Blood Loss (5 page)

‘So, the foundation for this
amazing
new relationship is your shared gift for lying?’ said Janine.

Pause. ‘You don’t have to put it like that.’

‘Even if that’s the way it is,’ said Janine.

‘He’s got other gifts …’ said Ren.

‘So I gathered,’ said Janine. ‘Let’s take that as a given from now on.’

‘I’m just excited,’ said Ren.

‘Maybe it’s just me, but how could you trust a man like that?’ said Janine.

‘I don’t need to trust him,’ said Ren. ‘I just need to trust that he’ll show up for … dates. Which he has. And hey, I’m trustworthy. Just because I lie for work sometimes … ’

‘True. I didn’t mean it like that,’ said Janine. ‘So where are you going at this hour of the night? Or where are you coming from?’

‘Two girls have gone missing from a resort in Breck. Sixteen and eleven. The sitter and the girl she was looking after.’

‘That’s terrible,’ said Janine.

‘And there’s been another rape in Denver – a fourteen-year-old girl. Did you hear about the rape at Kennington?’

‘Yes,’ said Janine. ‘Is it the same guy?’

‘Possibly,’ said Ren.

‘I have a case from 1978,’ said Janine. ‘A children’s choir from a Catholic school was brought in to perform for the patients at Kennington. Including – wait for it – the male dangerous sex offender posse.’

‘What the—?’

‘Yes,’ said Janine. ‘Several male patients had to be removed from the audience for … well, you can guess.’

‘That is vile.’

‘So, anyway, the kids leave after the performance, they get back on the school bus and when they arrive back at the school, one little girl is missing. Nine years old. Gina Orsak. Her body was never found.’

‘That is heartbreaking,’ said Ren. ‘Any leads?’

‘No, nothing,’ said Janine. She paused. ‘So, is Misty with you?’ Misty was Ren’s black and white border collie cadaver dog.

‘Aw, you always look out for my girl,’ said Ren. ‘And no, she is not with me – I had to run straight from hot agent’s place. But could you go to my house in the morning and pick her up for me? Hot agent is on his way there now, bless his heart, but can you relieve him – please? It’s just … you know Misty so well. He could be clueless.’

‘Well, he can’t be amazing at
everything
,’ said Janine.

Ren laughed, but as soon as the call was over, the laughter died, and the Jeep was quiet. Golden was behind her and she was heading for Breckenridge, a route she knew so well – every beautiful straight and turn. Ren knew that it would lead her to a place she loved, but one that trailed poignant memories like smoke. The previous year, she had investigated the murder of a fellow FBI Agent. Jean Transom’s body had been found not far from Breckenridge. The case had brought Ren together with terrible scenes, with death and secrets and unprofessional risks. But it had also brought her together with Janine Hooks and with Bob Gage, and with Salem Swade, a wonderful, damaged Vietnam Vet – Misty’s first owner. It had also brought her together with Billy Waites. And it had brought her closer to being fired than she had ever been before.

The Summit County Sheriff’s Office was off Highway 9 on the edge of Breckenridge – a single-story, pale brick building that the Sheriff was kind enough to share with the county jail and courthouse.

Ren walked across the parking lot through thick flakes of falling snow that were being swept around her in the wind. She stopped inside the door and popped some Wintergreen gum in her mouth. She sprayed some perfume, and brought a citrus cloud through security.

Goodbye eau de tramp.

Sheriff Bob Gage was leaning against the reception desk with a mug of coffee in his hand. He was six foot tall with neat side-parted fair hair, a warm face, and a belly larger than he would have liked. His arms were muscular, not from gym time, but from hauling and hammering and chopping things.

‘You give the best hugs,’ said Ren. She could smell sporty shower gel and detergent. He had a good old-fashioned wife who laid his clothes out on the bed for him in the morning.

‘You’re not so bad yourself for a skinny gal,’ said Bob.

‘I’m far from skinny,’ said Ren. She started to pull off her coat.

‘Are you kidding me?’ said Bob. ‘I’m surprised you made it across the parking lot without the wind cracking your head off a wall.’

‘Getting up after your phone call made me feel like I had cracked my head off a wall.’

‘So, not from being over-served at a bar last night …’ said Bob.

‘Absolutely not,’ said Ren. She smiled.

Bob took her coat and hung it up for her.

Ren felt a hand on her lower back. ‘Hey, Ren, welcome back.’ She turned to see Undersheriff Mike Delaney, his big smile, and his blond hat hair.

‘Hey, there,’ said Ren, hugging him lightly. ‘You always look fresh from the slopes.’

