Total pages in book: 65
Estimated words: 63579 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 318(@200wpm)___ 254(@250wpm)___ 212(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 63579 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 318(@200wpm)___ 254(@250wpm)___ 212(@300wpm)
I nod. “It is. I am doing some research on it. I’d love to write an article, but I’m having some trouble finding the information I need, and I was wondering if you might be able to help?”
“Shoot away, I’ll answer what I can.”
He leans back in his chair, crossing one leg over the other and crossing his arms in a somewhat relaxed manner. I’m no detective, but I’d say that he looks a little uptight. It only makes me want to ask him the questions that much more.
“I heard you were the first on the scene when Western was arrested that day,” I begin.
“I was, me and my partner, George.”
“Is George still here?” I ask.
“George was sadly killed not long after.”
His statement takes me by surprise, and I can’t quite put my finger on why. Maybe it’s the casual manner in which he is speaking about his dead partner, or the fact that his face didn’t even twitch or show any signs of emotion when he said it. Almost as if he is talking about someone he never knew.
“Oh,” I say softly, “I’m so sorry. What happened to him?”
“Suicide. The job was too much.”
There are only a few moments in my short life where my instinct screams at me that something is wrong. Taken aback, I quickly discover this is one of those moments. The mere second after the words leave his lips, it feels as though a jolt of electricity courses through my veins. Blinking rapidly, I keep my cool, unable to process the feelings swirling deep inside of me.
It's as if the universe is screaming at me that something about that statement is completely suspicious and I need to look into it.
Swallowing the lump in my throat, I go on.
“That’s really sad.”
Pathetic.
“It was.”
Keep going, Bonnie.
“So you and George were first on scene, can you tell me what you walked in on? I’ve found a few articles but none really go into what actually happened out there that day.”
“Western was leaning over the boy, trying to assault him. He had already used a gun and shot him, obviously to keep him from screaming. He had already taken the father’s life.”
The boy. The father.
They have names.
He’s talking about them as if they’re nothing more than objects.
I decide in this moment, I don’t like Police Chief Jordan.
“Western was actually seen assaulting Braithe?”
I purposefully use his name.
I won’t be so disrespectful.
“He already had.”
“So Braithe had no clothing on?”
Narrowing his eyes, Jordan shrugs. “I don’t remember.”
Convenient.
“Braithe was already gone by the time you arrived, is that correct?”
I’m jotting down notes quickly as I go.
“Yes, he had passed due to the gunshot wound.”
“Where was the gunshot wound located?”
“Stomach.”
Interesting.
Western was a tall man, he would have pointed down to shoot a younger boy in the stomach. You would think he would have shot him somewhere else, if he was simply trying to stop him from moving. Hell, he was bigger than Braithe, he could have just stopped him with sheer force. It doesn’t make sense for him to shoot him first. It simply doesn’t.
“I noticed,” I go on, “that there are no records of an autopsy report for Daniel and Braithe. Do you know why that is?”
Jordan stares at me through guarded eyes. “The family didn’t want one. The case was pretty clean cut. I don’t know if one was ever done, it’s not my business.”
“Still,” I say, “most of the time it’s standard, is it not?”
“Not always.”
He’s being cagey.
My suspicion radar is on high alert. There is something about him, something that screams he is covering up and lying.
I need to dig further.
“Why do you think Bill Whart just went ahead and followed them out there when he claimed to see Western abducting the two? Wouldn’t he just call the police?”
“When you see something like that, you don’t always have time.”
“Still, what was he going to do? It seems an awfully long way to follow them if you’re unarmed. He could have called the police on the way.”
Jordan pushes back in his chair and stands. “I’m sorry, I just remembered I have a meeting soon. Thanks for coming in, Bonnie. It was great talking to you.”
I don’t know if I can hide the shock that crosses my face. He’s dismissing me. Just like that. Mid conversation. He doesn’t have a meeting, we both know that, but whatever I’m asking is clearly touching a nerve. I don’t push, though. I have everything I need for the moment. Mostly, I have the knowledge that Jordan is covering something up, hell, I think they all are.
“Of course.” I give him my best smile. “Thanks for talking to me.”
He gives me a dismissing wave, and as I stand and leave his office, I notice he immediately shuts the door behind me before picking up the phone. I can’t help but wonder who he’s calling. Is he talking about the conversation we just had?