Stranger in Town

CHAPTER 19





After making macaroni and cheese for maybe the third or fourth time in my life, I joined Mr. Tate and Cade in the living room. They were engaged in a civil conversation, which gave me a small assurance that the two of them might be able to work together after all.

Cade glanced at me when I walked in. “Mr. Tate has agreed to answer my questions, but only if you’re present.”

“I thought I was fired,” I said.

“You know I didn’t mean it,” Mr. Tate replied.

I sat next to Cade, but not too close.

“Ask your questions.”

The next several minutes passed by in a mundane manner, with Cade asking many of the same questions Mr. Tate had grown not-so-fond-of. At one point, he looked like he was ready to shut down and show Cade the door, but he maintained his composure, keeping a straight face. He wasn’t smiling, but he wasn’t frowning, either. It wasn’t until Cade asked him if there was anything else he should know that Mr. Tate shifted his position in his seat and looked over at me.

“What have you found out since our meeting?” Mr. Tate said to me.

“Someone saw Olivia Hathaway in the parking lot the day she was taken.”

Cade’s forehead wrinkled in confusion. It was fine with me. Let him wonder. He deserved it.

“Why didn’t the person come forward when it happened?” Tate said.

I said, “It was a young boy. He was embarrassed because he didn’t do anything to keep it from happening. But I’ve convinced him to give a statement to the police.”

Once Todd realized I wasn’t going to leave him alone, he talked to his parents, and the three of them went to the police. At the pleading of his mother, the detectives promised to keep Todd’s name out of the papers—maybe not forever, but for now.

“How good was the description the boy gave?” Mr. Tate said.

“He remembered enough to get a sketch artist on it. He also knows the make and model of the vehicle the man was driving.”

“Unbelievable,” Mr. Tate said.

I looked at a still-confused Cade and then back at Tate. “You know what you have to do now.”

Cade turned one of his palms up and shook his head. “What is going on between you two?”

“I’ve got something I need to show you,” Mr. Tate said. “But I’d like your father to be here when I do.”



Detective McCoy arrived a half hour later looking far more haggard than he had earlier that morning. He apologized, saying he thought he was coming down with something. By the looks of him, he’d already come down with it.

Mr. Tate paced the floor like he was preparing to give the most important speech of his life. It wasn’t until he realized all eyes were on him and no one else was talking that he started in with his story. Cade and his father listened while Mr. Tate talked about his theory on the correlation between the two kidnappings. Then he switched gears, mentioning the coloring page he’d received in the mail. Detective McCoy seemed relieved the truth was finally coming out, but Cade looked like he wanted to blacken both of Tate’s eyes for withholding evidence. When Mr. Tate finished, no one said anything for a long time.

“At least we are all on the same page now,” I said. “Once the two cases come together, maybe we can find these girls.”

I hoped, alive. It was a lot to wish for, but I didn’t want to accept the worst until I had no other choice.

Cade shook his head. “What a mess.”

“We’ll have to get with the boys in Sublette County and sort all this stuff out,” Detective McCoy said. “Since we may have mutual interests, my hope is we can swap information with each other.”

He rose from the sofa and winced, placing a hand on his lower back and holding it there. When he caught me staring, his hand dropped to his side. “If you all will excuse me, I better call the chief and tell him what’s going on.”

Once Detective McCoy was out of the room, Cade started in on Mr. Tate. “How could you keep this critical piece of evidence from my father?”

Mr. Tate looked at me, but I didn’t want to interfere. Not yet. My turn was coming.

“Olivia’s parents said they never got the picture back once they handed it over to the police,” Mr. Tate said. “And once they had it, they still couldn’t find her, so why should I trust it with you?”

“It could help us find your daughter and the other girl, Olivia,” Cade said. “What good does it do sitting here in your house?”

“It helps my wife—gives her peace, gives her hope.”

Cade threw his hands in the air. “Hope for what? Your wife barely gets out of bed anymore!”

The words slipped out of Cade’s mouth just as Lily’s sweet face poked around the corner. I placed a hand on Cade’s arm and squeezed just enough for him to stop before it got any worse.

“I’ll be outside,” he whispered to me. “I can’t believe you knew about this and didn’t say anything. What was you thinkin’?”

“We’ll discuss this later,” I said. “Away from here.”

“Get the flippin’ paper, or whatever it is.”

I nodded.

Mr. Tate had already left the room, apparently to get the paper. When he returned, he said, “I hope you don’t get in trouble because of me.”

“I’m sure I can handle it.”

He handed the folded page to me. “There was an envelope, but I can’t find it. I swear. I saw it yesterday, but now it’s gone. Maybe my wife knows, but she’s sleeping right now, and I don’t want to—”

I took the paper from him and smiled. “No worries,” I said. “When you find it, let me know. In the meantime, I’ll make sure they get this.”

Mr. Tate closed his eyes. He looked worried. I didn’t know if it was because the envelope was missing, or if it had to do with something else. If it was over the envelope, he was fretting over nothing. I knew exactly where it was.