“We need to examine those tires.”
“Agreed,” Thomas said, sitting back. “What about Mr. Pierpoint? We need to speak with him.”
“I’ll have the car patrolling that end of town cruise past his house. In the meantime, let’s check out Ed Leonard’s car.”
Stanton folded his hands over his belly and said, “No way we’ll get a search warrant for the Passat.”
Presley snatched the keys from inside her desk.
“Maybe not. But Ed Leonard can’t hide inside his house forever.”
As they stood from their chairs, the desk phone rang. Stanton picked it up while Presley slipped into her jacket. Before the sheriff and detective could leave, Stanton waved his arm.
Presley sat a hand on her hip.
“What now?”
“Leland Trivett was rushed to Kane Grove Hospital. Someone broke into his bedroom and stabbed him.”
CHAPTER THIRTY-SEVEN
October 31st
6:55 p.m.
Thomas slammed his brakes as he drove into Barton Falls. A parade of costumed children marched down Main Street, blocking access to downtown. He checked the mirror and reversed the vehicle, tires squealing as he wheeled around and took a side street.
His pulse raced. He needed to be two places at-once. While Detective Presley and Officer Stanton investigated the Leland Trivett stabbing, Thomas drove toward the Leonard’s residence four blocks from the latest attack. He awaited word on the stabbed teenager. The medical team had rushed Leland into emergency surgery. Thomas bit his lip, praying the kid survived.
Mountains of raked leaves girded the road. Dialing the phone as he directed the vehicle through the dark, Thomas waited for someone to answer at the Leonard house. On the second try, Charisse Leonard picked up the phone. The woman’s voice cracked. She’d finished crying recently.
“Mrs. Leonard, this is Sheriff Shepherd. Is your husband home this evening?”
“Not at the moment. Valerie is resting upstairs. What’s this about, Sheriff?”
“Good. Let Valerie rest and don’t let her leave the house. Where’s your husband, Mrs. Leonard? It’s important I speak with him.”
“Ed left for the store an hour ago. He should have returned by now. If you leave me your number—”
“What store, Mrs. Leonard?”
“Barret’s on East Court Street. It’s a grocery store.”
“Thank you. I’m familiar with the store.” Thomas read Mrs. Leonard his number. “If your husband returns in the next few minutes, call me at this number. Also, there’s a Kane Grove PD cruiser moving through your neighborhood. Don’t be alarmed.”
“Are we safe, Sheriff?”
“That’s what the cruiser is there for. It’s merely a precaution. I’ll get back to you as soon as I can.”
Thomas ended the call and eyed his GPS. Barret’s was on the far end of Barton Falls, three miles behind him. And the parade downtown prevented him from taking a direct route. He executed a three-point turn and circumvented the town center. A few blocks past the train yards, emergency lights whirled at the end of the street outside the Trivett residence.
Ed Leonard left the house before six o’clock. That gave him time to drive to the Trivett house, stab Leland, and hide the weapon. If he’d driven to the grocery store, as Charisse claimed, Thomas might catch Ed before he left.
As he traversed Barton Falls, Thomas crossed one suspect off the list. Troy Dean. Dean couldn’t have stabbed Leland Trivett. The gang leader remained in lockup inside the Kane Grove Police Department. But his bodyguards remained at-large.
Thomas doused the emergency lights and coasted into the grocery store parking lot, not wanting to draw Ed Leonard’s attention. He motored through the first two rows before he spotted the black Volkswagen Passat at the rear of the lot. He swung into the neighboring space and stepped out of the vehicle, leaving the motor running. The Passat matched the eyewitness’s description from the train yards last night. But there were a lot of dark sedans on the road. No guarantee this was the killer’s car.
He removed a pen light from his pocket and aimed the beam at the front tire on the passenger side. He recalled the tread pattern from the CSI report. The pattern on Leonard’s front tires appeared similar. He shone the light through the driver’s side window, ensuring nobody hid inside. The front seats were empty. A gym bag lay in the back. Glancing around the parking lot, Thomas touched the door handle. Unlocked.
Before he decided whether he should open the door, a gruff voice shouted from the parking lot.
“Hey! Get away from my car!”
Ed Leonard pushed a shopping cart as he jogged toward Thomas. Two loaves of bread peeked out from one paper bag. The second bag held a few canned goods.
“Good evening, Mr. Leonard.”
A vein pulsed in the man’s neck. Face red, Ed Leonard curled his hands into fists.
“This is harassment. Twice today, you’ve bothered me. What do you think you’re doing, shining a flashlight inside my car? You don’t have a search warrant.”
“I don’t need a search warrant. You’re parked in the open.”
“That doesn’t give you the right to break inside my car.”
Thomas swept the light over the gym bag.
“What’s in the bag, sir?”
“My gym clothes, not that it’s any of your business.”
Moving around the Passat, Thomas blocked Leonard’s path to the driver’s side door.
“Do you mind opening the bag and showing me?”
“Yes, I mind. Like I told you. You want to search my house or vehicle, come back with a warrant. And stay the hell away from my daughter.”
Thomas angled the beam toward Leonard. The man fumed, muscles taut, a live wire of hatred running through the suspect’s body.
“Where were you between six and six-thirty this evening?”
Leonard’s face twisted with incredulity.
“That’s why they shouldn’t let dimwits like you hold law enforcement positions. I read all about you, Sheriff. I’m all for equal opportunity, but there’s a reason they don’t let blind people drive city buses.”
Thomas twitched.
“Answer the question, Mr. Leonard.”
“Shopping for groceries. See?” Leonard lifted the bags and set them down. “Happy now?”
“It took you an hour to purchase six items?”
Leonard glanced around uncertainly and scratched behind his ear.
“So what if it did?”
“Seems you could have made the
