A Shred of Evidence (32 page)

J
ulie Hamilton walked into the kitchen and heard the TV playing in the other room. She sorted out the hate mail and dumped it in the trash, then went into the living room where Ross was sitting on the couch, eating a bologna sandwich.

“I’m sorry I wasn’t here when you got back,” she said. “Ellen was nice enough to get me out of the house but I was hoping I’d be home before you.”

Ross held out the remote and put the TV on mute. “I haven’t been home long. The FBI’s arrested some RISK operative. There’s nothing on the news yet, but they brought her in when I was there. She almost bumped into me in the hallway when I was leaving. Looked right at me and called me a lying piece of garbage and said she hoped I get what I deserve.”

“How’d she know who you were?”

Ross shrugged. “Must’ve seen me on TV. Special Agent Moore says they’ll keep us informed if she tells them anything. But he didn’t sound very positive.”

“As if he ever does. So how’d your testing go?”

“It was all right. Special Agent Clifford had me answer a ton of written questions, then dug into my past and tried to get me to talk about it. He sure knew where all the hot buttons were.”

“I hope he was gentle.”

“Yeah, he was great,” Ross said. “To the point where I almost believe he cares about me. But I’m sure the big guns are waiting in the shadows to find out what’s inside the head of the infamous Ross Hamilton.”

“There’s nothing wrong with your mind. I’m sure that’s the only conclusion they can come to.”

“Frankly I’m more interested in what they’re able to find out from that gal they arrested. This is the closest thing to a breakthrough we’ve had.

Julie sat on the couch next to Ross, afraid to get her hopes up.
Lord, I’m sorry I’ve been so angry
with
You
. I
don’t understand why any of this has happened. But please help us find out what happened to Sarah Beth. The thought of wondering for the rest of our lives is more than I can bear
.

Ellen walked down the front steps and out to the mailbox. She reached inside and picked up a stack of mail, and noticed a paper on top that had not been placed in an envelope. The letters had been cut and pasted onto a piece of plain white paper. She held it up and began reading …

Mrs. Jones, you may be fooling your husband, but God knows what you’re doing, and so do I! Proverbs 12:4

Ellen could almost feel the indignation oozing from her pores. She went into the house and opened her Bible to Proverbs and read chapter twelve, verse four:
A wife of noble character is her husband’s crown, but a disgraceful wife is like decay in his bones
.

Ellen stared at the note and let her ire burn. Who was this person who seemed determined to characterize her as some sort of floozy? And whom else had she told? Ellen took in a breath and exhaled loudly. How was she supposed to fight this kind of enemy—go around the neighborhood, knocking on doors, acting as if she were some sort of gossip gestapo? She wondered when the note had been put in the mailbox and cringed to think the postman might have read it.

Ellen got a pen and paper out of the drawer and opened her Bible to Proverbs and scanned the pages until she found a verse that seemed appropriate. She printed the words of Proverbs
18:8:
The words of a gossip are like choice morsels; they go down to a man’s inmost parts
. Then added Proverbs 19:5:
A false witness will not go unpunished, and he who pours out lies will not go free
.

She closed her Bible, then stormed out to the mailbox and put the note inside. She looked up and down the street and wondered if the busybody was watching smugly from behind a curtain.

Ellen went back in the house, feeling childish but hoping the gossip would find her retort and feel ashamed.

She went out onto the veranda, sat in her rocker, and tried to calm down and reflect on her morning with Julie. She had not been surprised at Julie’s intense anger at God, but her willingness to turn back to Him was more than Ellen would have hoped for in such a short time. And any doubts she’d had about Ross’s past Julie had addressed without any hint of defensiveness or hesitation, and his innocence no longer seemed far-fetched.

Ellen was more and more inclined to believe she had misjudged Ross—and that Sarah Beth’s disappearance was the work of someone else. But she no longer trusted her feelings, and Guy’s words were ever present.

Just keep in mind that regardless of how he came across, we still don’t know whether or not Ross Hamiltons guilty
.

Gordy Jameson was delighted to hear the many congratulations Weezie Taylor was receiving about her promotion as he ambled around the dining room at Gordy’s Crab Shack, mingling with customers. He looked over at her just as she turned and looked at him. He winked and wondered if he’d ever seen her face more radiant.

“Psst!”

Gordy looked toward the sound and saw a woman motioning him over to a booth filled with ladies.

“Is everything okay?” he said.

“Oh, yes, the food’s wonderful,” the woman said. “We just wanted to say congratulations.”

“Thanks. But be sure you tell Weezie.”

The woman seemed almost giddy “No, congratulations on your
engagement.”

Gordy felt his jaw drop and fought to find words. “I’m not engaged. You must be thinkin’ of someone else.”

“Oh, dear. I play bridge with Melody Drummond, and a friend of hers knows a friend of Pam Townsend’s ex mother-in-law. We heard you and Pam were tying the knot. We were so happy for you.”

Gordy felt the heat color his face. “Pam’s a lovely person, but we’re not engaged. We’re not even datin’. You should set the record straight with your friends before this gets back to Pam.”

The other ladies at the table avoided eye contact, and Gordy wished he were somewhere else.

“I … I’m so sorry,” the woman said. “I guess we heard wrong.”

“Guess so.”

Gordy left the dining room and walked back to his office and sat at his desk. He recognized the footsteps coming down the hall and looked up in time to lock gazes with Weezie.

“Did somebody die?” she said. “You look shaken.”

“Uh, no. I just got congratulated on my engagement.”

