“He didn’t tell you he was heading to Leland’s house to party?”
Valerie swung her head back and forth.
“That sounds wrong. Derek had an essay due in the morning and a test to study for.”
Thomas turned to Charisse.
“Did you hear your daughter come in?”
Charisse gave Ed a confused glance.
“I went to bed a little after ten. We use a white noise machine that plays ocean sounds in the bedroom. Valerie gets loud when she’s on the computer.”
“So you aren’t sure when your daughter returned home.”
“I didn’t even realize she’d left the house.” Charisse dropped a hand on her daughter’s. “Valerie, you need to tell us before you leave. What if something had happened to you?”
“That won’t be a problem again,” the father said, tightening his jaw. “You’re grounded until graduation. And if you ever disobey me like this again, I’ll take that precious computer of yours and toss it in the river.”
Thomas ignored Valerie’s father.
“Leland Trivett acknowledged Derek was supposed to spend the night. According to Leland, he never showed.” Thomas saw confusion in Valerie’s eyes. Derek had told her he needed to go home, then ran to his friend’s house instead. “Maybe Derek told you he wasn’t going home, and the two of you argued.”
“Are you claiming I hurt Derek?”
Though Thomas doubted Valerie Leonard murdered her boyfriend, he couldn’t rule her out. Her father owned a dark-colored sedan. What if she drove back in her father’s car and stabbed Derek?
“Just trying to understand what happened last night. You were the last person to see Derek alive.”
Ed Leonard stood and bumped the table, spilling Charisse’s water.
“That’s enough. No more questions. My daughter is trying to process the news, and you aren’t helping matters.”
“What about you, Mr. Leonard? Where were you between the hours of midnight and two in the morning?”
“As we pointed out, my wife and I fell asleep after ten.”
“Can anyone corroborate your whereabouts?”
“This is harassment. You know the answer. My wife was asleep, and my daughter left the house.”
Thomas opened his wallet and removed a card. Below the office phone number, he scribbled his personal cell and handed it to Valerie.
“If you remember anything that will help us find the person who killed Derek, call or text me. Anytime.”
Valerie lifted the card, studied the number, and tucked it into her pocket without saying a word.
“She won’t call you,” Ed Leonard said. “Because she doesn’t know who did it. Leave my daughter out of your investigation.”
“Mr. Leonard, do you drive a black Volkswagen Passat?”
“You already knew I owned a Passat, or you wouldn’t have asked.”
“Mind if we look at the vehicle?”
“Why?”
“Please, it will only take a moment.”
The father puffed out his chest.
“Not without a warrant.” He swept his arm toward the entryway. “It’s time you left, Sheriff. The next time you speak with my family, my lawyer will be present.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT
October 31st
3:10 p.m.
Over the two years Raven had frequented Ruth Sims’s Broken Yolk cafe, she’d never seen it so busy. Every seat was taken, and the teenage girl behind the counter worked double-time to fill orders as the line weaved back to the sitting area. Scents of freshly baked bread, donuts, and coffee co-mingled and made Raven’s mouth water. She’d promised Aguilar, who drove to meet Lambert at the farmhouse, she’d stay inside the cafe until her friends arrived.
As she nibbled on a donut, she wondered about Mark Benson. He’d risked his freedom by pursuing Ellie Fisher. Had the convict fled New York after escaping prison, he would’ve had a better chance to escape the country. She understood why he returned to his former haunts—he needed the money he’d hidden away, and he craved the perceived safety familiarity lent. But why double down and kidnap Fisher a second time? How desperate was Benson for money?
Raven looked up from her coffee when the door opened, ringing the bell inside the cafe. A mix of relief and frustration poured through her bones when Chelsey led LeVar and Darren inside. Her friends represented safety. But everyone assumed she couldn’t defend herself.
“Finally, we caught up to you,” Chelsey said, sliding into the chair across from Raven’s.
Darren leaned over and kissed Raven on the forehead. LeVar gave her shoulder a squeeze and sat beside Chelsey.
“How are things at the farmhouse?” Raven asked. As deep as she’d interjected herself into the investigation, she was glad she hadn’t accompanied Chelsey and LeVar to the farmhouse. The old home in the country held too many horrifying memories.
“Deputy Lambert pulled two prints from the bedroom. It appears Benson didn’t wear gloves.”
“The psycho feels comfortable at the farmhouse,” LeVar said. “My guess is he’ll return if he can’t escape New York today. Did Benson really go after Ellie Fisher again?”
Torn pieces of paper from a sweetener packet lay before Raven. She’d nervously shredded the packet without noticing. Embarrassed, she swept the pieces into her palm and tossed them into a garbage can.
“That’s my theory,” said Raven. “I never saw Benson’s face, just a guy hanging back in the shadows who fit Benson’s profile. But it had to be him. We can’t underestimate this guy. He swindled Fisher into meeting him at the park.”
Chelsey scanned a menu as she replied.
“Benson must have researched Fisher while he was in jail. That’s the only way he could have known she worked for the advertising firm.”
“Cons get computer access in prison,” Darren said. “A Google search is all you need.”
“But his plan fell through, and now he has the sheriff’s department, Kane Grove PD, and state police hunting him down. It’s time to get out of Dodge.”
“How much did he pull out of savings before the arrest?”
“About a grand,” Raven said, peering out the window.
“That’s enough for a plane ticket out of the country.”
Chelsey folded her arms and leaned back.
“Flying is too risky. He’d need fake identification, which isn’t easy to obtain when the authorities are one step behind. And he’d have to alter his appearance so security didn’t recognize him.”
Raven nodded.
“I agree. Benson didn’t have enough money to buy
