Mac slept much better Wednesday night in his own bed and awoke by six Thursday morning, eager to get back into the investigation. Daniel’s death and the funeral had been a huge distraction. That was over now, and though his grieving would go on for some time, he needed to get back in the game and back to normal.
Stokely’s unprofessional rebuke yesterday still irked him, but it only served to sharpen his resolve. He was committed to finding Sara’s killer, now more than ever. Unfortunately, their primary leads involved the letters mailed to Senator Wilde. The letters indicated that they were from the kidnapper, who had supposedly taken Sara and threatened to harm her if Wilde didn’t swing the decision for the placement of a tribal casino in the Columbia River gorge. Even the beaded bag and rock from Sara’s collection pointed to a revenge killing.
He was beginning to wonder about the authenticity of the second set of letters, though. They’d been written after Sara’s death. Why would the killer write those letters when he’d already killed her? Maybe the killer hadn’t written them at all. Suppose someone like Therman or another tribal member had used Sara’s disappearance to pressure the senator as a kick-’em-while-they’re-down tactic?
He and Dana might be getting into the investigation late, but it was far too early to be discouraged. The investigation could still take any number of turns. Maybe the murder had been meant as a message from one of the Native American proponents of the casino, or, as Therman Post had suggested, they could be looking at someone with a great deal of money to lose if the deal fell through.
They would also be looking at family and friends. So far the husband’s story checked out, but that didn’t mean he wasn’t dirty. Mac frowned, remembering the discrepancy in the story he’d told the FBI and the one he’d told him and Dana. Then there was the cousin, who’d actually moved in with Sara’s husband. Jealousy? Wouldn’t be the first time. This Native American cousin they just discovered looked pretty interesting too.
One thing was for certain: they were not without possible suspects. These thoughts and more accompanied Mac while he showered, shaved, and got dressed for work.
While Mac and Dana had been in Medford, Sergeant Bledsoe had scheduled a polygraph appointment with one of their own detectives to review the FBI polygraph reports so they could either eliminate people as suspects or take a closer look.
Scott Watson was still cooperating for the time being, so they were taking full advantage. Hopefully, they would find Senator Wilde just as cooperative. Mac was less than impressed with yesterday’s encounter and concerned the senator and his aide might prove difficult. He intended to give Stokely a close look as well.
MAC PICKED DANA UP at her apartment at seven thirty. They stopped for coffee, and Dana got on the phone to let their sergeant know they were on the way to Salem. She switched to speakerphone so Mac could hear the conversation.
“Listen, kids,” Kevin said, “as you know, this is a high-profile case, and like it or not, with the senator involved, everything we do is going to be scrutinized to death. The brass is monitoring our investigation all the way.”
Dana sighed. “Which means what exactly?”
“Solving the murder is high priority, but the agency budget is important as well, so no big surprises. Wilde not only has a say in the casino, but he also has a lot to do with our funding. Like it or not, that’s the nature of the beast.”
Dana rolled her eyes at Mac. “So what else is new?”
“Be diplomatic, Mac,” Kevin warned. “I know that’s not always easy, but don’t be ruffling any feathers with the state’s political powerhouse.”
“Me? What about Dana?” Mac grinned. He doubted Dana had an undiplomatic bone in her body.
Kevin chuckled. “I think you know the answer to that one.”
“Oh, I don’t know, Boss. I came pretty close to losing it yesterday.” Dana told him about the encounter they’d had with Stokely and Senator Wilde after the funeral.
“That doesn’t surprise me. I guess that’s why I felt like I had to stress the point with you. I don’t care what kind of guff they give you, keep your cool. You have a big audience.”
“We’ll be on our best behavior, Sarge,” Dana said.
On the way, Mac filled Dana in on his theory about the second set of letters not being from the killer.
“I think you may be right, Mac. Why kill her and then write threatening letters?”
“Unless . . .” Mac hesitated. “Unless the killer was trying to get us off track.”
Dana shrugged. “That too.”
They talked more about Mac’s concerns as they traveled down to the Capitol Mall complex in Salem, where their own general headquarters was located, along with other agency heads. The Capitol Mall was also the location of the state capitol building, where state legislators and senators worked.
They parked in the official lot and made their way to the entrance. Mac and Dana walked along the marble entryway to Senator Wilde’s private chambers where they announced themselves to the receptionist. A good ten minutes later, Grant Stokely came out to greet them.
“Good morning.” Mac offered his hand, determined to start off on the right foot. “We’re here to meet with Senator Wilde.”
Stokely ignored Mac’s proffered hand and nodded toward a couch near the door. “Have a seat.”
Keep your cool, Dana’s warning glance told him.