‘That’s because he usually is,’ said Bob.

‘Not now, I’m not,’ said Mike. ‘It’s crazy over there at the hotel. And bad news is ten thousand people have hit town this weekend for the snowboarding championships.’

‘So, fill me in …’ said Ren.

‘The missing girls are Laurie Whaley, eleven years old, and the sitter, Shelby Royce, sixteen years old,’ said Bob. ‘The Whaleys came back from the restaurant, the two girls were gone. The three-year-old son, his name is Leo, was there alone. Mike and I have taken statements from the Whaleys, from the guy on the front desk, any servers in the restaurant who were still there. The statements are in my office. We’re talking to the rest of the staff, the guests – there are twenty rooms, eighteen were occupied – and any other diners who were at hotel. The Royces – the sitter’s parents – are at the hotel too.’

‘Were you with the Whaley family the whole time since they reported it?’ said Ren.

‘I was,’ said Bob. ‘They were in the hotel reception with their three-year-old when I arrived. Poor kid had wet himself. I went back up to the room with all three of them, so they could change his clothes. The father had to change his shirt too, because he’d been carrying the kid.’

‘And you were with them the entire time …?’ said Ren.

‘If “entire” and “whole” mean the same thing, then yes,’ said Bob.

Mike smiled.

‘Sorry,’ said Ren. ‘I’m still asleep.’

‘And yes, I have the father’s shirt in an evidence bag,’ said Bob. ‘And both kids’ clothes. Here’s a photo of the eleven-year-old, Laurie Whaley,’ said Bob.

Ren took it. ‘Oh, God, she’s beautiful.’

Bob nodded. ‘I know. It was taken tonight in the hotel room on the step-mom’s cell phone. So, it’s what she was wearing.’

Pink pajamas.

‘Were any of her other clothes gone?’ said Ren. ‘A coat? Shoes?’

‘Not according to the parents, no.’

Ren looked out the window. ‘It’s freezing out there. And what about the sitter?’ said Ren.

‘No,’ said Bob. ‘Nothing of hers in the room. Here’s her photo.’

‘The blonde ponytail, the perfect skin, the perfect smile …’ said Ren. ‘These are two very pretty girls.’

‘I know,’ said Bob.

‘So, what’s your thinking – is this an abduction?’ said Ren. ‘Did the sitter take her? If not – who was the target? Laurie Whaley or Shelby Royce? Both of them? But I can’t see how that would work – different ages, strangers to each other … or were they?’

‘Until we know differently, they were strangers,’ said Bob.

‘Do the Whaleys’ stories add up?’ said Ren.

‘Like I said, the wife’s been drinking, the husband hasn’t,’ said Bob. ‘Witnesses saw them in a “heated” discussion, the husband left the restaurant, says he checked on the kids, the kids were apparently fine … he comes back to the restaurant for half an hour, then they both go back to the room, and the kids are gone …’

‘And how long was he gone when he went to check on the kids?’ said Ren.

‘He says twenty minutes.’

‘Do we have video?’ said Ren.

‘There’s a working camera in the foyer,’ said Bob. ‘That’s it.’

‘What?’ said Ren.

‘They opened the hotel before it was ready is the general feeling,’ said Bob. ‘The electricians are still working on it. They’re disarming things, forgetting to turn them back on, etc.’

‘So, we have a bunch of contractors we need to look into as well,’ said Ren.

‘Yup,’ said Bob. ‘It’s Holder Electrical Contractors, a local firm; same firm that’s doing work here in the office.’

‘Do you have a good relationship with them?’

‘When they’re not not showing up,’ said Bob.

‘Could you call in employment records from the boss?’ said Ren.

‘Not a problem,’ said Bob.

‘I’m presuming his men are all on the books or he wouldn’t risk working under the watchful eye of High Sheriff Gage …’ said Ren.

‘I put the fear of God into these people,’ said Bob.

Ren smiled.

‘It’s a local family-run business, Holders,’ said Bob. ‘He employs part-timers, but it’s all above board from what I can tell.’

Ren nodded. ‘So, just the Whaleys are here.’

‘Yup – with their son,’ said Bob. ‘They’re all in separate rooms.’

‘Who’s with the son?’ said Ren.

‘One of our lady detectives,’ said Bob.

‘But she’s not interviewing him—’ said Ren.

‘No,’ said Bob. ‘Relax. They’re playing with blocks.’

‘Yes – step away from the child,’ said Ren.