“Your
what?
And you didn’t tell me?”

Gordy sat back in his chair and rolled his eyes. “I didn’t tell you because it’s not true.” He relayed to her the conversation he’d just had with the ladies in booth three. “Isn’t that a fine how-do-you-do?”

Weezie dropped into the chair next to his desk. “What’re you gonna do? You can’t let this go on.”

“I’m gonna talk to Melody Drummond, but I need to cool off first.” Gordy took a handkerchief from his pocket and wiped his forehead. “If I’m hearin’ this stuff, you know Pam is. I should’ve seen this comin’.”

“How could you?”

“Eddie said somethin’ about it this morning. I set him straight—guess it was too late.”

Weezie squeezed his hand. “I’m so sorry. I know it took a long time for you to build up your courage to even think about seein’ someone. The last thing you needed was somethin’ this private turned into a three-ring circus.”

“The sad part is, I was workin’ up to askin’ Pam to go boatin’ with me this weekend—maybe out to the blue water and do some fishin’.”

“So ask her.”

Gordy felt as though he had a mouth full of cotton. “I’m too embarrassed now. What if she thinks I’m the one sayin’ this stuff?”

“Come on, she won’t.”

“If I’m seen with her, that’ll just add fuel to this stupid rumor.”

Weezie leaned over and poked his chest with her index finger, her eyes wide and round. “Listen to me, Gordy Jameson, don’t you go lettin’ some stupid gossip ruin your chances to move on with your life. Talk to Pam and tell her what’s goin’ on. Worst that can happen is she won’t go out with you. Best that can happen is she’ll understand.”

Gordy took his pencil eraser and drew imaginary shapes on his desktop. “I don’t know if I can handle people talkin’ about us. I’m not sure I like Pam that much—or if she likes me at
all.”

Weezie sat staring at him with those big brown eyes that always marched right past his defenses. “Well, one thing I
do
know: you’re never gonna know if you don’t give it a chance.”

Ellen picked up the TV remote and turned on the six o’clock news. She left the mute button on until she saw the anchor’s lips moving, then turned on the sound.

“… FBI Special Agent Bryce Moore and Police Chief Will Seevers announced late this afternoon that a woman has been arrested for alleged ties to the vigilante group RISK that authorities believe may have abducted two-year-old Sarah Beth Hamilton.

“Moira McDaniel, a thirty-seven-year-old social worker from Port Smyth, was arrested and is being held without bail tonight in the Beacon County jail. Though Moore and Seevers would not comment on whether McDaniel’s arrest is connected to Sarah Beth Hamilton’s disappearance, sources inside the police department have confirmed that a taped conversation between McDaniel and an undercover FBI agent led to the woman’s arrest. WRGL News is trying to get more information and will bring you the latest minute-by-minute developments.

“Also, this just in: authorities have received a tip from a local man who believes he may have seen Sarah Beth Hamilton here in Seaport. Harold Kaufman, a forty-one-year-old off-duty fireman, told authorities he saw a little girl in a pink dress and hat on the north playground at Bougainvillea Park around twelve-thirty this afternoon. The child was with a man and a woman and there were no other children or adults on the playground. Kaufman told authorities the couple was pushing the little girl on a swing when her hat fell off and he noticed her red hair. The man and woman rushed to put the hat back on the child’s head, which caused Kaufman to become suspicious. He walked to a nearby pay phone and called the police; but when he returned the trio had disappeared.

“Kaufman told police he didn’t get a good look at the man and woman, but they appeared to be young, and the child seemed happy and playful.

“Police are still combing the area, looking for DNA evidence that might confirm if the girl was indeed the missing Sarah Beth Hamilton.

“Anyone who may have seen this child or has any information as to who the adults with her might be is asked to call the
FBI or the Seaport Police Department at the numbers given on the bottom of the screen.

“In other news tonight …”

Ellen copied the phone number and dialed.

“Seaport Police Department, how may I direct your call?”

“I think I saw the same child Harold Kaufman told police he’d seen at Bougainvillea Park. With whom should I speak?”

“Please hold.”

Ellen waited, her mind racing with regrets. If only she had said something to Julie at the time.

“This is Investigator Al Backus. I understand you’ve seen the little girl in the pink hat?”

“Yes. My name’s Ellen Jones. I was at Bougainvillea Park all morning, and around one o’clock, I saw a child who fit the description given on TV I don’t know that I can add to the information Mr. Kaufman gave you, other than I saw her playing at the duck pond.”

“I definitely need to get your statement. Are you where I can come talk to you?”

“Yes, I’m at home.” Ellen gave him her address, relieved not to be talking to Chief Seevers.

“I know right where that is,” Backus said. “I’ll be there in a few minutes.”

Ellen hung up and the phone rang again. “Hello.”

“It’s Julie. The FBI left a few minutes ago. Someone saw a little girl who looked like Sarah Beth at Bougainvillea Park—and not that far from where we were!”

Should I tell her? How could I not?
“I just heard it on the news … Julie, I think I saw the same little girl. I glanced up at the duck pond right before we left and while you were still pretty emotional. I noticed a little girl in a pink sundress and bonnet. The way she clapped her hands and jumped up and down reminded me of Sarah Beth, but I honestly never made the connection that it might really be her! I can’t believe I didn’t
pay attention to the man and woman who were with her. I’m just sick about it.”

Julie’s voice was shaky. “The FBI says the chances of it being her are slim, that no one in his right mind would take that kind of chance. But if the two of you saw her, maybe someone else did, too.”