He would, but the guy certainly wasn’t scoring any points. Once they were seated, Stokely, with his air of self-importance, remained standing.
“Before we begin,” he said, “I have some instructions for you. First, I want to review all the questions you have for the senator. Second, if I determine they are acceptable, I will forward a written copy of the questions to the senator, and you will await his responses. If we decide it’s necessary, he may respond in person. Finally, there are to be no press releases from your agency. Any press releases will come from my office.”With a smug and condescending smile, he added, “Are we clear on the conditions?”
Mac glanced over at Dana and cleared his throat. He wished Kevin were here to respond and tried to think of what Kevin might say. Mac knew what he wanted to say, but his superiors might not appreciate his tact. He got to his feet, his own arms folded and his legs slightly separated. He had a height advantage and could intimidate with the best of them. “Condition number one, not a chance. Condition number two, no way. We will, however, agree not to talk with the press—for now.”
Dana bit her lip, trying not to smile. This was too good.
“I don’t think you understand who you’re dealing with, Detective. Let me remind you of your authority here.” Stokely’s jaw twitched, his hands balled into fists.
“No, Mr. Stokely.” Mac settled his hands on his hips. “Allow me to do that for you. I’m a sworn peace officer in the state of Oregon, which means I can write search warrants and compel testimony through a subpoena to a grand jury if the prosecutor deems it appropriate. I’m here to investigate Sara Watson’s death. At the moment, this interview is purely voluntary on Senator Wilde’s part. If he doesn’t want to talk to us, that’s his call; but I’m putting his refusal to cooperate in my report, which, as you know, is a public record. That means the public and the press can get a copy of it.”
Stokely sputtered about having them removed from the premises.
“I understand your desire to protect the senator,” Mac went on, “but you are obstructing a felony investigation by insisting on these conditions. I’m sure with your knowledge of the lawmaking process, you are fully aware of that. Perhaps you’ve forgotten. You see, Mr. Stokely, obstructing our investigation could land you in jail and have you barred from the building.”
By now the man had turned an unflattering shade of red. “Wait here.” He spun around on his heels and went back into the senator’s office.
Mac blew out a long breath. “That went well.”
Dana smiled. “Good job.”
“Hope I didn’t mess things up too badly.”
“You were terrific. I don’t think Stokely appreciates your talents, though. If looks could kill, we’d both be lying on a slab in the morgue.”
“Yeah.” Mac relaxed his pose and rubbed the back of his neck.
“You are in the right, Mac.” Dana stood and touched his arm. “That guy is a pompous—”
The door to the senator’s chambers opened, and Stokely, looking slightly more composed, gestured for them to enter. The aide led them through the reception area and into a double set of doors. Senator Wilde himself must have granted them an audience. He sat in a leather chair in front of a large oak desk, a phone pressed against his ear. Mac hoped he wasn’t talking to the brass. Tangling with Stokely like he had could get him a reprimand—even if he was right.
Senator Wilde nodded toward two chairs, a sofa, and a coffee table in the corner while he continued his phone conversation. “Yes, I understand. I’ll see you at the budget meeting tomorrow.” He smiled. “You too.”
Hanging up the phone, he turned to Mac and Dana. “I hope you haven’t been waiting long. I didn’t know you were here until Grant announced you. Please, may I offer you something to drink?”
Senator Wilde came over to the small furniture grouping and shook their hands. “Detectives McAllister and Bennett, right?”
“Right. Nothing for me, thanks.” Mac answered.
“I’m fine.” Dana told him.
“All right, then.” The senator lowered himself onto the sofa.
“That will be all, Grant.” He nodded toward the aide. “I’ll let you know when we’re through here.”
Stokely glared at Mac and hesitated at the door, looking as though he wanted to say something. Then he stepped out and closed the door behind him.
“Thanks for meeting with us, Senator Wilde,” Mac said.
“Quite all right.” Wilde looked at the burgundy and beige oriental carpet. “I’m afraid I owe you an apology for Grant’s behavior this morning and after the funeral yesterday. He was out of line in treating you the way he did, and I’ve talked to him. I have the utmost respect for our law enforcement officers and expect my staff to show the same respect. Grant is a good man and a great chief of staff, but he tends to be a bit overprotective where I’m concerned. He thinks he has to protect me from everything and everyone, which is not the case. I assure you I want to cooperate fully with the investigation and will do anything to assist you in catching Sara’s killer.” He pressed his lips together and blinked back tears. “I’m sorry. It’s hard to think about what happened to her.”
Mac was a little taken aback by the senator’s show of cooperation and his overt grief. “I understand, Senator. We’re sorry for your loss.” Apparently Stokely had acted on his own regarding the interview conditions. He made a mental note to look into Stokely’s relationship with Sara later on. “We’ll start whenever you’re ready.” Right now, he needed to give this rare interview with the senator his full attention.
