Page 32 of The Missing Couple

“This is getting a little intense,” Laney spoke up when her son didn’t immediately respond to the new barrage of questions. “Maybe you need to speak with Sheriff Malone about this.”

Kerrick held up a hand. “It’s all good, Mom.” His attention swung back to Billie, his body language going cocky again. “She did now that you mention it. She looked pretty upset. And the way she was glaring in the direction of her husband.” He moved his head slowly side to side. “She was fired up about something for sure and it was probably his fault.”

Charly looked to Billie to gauge his reaction. He seemed calm and collected except for the tick in his jaw, which was new to her. Obviously, he was angry but holding back in hopes of learning something relevant.

Kerrick laughed. “Just kidding. She didn’t seem upset or anything. Just focused on walking to her SUV.” Kerrick nodded once and gave a wink. “Her husband is one lucky guy.”

Charly’s jaw dropped. Was the man an idiot? Any second she expected Billie to go off on him.

Finally, Billie shook his head. “I wish the convenience store had audio.” He exhaled a big breath. “Sadly, only video.” He tilted his head and studied the older man in the hoodie. “Did you know that Mr. Bates sent copies of the video footage from numerous cases over the years? Starting with Francesca Andrews. You remember her, right?”

All the swagger went right out of the other man’s bearing. His expression fell like a rock from a cliff.

Laney abruptly did a one-eighty and hurried into the private office beyond the counter. Billie and Kerrick remained locked in a staring contest. If Charly had her guess, the woman was calling her husband for backup.

Charly needed to say something to break the tension before it expanded any further. “It’s really great that he’s been diligent that way,” she blurted. “It helps the police to know where a person was just before they disappeared. You can gather all sorts of information from where they’ve been.” She shrugged. Scrambled mentally to think of something else while Kerrick eyed her now with blatant suspicion.

“And who they encountered at each location,” Billie said.

The features of Kerrick Rogers’s face tightened. “Are you trying to accuse me of something? Is that what this is about?”

“Francesca was found,” Charly said, her voice a little high-pitched. “Thank God. Too bad she disappeared again from her home in Nashville. Still, I’m sure your mama,” she went on as Laney hurried back to the counter, “was glad the worst didn’t happen here. It’s really a terrifying prospect.”

“I’ve called Sheriff Malone,” Laney announced. “He’s on his way.”

If Kerrick had looked stricken before, he appeared downright ready to run this time. “Why’d you do that?” He flung one hand toward Billie. “We’re just talking. Everyone knows Francesca was staying here. Hell, that’s ancient history.” His bravado back, he pointed a finger and a narrowed gaze on Billie. “Besides, this guy’s just fishing. He’s worried about his sister. Ain’t that right, friend?”

Billie nodded. “That’s right, friend. I suppose I got my hopes up a little about you when I saw that in five of the nine cases involving blonde women who’ve gone missing over the past sixteen years, you were seen at the Last Chance convenience store at the same time they were—only hours or days before they disappeared.”

Laney gasped. “If I hadn’t already called the sheriff I would throw you out of here right now.”

She glanced beyond them to the wide windows that overlooked the glamorous entrance to her retreat in hopes of the sheriff’s arrival, or maybe worried someone else might be watching. Charly was certain she would be mortified if any of her guests noticed a confrontation in the office.

“No need to be upset,” Charly assured her. “It’s a reasonable assessment. I saw the videos myself.”

Laney’s glower shot toward Charly. “This is a small town. With all the tourists in the summer, folks are bound to be at the same place at the same time. What about it?”

“Not one thing,” Billie assured her. “It’s only relevant if there were words exchanged or if one person followed the other to and from that location.” He stared directly at Kerrick then. “Did you leave around the same time Briana and her husband did from that convenience store?”

“Don’t say another word, Kerrick,” Laney shouted, coming around to their side of the counter to stand next to her son. “That’s about enough. I understand you’re upset, Mr. Jagger. But your implications are unfounded and unwanted. Sheriff Malone investigated every single time that Kerrick was seen on CCTV in those cases. Just because he left at the same time as the woman who went missing doesn’t mean he did one thing he shouldn’t have. Other people were leaving at that same time, too.”

But he hadn’t left at the same time as any of the victims in the footage they saw at the Last Chance. Charly’s nerve endings started to tingle. Laney was just saying whatever necessary to cover for her son. “I’m sure it doesn’t mean anything,” she offered.

“Course it doesn’t,” Laney screeched. “Rob Decker at the Stop and Go and Paul Grant at the Pit all said that Kerrick was a regular at their establishments. It wasn’t unusual to see him on their CCTV on any given day. Just because some tourist who disappeared was, too, doesn’t mean a thing.” She pointed a finger at Charly. “Lenny Reed was on those videos as often as Kerrick was. Why aren’t you harassing him?”

Before Kerrick or anyone else could say more, the sheriff’s truck parked in front of the office. Laney rushed to the door to meet him. Charly was still trying to figure out what she meant about Rob Decker and Paul Grant.

“Thanks so much, Tully,” she said, going for a whisper but failing miserably, “for not coming in sirens and lights blazing.”

He gave her a nod and then surveyed the room. “What’s this all about?” His gaze landed last on Charly.

“We saw the video footage Ned Bates has on file,” Charly explained. “In all five cases where a victim who later went missing visited his store, Kerrick was there at that same time. We just wanted to see if he noticed anything about Briana and Martin. If they were upset or whatever. Or maybe he saw someone paying extra attention to them.” She said this part to Kerrick.

His mama shook her head when he would have responded.

Sheriff Malone pushed his cap up and scratched at his forehead. “I realize your daddy was the sheriff for most of your growing up,” he offered, “and I recall him taking you along on lots of trips into the field. But that doesn’t make you a cop, Charly. There are laws about how this is done.”

“I wasn’t trying to do your job,” she hastened to say.