Reckoning for the Dead

that happened anyway.” Cook heaved a sigh. “I reran that unidentified sample through CODIS and NCIC again, but came up dry. That’s when I went back to the source. The Chicago PD had the case files, so I put in a request to search for Millstone’s DNA the day you got here. I haven’t heard back yet, but wait a minute.” Cook narrowed his eyes. “You used the word ‘scared,’ as in past tense. You said you were scared that DNA belonged to Millstone. Do you know something about that DNA I don’t?”

“Well, yeah. When I had the same hunch you did, I had Detective Cooper pull the records and check Millstone’s DNA, compare it to mine. I found out about that today.”

“Guess I don’t have your clout with the Chicago PD. I’m still waiting for word.” Cook shook his head. “I knew that detective was a friend of yours.”

“Okay, I pushed to get that done. And I may have some influence with CPD, but why did you lie about that interview being missing from your murder book? What were you covering up? And why are you protecting that woman in there?”

Jessie pointed toward the Tanner house. With their voices carrying in the night, she saw Sophia Tanner at her window, peeking through the drapes. And when Chief Cook saw her, too, he raised his hands and tried to calm Jessie down.

“Keep your voice down. Please.” He shook his head and glanced back at the Tanner house. “I don’t know how that interview got misplaced, I swear. I didn’t lie when I said I’d seen it. And I wouldn’t have marked it on my case map unless we had that interview in hand.”

“You’ll forgive me if I don’t believe you. You don’t exactly have the best track record when it comes to telling me the truth.”

“Guess I can understand why you’d think that, but what I’ve told you is the honest-to-God truth,” he said. “And if that unidentified DNA wasn’t a match to Millstone, then you’ve got a brother to find.”

“Yeah, I guess I do, but where do I start looking?”

“Let’s see if Sophia can help us with that. Maybe all she needs is the right motivation.”

When Cook turned toward the house, Jessie stopped him. “Aren’t you forgetting something?”

She nudged her head toward the trunk of her car and dangled her keys in front of him. Without a word to her, he grabbed them and liberated Tyrell Hinman. He pulled his half-naked deputy from the trunk and cut him loose with a pocketknife.

“Get in my squad car and stay there until we’re done with Sophia.”

“Yes, sir.” Tyrell had his head down and didn’t look up at either of them. He headed for the passenger seat in the front.

“Oh, hell no. You’re ridin’ in the back. That’s where criminals go, Tyrell.”

Jessie couldn’t help it. A smile tugged at her lips when she got a glimpse of Tyrell tiptoeing toward the chief’s patrol car in his bare feet, but Tobias didn’t see any humor in it. He walked with her in silence to the front door of Sophia Tanner’s place.

She had a pretty good notion that Chief Cook would finally be honest with her. And if he did that, she might clue him in on who killed Angela DeSalvo.

Chapter 19

“What’s this about, Tobias? It’s kinda late. Can we do this tomorrow at a more civilized hour? I’m having my dinner.”

Sophia Tanner stood in her front door, blocking the way into her home. And she was hurling every reason she could think of to avoid what was coming. Tomorrow morning might be more civil, Jessie thought, but nothing about this case would even remotely resemble civilized.

“Sorry, Sophia. This can’t wait. May we come in?” Chief Cook didn’t wait for her answer but took a step into her home, and she backed away.

“But I . . . I’d really rather not . . .”

When Cook didn’t take no for an answer, Jessie was close on his heels and stood by him in the living room as the police chief took charge.

“Do you know any reason why Tyrell Hinman was following Ms. Beckett?”

“Tyrell? I don’t know. Why would he? And why are you asking me?” The woman’s face looked all pious and indignant, but she had a nervous twitch to her eyes that contradicted everything out of her mouth.

“I’m just gonna say this, so we can cut to the chase.” Cook pointed Sophia Tanner to a chair, and said, “You better sit.”

“Tobias, you’re scaring me. What’s this about?” Her voice cracked, and she fanned her face like she was about to faint.

“I asked you this before, but now I’ve got to know the truth.”

“Are you insinuating that I . . .”

“Stop this, Sophia.” Cook raised his voice and glared at her. When her eyes grew wide, Jessie knew the chief had her attention. “Just so you know, Tyrell has told me everything. But I told him I wanted to hear your side of it before I pressed charges against the two of you.”

Jessie had to admit that Cook had a real folksy way of interrogating that reminded her of old Columbo reruns. He laid on a liberal dose of small-town cop and mixed it with street smarts that came from years of experience. He pretended that he knew more than he did to get her to open up. And from what she saw on Sophia Tanner’s face, his tactic was working.

“Charges? What charges?” Mrs. Tanner slumped back in her chair and heaved a sigh. “Please don’t arrest Tyrell. He only did what I asked him to do.”

“I’m listening,” Cook said.

“I only wanted to know what she was up to, that’s all.” Mrs. Tanner finally turned her attention on Jessie. “You’re not an investigator helping with an old case. You’ve got a personal stake in this, don’t you?” Mrs. Tanner raised her chin in defiance. “I asked Tyrell to do me a favor. He really didn’t do any harm.”

“But how did you know I was coming to La Pointe?” Before the woman answered, Jessie cocked her head. “Maybe I should rephrase that. The fact that I was coming here wasn’t the important thing. You knew why I was coming, didn’t you? Tyrell told you about the DNA report from the crime lab. That’s what triggered all this, but why was I such a threat to you?”

Jessie had made a leap in logic about the DNA analysis, but it made sense. And when Sophia Tanner didn’t correct her, she knew she’d guessed right about how she’d found out about the lab results. But the woman was hiding something more than getting a deputy and former coworker to do her a favor.

“Threat? You’re no threat to me. I was just curious, that’s all,” the woman protested, but Jessie had a hard time believing her. And so did Chief Cook.

“Tyrell tampered with evidence when he took that interview of yours,” the chief said, making a leap of his own that surprised Jessie. “I’d seen that original report years ago, but it’s gone now. Why did you have him take it from evidence, Sophia?”

“Tyrell had nothing to do with that. I’d taken it years ago, when I worked at the station. I don’t want him charged for something I did.”

“But why? I mean, you gave that interview. Why hide it now? What was in it that you were so afraid of?” Jessie had to ask the question, but after thinking about Sophia’s part in all this, she played a hunch. “You saw the kids at the DeSalvo place. You saw me, didn’t you? You were the closest neighbor. What did you see, Mrs. Tanner?”

“My interview didn’t have anything in it. I only said what everyone else did. With me living so close, I figured that’s what folks would expect. And not saying anything about the children would’ve raised suspicion.”

“I don’t believe you. You’re hiding something.” Jessie had to work hard at keeping her voice calm and steady. All she really wanted to do was yell.

When the woman couldn’t look her in the eye and kept her mouth shut, Jessie took a deep breath and tried talking to her another way. She knelt at the woman’s feet and touched her hand.

“I had my childhood taken from me . . . by a man who tortured and abused helpless little girls.” Jessie’s voice cracked. “That man took me from my family, a family I’ve never known. And all I have left is proof that I have a