Wilde nodded. “Thanks, but I’m fine. Go ahead.”
Mac began the interview by asking about some background information. “Could you tell us about your relationship with Sara?”
“That girl was like my own daughter. I still can’t believe she’s really gone. In these past few years, I haven’t spent as much time with her as I would have liked. This job of mine has taken time away from my entire family.” Wilde got up, walked to the window, and stared outside. “Since her marriage, I was lucky to see her at weddings and family get-togethers. People get too busy these days.”
“How did you learn she was missing?”
“From my daughter. Claire called our home, and I happened to be there.” Wilde turned back toward them. “As soon as I heard, I had Grant cancel my meetings and drove to Portland to offer any assistance I could. I was the one who requested the FBI and insisted they utilize the Oregon State Police to assist in the investigation.”
“I thought that directive came from the governor’s office.”
Wilde offered a wan smile. “It did, but I instigated it.”
“Detective Bennett and I have been involved from day one, but didn’t assume the lead in the investigation until her body was discovered. We were disappointed to learn that the FBI had withheld some valuable information from us.”
He sighed. “You’re talking about the letters regarding the casino.”
“Yes.” Mac leaned back in the chair.
“I’m afraid that wasn’t entirely the FBI’s fault. I recently learned that there was substantial pressure from my office to keep the letters confidential so we wouldn’t receive any negative press.”
“Let me guess,” Mac said. “Stokely?”
The senator nodded.
“Could you tell us about the letters and how they were received?” Mac asked.
“Of course. I assume you know about Mr. Post?”
Mac nodded. “We’ve been in contact with Therman. With the help of the Warm Springs P.D., we interviewed him on Tuesday. I can’t go into too many details, but he was cooperative.”
“Did he admit to writing the letters we received after Sara disappeared?”
“Like I said, I can’t go into too many details, but I will tell you this much.” Mac chose his next words with care. “Mr. Post admits to writing the letters prior to Sara’s disappearance to convince you of his position on the casino placement, but he denies writing the letters indicating that Sara would be harmed if you didn’t change your allegiance.”
The senator frowned and sat back down. “I’m glad to hear that, actually. Therman is a political activist and a good one. I’d hate to think he’d resort to murder or even kidnapping. Do you have any idea who might have written those letters?”
“No, but we’re looking into the matter.” Mac glanced at Dana, who was taking notes. “Senator, you said earlier that Grant didn’t want information about the letters leaked to the press, yet as I recall there were several articles in the Oregonian talking about the letters and speculating on tribal members kidnapping Sara in an effort to get you to change your mind. Do you have any idea how the press might have gotten that information?”
“None whatsoever, unless the person who wrote them contacted a reporter.”
Mac made a mental note to find the articles and talk to the person who’d first written them. “Did you talk about the letters to anyone?” Mac knew he had, but wanted to hear it from the senator himself.
“Yes. Scott and I discussed them. I thought he should know.”
“Could he have told anyone else?”
“I doubt it. I asked him not to.” He cast a long look at Mac and paced back to the window. “I hope you two don’t consider Scott a suspect.”
“We’re casting a pretty wide net right now,” Mac replied.
“And the husband is always suspect?”
“We really haven’t focused on any single individual yet. Do you have any thoughts on the matter, any suspicions you’d like to tell us about?”
“I have my theories, but nothing concrete.”Wilde went back to the chair behind his desk this time. “I sincerely hope the tribal members were not involved. If they were, then I misjudged them. I didn’t take any of those threats seriously.” With an elbow on the desk, he rubbed his forehead. “Maybe I should have, but that wouldn’t have changed my mind. I refuse to be swayed by terrorist actions.”
“Sounds like you’re feeling guilty.”
“I’ve had my moments. I suppose one of the tribal members could have killed Sara, but I prefer to think that Sara’s death was a result of a robbery gone bad. You know that her car was broken into the day she disappeared?”
“Yes, we’re aware of that,” Mac said. “We always consider the possibility of a random act—that Sara may have been killed by a stranger.” Mac didn’t mention the beaded pouch and stone found in her mouth. That and the fact that her body had been buried near the reservation made the crime seem like more of a personal vendetta.
“Good. I’m glad you aren’t being too quick to narrow your investigation.”
Mac realized he still hadn’t gotten an answer to his question about the letters. “How did you actually receive the letters, Senator? Were they delivered to your office directly from the post office, routed from the mail room . . . ?”
“I don’t get the mail directly. My staff always goes through the mail first. Then they pass pertinent letters on to me.”
“So you have people who open all your mail.”
