Skeletons in the Mist (The McCall Twins) (19 page)

Chas could tell Abbott was spoiling for a fight, which was really nothing unusual. The Flannigans were all mean drunks. Even their mother had been full of piss and vinegar before she’d died.

“Can I help you with something, Abbott?”

“You sure as hell can. You can get off your ass and tell me who killed my brother. And I want to know where the hell that little bitch of a stepdaughter of his is too.”

Chas frowned. “If you’re referring to Tabitha, she wasn’t his stepdaughter. He and Loretta weren’t married.”

“They may as well have been. Shit, they shacked up together. I want to know what you know so far.” Abbott leaned against the cubicle and scratched at his balding head.

“When I have any information for you, I’ll find you. Right now I have nothing further than what I told you and Albie last night.”

“You didn’t tell us shit last night. I’m telling you, that little bitch did something to Abel. She was threatening to kill him. I heard her with my own ears.”

Chas straightened. “Which little bitch?”

“Loretta’s little whore of a daughter!” he practically roared.

“Now why would Tabitha Kennings want to hurt your brother?”

Abbott scratched his chin as he tried to spin the wheels in his already overworked brain. “I got no idea. I only know that Abel told me she was a little tramp. She was always walking around the house
in her undies and trying to provoke him.”

Chas wanted to punch Abbott in the face so badly that his hand started to itch. “Even if she did flaunt herself, that’s no crime, Abbott.”

“She was sleeping with him. She threatened him.”

“Now that’s a crime,” Chas said, eyeing Abbott seriously. “You know she’s only fourteen.”

Abbott’s face scrunched up as he thought that over. “What’s that got to do with it? She threw herself at him.”

“I have several sources who tell a different story. And even if she did throw herself at him, it’s still statutory rape.”

Abbott’s eyes grew wide and he stepped ominously toward Chas. “Are you trying to accuse my dead brother of rape when he ain’t even here to defend himself?”

Chas grimaced. He really didn’t want to get into a fight with the likes of Abbott Flannigan. He could hold his own, even with a brute like Abbott, but he wasn’t in the mood to get his hands dirty right now. Not after the week he’d just had. He stood up and
glared at Abbott. “I’m not accusing him of anything. You are. Now I suggest you leave before you do something you’re going to regret. I’d hate to have to throw you in the drunk tank tonight.”

Abbott’s eyes darkened even more.

“Is there a problem in here?”

Chas looked over Abbott’s shoulder and saw Donovan Dewitt standing in the doorway, his eyes narrowed as he looked from Chas to Abbott and then back again. Obviously their discussion had been loud enough to alert the mayor, whose office was right upstairs.

Chas turned back to Abbott. “No, there’s no problem. Is there Abbott?”

Abbott grunted and backed up slowly. “I’m not going to go away, McCall. Somebody killed my brother and I want justice for him. It’s only right.”

“I’m doing my job as we speak, Abbott. Maybe you should get the hell out of here and let me get back to it.”

“Yeah, maybe you should.” Trace joined the group and clearly he didn’t like the situation he’d walked into. He set a paper bag down on Chas’s
desk and stood at his brother’s side.

Apparently seeing that he was outnumbered, Abbott swore, then turned on his heel and left.

“Dare I ask what all that was about?” Trace asked.

“He’s just upset about his brother,” Chas said, not really wanting to go into much detail in front of the mayor. He knew it was an election year and the last thing he needed was Donovan Dewitt making a campaign opportunity out of this. He was known for his dramatic flair.

“He seemed pretty upset,” Dewitt said, his brow furrowed. “He looked like he was about to punch you.”

Chas took the cheeseburger Trace offered him as he met the mayor’s interested gaze. “He wants answers and he’ll get them when we have them.”

“How’s the investigation coming?” Dewitt asked, stepping away from the doorway.

“It’s coming,” was all Chas would say. Trace remained silent.

“People are scared and nervous, McCall. Two murders in one week is a lot for a small community
like ours to deal with. And what about Tabitha Kennings and Dylan Tavish? Are they still missing?”

“Yes, they’re still missing,” Chas confirmed. “We’re working on things day and night. Why do you think we’re still here at this hour?”

“Well if there’s anything we can do in my office to help things speed along, let me know. I realize you’re short-handed, what with budget cuts and all.”

