“What’d you find?” Jake nodded at the folder.
“Here or at Cascade Locks?”
“Whatever’s more interesting.” Jake sipped from his cup.
Robert went on to share the results of his meeting with Brice.
“You think he might be in on this? He could be giving you just enough information to throw you off.”
“Throw me off? How?”
“Divide and conquer?” Jake raised an eyebrow.
Robert grimaced and stared at his notes. “It’s possible. What motive would he have? Even with two searches going, it could be that neither of us is on the right rail, or one of us is, and this is a diversion.”
“Which one is it?” Jake downed the last of the coffee, made a face and shook the upper part of his body.
Robert looked up and grinned. “That bad, huh?”
“Worse.”
Robert laid the folder down. “My gut says Brice is telling the truth and wants to help. He doesn’t seem to be anyone connected with the family. I think he’s perhaps a professor who Calvin might have had in college.”
“I’ll check him out.” He turned to the map of the Columbia River Robert had tacked to the board next to the timeline. He ran his finger along the highway.
“Let’s say the family left home and went to Larch Mountain first.” This finger stopped, and he pushed a colored pin to mark the spot. “They continued down to the highway and stopped for gas here.” He pushed another pin. “They stopped again for dinner here. Then, according to your contact, they might have ended here at about eight or so. Where were they between six-thirty and eight?”
Robert joined Jake. “That’s the hundred-dollar question. If this is their travel, what was the destination and why?”
The two men stared at the map. Three single pins didn’t tell the story. The cards in the timeline left the same time space.
“What did a family do for the next few hours, basically in the middle of nowhere?” Robert rubbed his chin, staring at the board as if a genie would appear with the answer.
Jake walked to the board and tapped the note with Helen’s name. “She told you about one of the men at the diner that night who had family in the area. Is there a chance these men cornered them somewhere and robbed them? Maybe pushed them off into the river.”
“They didn’t have a lot of money. Mr. Stevens didn’t withdraw any from the bank. He had a few dollars for dinner, I imagine.” Robert walked around his desk to stand away from the board. “What if the men were hired to stop them?”
“Why? What possible reason would someone want these people dead?” Jake asked his partner.
“Let’s ask the family.” Robert turned back to his desk and picked up the papers.
He read aloud from the report attached to the file. “Calvin left home to join the Navy, and now he’s stationed in New York. It’s his alibi for the day his family went missing. He didn’t have any leave time accumulated, nor did he leave the state. He lives off base with a Miss Mary Jennings, who on the night in question hosted a small holiday party. He never left the party, she said, when questioned by Stan.”
Robert turned the page over. “Stan notes ‘Calvin reported for duty the next day and would have had no time to fly across the country and return to duty’.” He stuffed the sheet back into the folder, “Well, that’s that. We don’t have a killer. Somehow a family just up and disappeared.”
He slapped the envelope on the desk and looked at Jake. “I don’t know about you, but this whole thing stinks worse than the paper mill in Albany.
“I can’t disagree with you.” Jake pinched his nose.
Robert pulled the last sheet from the folder and held it to the light. “Lookie here at this. We have a list of phone numbers from Calvin’s phone and to his phone. It seems someone blacked out a few numbers. What do you make of that?” He passed the paper to Jake, who peered at the sheet, holding it up to the light.
“They did a good job of blacking. I can’t see a single number.” He shook his head and handed it back.
“Guess, I’ll mosey over to the chief’s office for a chat.” Robert headed out the door. Jake followed but took a right turn to his desk.
Arnie’s door stood open, and Jake saw him bent over, trying to reach something under his desk. He saw a corner of paper jutting from the front panel. He reached down and pulled at the same time Arnie must have managed to reach it. The paper tore, and Arnie swore. He backed up, but not far enough to clear his head. Robert heard a loud bang and more swearing.
“Sir, are you okay?” He hurried around the desk where Arnie had fallen to his knees, his hand held to his head.
“No, dammit, I’m not! I almost had it, but the paper got stuck. Now it’s ripped.” He slid back and tried to get into his chair, still holding his hand to his head. After an attempt or two, Robert put his hand under the man’s armpit and leveraged him into the chair.
“Let me look at that.” He stepped behind Arnie and started to pull the man’s beefy hand from where it appeared glued to his head. “It looks like it’s bleeding.” Robert reached for his hanky, but Arnie pulled his larger one from a pocket and waved it at him. “I’m calling a nurse.”
Arnie nodded. Robert made sure Arnie kept the handkerchief pressed against his head. A nurse from the infirmary hurried in with her black case.
“I’m fine.” Arnie frowned and gave Robert an accusing glare.
“I wanted to make sure it didn’t need stitches.” Robert returned a solemn stare.
“Just give me a minute.” The nurse deftly removed the bloody handkerchief and made a tsking noise with her mouth. She wiped the blood, cleaned it with antiseptic, then attached a bandage.
“I look awful!” Arnie fingered the bandage. “It’s stuck to my hair,” he blustered.
Robert looked at the nurse and schooled his expression, “I guess you might have to change up your combover. Get a new do,” he teased.
Arnie glared at them both and gave a decided snort in disgust. The nurse and Robert chuckled as she left.
“What are you doing here anyway?” Arnie demanded, still fingering the bandage.
Robert ignored the question and laid his paper in front of the chief. “Why are these numbers blacked out?”
Arnie stared at the sheet and frowned. “I don’t know.” He picked up the page and turned it over, then held it up to the light. “Let me get back to you on this.”
“I need to check on the other numbers.” Robert reached for the paper, but Arnie pulled it back.
“Let me check first,” Arnie’s voice commanded.
Robert stood back, his brows raised at the tone. “Sure, Chief. Take care of yourself.” Robert turned on his heel and left the room ignoring his chief’s call to come back.
Back in the squad room, he headed for the break room. Officers crowded the doorway.
“What’s going on here?” his voice commanded a response.
“It’s Patty’s last day. The girls are throwing a party and we’re invited to eat. There’s a cake.” The officer next to him tried to peer over the shoulders of the taller men in front of him.
Robert had no problem seeing into the room. The men and women gathered around the two long tables covered with dishes. At one side of the table, Barbara directed the traffic. She placed her fingers to her lips and let out a piercing whistle. All sound stopped. Robert raised his eyebrows in respect and surprise.
“Thank you. We’re here today to celebrate Patty’s last day. Not that she’s quitting, just going on maternity leave.” A round of applause answered her announcement. “We want her to know we’re letting her go’ but after she has this baby, we want her to come back. She’s a valuable member of our team.” More applause.