“Right. My administrative assistants work under Grant. I receive a lot of mail, and the staffers read and respond to the bulk of it. They bring some of the letters to my attention, but to be honest, I see maybe one out of a hundred. The staff either sends a form letter in response, or they write a letter and provide my stamped signature to the document. Because of their somewhat threatening nature, I did read the letters from Therman Post and the letters that came after Sara disappeared, but they were among hundreds of others that were either in support of or opposition to the casino placement.”
“What was your understanding of these initial letters from Mr. Post?”
“I took them at face value. Mr. Post represents a group of people who stand to gain financially if the casino is placed in the gorge. For every letter I received in favor, I received ten that are opposed to the placement. It’s evident that the majority of the population is opposed, but it’s also evident that the matter will be decided in a legal battle and not a popularity vote.”
“Would you elaborate?” Mac asked.
“Sure, glad to.”Wilde sat forward in his chair and put his hands together. “You see, the battle is over treaties and legal rights afforded to the tribes. It was never a popularity issue. I don’t plan to cast a vote in the senate. All I can do is offer my opinion and hope for the best. Though I’m against the casino going in, the Oregon Supreme Court will make the ruling, which will eventually go to the Ninth Circuit Federal Court of Appeals. The courts will make the final decision.”
“So there’s no vote on the issue, and you really don’t have the power to change the outcome.”
“That’s what we explained to all the letter writers, but they continue to write. That’s OK; it is their right, and I’m here to represent them. It goes with the office, and I can appreciate that.”
“The FBI made it sound like Therman Post was public enemy number one, although I get the impression from you that he was more of an inconvenience than anything else. He was just another letter writer your staff had to respond to.”
“That’s essentially correct, but please note that ‘inconvenience’ is your word, not mine.” He smiled. “I’d rather not go on record saying a concerned citizen of our state was an inconvenience.”
“Noted and understood.” Although Mac had been looking forward to the interview, the senator didn’t have much information relevant to their case. His pager vibrated, and Mac glanced over at Dana. “Do you have any questions, Detective Bennett?” He pulled his pager from his belt after passing off the interview, looking to see who was calling.
“Just a couple,” Dana replied. “Tell us how you learned about the second set of letters, the ones indicating that Sara was kidnapped and would be harmed if the casino plans didn’t go through.”
“From Grant. With the first one, a staffer opened the mail and brought it to him, and he immediately turned it over to the FBI. I never actually read the letter until later. Apparently they wanted as few prints as possible. I read it after the FBI provided a copy. They were hoping I’d be able to provide some clue as to who had sent it. I mentioned Therman, and they collected all the letters he’d sent. I’m afraid I wasn’t much help. I had never seen any other letters with that kind of signature, and neither had my staff. We turned over all the letters from Warm Springs, many of which were legitimate letters of correspondence. All of those were returned to us for a proper response.”
“You saw the first letter in the second group. What about the others?”
“After that first letter, all letters from Warm Springs were confiscated before anyone could open them, but Agents Miller and Lauden filled me in on the contents. They did a good job of keeping us informed when they could.”
“Agents Miller and Lauden are still involved in the case, and they are both very concerned about finding the killer,” Dana assured the senator.
The senator glanced at his watch. “I don’t mean to rush you, but I have an appointment in about ten minutes.”
Dana gave a slight nod. “Just one more thing. How well do you know Sara’s family on her mother’s side?”
“I know them, but not socially. That is, we don’t spend time together. You don’t think there’s any connection . . . ?” Senator Wilde’s gaze darted between Mac and Dana. “They cared about Sara as much as we did.”
“I’m sure that’s true.” Dana pulled the photos of the beaded bag and rock from her briefcase and showed them to the senator.
“Do you recognize these items?”
“Yes—at least I think so. They look like the same ones in Sara’s collection.” His Adam’s apple bobbed up and down as he spoke.
“She was so proud of those.”
“Do you have any idea what will happen to them now that Sara is dead?”
He shook his head and looked out the window. “That would be up to Scott, I suppose, unless Sara stipulated something in her will.”
“That’s all I have for now.” Dana turned toward Mac. “Do you have any more questions?”
“We’re set for now, but we’ll be in touch.” Mac took out a business card and handed it to Wilde. The senator glanced at it and thanked both of them for their service. Wilde also passed along his condolences to Mac and Dana over Trooper Revman’s death.
Grant Stokely was standing a few steps outside the door. Mac said good-bye to him but received a mumbled response. The aide gave Mac a wide berth as he entered Wilde’s office. Mac would have liked to take a few minutes to interview Stokely, but that would have to wait.
“What now?” Dana asked.
“To the crime lab. They paged me during the interview. Angela has some breaking news for us.”