“Thanks,” Chas said dryly. He knew that most of those budget cuts had been implemented by Donovan Dewitt himself, but he didn’t say so. At this point, he just wanted the mayor to leave so he and Trace could get back to work.

“Dick,” Trace muttered when the mayor had left.

“It’s an election year,” was all Chas said as he bit into his cheeseburger.

“So what was Abbott really pissed about? I can tell when you’re being evasive.”

Chas wiped his mouth. “He thinks that Tabitha was flaunting herself in front of Abel and that they were having an affair.”

Trace nearly choked on his soda. “Are you shitting me?”

“Nope. He told me he heard her threaten Abel himself.”

“Does he get that she’s only fourteen?”

“Not so much as I saw. He seems pretty confused about the laws regarding statutory rape.”

“Dumbass.”

“We haven’t seen the last of him, I’m sure.” Chas grimaced at the thought.

“He didn’t even like his brother when the bastard was alive,” Trace pointed out. “If he didn’t have a solid alibi, I’d have made him suspect number one in Abel’s murder.”

“Me too. But he does have an alibi. For once, being drunk and passed out at a bar is a good thing for someone.” Chas finished off his burger and threw the wrapper in the trash. “I think there’s one other thing we can count on for sure as well. If the person who killed Myra is Roxy’s biological father, then that eliminates Abel Flannigan from the table. He would have been ten years old at the time Roxy and Rachel were born.”

“At least we’ve eliminated one person for sure. We’ve got no journal. If we knew who Myra Tavish was talking to on the phone that day it would help. I’ll get someone working on pulling up her phone records first thing in the morning.” Trace took a long sip of soda. “How’s she taking it? Roxy, I mean.”

Chas shrugged. “She was pretty mellow about it the entire way back here from Spokane. She wants to see that journal, just like the rest of us do.” He reached for the file on Dinah and Rachel Tavish’s murders and dug through it again. He just couldn’t shake the feeling that somehow the cases were connected.

“You think the same person who killed Myra Tavish killed Dinah and Rachel all those years ago?” Trace peered at the file from where he sat.

“I don’t know for sure. I have a gut feeling though and it’s saying yes. This is all just too coincidental. After Roxy being attacked at the motel and the man calling her Rose—after what Devon told us today—I just feel like this is all leading back to Dinah Tavish.”

“It does seem that way.”

For the next few hours, Chas and Trace dug through file after file. They looked through the logged evidence sheets from Myra’s murder and also the evidence sheets from the murders of Rachel and Dinah Tavish. No journal was mentioned in any of the cases.

Frustrated, Chas swore. It was after midnight and he was exhausted. Clearly Trace was too.

“We should cut out and get back to this in the morning. We’re not getting anywhere anyway,” Trace eventually said, rubbing his hands over his face wearily.

Chas knew his brother was right. They locked things up and said goodbye to the night clerk. Chas headed back to their house and Trace headed for the city where his girlfriend lived.

When Chas walked into the house, he found Josh dozing on the couch, the television on. After waking his brother and sending him on his way, he locked up and headed for his bedroom. It didn’t take him long to strip down to his boxers. He set his gun and cell phone on the nightstand and climbed
under the covers.

Roxy, comfortably snuggled on the other side of the bed, stirred slightly when the mattress dipped. She turned toward him, her eyes only half open.

“Hey. I didn’t mean to wake you,” he said quietly.

“Did you find it?”

He hated to tell her no, but he had no choice. “There was no journal in the house. It wasn’t logged in as evidence either.”

She looked disappointed.

“We’ll figure this out, baby. Just give us some time. We made a lot of headway today. That’s something.” He leaned over and rested his forehead against hers, his eyes searching hers solemnly. “We’ll figure it out.”

Apparently she accepted that because she nodded. Then she wrapped herself around him and buried her head in his chest. A few minutes later, her breathing leveled off and he knew that she was asleep. Only then did he shut his own eyes and follow her lead.

TWENTY

Roxy opened her eyes slowly, squinting at the moonlight pouring through the window of Chas’s bedroom. It was still dark out. She glanced at the clock next to the bed. It read 4:45 AM. She rolled to her left and noticed the light in the bathroom was on, just as she’d left it the night before.

