“Hello?” the answer came more suddenly than Carson had expected and he almost hung up as panic swept over him.
“Hey,” Carson said, getting a grip on himself, “Is that Tyler?” He sounded like a teenager calling a girl for a date!
“Yeah, who is this?” Carson hesitated,
“I was told you might be able to help me,” he said, keeping back his name for now.
“Depends on what you need help with,” Tyler replied.
“Clearing my name,” he said and waited for the response.
“What is it you didn’t do?” Tyler asked.
“Murder.”
“Are you sure it wasn’t three murders?” Tyler asked and Carson drew in breath at his identity being known. Had the man told Tyler Carson would be in touch? Hell, was Tyler the man he’d met in the alleyway? There was silence for a time and then Carson asked,
“Can you help me?”
“I can if you trust me,” Tyler said.
“I don’t know you,” Carson replied.
“I need to know you won’t lie to me,” Tyler said, “That’s the only way I can help you.”
“What do you want to know?” Carson asked.
“Well for starters, where are you?”
“Near the Canadian border.”
“You’re running?”
“Was.”
“But not now? That’s why you called me?”
“I don’t know what I’m doing if I’m honest,” Carson said and he’d never said a truer thing in his life.
“Well,” Tyler said, “You need to make up your mind if you’re running or staying right now.” Carson thought about this for a moment and then said,
“I want to clear my name.”
“Good,” Tyler replied, sounding pleased. “We need to meet in person. Where do you want to do that?”
“I don’t know this place at all,” Carson said, “I’m not even sure where I am.”
“Okay, find that out and call me back. I can drive to you somewhere up there and meet you tonight.”
“Alright, I’m at a truck stop, I'll find out where I am and what town is closest by and call you back in half an hour.” Carson said, still not sure if he was doing the right thing.
“I’ll be waiting,” Tyler said, “And Carson, if you’re innocent you don’t have anything to worry about. We’ll get to the bottom of it.”
These words were almost enough to make him cry but Carson knew this was only hope trying to get the better of him. It was a beautiful thing to hear, for sure, but that didn’t mean it was going to turn out to be true.
Chapter 22
TYLER HAD LEFT THE OFFICES of ‘The Baltimore Echo’ right after the first call came in from Carson Lemond. The wait for the second call was interminable and was over the half hour they had spoken of. He was beginning to think Carson had changed his mind again and would continue his journey into Canada.
The call had come, however, and Tyler arranged to meet Carson in a diner in Buffalo, New York. It was going to be a close to six hour drive, but he had to do it, had to get the inside story. He thought of his book and how this would make excellent side material to that about the serial killers.
As he filled the gas tank of his car, Tyler thought about the inevitable call he was going to have to make to Sarah. She was not going to be happy about this turn of events at all, but he couldn’t include her yet. She would be obliged to arrest Carson if she knew where he was and that was going to be of no use to Tyler in getting the information he felt both he and Sarah needed. How was he going to deflect her anger, he wondered.
Then it came to him. This was the perfect time to play the Spalding card. He hadn’t told her about the phone call yet, and she didn’t have to know it had been days ago. He could say it was this morning-that should be enough to take her mind off Carson Lemond for a bit. With this thought in mind, he went into the store, paid for the gas and got some snacks or the trip
Truth be told, he didn’t want to make the drive, but it was too hard to fly on a plane these days if you wanted to hide your tracks. Still, it was all for the greater good (his greater good) and would be worth it in the end.
Two hours in, Tyler made the call to Sarah. He was surprised and a little relieved at a reprieve when she didn’t answer. Instantly, however, his mind was whirring and he wondered if the FBI had caught Carson? Were they closing in on him right now? There was no way Tyler could find this out unless something came in over the radio news. He turned this on just in case but knew it wouldn't be news until Carson was already apprehended. He was just going to have to keep on going and hope Carson was there to meet him when he arrived in Buffalo.
Ten minutes later, the phone rang and glancing at the screen Tyler saw a number he didn’t recognise. He pressed the answer key.
“Hello?”
“Tyler, it’s me,” came the out of breath voice of Sarah.
“What phone is this?” he asked her.
“Field office in Washington,” she said. “Were you looking for me?”
“Yes, are you able to talk a minute, alone?”
“Yeah, I’m in this room alone. If anyone comes in I'll let you know,” Sarah replied.
“First off, I have two things to tell you. One you won’t be happy about but the other you will,” Tyler said easing into things.
“What have you done?” she said angrily and then as though catching on to
