Part 58 (1/2)
”What about Beast?”
”Maybe DeWitt will keep him.”
Meredith looked dubious.
”He does have charm,” he defended the dog.
”Perhaps on further acquaintance,” she said with a small grin.
”If necessary I'll board him. But if they would kill a woman for no better reason than she was a friend years ago, they wouldn't hesitate to kill a dog.”
”Why didn't they do it before?”
”Maybe they didn't want to make me mad,” he said.
”Didn't work,” she said, keeping her voice light even though urgency was eating her alive. What if Holly was in danger? What if they might lead someone to her?
Dom was at the shack when they arrived. Beast was lying at his feet. The dog rose lazily, went over to them and sniffed.
Dom stood, a beer in his hand. ”I have people looking into the background of the building inspectors. In the meantime, we have ten days. We've always met every building code.”
”What about the kids?”
”They'll be okay for a few days. They're not exactly sure what's happening but they trust me. I told them it would be okay.” He studied their expressions. ”You've found something?”
”We think she might be in Bisbee, Arizona.”
”Where in the h.e.l.l is that?”
”Just north of the Mexican border. East and south of Tucson,” Meredith said. She had called Sarah's cell phone on the way to the cabin and asked her to look up the town and find the best way to get there from Birmingham.
”And?”
”There's a flight from Birmingham to Phoenix. We can catch a flight from Phoenix to Tucson.”
”Make it three tickets,” Dom said.
”The shelter?”
”Paul Simonsom is handling the legal matter. My two a.s.sistants can handle the shelter itself until I return. They've been bugging me to take a vacation. And it's probably better that I'm not there. I might just try to hurt someone.”
They waited. Nine o'clock. Nine-thirty. Meredith started to worry. They needed to head out if they were going to catch the morning flight.
Then Beast barked as a car honked from down the road. Two minutes later a car drove up to the cabin, and DeWitt got out. Beast ran out as if he was going to bite off his leg. Just before he reached DeWitt, he stopped, sat and panted eagerly.
”You still have this monster?” DeWitt asked. ”This is a h.e.l.l of a place to find.”
”That's the idea,” Gage said.
DeWitt went inside, saw the minimal furnis.h.i.+ngs and chose a straight chair.
”Found a will. Wasn't easy but it is public record.”
”And ... ?”
”Judge Matthews stood to inherit only half his father's estate unless he had issue. Not adoption. A blood child. How archaic is that?” He shrugged as if to ignore his own question. ”A child was born to his wife in Memphis, February 15. A girl. It happened four months after his father's death.”
Silence filled the cabin. ”Blood tests done?” Gage asked.
”Yes, the executor demanded it. But they could be faked. So could the birth certificate.”
”We didn't look for one under Matthews,” Meredith said.
DeWitt looked at them. ”We still don't have any proof of murder. Fraud perhaps, but that will work only if we find the woman and get new blood tests.”
”We might know where she is,” Meredith said.
”Where?”
Gage shook his head. ”The fewer people who know--”
”h.e.l.l with that, Gaynor. What if something happened to you or Meredith? No one would ever know what happened.”
Meredith felt a new chill creep down her back. She nodded in agreement. Someone else should know ... just in case. DeWitt would profit the most by handling the information with care and keeping it to himself until the time was right to release it. ”Bisbee, Arizona.”
”I know it. An artist colony.”
”We're going to drive to Birmingham and get a flight to Phoenix in the morning.”
The reporter looked torn. ”Wish I could go, but I just received a call from Ames. I can talk to his wife at ten tomorrow morning. I think I should do so. I'm also looking into the closing of the shelter. My usual source in that department wouldn't talk.”
”I have a favor,” Gage said.
DeWitt's expression was cautious.
”Look after Beast for me. I don't want to leave him at home.”
”You've got to be kidding. My wife would kill me.”
”She'll love him,” Gage said. ”He brings in the morning paper.”
”She likes cats. Small ones.”
”Beast is very tolerant.”
”Gaynor, you're out of your mind.”