He let that sit there for a moment, then said, “As I reported on the first two podcast episodes, Candace Swain was strangled, but her cause of death was by drowning. She was found in Hope Springs Lake on the Hope Centennial Golf Course.
“The autopsy was thorough, and full toxicology screens were taken. This means Candace’s body was tested for both legal and illegal drugs, the contents of her stomach were analyzed, as was the water in her lungs. The water she drowned in was highly chlorinated. The golf maintenance staff told me that the lake is not chlorinated. My theory is that Candace drowned in a swimming pool, and her body was dumped in the lake to destroy evidence.”
Regan didn’t say anything. Lucas motioned to Lizzy through the window, then said, “Chrissy Swain wants to know what happened to her sister.”
Chrissy’s voice came through the speakers. “The police told me that Candace drowned. They said her body may have been moved to the lake, and they were investigating all possible scenarios. Then silence. Nothing. I called at first every week and then monthly and...well, it just got to be so frustrating to hear they had no new information. Her boyfriends were cleared, they had alibis, and the police believed that a homeless man killed her, panicked, and just...just threw her body in the lake. He disappeared, and they have been looking for him. But after nearly three years, they haven’t found him? It makes no sense.”
Lucas said, “One theory posited by the local media, and not discounted by the Flagstaff Police Department, is that Candace disappeared for a reason completely unrelated to her murder. What do you think about that theory, Ms. Merritt?”
“I don’t have all the information that the police have, but I think it would be unusual—definitely coincidental, if true. She left, but she didn’t take her car? It seems odd—unless someone else was with her, someone who hasn’t come forward.”
Lizzy signaled that there was a caller.
“We have a caller,” Lucas said as he pressed a button on the phone. “This is Lucas Vega with Regan Merritt. You have a comment? Did you see Candace?”
“I’m not comfortable giving my name,” said a male voice. He sounded like he was trying to disguise his voice by talking soft and low. “Candace wasn’t a saint. Maybe you should look into her other life. Her lies and manipulation and sneaking around.”
The caller hung up.
Lucas seemed surprised. When he didn’t immediately speak, Regan said, “It’s difficult to take a caller seriously when they drop a bombshell about a double life without providing details or context as to why they believe that a victim might have had secrets. It reeks of slander and sour grapes.”
“Still,” Lucas said, “is it possible Candace was involved in something unethical or illegal?”
“That is conjecture as well,” Regan said. “Nothing in any report indicates that Candace was involved in anything illegal.”
“Nothing in the public police reports,” Lucas countered.
The way the anonymous caller had spoken, the fact that he was male, the bitterness he couldn’t hide... Regan suspected he might have been in a relationship with Candace. Richie Traverton? Tyler Diaz? An unknown third boyfriend? Definitely possible.
Maybe the killer.
No, she was fairly certain whoever killed Candace wouldn’t call in to the podcast. He’d gotten away with murder for three years. He might not be in town, might not even know about the podcast. If he was listening, the only reason he would call would be if Lucas had stumbled onto something close to the truth and the killer wanted to obfuscate the situation. Still, Regan thought that was unlikely. Someone who thought he was free and clear wasn’t going to do anything to rock the boat. And a podcast couldn’t arrest them and send them to prison.
He? Why do you assume the killer is a he? Candace lived at a sorority, and the sorority has closed ranks. It could have been one of the girls. The killer could be a she.
But could one girl move her body from a swimming pool to Hope Springs Lake? Maybe...but unlikely.
Maybe more than one person was involved. That could complicate matters.
Regan had a thought. “One thing we haven’t discussed is the complexity of living in a sorority. The pressures, the friendships, and former friendships. The friendly rivalries—and not-so-friendly ones.”
“Were you in a sorority during your time at NAU?” Lucas asked.
“No, but Greek Life plays a huge part in the lives of people who belong. There are a lot of positives—immediate friends, a sense of belonging, a sense of being special, contacts for the future. For a sorority like Sigma Rho, you have an added sense of togetherness, since the majority of young women were majoring in STEM. There were nursing students, engineers, math majors—all difficult degrees that require extra study.”
She saw Lizzy snort on the other side of the glass, and Lucas picked up on it. “I suppose those who aren’t math-and science-oriented think they’re difficult, but for some people it comes easy.”
Regan laughed. “You’re right. I wasn’t a math person. Barely passed trig, and for my math requirement here I took business economics, the easiest class I could find. My point is that these are students who are likely taking their chosen fields seriously. Sigma Rho isn’t a party dorm—and I think we all know who is. What kind of pressures did these young women have that might have contributed to Candace’s state of mind when she disappeared?”
“I hadn’t thought of that,” Lucas admitted. “Maybe someone who knew Candace could share what they know, that might help us get into her head.”
Lizzy indicated they had another caller.
Lucas pressed another button. “We have another caller. This is Lucas Vega with Regan Merritt. Would you like to share your name?”
“No, not really. I almost didn’t call.”
Her voice was quiet, but not because she was trying to disguise it. It was almost as if she was trying not to be overheard.
“I saw Candace on Tuesday morning. After she was reported missing. But I didn’t know she was missing then, so I really didn’t think anything about it.”