“Can you check?”
“Sure, I’ll call the county clerk.” Minutes later Max rushed back through the door. “Evan has an old horse ranch in the far northwest corner of Alber, near the mountains.”
Finally a break, I hoped. “It sounds like the perfect place to hide a hostage.”
Then Max said something that immediately registered on my radar. “I put in a call to Mullins. He’s going to lead us out there. It’s off one of the old mining roads, hard to find.”
I stopped and looked at Max, alarmed at what I’d just heard. “You told Detective Mullins that Evan Barstow is a suspect and we want to question Gerard?” Having Mullins on board could be a good thing, but I worried that he might not be on our side. I remembered what he said about Gerard being the boss. “Mullins could warn Gerard that we’re trying to find him. Maybe he already has and that’s why he’s made himself scarce.”
“Mullins won’t do that,” Max said. “I explained that we’ve got multiple abductions and one murdered girl. I told him that Evan had Delilah’s flashlight and that Gerard may be aware of his brother’s involvement. Mullins insisted it’s some kind of mistake, but we agreed that he wouldn’t alert anyone, especially Gerard.”
“You trust him?”
“Yeah.” Max looked over at me. “I’ve worked cases with him. Mullins is a good cop.”
Although I was skeptical, it did no good to argue. I couldn’t undo what Max had already done. Swallowing my doubt, I said, “Okay. Let’s go.”
On our way out the door, Helen, the sheriff’s secretary, shouted for me and pointed at the waiting area. “Detective, your brother just arrived.”
Aaron stood near the window holding a small beige book. I’d forgotten that I’d asked to have him bring Sadie’s diary.
“Thanks,” I said, as I grabbed it. I slipped it under my arm, and turned to leave.
“Clara,” he shouted. I glanced back at him. “Can I help?”
“Not unless you know where to find Delilah.” Aaron shook his head, and I ran out the door.
Moments later, Max and I drove out of the parking lot in his car, followed by two squads. “Where are we meeting Mullins?”
“We’re swinging by the PD,” he said.
“Okay,” I replied, although doubts about Mullins still gnawed at me.
The siren on, we made good time to Alber. Mullins and someone else waited in a black-and-white outside the station. They took the lead, and we wound through town to the northwest, the sky now rapidly darkening. A ten-minute drive, and we turned onto a country road. We passed a few farmhouses, and off to my right I saw the dirt road that led to Mother Naomi’s bee shed and hives. My throat tightened, and I coughed to clear it.
“You okay?” Max asked.
“Just thinking about Sadie.”
“You think that was her in the field?”
“Yes, I do. We’ll need to make sure, but the body has her hair color, her height, it’s clothed in her dress and wears her ring.”
“I’m sorry, Clara.” He aimed straight ahead and we followed Mullins onto one of the old dirt mining roads leading toward the mountain. “I wish I’d stood up for you, when the sheriff and the Barstow brothers… Clara, if I could do it all over again…”
I still didn’t completely trust Max. Just hours earlier, he’d kept me from following my instincts when I wanted to take Evan’s chains into evidence. As Max drove, he kept glancing at me. I knew that he wanted me to say I forgave him. I should have been able to. But when I thought of Delilah, I couldn’t.
“Max, just get me to Evan Barstow’s ranch. I can’t lose another sister today.”
His jaw tightened, and Max pressed harder on the gas.
Three miles down the road, Mullins took a hard left and drove through a gate with a “B” in a circle at the top. It led to a two-story farmhouse, the wood siding weathered silver gray. I picked up Max’s radio. “Detective Mullins, when we reach the house, hang back. We have our backup, and we’ll go in.”
“Miss Jefferies, with all due respect, I don’t work for you,” Mullins argued. “I’m going in with you to help, but as much to make sure this is all on the up and up.”
“We don’t know what we’re walking into, Mullins,” I said. “Stand back.”
“You’re not going to find squat here,” Mullins scoffed. “I know Evan Barstow. I worked for him. He’s a good man. He wouldn’t—”
“I’m ordering you to stand down, Mullins,” I said again. “This isn’t your show.”
“Shit, this is ridiculous,” he mumbled. “Hell of a waste of—”
Max took over. “Detective Jefferies is right. You’ve got the wrong attitude for this, Mullins. We’re going to handle it. It’s our case, not yours.”
“Okay, Max. You two win. You take the lead. But I’ll be observing. This better be by the book.” At that instant, Mullins pulled to the side and Max sped past him, followed by our backup. We parked in front of the house.
The sun was below the horizon, but the fading sunlight combined with the emerging moon to prolong the dusk. As soon as the car stopped, I jumped out. Max followed, leaving the headlights trained on the building. I wondered if Evan had an accomplice, someone guarding Delilah. We had our guns out, and I scanned the windows, leery that someone could be watching us. The other units pulled in and two deputies ran to guard the back door, while the others took cover behind their cars’ open doors, rifles pointed at the house. I looked back and saw Mullins park near the barn. He and the guy with him stayed in the car.
My heart slammed against my ribs, pumping hard, as I walked up a few steps to the front door. No doorbell. I pounded on the heavy oak door. It felt solid and didn’t budge. I wasn’t waiting for permission. I put my hand on the knob and turned it. The unlocked door opened.
“Police! Anyone home?” I shouted. “Detective
