May accelerated into the driveway and parked behind the white Audi.
A young man, tall and lean with a shock of dark hair, was unloading bags from the back of the car. The taillights caught his expression. May thought he looked harassed and upset.
“Good evening,” May said, getting out of the car. “Mr. Gordon Hobbs?”
“Yes. That—that’s me, Officers,” he said uncertainly, his gaze veering between her and Owen.
“Our condolences on the news about your sister,” May said sympathetically, but she was watching him closely.
He shook his head. “I can’t believe it. This whole thing has just been such a catastrophe.”
“I’m sure you are rushing to get to your family, but I would appreciate a quick word. We have a few facts to confirm.”
Now she thought Gordon looked uneasy.
“Look, I don’t know what I can say. I don’t know why any of this happened. My sister was just—just amazing. She was so strong. I mean, she was a real leader.”
“Do you know of anyone who might have wanted to harm her?” Owen asked.
Gordon frowned. “I don’t know.Everyone respected her. She was the most wonderful person.”
“You didn’t give us a statement. If I remember, we asked the whole family to come forward and give a statement after she disappeared,” May said.
“I know. I—well, I was busy, I’d been away on two trips.”
“And you didn’t get back to us because you were away?”
“I—it has been a hectic couple of weeks,” Gordon admitted. “I’m sorry, I didn’t realize I should have come forward.”
May could see from his expression that he was hiding something. She didn’t trust his body language at all. Suddenly, he wasn’t making eye contact with her.
He turned away and opened the car door and took out a bag, which he let fall on the ground.
“I really have to get inside now—I mean, to be with my family. I don’t know anything more. I can’t help you,” he added.
“I think you might be able to,” May suggested. “Perhaps there’s something you have forgotten about that could be helpful?”
She wasn’t going to accuse him outright, but she also was not going to back down, she decided.
“I don’t think so,” Gordon said. “I don’t know anything. I loved my sister. I don’t know who would do such a thing to her.”
May sensed she was nearing the truth. He was hiding something. And the way he’d shuffled his feet as he said that last statement made her want to probe that much more closely.
“Please,” Gordon said, looking down. “I need to get inside.”
“Before you go…” May didn’t speak loudly, but all the same, her words stopped his shuffling feet in their tracks. “Are you sure you don’t know who would do such a thing to her?”
He stared at her, wide-eyed and looking guilty.
“You do know that if we investigate, and we find out through other sources that you knew something which you didn’t tell, that would also make you liable for criminal charges? Plus, of course, on a personal level, there would be the issue you hadn’t been honest about something that could have helped us find your sister’s killer.”
Now Gordon looked appalled. He stared at them wordlessly. The silence stretched out.
“Okay,” he capitulated. “There was one thing. A small thing, but it bothered me. The only thing is, if I tell you, will you tell my parents?”
May shook her head. “You’re not underage. Unless we have to reveal it as evidence during the investigation, anything you say to us is confidential.”
Gordon sighed. “Well, there was this one time, about three weeks ago. Emily and I, we went out, looking for—looking for a bit of weed. You know, I don’t smoke often but I was going to this party, and she came along with me for the ride. For the adventure.”