always called her. Not Mom, and Amanda was completely fine with that. Whatever was comfortable for Zoe. But just hearing the girl’s voice lifted Amanda’s heart. She asked Zoe about her day and was regaled with a colorful story about a rabbit on the school grounds.
“It ran under a portable.” Zoe’s giggles traveled the line. “I’m going to catch him tomorrow.”
“Maybe it’s better that you leave him be.”
“No. I want to catch him.”
“Be careful. He could bite you.”
Silence.
“Nah, he wouldn’t do that.”
Amanda smiled, admiring Zoe’s courage. “All right, I need to get back to work, but be good for Aunt Libby.”
“Duh, always.”
Duh… A new word to recently enter Zoe’s vocabulary, and they’d had the discussion several times that Amanda didn’t care for it. “You mean always?”
“Yes, sorry.”
“Okay. Well, Logan might still be over for pizza tonight, but I will be late.”
“Frick.”
It would seem they’d have to have another conversation. Later. “Okay, I love you. Bye.”
“Bye.”
Zoe was growing up far too fast, the little girl disappearing before her eyes. All too soon she would be replaced by a teenager. But at least she was getting older. Charlotte Archer wouldn’t have that chance.
Amanda took the lead up the Meyers’ front porch at about five o’clock that evening. According to their records, Darla and Irvin were both fifty-five and self-employed. The sedan in the driveway gave Amanda further hope someone would be home. Not that she looked forward to delivering notification, but best they hear it from her and Trent than from the news.
Amanda rang the doorbell, and before it finished its diddly a fit and attractive woman answered the door. Her hair was a blend of blond and gray, a transition before surrendering to all gray, no doubt.
“Darla Meyers?” Amanda asked.
“That’s me. And who are you?”
Amanda and Trent held up their badges.
“Detectives with the Prince William County Police Department,” Amanda told her. “Would your husband Irvin be home?”
“He is. Can I ask what this is regarding?” The woman’s eyes landed on Amanda’s badge clipped to the waistband of her pants.
“It would be best if we spoke with you and your husband together. Is there somewhere we can sit for this conversation?”
Darla’s posture slumped. “Ah, sure, follow me. Irvin!” Darla yelled for her husband to join them once they were inside.
Amanda and Trent were seen to a modest living room with outdated furniture. Framed portraits on the wall captured snapshots of the Meyers, Jill, and Charlotte. One showed Jill and Charlotte on a beach building a sandcastle. Mother and daughter were sun-kissed and smiling.
“That is from last summer.” Darla touched the frame of another picture. It was of a young girl, her mouth wide open with a finger pointing to where her front tooth had been. The outfit the child was wearing dated back a couple decades. “This one always makes me laugh.” She chuckled now as if adhering to a self-mandated order.
“Is that Jill?” Amanda asked.
Darla stepped away and hugged herself. “It is. How do you know Jill?”
“We’ll talk in a few moments, Mrs. Meyers.” Amanda could have hit herself for the slip. Of course, Darla would be on edge, and if she was aware of her daughter’s home situation, her mind may naturally go to her and her granddaughter’s welfare. Amanda took in more photographs, and could feel the loving relationship between the Meyers, their daughter, and granddaughter coming off the glossy prints.
Amanda and Trent had just sat down when a man graced the doorway. He looked from them to his wife and cocked his head.
“Who are these people, Darla?”
“We’re detectives with the Prince William County PD.” Amanda rushed out the answer to save Darla the need to do so.
“Well, I’m not sure what you’d want with us.” There was a slight tremble in his lower lip that belied his words. He had some suspicion.
“If you would please sit, Mr. Meyers,” Trent interjected. “We’ll explain everything.”
He sat on the couch next to his wife. Each reached for the other’s hand.
“We’re sorry to inform you that your daughter, Jill, and granddaughter, Charlotte, were found dead this morning.” Anyone would say that Amanda’s delivery had been professional and detached, but she was just an expert at hiding her feelings. She’d been in their position—finding out family was dead—and from that moment everything changes. No matter the sympathies people offer, it doesn’t bring them back.
“They were…” Darla’s face fractured, and tears fell.
Irvin shimmied down the couch and put an arm around his wife. “What happened to them?” His voice was gruff, riddled with emotion, and his body tensed.
“He did it!” Darla spat, her cheeks flaming a bright red, as tears continued to fall without shame.
“Who, Mrs. Meyers?” Amanda asked.
“That no-good husband of hers.”
“May I ask why you think Roy had something to do with their deaths?”
Darla opened her mouth, but no words came out. Irvin took over.
“We aren’t blind. We know he controls her every move, and we were quite sure he physically abused her.”
“Why didn’t you do anything?” This from Trent, and Amanda shot him a look to keep quiet.
“We tried.” Irvin’s face pinched in pain. “But no matter what we tried, she was blind to him. She had a slew of excuses. He had a bad day at work, he was tired… The list goes on.”
“We should have done more.” Darla’s voice was tiny.
“Sometimes everything is still not enough,” Trent offered, calming from his immediate reaction, relating to the situation.