Turning her head, she felt him before she saw him. Chas’s arm was thrown over her middle again. He was sleeping soundly on his stomach, his breathing soft. Clearly he was exhausted. She realized suddenly, that since she’d arrived, he really hadn’t been getting much sleep at all.

She stared at his silhouette in the darkness, for some reason unable to fall back to sleep. She felt uneasy, tense. She wasn’t sure where the sensation was coming from.

Suddenly the sound of his phone ringing
interrupted the silence. She felt him stir immediately, groaning as he turned over.

Swearing, he grabbed the device, checking the caller ID. He flopped back on his pillow, letting her go as he answered the call. “What’s up?”

She couldn’t hear the other side of the conversation, but she watched as his face immediately tensed. “I’ll be there in a few.” He disconnected the call and sat up abruptly. “You need to get up and get dressed.”

“What happened?” She got up quickly, following his lead. They both began to dress quickly.

“Somebody just called Trace. There’s been a disturbance over at your aunt’s house. I need to meet him over there. He’s already on his way.”

Roxy’s heart started pounding harder. “What kind of disturbance?”

“I’m not sure. All Trace said was that someone called and reported a prowler.”

He slipped his holster over his shoulder and shoved his gun into it.

Roxy dragged a jacket on and followed him down the hall.

Ten minutes later, they pulled up in front of her aunt’s two-story, farm style home. There were two police cars already there, as well as Trace’s truck. Roxy climbed out of Chas’s vehicle and hesitated once she reached the sidewalk. Chas was in front of her and she grabbed his wrist, stopping him from moving any further. When their gazes locked, he seemed to read her mind.

“Stay here with the other officers. I’ll be back.”

She did as he said, mostly because she just wasn’t sure if she was ready to face what she knew was inside that house. Chas’s warning the day before had stuck with her. Backing up, she leaned against the truck and waited while Chas disappeared inside of the residence.

“You’re Roxy Tavish, aren’t you? I’d recognize you anywhere.”

Roxy turned, her eyes focusing on an elderly woman who was walking up the sidewalk, a cane in her left hand. She was a petite woman, with graying hair and bifocals on. She was wearing a pink bathrobe and some rubber-soled house slippers. Roxy had no idea who she was.

“I’m sure you won’t remember me. I’m Aggie Colyar. I was a friend of your aunt’s.” She pointed to the house next door. “I’ve lived there next to Myra for nearly fifty years.”

Aggie Colyar
. The name rang a bell. Memories from her childhood were foggy at best, but she vaguely remembered the woman being friends with her aunt. “I remember you. Didn’t you have a granddaughter that I used to play with?” Roxy wasn’t sure where the memory came from but it was there. “Wasn’t her name Elizabeth?”

Aggie Colyar’s smile widened. “That’s right. She’s twenty-nine now. She lives in North Dakota and has two kids of her own.”

“That’s nice,” Roxy said, relaxing a little. “Do you see her a lot?”

“Not as much as I’d like. Traveling is hard for me now that my husband has passed. She and the other kids visit a couple of times a year. They’d like to come more but you know how it is. The kids are in school and such.”

No, Roxy didn’t know how that was. She had no children, no husband. She really had no story at all
at this point. At least no story worth mentioning.

“I’m so sorry about your aunt. Myra was a wonderful friend and neighbor. My heart is broken.”

“Mine too,” Roxy said solemnly. “Were you the one who called the police about a prowler this morning?”

The old woman nodded. “It’s the strangest thing. I was sitting in my living room, watching the late show like I always do. I’m a night owl—always have been. Anyway, the police were here and then they left. A few hours went by. I was just dozing off when I heard a noise. I looked out the window and saw someone creeping across the backyard next door. I noticed the gate was left open and the blinds on the kitchen window were suddenly drawn. They were open yesterday. And then I heard the dogs from the neighbors on the other side of Myra’s house barking. That’s when I called the police.” Aggie shook her head contritely. “I’m sorry. I know this must all be devastating for you. First Myra, then Devon and Dylan, and now this.”

Chas suddenly reappeared on the scene, his face
grim. He greeted Mrs. Colyar by her first name. They obviously knew each other, which wasn’t really a surprise. Everyone knew everyone in Cavern Creek.

“Is everything okay in there?” Aggie wanted to know.