A teacher walking through the courtyard had slowed and was watching them, perhaps picking up on the panic in Alexa’s voice.
Lucas said quietly, “You really need to talk to us, Alexa. I know you’ve listened to the podcast, and my guess is that you’re the one who sent me the anonymous letter about the argument between Taylor and Candace. You gave us Kimberly Foster’s name. We also know that you volunteered with Candace at Sunrise Center. Anyone else we need to talk to? Do you know who killed Candace or just suspect someone other than Abernathy?”
At that moment, an older woman approached holding the hand of a little girl, two and a half or maybe close to three, with curly brown pigtails. “Mommy, Mommy, Mommy!” The girl ran full-speed toward Alexa with a huge grin on her face holding a paper with bright colors in what Regan suspected was a rainbow.
Alexa stared at Regan, then she grimly shook her head before turning to the girl and plastering a smile on her face. “Bella! How is my angel?”
“See my pit-cher? All the colors!”
“It’s so pretty, it is definitely going on the refrigerator when we get home.”
Alexa barely looked at Lucas and Regan when she said, “I need to go. Thank you for your time.” She ushered Bella and the older woman into her classroom and closed the door.
Everything Alexa said—and didn’t say—confirmed what Regan and Lucas suspected.
She was the anonymous letter writer.
She was terrified of someone.
And now Regan understood why Alexa hadn’t wanted to come forward. She had a little girl, and she was scared. Fear was powerful, especially when you had more than yourself to protect.
But if she feared Taylor, why would Alexa still be scared after learning she was dead?
Thirty-Two
Regan let Lucas talk about his impressions of Alexa Castillo, which were very similar to hers: yes, she wrote the letter; yes, she knew more than she said; yes, it was most likely her that Candace visited in Kingman. He was excited about their discovery and wanted to brainstorm ways to convince her to talk.
“She’s scared,” Regan said simply when Lucas took a breath.
“I know, but—”
“There are no buts. She’s scared because she has a young child to protect. That little girl was between two and three. Want to bet Alexa was pregnant three years ago when Candace visited her?”
“So?”
Lucas didn’t understand what she was trying to say, maybe because he wasn’t a parent himself.
“She said in the letter that she’d been at the party, and based on that little girl, she was very likely pregnant—maybe very pregnant. She never came forward after Candace’s disappearance or her murder. She wasn’t living in Flagstaff, maybe she didn’t hear immediately, but she would have sooner rather than later.”
“Why didn’t she? Was she involved?”
Good questions, but Regan didn’t think so. Alexa had become more fearful after she’d heard that Taylor James was dead. Concerned, maybe worried, when Lucas was talking about Candace—but absolutely terrified that Taylor was dead.
Maybe she hadn’t been at the party. Maybe she’d known about it, said she was there because Candace told her about the argument and what her plans were. Maybe Alexa knew exactly where Candace had disappeared to. Had Alexa gone with her? Now, Alexa was trying to help them on the podcast without letting on that she was the one who’d helped Candace. Because she didn’t want to put herself or her daughter in harm’s way.
“She knows something, possibly even suspects who killed Candace,” Regan said. “But without evidence, she’s smart enough to know talking might put her in danger. We need to proceed carefully.”
“So what do we do?”
“Maybe we can convince Detective Young to come on the podcast tonight.”
“He won’t. He hates me.”
“Hate is a strong word. Irritated is probably better.”
“Why?”
“Two reasons. First, we can share this information with him about Alexa. I suspect that if Alexa is questioned by authorities, she’ll come clean. She has that civic-minded vibe to her.”
“Second,” she continued, “Nicole told Lizzy that some of the sorority girls wanted to help. That tells me that some of them know more information about Candace but have been bullied into being quiet by Vicky and the council primarily because they believe only the police should be investigating. If we have Detective Young on the podcast, that just might open them up. They may call and tell all. I still think the police know more than they’ve said, publicly or privately. But they are still stuck on Joseph Abernathy. This might get them unstuck.”
Lucas didn’t say anything.
“Okay, what’s wrong?” Regan asked a couple minutes later.
“Can he shut me down? I have four more episodes after tonight. What if he says end it?”
“He can’t. You have the first amendment on your side.”
“I want to solve this.”
“I do, too. I think we will—if we can get those girls to open up. Having the support of the police might make the difference.”
“All right,” he reluctantly agreed.
“If you don’t want to, we won’t, and we can try Alexa again on Monday.”
“No, let’s do it, but I also want to try Alexa again,” he said.
Regan turned south and headed toward the police station. When she pulled into the parking lot, she saw a familiar person exiting the building: Rachel Wagner.
Instead of pulling into the first available parking place, she drove past it, and stopped, looked in her side-view mirror.
Detective Young was right behind Rachel. They crossed the lot together, talking.
Lucas turned in his seat, and Regan hit him. “Don’t draw attention to us.”
“Is that Rachel Wagner?” he asked as he faced forward again.
“Yep.”
As Regan watched, Young kissed Rachel. Then she got into a Jeep and drove off, fortunately in the opposite direction from Regan.
Instead of going back into the building, Young walked around the side to where employees parked. A minute later, he left the lot, heading in the same direction as Rachel.
Well, that was interesting.