Irvin sighed deeply, licked his lips, stared in the distance. The pain emanating from him was tangible. “We begged her to leave him. We made it clear to Jill that she and Charlotte were welcome here whenever she was ready to leave Roy.”
“He only moved to Dumfries to put distance between us,” Darla began. “At least he didn’t take them hours away. But in some ways, it didn’t matter. He did whatever was within his power to keep us from her and our granddaughter even when they lived in town.”
Amanda flicked a finger toward the wall of memories. “You found times to spend together anyway, from the look of it.”
“Yes. Thank heavens for that much. But she’d never talk about her marriage. When we brought up Roy, she either defended him or shut the conversation down quick,” Irvin said.
Everything they were saying added more to the physical evidence: Roy had abused his wife. But they were also seeing another side to Jill. She made time to see her parents even when Roy seemed to forbid it. Had Roy found out and moved his family for that reason—an act of control and isolation? And what else might Jill have been hiding? A secret life? “Do you know why Roy transferred to Dumfries?”
“To get Jill and Charlotte away from us,” Darla punched out.
“Have you seen them since they moved?” Trent asked.
Both Meyers shook their heads in unison.
“We didn’t even have the girls for Christmas last year. And that was just before their move.” One lone tear streamed down Irvin’s left cheek, and he pawed it away.
“Sorry to hear that.” Amanda let a few seconds pass before she continued. “When did Jill and Roy meet?”
“Seven years ago?” Irvin looked at his wife for confirmation, and she nodded.
Darla took over speaking. “Jill was coming off a bad relationship. Some sloth of a man. She should have taken time for herself—to be single—but it always felt like she needed to be paired up to feel whole.”
Amanda could understand Jill searching for what her parents seemed to have. “Did Jill have many friends here in Edgewater?”
Darla shook her head.
Irvin spoke. “She used to, but over the years they pulled away from her.”
“They must have seen what was happening with her. Like she was stuck on a downward spiral,” Darla added. “’Course that wasn’t helped by the fact the men she chose were possessive. Roy was the worst of ’em all. He wanted every minute of her life to be devoted to him.”
“But she found ways to spend some time with you.” Amanda nudged her head toward the photographs again.
“She’d sneak off, or add an hour or two to her errands. She’d tell Roy things just took a little longer.”
Amanda wondered if Jill might have done the same the day she went missing. Assuming for the moment that Roy was innocent of his family’s murders, had Jill taken Charlotte and ventured somewhere that had gotten them into trouble? “You said you haven’t seen them since the move, but did you speak with your daughter?”
“No.” Irvin pulled his arm back from his wife but held her hand on her lap.
“Were you aware that Roy reported Jill and Charlotte missing last week?” The answer could be assumed, but Darla’s clenched jaw and scowl spoke before her words.
“No. Last week? That bastard didn’t even bother to call to tell us they were missing. He’s covering for himself. Has to be.” Tears brimmed in her eyes. “Whenever he was here in the past, he’d sit in the corner of the room drinking beer all night, hardly saying a word, but he’d watch her in such a way, it would just send shivers through me.” Darla rubbed her arms as if she was getting a chill recalling.
“How did he watch her?” Amanda asked.
“He was so smug and full of hate. He’d say, ‘Oh I love her,’ then wrap his arm around her and pull her close to him. But she’d wince like he was hurting her, holding on too tight. It was like he was flaunting his control over her in our face.”
“He must have gotten quite the kick out of taking our girl away.” Irvin retracted his hand from his wife’s and balled both his hands into fists.
“Sorry you had to go through that,” Trent offered softly.
Neither Meyer verbally responded, but they met Trent’s gaze, and it felt like an unspoken bond had been established.
“So did he do this to them? Do you know?” Darla searched Amanda’s eyes for an answer.
She wished she had one. “It’s an open investigation.”
“You said they were found,” Irvin began. “Where, and how?” His Adam’s apple bulged with a rough swallow.
“They were discovered in a shallow grave in Prince Park. Their necks had been broken.”
“Irv!” Darla cried out and threw her arms around her husband.
Amanda gave the couple a few beats to ride out this crest of grief. “Do you know if Charlotte had a small stuffed elephant?” It was possible they had bought it for their granddaughter. If so that might be why Roy had no knowledge of it.
The Meyers looked at each other. Darla responded.
“Not that we know of, but we weren’t around much. Especially since their move.”
“We are very sorry for your loss.” Amanda was the first to extend sympathies and stand. They offered to call friends or family to come be with them, but the Meyers said they’d be fine. So, she and Trent headed back to Woodbridge.
Amanda looked over at Trent while he drove. “I’d like to know where that elephant came from.”
“And I think you’re making too much out of it. We have enough to justify a look at the Archer home. The Meyers just told us about the abuse in Jill’s marriage. He reported them missing to cover himself. I’m with Darla Meyers. He killed them.”
“You sound quite confident.”
“I don’t think I’ve made how I feel about this guy a secret.”
“Nope, you haven’t. Well, I’ll run this by Graves and see what she says.” The weight of Trent’s judgment settled on Amanda, and the argument against Roy was certainly strong. But she simply couldn’t shake her nagging doubts. Justice for Jill and Charlotte was what mattered, and convicting the wrong man wouldn’t give them that.