“All this info points to Rita doing nothing unusual that day. It was a Friday, the twenty-third of October, not far from Halloween. She attended school, went to her part-time job at the local ice cream shop, home for supper, then her mom said she went to the high school football game that night.”
Ian continued. “From reports, no one saw her or Travis at the football game, so when Rita left her house that night, where did she go?”
I scanned my dad’s notes. “Someone thought they spotted her at the drugstore but couldn’t be sure and it couldn’t be confirmed. My dad had put several question marks by it, which meant it had troubled him.”
“The difficult part about this is that some of the people who were around back then aren’t now, like her parents. They divorced and moved away,” Ian said. “I tell you, Pep, I find it difficult to believe that a da seeing bruises on his daughter would not confront her boyfriend. If it were my daughter, the guy would have no teeth left.”
I smiled, thinking Ian would make a good dad, not that I’d want to see him go to jail for assault, but knowing he would protect his daughter even if it meant jail time for him made me love him even more.
“It’s possible her father didn’t know,” I said.
“How could that be?” he asked, then shook his head.
“I see you suddenly remember your teenage years and not being honest with your parents about everything, and your sister as well?”
Ian cringed. “You’re right. My sister Esi confided in me at times, also called me a few times when she was uncomfortable with a situation she found herself in.”
“And you went to her rescue.”
“Without question,” Ian said, “and I always will.”
I smiled. “That’s what big brothers are for, though maybe not three.”
As if on cue, I heard the lock in the front door turn and Josh walked in.
“How did you get a key?” I demanded and saw that he wasn’t in uniform, which meant it was his day off.
“I made a copy of the one dad has,” he said, holding it up proudly. “I’ll only make another if you demand I give it to you.”
“Okay keep it,” I said, and he and Ian looked surprised that I didn’t argue. “I’ll get a copy made of your house key from the one Mom has.”
Josh handed the key to me, and Ian laughed.
“Are you sure you want anything to do with my sister, Ian?” Josh asked as he went to my fridge. “She can be devious.”
“She does something no other woman has been able to do,” Ian said and this time I looked surprised.
“What’s that?” Josh asked, grabbing the pitcher of mango iced tea and getting himself a glass.
“She keeps me smiling,” Ian said, looking at me.
I was surprised to hear that, but giving it thought, Ian’s face was usually lit in a casual smile. I just never knew I was the cause of that smile.
“She probably makes you laugh a lot too,” Josh said and reached out to poke me in the back.
“I do have a great sense of humor,” I said, though knew it wasn’t what Josh meant. “I had no choice having three overbearing brothers. Brothers who I learned to read well for self-preservation. You can be a pain, Josh, but I know you respect my space and privacy with Ian. So, what’s so important that had you using the key to get into my house?”
His jovial expression turned serious. “You’re too smart for your own good.”
“A way of not admitting I’m right in my assumption. Now what’s wrong?” I asked, a tingle of worry erupting in my stomach.
“The mayor is threatening to fire Dad, not that he can since Dad is an elected official, but he can make his life hell,” Josh said.
“Dad confronted him with what I told him, didn’t he?”
Josh nodded. “He sure did and the whole office heard the mayor screaming at Dad until Dad finally threatened to arrest him.”
“He didn’t?” I said, shocked.
“Dad really had no choice. The mayor was out of control. Dad warned him to calm down several times, but he only became more belligerent. He threw all sorts of threats and accusations around, accusing him of trying to defame his name and his father’s good name for Dad’s own failure to solve the crime all those years ago.”
“When someone protests that much he’s more than likely hiding something,” I said.
“Something the whole squad room thought as well as Dad, and he voiced it, which really sent the mayor over the edge.”
I was afraid to ask. “What did Dad do?”
“He physically escorted the mayor out of the building and told him they would talk again when he calmed down, otherwise he would arrest him.”
“One thing I learned being new here is that Sheriff Madison is well-respected in the town,” Ian said, “The mayor is going to have to do some hefty damage control.”