Lucy nodded, wishing she had a better answer for Megan. They sat in silence for a moment.
“I trust your instincts, Mom,” Megan finally said. “But I can’t just abandon Mateo and his family without concrete proof. And you’ll need something to get the state police to take action. If there’s no one at the Flemings, we can go—you can do what you need to do and I promise I’ll wait in a hotel room or whatever, you won’t need to worry about me.”
Best deal Lucy was going to get. She started the car again and headed south toward the Fleming crime scene.
Chapter 17
Megan saw the way her mom’s jaw clenched as she turned the car toward their hotel and the Flemings’ house. Lucy was being paranoid—suspecting everyone and everything came with her job, sure, but even if Chief Hayden was involved, that didn’t mean Megan and Lucy were in danger. In fact, it might mean the opposite.
“If the chief and Shelly are working with Pastor Fleming, then Mateo ruined their plan, right?” she said, trying out her theory. “So they’re scrambling, trying to cover their tracks. There’s no way they’d target us—it’s too risky. They need us to back them up. In a way, we’re their alibis. We’re part of the story they’re trying to sell.”
Lucy’s frown didn’t ease. “If they feel desperate, backed into a corner, who knows what they might do.”
“That’s true of anyone. But Chief Hayden didn’t seem desperate to me. And using Mateo in that video…” She thought for a moment. “Wait. Do you think the entire police force could be in on it?”
“You’ve been watching too many movies. My guess is that Plan A was to steal the money, make it look like a robbery gone bad leaving Fleming presumed dead—”
“Where’d all that blood come from?” Megan asked.
“Actually, the way it was spread out like that, it probably wasn’t an extreme amount if you added it all up. It could have been diluted. Maybe Fleming was having his blood drawn and saving it up, who knows?”
“So it was all part of selling the idea that he was killed, his body taken?”
“Right. And Mateo was meant to find the crime scene, probably to establish a timeline where Shelly had an alibi.”
“But Mateo showed up early.”
“So they went with Plan B—setting Mateo up as a fall guy. Now they’re trying to get even more money from Fleming’s congregation while they’re planting more evidence against Mateo.”
“Wait.” Megan felt her stomach squeeze tight as if someone was choking her. “Mom, for that to work—”
“They need to stage a scenario where they kill Mateo during a dramatic hostage rescue. The money will have mysteriously vanished and life will go back to normal for the Flemings.”
“But not for Mateo or his family. We have to stop them.”
Lucy glanced over at her. “We have no proof,” she warned. “This is just a wild-assed theory. But it’s the only theory I can make fit all the facts.”
They were almost to the Flemings’ house. This section of the island with the shopping center and marina was better lit than the residential area they’d just driven through. Despite the fact that it should have been a hub of activity, the Flemings’ house was dark. There was crime scene tape strung across the gate and a police cruiser parked there, but no sign of a police officer.
“Damn,” Lucy muttered. “That’s it. We’re leaving.”
“Let’s at least grab our stuff from the room. We’re here already.”
Lucy didn’t answer, but instead of pulling into the hotel’s drive, she turned into the shopping center parking lot entrance, made an immediate U-turn, and headed back out on the main road heading away from their hotel. Before Megan could protest, her phone rang. Unknown caller.
“Hello?”
“Is this Megan? It’s Chief Hayden. Can I please speak with your mother?”
“Uh, sure. Hang on.” Megan turned the speakerphone on and held it up to Lucy. “It’s the chief.”
“Hello, this is Lucy.” Megan marveled at the way her mom’s voice sounded so natural. Was this the way she sounded when she went undercover?
“Lucy, hi again. I finally had a chance to get your statements but—”
“Oh, sorry. We were starving and Megan was so upset about Mateo and that tape. It’s my fault. I never should have let her get so close to the family. Is there any word? Have you found them?”
“No. Shelly is trying to raise the ransom, but on a Sunday night, it’s tough going. She’s putting out a call to his friends and parishioners to help. And there’s been no trace of the boat, nothing we can track.”
“Is there anything I can do to help? Glad to call in some of my people, if you want.”
“I think between the state and county guys we’ve got it covered. The sheriff is going to get their helicopter with the infrared radar up for us.”