Part 23 (2/2)
”Sorry, ma'am,” said the uniformed cop from the patrol car. ”We have orders to pick your brother up. He threatened the murder victim within earshot of a lot of people. So we are going to bring him in. Are you going to come with us voluntarily, Mr. DeGraff, or do I have to arrest you?”
Dawn, who had been standing quietly by, watching with huge haunted eyes, suddenly approached the officer with raised fists and began to shout. ”Stop this! Now! Leave my son alone. Why are you people persecuting us?”
The officer turned on her. ”You'd better calm down or you'll find yourself down at the station, too.”
”Watch how you talk to my mother,” Jake warned him.
”No, Jake. Don't. I'm all right,” said Dawn.
Ben took a step toward Jake and spoke in a low quick voice. ”Jake, go with the police,” said Ben. ”Don't make trouble. I'll come with you.”
”Who are you?” Jake demanded.
”Ben Ramsey. I'm an attorney.”
The light of recognition dawned in Jake's eyes. ”Ramsey. You're the one who was working for...who got Lazarus...” Jake sputtered. ”You were the one who was defending Nelson.”
Tess grabbed her brother's arm and spoke quickly into his angry suspicious face. ”Let him help you, Jake.”
”What are you talking about, Tess? This is the enemy.”
”No, Jake, listen. He knows...what we're up against.” Tess exchanged a serious glance with Ben. ”Someone...could be looking for a scapegoat. Don't let them use my brother, okay?”
Ben nodded, unsmiling, understanding exactly what she meant. ”Nothing will get by me,” he said. ”I promise you.”
”Mr. DeGraff,” said one of the uniformed cops. ”You can go peacefully or we'll put these cuffs on you. Your call.”
”Jake, we'll go down there with them and I'm sure in no time we can straighten this out,” said Ben. ”There has to be someone who remembers seeing you in North Conway. Or a surveillance camera tape. Don't worry. We'll corroborate your alibi.”
”Alibi? Why do I need an alibi?”
”Mr. DeGraff,” the cop snapped.
”Jake,” said Tess. ”Let Ben help you. He's the best at what he does. Who knows that better than us?”
”All right. All right,” said Jake irritably. ”But this is just c.r.a.p.”
”I'd come, too, but...Erny,” said Tess. ”Someone might call.”
”I'm going with him,” Dawn insisted. ”I'm going with my son.”
”No. Mom, stay with Tess,” said Jake. ”I'll be okay. I didn't do anything wrong. Call Julie. She's at work. Tell her about this. Go on, Mom. You call her. I'll be fine.”
As the uniformed officers led Jake to the squad car, Officer Virgilio opened the door of the inn for Dawn. Dawn marched past him without acknowledging his gesture.
”Tess,” said Ben. ”I'll be back with your brother as soon as I can. You sit tight. Don't worry. We're going to get Erny back.”
Tess nodded numbly and watched as the uniformed officers accompanied Jake and nudged him into the backseat of the patrol car. Ben quickly ducked into his car and fired up the engine.
Tess watched them leave the driveway in a caravan, headed for the police station. Standing alone in the driveway, she began to s.h.i.+ver uncontrollably. She felt as if she were coming apart inside, fracturing into a thousand pieces. No, she told herself. NO. Keep it together. If Ben's theory was right, the police could be working against her, covering up for their chief. One thing was for sure. She could not wait around here, hoping the police would rescue her son. Even if they weren't in collusion with the chief, the last person they would ever treat as a suspect was Chief Bosworth. You have to do it, she thought. You have to do something.
Tess's heart was thudding and her insides were ajitter. Get a grip, she thought. This isn't helping. She wanted to just collapse in a heap on the gravel driveway and hide her head in her arms. Stop it, she thought. Concentrate. She forced herself to think about the DNA results and Rusty Bosworth. Could the police chief have hidden her son somewhere? If he did, she thought, trying to find a shred of hope, maybe that gave her a little time. At least Erny might be safe for the moment. The chief would be in the public eye all day because of this high-profile murder of Nelson Abbott. If she could find his house, maybe she would find her son there. Tess fumbled in her jacket pocket and found her cell phone. She dialed information and asked for Chief Bosworth's number. ”It's on...Maple Road,” she said, fabricating an address, hoping the operator would supply the correct address.
While Tess waited for the operator to respond, her thoughts raced. Could Rusty Bosworth have been the long-ago accomplice of Lazarus Abbott? They were cousins, close in age. Summers, they worked together, helping Nelson. In a way, it made sense.
The operator came back on the line. ”I'm sorry, that number is unlisted.”
”Unlisted? No. It's very important...”
The operator clicked off, leaving Tess staring at her phone. Don't panic, she told herself. Someone will know. Julie, she thought. Quickly she punched Jake's number on her directory. In a moment, she heard Julie's voice sounding frantic.
”What is going on, Tess? I'm talking to your mother on the other line. Dawn said that Jake has been arrested! For taking Erny? That's insane. How could they possibly think that Jake would do that? To his own nephew?”
Tess couldn't take the time to speculate. ”Jake will be all right. He has an attorney with him. Listen, I need your help.”
”I've got to get to the police station, Tess.”
”Julie, listen to me. I need you to help me. Where does Chief Bosworth live?”
”Rusty Bosworth? What's that got to do with anything?”
”Julie, you know everybody in this town. Where does he live?”
”I don't know. He and Charmaine had a house but they separated and he moved out. I don't know where he lives now. Look in the phone book.”
”I tried information. He's unlisted.”
”Tess, what is this all about?”
”Julie, can you help me or not?” Tess demanded.
”I don't know,” said Julie. ”Ask Charmaine. She has a place on Main Street. A ma.s.sage place. She'll know.”
Immediately Tess realized why the unusual name sounded familiar. She remembered Jake pointing out the ma.s.sage parlor to her and making a joke about Rusty Bosworth's wife. ”Right,” said Tess. ”They're divorced. Right?”
”Separated,” said Julie. ”I have to go, Tess.”
”Okay. Thanks, Julie.” Charmaine would know where her estranged husband lived, Tess thought. She would also know if Rusty had any other blood relations who might fit the DNA profile. ”What's her place called?”
”Stressless,” said Julie. ”It's called Stressless.”
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