Total pages in book: 95
Estimated words: 90472 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 452(@200wpm)___ 362(@250wpm)___ 302(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 90472 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 452(@200wpm)___ 362(@250wpm)___ 302(@300wpm)
The mayor was taken aback. “How dare you even suggest I’ve kept something from you. I know nothing more.”
“Did you know Deanna Wilkins?” I asked and watched the mayor pale.
“My office,” my dad ordered, and the mayor didn’t hesitate to follow him.
Ian and I followed behind them.
The mayor had gathered his wits about him after Ian closed the door behind us.
“What does Deanna Wilkins have to do with this,” the mayor demanded.
I waited for my dad to answer that since I wasn’t sure if he wanted the mayor to know that there was a good chance that the female bones were that of Deanna Wilkins.”
“I’m waiting for a DNA test, but we’re pretty sure the bones found beneath Travis are that of Deanna Wilkins,” my dad said.
That had the mayor dropping down on one of the chairs. “I thought she ran away with some guy she met.”
“You knew her?” my dad asked.
“I knew of her,” the mayor said.
“Vera says that Deanna stopped going out with you once you went through the money you had saved to buy a car,” I said.
“Nosy old bat,” the mayor mumbled.
“Another lie, Mayor?” my dad accused.
The mayor shook a finger my way. “Why is she even here? She is not a member of the police department.”
“She is a consultant on the case,” my dad said, which I was happy to hear.
“I gave you no authority to hire a consultant and I warned you about your daughter’s involvement in the case. I will not approve such frivolous spending,” the mayor argued.
“Pepper is not getting paid, and you lost your right to have anything to do with this case when you and your father buried vital information thirty-five years ago. So, you will tell me what you know about Deanna Wilkins and your involvement with her.”
The mayor capitulated, annoyed. “It was nothing really. I was young and foolish. She was a year older than me, and I flashed a few large bills in front of her trying to impress and it worked. Until the money ran out like Vera said. Then she couldn’t get far enough away from me.”
“So, you burned through the money that you had saved for a car and not wanting your dad to know what you did, you figured selling pot would make up the lost money fast,” my dad theorized.
The mayor shook his head. “I was an idiot, but Deanna was a beauty and to have her interested in me really boasted my ego. Though I did manage to hold on to one hundred of that money only to have to give it to Marsh.”
“And cost you and your dad a lot more,” my dad said. “When did Deanna break it off with you?”
“Maybe two or three weeks before Rita was found.”
“Do you know who she was seeing after you?” my dad asked.
The mayor thought a minute. “I recall someone saying something about seeing her with one of the Strathmore construction guys working at the lodge at the time. I found it difficult to believe since Deanna was only interested in men with lots of cash and she wouldn’t find that with a laborer. It was around the new year that I heard someone mention she had taken off for New York City. After that I heard no more about her. Maybe the guy spent money on her and got angry when she dumped him and killed her. I know I was angry when she did it to me.”
“Angry enough to kill?” my dad asked.
“Never, Sheriff,” the mayor snapped. “Besides, I would have never raised a hand to Travis. I was scared to death of him. Most everyone was especially when he lost his temper. And there is no way I would have hurt Rita. This whole case has been a nightmare.”
“And it’s not over yet,” my dad reminded.
“You know my dad and mom wanted to retire to Florida and I talked them out of it, telling them I wanted to run for mayor. My dad warned me against it. Told me the past always had a way of catching up with someone sooner or later. It was like he knew what he did to protect me would come back to haunt the both of us. My wife suggested we move with my folks. She hates the cold.” He stood. “No one is going to come out of this case unscathed. It’s going to scar all of us.”
“He may be right about that,” my dad said after the mayor left the room. “I should have known something was up back then. Sheriff Barrett always spoke with pride about his son, his only child, then suddenly it stopped. He’d mention him now and again, but nothing as he had once done. And that happened shortly after Rita was found murdered.” He turned to me. “I have to talk with William Strathmore since he would have been running the business at that time and see if his records go back that far. He also could have paid some workers off the books, the ones that drifted through and only wanted a few days of work.”