“What I would do, Todd,” said King, “is start working the Zodiac watch connection. The killer had to get the watch from somewhere.”
Williams was looking down at his hands, his brow furrowed.
“What is it?” asked Michelle.
“We found a dog collar on the floorboard of Canney’s car. We just assumed it belonged to Canney. But his father just told me that they don’t own a dog.”
“Could it have been Pembroke’s?” asked King, but Williams shook his head.
They all sat there puzzling this over when the office phone rang. King went to answer it and returned with a pleased expression. “That was Harry Carrick, retired state supreme court justice, now country lawyer. He’s got a client accused of some serious things, and he wants our help. He didn’t say who or what.”
Williams rose and cleared his throat. “Uh, that would be Junior Deaver.”
“Junior Deaver?” said King.
“Yep. He was doing some work for the Battles. It’s out of my jurisdiction. Junior’s in the county lockup right now.”
“What’d he do?” asked King.
“You’ll have to ask Harry about that.” He went to the door. “I’m calling the state police in too. They’ve got real homicide detectives.”
“You might want to think about involving the FBI as well,” said Michelle. “If this is a serial killer, VICAP can do a profile,” she added, referring to the FBI’s Violent Criminal Apprehension Program.
“Never thought I’d have to fill out a VICAP form in Wrightsburg.”
“They’ve simplified the paperwork a lot,” she added helpfully.
After the chief left, Michelle turned to King. “I feel sorry for him.”
“We’ll do what we can to help.”
She sat back. “So who’re Junior Deaver and the Battles?”
“Junior’s a good old boy who’s lived here all his life. On the wrong side of the tracks, you could say. The Battles are a different story. They’re the wealthiest family by far around here. They’re everything you’d expect to find in a good old southern family.”
“Meaning what exactly?”
“Meaning they’re, well, charming, quirky… you know, slightly eccentric.”
“You mean crazy,” said Michelle.
“Well—”
“Every family’s crazy,” Michelle interrupted. “Some just show it more than others.”
“I think you’ll find the Battles are right at the top of the list in that regard.”
CHAPTER
7
HARRY LEE CARRICK LIVED
on a large estate on the eastern edge of Wrightsburg. As they drove over, King filled in Michelle on the jurist-turned-practicing-attorney.
“He was a lawyer here years ago and then went on the local circuit court and then onto the state supreme court for the last two decades. In fact, he swore me into the Virginia State Bar. His family goes back about three hundred years in the commonwealth. You know, those Lees. He’s well over seventy but sharper than ever. After he left the bench, he came back here, settled down at the family estate.”
“You said Junior was from the wrong side of the tracks.”