The Closer He Gets

Their food arrived. Neither reached for silverware.

“Here’s the interesting thing,” Zach continued. He’d begun some serious digging in the past couple days. “Duane Womack is ten years older than Mom. He had two daughters, one only a little older than Sheila. Nolte told me he was bothered at the time when Womack commented on how pretty Sheila was.”

Bran’s gaze sharpened. “After she was raped?”

“Yeah, kind of gives you pause, doesn’t it? Nolte did a little investigating and came up with nothing to support the idea that Womack was molesting his own kid. He decided the comment was just one of those things people say.”

“And it might have been.” Although Bran didn’t sound convinced.

“Yes, except it turns out Womack’s wife left him later, taking the girls with her.”

“The man was screwing around on her.”

“Uh-huh. But she ended up with sole custody. No visitation.”

“Isn’t that interesting.”

“Yes, it is. I’m going to try to get in touch with the plumber and with the ex-Mrs. Womack or one of the daughters. I’ll follow up on Jack, too, unless you’ve stayed in touch and know what’s up with him.” He started eating.

Bran shook his head. “Dad and he stayed friends. Can you believe it?” He ate a couple of fries. “All I know is, he’s still married. He and his wife had a couple of kids, but they were enough younger than us I don’t really remember them.”

Zach frowned, vaguely able to picture Jack carrying a cranky toddler during a backyard cookout.

“There might be something there.”

“Let me have him,” his brother said. “I’ve held a grudge for a long time. It would give me pleasure to find out that scumbag is a pedophile, too.”

Seeing Bran’s expression, Zach tossed aside his reservations. “Go for it. The only thing that bothers me about all three of these guys is that they were sleeping with Mom. I know pedophiles are sometimes married, but that may be partly cover. Do they have affairs with adult women, too?”

“I don’t know.”

They both concentrated on their meals for a minute.

“I’m surprised you’re not focusing your efforts on Dad,” Bran said suddenly. “Given your hostility to him.”

Zach looked at his brother. “I’m casting a wide net,” he said carefully. “Dad will be caught in it if there’s anything there to find.”

Anger tightened Bran’s face but he kept his mouth shut.

“Nolte still thinks Dad did it.”

“Nolte is full of shit.”

Zach shrugged and polished off the BLT that he’d ordered along with chili.

“Speaking of sleeping around.” That same anger darkened Bran’s eyes. “Rumor has it you’re spending nights with Tess.”

“Now, how did rumor come up with something like that?” Zach said sarcastically.

“Is it true?”

“That I spent last night at her house? Yeah.” He didn’t even try to hide his anger. “Did rumor tell you she called me at almost 3:00 a.m. because someone was at her bedroom window while someone else phoned to tell her she’d change her story when she talked to the new investigators today or they can get to her anytime? Close enough to a direct quote.”

“Crap,” his brother said quietly.

“Busy night. We invited a Clear Creek officer to spend part of it with us. By the way, he’s having photos taken of the footprints under the window and the broken branches in the shrub. Fingerprint technician is doing his thing, too. Did I stay the rest of the night, so she’d have a prayer of getting some sleep?” He pushed away his unfinished chili. “Yes, I did.”

Bran squeezed the back of his neck. “You haven’t said what you think of the new investigators.”

Zach shared his impressions and doubts. “The DA was there, too. Mad because my version of what happened had altered since the initial one. If I’d accused Hayes of wrongdoing from the beginning, she’d have been involved. Now she feels like she’s playing catch-up.”

“Altered?” Bran said in disbelief.

Zach’s temper spiked again. “Edited, apparently.”