“Do you think that’s going to help?” someone says.
It’s Conrad again. As I glare at him, I remember back to a time when I thought he was such a nice guy, an asset to the community. After he arrived, he’d worked for a few months stocking shelves while running a weekly dental clinic. Then he went to Phil and asked to be the permanent town dentist with essential-worker privileges. Phil informed him that we didn’t require a full-time dentist, and the town already paid him handsomely for his professional services. That’s when the real Conrad appeared.
“We’ve all seen the sign,” a woman says. Jolene. I don’t know her former occupation, but it had something to do with caring for animals, and she’s temporarily working at the stables while Maryanne is down south for dental reconstruction surgery.
“We all know what he did,” Jolene continues.
“Do you?” Isabel says from her perch on the ladder. “This is the equivalent of writing on a bathroom wall. I could put anything I like up here. Doesn’t make it true.”
“So it’s not true?” says a balding man. Ted. Another of our permanent malcontents.
“How would I know?” Isabel says as she folds the paper. “I have no idea what anyone did before they came to Rockton. That is, I believe, the point of being here.” She turns a laser gaze on Ted. “How about you come up here and tell us why you’re in Rockton? Since you’re so interested in other people’s stories.”
Ted sputters that it’s none of anyone’s business. Isabel’s aim is dead on, though. She knows why he’s here. So do I. While Dalton only shares on a need-to-know basis, he’s come to realize that, in some instances, I need to know even before a crime is committed, so we can protect our residents.
In Ted’s case, he’d been a college dean who blackmailed female students for sex. Why does Isabel know that? She also runs the local brothel, and I make sure she’s warned of predators. I don’t give her any details, but she does require a heads-up.
“Anyone else?” she calls. “Anyone want to come up here and share their story?”
“Only if Will goes first,” Conrad says. “Tells us whether he really shot his CO.”
I stop midstride. A couple of people notice, and I cover my reaction quickly with, “What the hell?,” my voice ringing over the buzz of conversation.
Jolene turns toward me. “Oh, you didn’t know you’re working with a killer, Casey? Where is Will, anyway? Better not have left him alone with Sheriff Dalton. Apparently, he has a thing for murdering his superior officers.”
“Casey has no idea what Will has done or hasn’t done,” Isabel says. “She only knows—as we all do—that Will Anders is a good man. A good deputy. A trusted member of this community who has never had a word of complaint against him—”
“He nearly broke my jaw two months ago,” Ted says. “It’s still sore.”
“He hit you because you went after him with a steak knife,” I say.
“I was drunk,” Ted whines.
“And then, when Eric wanted you to spend twenty-four hours in the cell, Will was the one who argued that a sore jaw was punishment enough.” I stop at the bottom of the ladder. “I have no idea what’s going on here, but if anyone has a complaint about Will—or me—you can bring it to Phil, who will see that it is properly addressed.”
“Note she didn’t include Eric,” Kenny says. “Please see Phil if you don’t have a complaint about the sheriff. That line will be much shorter.”
A few laughs and a few more chuckles, the tension easing as the crowd backs up to let Kenny through.
“It’s past midnight,” Kenny says. “Most of you have work tomorrow. I’m going to suggest you all head home. I’m sure Casey will address this tomorrow with a town meeting.”
“I will,” I say.
“Are you going to investigate?” Conrad asks.
“Absolutely,” I say. “I don’t know whether this was someone’s idea of a prank or a deliberate attempt to undermine Deputy Anders’s authority, but I will find out who posted this and take the appropriate action.”
“I mean investigate whether your deputy did this. Whether he killed—”
“I am not going to address the nature of the accusation further. I’ll refrain from comment until I know what the hell I’m talking about, and I would suggest you all do the same.”
“Is that a gag order?” a woman says.
I look over. It’s Jolene, her cool gaze fixed on me.
“If it was, it’d have been worded as such,” I say. “But I’m going to hope that, knowing most of you have had nothing but positive interactions with Will Anders, you will grant him the benefit of the doubt until this matter has been sorted. Rumor and speculation will only make it tougher to get to the truth.”
“Will we get the truth?” Conrad says. “Or will you cover it up?”
“Oh for God’s sake,” Isabel says, still on the ladder. “Everyone knows you were chasing Marissa before she took up with Will. And Jolene? You vow revenge every time Will kicks you out of the Roc for drunk-and-disorderly. You’re both embarrassing yourselves here. Go home. Both of you. All of you.”
I turn to Kenny and Jen. “Can you please disperse this crowd while I find out what’s going on?”
They nod and set to work.
TWO
Find out what’s going on.
Except I already know, don’t I? Someone has accused Anders of killing his commanding officer in the army. Which he did. Shot and killed his CO and injured two others. I uncovered the full story during my first case here.
When residents come to Rockton, Dalton gets their backstory. Sometimes it’s even the truth. The council is honest when the resident is a victim or a white-collar criminal.
For the serious criminals, though? The violent offenders? The council lies to him. When Dalton discovered that, he started researching residents he suspects are guilty of violent crimes. I’ve been able to help him refine his methods, but even before I arrived, he was doing a damn fine job playing private eye.
Being offline here, Dalton needs to conduct that research on his supply trips to Dawson City. He’d kept a journal, using only real names and no connections to actual residents. When I needed to solve my first case, he gave me the journal, but he’d removed a few pages. I later found those pages in a copy made by a former officer. Taking those missing pages, together with what I knew of Will Anders, I’d figured out the identity of “Calvin James,” a military officer who’d killed his CO and injured two other officers. At the time of the shooting, Anders was being treated for stress. He’d been on medication with adverse effects, but his concerns were ignored. One night, he dreamed he shot his CO. Just walked into his quarters and opened fire.