‘At least you can laugh about it,’ said Bob. ‘You won’t believe it, but apparently there are some uptight Feds …’

Ren smiled. ‘Well, we are armed and dangerous on the child forensic interview front—’

‘And I’m glad we don’t have to be,’ said Bob.

‘Me too,’ said Ren. ‘Two of our finest are based in Denver. My guess is that Gary’s already called one in. OK – let me go read these.’

She sat down in an armchair by a small table in the corner and began to read through the statements. Bob left her alone. When he came back into the room with coffee, Ren was on her feet.

‘OK,’ she said, ‘let’s go talk to the father.’

Bob led Ren down the hallway to the meeting room where Mark Whaley was waiting. He was startled by the opening door. He stood up and shook hands with Ren.

‘I know you’ve already spoken with the Undersheriff,’ said Ren. ‘But I’m going to have to ask some more questions, and go over some of the same ground again.’

‘Sure,’ he said, nodding, shifting forward in his seat. His hands were clasped in front of him.

‘Could you talk me through your evening?’ said Ren.

‘My wife and I went for dinner at nine p.m.—’

‘Let’s start with when you checked in,’ said Ren.

‘OK, sorry,’ said Mark. ‘We checked in at seven p.m., and Erica … my wife … really wanted to go to the restaurant for dinner later on, so we asked at reception for a sitter for eight thirty.’

Ren nodded. ‘Who was on reception?’

‘A guy called Jared.’

‘Did anyone take your bags?’ said Ren.

‘No, we took our own bags to the room. We watched
Toy
Story
with the kids … well, I did. Erica was getting ready at the same time.’

‘Did you see anyone else in the foyer?’ said Ren.

‘No.’

‘Did you meet anyone in the elevator?’ said Ren.

‘No.’

‘Did anyone pass you in the hallway?’ said Ren.

‘No,’ said Mark.

‘What can you tell me about the sitter?’ said Ren.

‘She was … sixteen, she told us. Short, maybe five three, blonde …’ He shrugged. ‘Long blonde hair … well, to her shoulders. Wearing sweats …’

‘Was there anything unusual in her demeanor, or in her behavior when she first showed up?’ said Ren.

‘No,’ said Mark. ‘She seemed like a good kid … normal … we weren’t concerned about her, if that’s what you mean.’

‘Did you have a conversation with her?’ said Ren.

‘Yes,’ said Mark.

‘What did you talk about?’

‘High school, living in Breck, the kids, what to do …’

‘Did you notice anything else about her that you think might help?’ said Ren.

‘Nothing I can think of,’ said Mark.

‘So, you went down to dinner,’ said Ren.

‘Yes. A little after nine.’

‘And you were there for how long?’ said Ren.

‘Well, until a little after midnight, I guess,’ said Mark. ‘But I went up to check on the kids …’

‘And what time was that at?’ said Ren.

‘I guess … eleven thirty? And then I came back down to Erica. We didn’t stay much longer. We went back to the room.’

Ren looked up. ‘Sorry … let’s go back to when you got to the room.’

‘Yes, sorry … uh, when I got to the room … the sitter was on the bed in her sweats, watching television. I asked her how the kids were, and she said they’d been really well-behaved …’ Tears welled in his eyes. ‘They were asleep. So … I went to their door, and stuck my head in, and they were fast asleep.’

‘They were in an adjoining room,’ said Ren.

‘Yes,’ said Mark. ‘The kids had twin beds, we had a double bed. That was where the sitter was. In the main room. Where Erica and I would be sleeping.’

‘OK,’ said Ren. ‘So when you checked on the children, they were sleeping. Was there any sign of a disturbance, anything out of place in their room?’

Mark shook his head. ‘Absolutely not. Nothing.’

‘Did anything happen while you were in the room?’ said Ren.

‘What do you mean?’ said Mark.

‘Did you have a conversation with Shelby Royce?’ said Ren.

‘Chit-chat,’ said Mark. ‘Hope they behaved for you, what time did they go to sleep, are you bored, that kind of thing.’

‘And what was her demeanor at this point?’

He shrugged. ‘Fine. She seemed a little bored.’

‘Did she seem at ease?’ said Ren.

‘Yes.’

‘Did you get the sense that she was eager to finish up?’ said Ren.

‘No more eager than most sitters at that age, I guess …’

‘Did she mention that she was going anywhere, or planning to meet up with anyone afterward?’

‘No,’ said Mark.

‘You understand I’m asking all these questions because you are the last person to have seen Shelby before she dis-appeared …’

‘Yes, I’m sorry if I seem a little … I suppose I want the attention focused on Laurie. I … know that sounds terrible.’