“Okay?” May said. Now she felt they were getting somewhere.
“We didn’t really know how to do it because, genuine, I’m not that kind of person.” He lowered his head and fidgeted, looking miserable.
“Go on,” May encouraged.
“We went to the back end of town, near the industrial area by the river, because that’s where we heard the dealers hang out. There was this guy, and we approached him and asked about buying. But he wasn’t a dealer. He said he couldn’t sell to us. Only he didn’t walk away, he then started following us.”
“Is that so?” May said.
“He was, like, trying to talk to Emily. It was very creepy. I didn’t feel good about it. And I didn’t tell my parents, because of why we were there.” He looked miserable again. “When she disappeared, I sort of wondered if he’d come along and harassed her or grabbed her, or if he’d been involved somehow. I even went looking for him, but I couldn’t find him. I have been worrying about it. Because he was creepy and very persistent. But when I couldn’t find him I thought to myself that he must have left town, or gone somewhere else, and that I was just being over-anxious about it because she’d disappeared.”
“Can you describe this man?” May asked.
Gordon shrugged. “He was youngish, mid-twenties, I guess. Dark blond hair that didn’t look clean, and was tied in a ponytail. And he had a faded denim jacket on. He had a bit of a beard on his face. He wasn’t that tall. He looked sort of shabby.”
He was frowning. May thought he was trying as hard as he could to give an accurate description.
“And you saw him behind the warehouses?”
“Yes. In that area of town.”
“You didn’t see him anywhere near your home after that?”
“No. I only saw him the once. But as I say, it was creepy. It made me feel bad.”
May nodded.
“Thanks. If we need anything else, we’ll come by again. Go to your family now.”
Looking overwhelmed, Gordon turned and, picking up his bags, half-ran to the side gate.
“What now?” Owen asked May. “We need to find this guy, right? Where do we start?”
“Let’s start by finding out if he has been reported to the police at all. He sounds like a drifter. I know a few of them do stay in that area in summertime, and generally people are aware of them, and do call in any reports. You know how people like that are always being reported for trespassing, even when they’re not, because the locals don’t trust how they look.”
“True,” Owen said. “I guess the Chestnut Hill police would know more.”
“Let’s check with them and see if any locals have alerted them. What Gordon was saying about him following Emily is very suspicious,” May said.
CHAPTER FIVE
May was convinced that a drifter in a small-town area like Tamarack County would be known to the local police. There were seasonal drifters who frequented the town, taking up odd jobs or helping out locally. In winter, there were very few in their area, but May, and all the local police, knew that in summer, their numbers increased. And correspondingly, so did petty crimes. It was just the way things were, and there was often frustratingly little they as police could do.
The Chestnut Hill police department was just five minutes away. It was halfway between the exclusive residential area and the less attractive and more industrial side of town.
“At least we got a clear description of him,” Owen said. “That will be helpful.”
“I think he must have made an impression on Gordon,” May agreed.
Within her, she couldn’t help the nagging fear that if they had managed to pin down Gordon earlier, they might have learned about this man sooner. If they had, could a death have been avoided?
She pulled up outside what was one of Tamarack County’s busier police departments, feeling stressed. At this hour, there were still two officers on duty inside. The crackle of radios told May that others were attending to a burglary in the area.
“Good evening, May and Owen,” the closest officer, who knew her well, greeted them.
“Good evening, Howard,” she replied.
“Terrible about Emily. We have been fielding so many calls. Was it true she was found out on a raft on the lake? Like a ritual sacrifice, people have been saying. They’re scared of witchcraft in the area. Devil worship. People have been calling us with all sorts of concerns.”