“You’re sure? You know everybody Honor—”
“I’m sure.”
“Every woman that Fred interviewed yesterday—neighbors, women who work at the trucking company—pretty much agree this guy’s a stud.”
“If Honor is with Lee Coburn,” Stan said, his voice vibrating with anger, “she was taken against her will.”
“I believe you,” Doral said, contradicting his insinuation of only seconds earlier. “The good news is that her and Emily’s bodies weren’t found here along with Fred’s.”
For the first time Stan acknowledged Doral’s loss. “My condolences.”
“Thanks.”
“Have you told your mother?”
“I called my eldest sister. She’s on her way out to Mama’s place now to break the news.”
“She’ll be heartbroken. First your dad and Monroe. Now this.”
Doral’s father and the second eldest of the Hawkinses’ eight children had died in an offshore rig accident several years ago. Mama would take Fred’s death hard. Doral could imagine the weeping and wailing. His sister was better equipped to handle that scene than he was. Besides, he had problems of his own to deal with.
“There’s something else you should be aware of, Stan,” he said, speaking in a low voice.
“I’m listening.”
“Before you got here, Crawford was asking a lot of questions about Eddie.”
Stan was taken aback and instantly wary. “What kind of questions?”
“Leading questions. He noticed that Eddie’s clothes were strewn all over the place. Old files had been rifled through. He said it looked to him like Coburn was after something that had belonged to Eddie. I dismissed it, but Crawford kept coming back to that.
“The photo of the four of us, taken after the fishing trip?” Doral continued in a hushed voice. “Crawford noticed that it had been removed from the frame. He bagged the whole kit and caboodle as evidence. Yeah,” he said, noticing Stan’s surprise and displeasure.
“Did you challenge him about it?”
“He said they might be able to lift Coburn’s prints off it.”
“Flimsy excuse. Anything in the house could have Coburn’s fingerprints on it.”
Doral raised both shoulders. “I’m just telling you. It was a picture of Eddie, and Crawford’s stuck on the idea that Coburn was searching for something that related to him.”
“But he didn’t say what.”
Doral shook his head.
Crawford chose that moment to interrupt. Coming into the room, he said, “Mr. Gillette. Have you noticed anything unusual?”
Stan drew himself up. “Is that supposed to be a joke?” Without waiting for a response, he launched a verbal attack. “As a citizen and taxpayer, I’m demanding that you do whatever is necessary, using whatever resources you have, to bring my daughter-in-law and granddaughter home safely.”
Crawford’s face turned red, but he kept his voice even. “We all want Coburn apprehended and the safe return of your family.”
“That sounds like pro forma bullshit,” Stan said. “Save your banal promises for somebody stupid enough to take heart from them. I want action. I don’t care what guidelines your handbook says to follow. I want this criminal found, killed if necessary, and my daughter-in-law and granddaughter returned to me unharmed. We can make nice then, and not until then, Deputy. And if I’m not getting through to you, I can go over your head. I know the sheriff personally.”
“I know what my duties are, Mr. Gillette. And I’ll perform them in accordance with the law.”
“Fine. Now that we know where each other stands, you do what you’ve got to do, and I’ll do likewise.”
“Don’t go taking the law into your own hands, Mr. Gillette.”