The ME didn’t have any other new information for her, and they ended the call.
She joined Truman and Ben and discovered Lucas had shown up, along with Eddie. They both had coffee in their hands and appeared to have walked over from her brother’s shop together. She updated them on Natasha’s call.
“I got a call from Darby Cowan this morning,” Eddie told her and Truman. “All the registered weapons that were missing from our preppers’ homes were in that bunch you found yesterday. Along with a lot of weapons that have been reported stolen over the years.”
Truman grinned and held up a palm to Mercy. She slapped it. “Yes!” she said. “I knew it.”
“It’s an amazing find,” said Eddie. “The Bend office is all over the weapons. Hopefully they can find some consistent fingerprints on them. That’ll help us nail someone.”
“I have no idea what you’re talking about,” Ben Cooley said, looking from one agent to the other. Truman brought him up to date. “Well, I’ll be damned,” said Ben. “I haven’t made that hike in a few decades. Someone had to be really committed to haul all those weapons up there.”
Mercy agreed. “What about the stolen weapons from the fifteen-year-old cases?”
“Not there,” said Eddie.
Mercy twisted her lips, wishing they’d been included. She liked things to fit neatly. But when cases were fifteen years apart, there were going to be differences.
“I was able to look through the Sanders and Vargas case files this morning,” said Ben. “I’m really sorry, but I don’t have anything to add. The notes were as I remembered, and they didn’t trigger any memories that weren’t already written down.”
Truman’s shoulders slumped a bit, and he slapped Ben on the back. “I appreciate you taking a look.”
“Ben, do you have a daughter named Teresa?” Mercy asked bluntly.
His thick white brows rose. “I do. How’d you know that?”
“Pearl Kilpatrick is my sister,” Mercy said. “I think she went to high school with Teresa. Jennifer Sanders was Pearl’s best friend.”
He nodded thoughtfully, studying Mercy. “Could be.”
“Did Teresa know Jennifer or Gwen very well?”
Ben nodded. “I remember she was shook up real good when they died.”
“Do you think she’d agree to be interviewed to get some insight into the girls’ lives back then?”
Truman’s lips twitched at her tactful, nonthreatening way of suggesting they interview Teresa.
The old cop shoved his hands in his pockets. “Well, that might help, but you’ll have to do it by phone. She’s got a one-month-old baby, and they live in Florida now.”
That certainly crosses out any involvement from Teresa in the current crimes. But not in the old.
“We’ll keep it in mind,” she said with a smile. “Thanks for the help.”
“Anytime.” Ben looked to Truman and said in a lower voice, “What’s this I hear about Joziah’s health?”
Mercy’s ears perked up. She and Truman exchanged a look.
“I haven’t heard anything, Ben. What did you hear?”
Ben looked flustered. “Now, I don’t hold with rumors, but I heard it from my wife who heard it from Ina’s son that Joziah’s cancer is back something fierce.”
Truman winced. “I’m sorry to hear that, but let’s not spread that around until we hear it from Joziah himself.”
“They’re saying Mike doesn’t want to take over the business.” Clearly Ben wasn’t done with not spreading rumors.
“Mike might have his own plans for his life,” said Truman.
“Joziah’s death would create a giant hole in this community,” Ben continued.
“I agree.”
Mercy’s brain spun. If Mike didn’t want to take over the business, did that mean Joziah’s community of preppers would be without a leader? Or would someone step up to fill the void?
Or was she getting caught up in gossip and rumor that had no basis in fact?
“Hey, boss?” Lucas called from his desk. “Tom from the garage says he’s at your house. He’s loaded Mercy’s Tahoe up on his truck and he’s taking it to the shop right now.”
Every set of eyes in the office looked at Mercy.
She met Eddie’s curious gaze. “It’s not what you’re thinking.”
“I’m just wondering what happened to your truck,” answered Eddie. A devilish light came into his eyes.
“Flat tire.”
Eddie grinned at Truman. “Her tire went flat at your place?”
“It did. All four of them, actually.”
“What?” Ben and Eddie spoke together.
Mercy threw up her hands. “You tell them,” she ordered Truman as she marched to the small room he’d loaned to her and Eddie.
Eddie had silently turned to Truman for an explanation after Lucas made his announcement about Mercy’s Tahoe.
He’d explained Mercy had stayed at his house after late working hours and exhaustion on her part. Without being specific, he said she’d suspected someone had been following her. He could tell Eddie knew he was holding back, but the FBI agent wouldn’t press with questions in front of Ben and Lucas.
Truman had later told her that the other men knew her virtue was still intact, and he’d received a sour look in return.