Chapter 32

CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO

S am pushed open the door to the police station. “We’ve got a situation. Hartman’s house was broken into, and it looks like someone was searching for something.”

Jo’s eyes widened, her fingers freezing on the keyboard. “What do you mean? Is Hartman okay?”

Sam shook his head, his jaw clenching. “He’s missing, and his dining room was a mess. Files everywhere, and it looks like some are gone.”

Wyatt leaned forward in his chair, his brow furrowed. “Do you think it’s connected to our case?”

“It has to be,” Sam said. “Kevin is back there processing it.”

“Well, I guess that rules Hartman out as the killer,” Jo said.

“Maybe.” Sam turned to Reese. “Do we still have the boxes from Alex’s place here at the station?”

Reese nodded.

“Good. There’s a cardboard box with some personal effects. Can you get that?”

“Sure thing.” Reese headed toward the area where they kept current evidence.

Sam turned to the others. “Kevin remembered an old photograph that fell out of a book in that box of Frank’s belongings that we found in Alex’s apartment. He thinks the person in it might be our killer.”

“Really?” Jo looked surprised. “What makes him think that?”

Sam shrugged. “Something about Frank didn’t look like he fit in with the other guy.”

“It’s worth a look,” Jo said as Reese returned with the box.

Inside the box near the top was an old photograph with yellowed edges. The photo showed two men, one Sam recognized as Frank Milson from the other photos he’d seen.

“This must be it.” Sam picked up the frame, and Wyatt, Jo and Reese moved in to get a closer look.

Jo leaned in closer, her eyes narrowing as she studied the photo. “What’s that on the table behind the men? It looks like some kind of blueprints.”

The team squinted at the image, trying to make out the details. “What are they blueprints of?” Sam said, his finger tracing the faint lines on the table.

Reese’s brows shot up. “Of the bank? Or the sewer system? Is this a picture of them planning the getaway?”

Sam frowned. “Why would they take a picture of that?”

Reese shook her head. “No idea. And why keep it?”

“Maybe for leverage?” Jo said. “It was in that book. Maybe Frank kept it so he would have something on the other guys.”

“Guys?” Reese asked. “There’s only one guy there.”

Jo shook her head. “Must have at least been three. Someone had to take the picture.”

Wyatt took the photo from Sam, scanning the faces of the two men. “The other guy...” He paused, his brow furrowed in concentration. “I feel like I’ve seen him before.”

Sam nodded, a nagging sense of familiarity tugging at the back of his mind. “Me too, but I can’t quite place him. Whoever he is, he’d be pretty old by now, so he wouldn’t look anything like this.”

“Hold on a second.” Wyatt took out his phone and snapped a quick picture of the photo then AirDropped it to his computer. His fingers flew across the keyboard as he typed away, his face illuminated by the glow of the screen.

A few tense moments passed before Wyatt’s eyes widened and a triumphant grin spread across his face. “Aha! I thought he looked sort of familiar. Check this out.”

Sam hurried over to Wyatt’s desk, Jo and Reese close behind. On the screen was a series of photos, each one showing the same man at different stages of his life, from a young, fresh-faced youth to a distinguished, silver-haired gentleman.

“The internet had all his photos because he’s a prominent figure in town,” Wyatt explained, his voice tinged with excitement. “That man is Nathan Rickman. And look.” Wyatt pointed to one of the pictures from years ago.

It was from a pamphlet showcasing the bank officers. Nathan Rickman smiled into the camera in his expensive suit, a ten-year service pin just like the one they’d found in the woods gleaming on his lapel.

Sam’s mind raced as he processed the new information. “If Alex saw this photo, he must have put two and two together. Or maybe Frank even confessed to him before he died. The old man knew his time was running out and might have wanted to clear his conscience.”

Jo nodded, her eyes widening with realization. “And Alex knew Rickman was a big donor to Marnie’s campaign, so he knew he could get his contact information from Marnie’s planner. Remember that call made to Rickman from the campaign office that night?”

“Alex must have arranged a meeting with Rickman,” Sam said, his voice tight with tension. “Smart of him to choose a public place like the Drunken Moose.”

“But instead of getting blackmail money, he got drugged,” Wyatt added, his face grim.

Sam’s jaw clenched, his eyes hardening. “Rickman is wealthy, and Convale has a limo. I bet the license plate’s last numbers match the ones on the surveillance video.”

Wyatt’s eyes widened as another thought struck him. “Hartman must have made the same discovery. Maybe he saw the picture when he visited Frank the week before he died. Frank could have confessed something to him or let something slip.”

Sam’s heart sank as the pieces fell into place. “And if Rickman found out that Hartman knew...”

“He would have wanted to silence him,” Jo finished, her voice barely above a whisper.

“We have to find Hartman before he meets the same fate as Alex,” Sam said, his voice filled with urgency. “Maybe Kevin has found something at his house.”

Sam put his phone on speaker. “Hey, Kev, we’ve identified the man in that photo,” Sam said, his voice carrying a note of excitement. “It’s Nathan Rickman.”

“That’s huge,” Kevin replied, his voice crackling slightly through the speaker.

“What have you found at the house? Anything?” Sam asked.

“Nothing. Just the mess you saw and the broken glass. Looks like there was a bit of a struggle outside the door, and they pulled the car around back in the grass,” Kevin said.

“We need to figure out where they would have taken Hartman,” Jo said. “I think it’s probably a very long shot that they took him to the same place they took Alex.”

“It has to be somewhere out of the way. He wouldn’t risk taking him to his home or Convale,” Wyatt said.

“What about that Obsidian Enterprises company?” Kevin suggested. “The one that owns the land we searched. Maybe they have other properties?”

Sam smiled. He’d been impressed with Kevin’s progress since his accident and had been trying to give him more responsibility, but still, he’d been hesitant. But this past week, all the contributions Kevin had made, including remembering the photo and Obsidian Enterprises, proved that he was truly back up to speed, his memory sharper than ever.

“Great idea.” Wyatt’s fingers flew across the keyboard. “Got it! There’s another parcel of land owned by Obsidian. Looks like there’s some kind of structure on it.”

“We need to check it out,” Sam said determinedly. “Kevin, we’re heading out now. We’ll pick you up on the way.”

Lucy jumped to her feet, eager to join the action. Sam got her bulletproof vest out of the closet.

When they had all their gear, they headed to the door. Lucy and Sam were in the lead. But this time, they had an addition in the rear. Major had hopped down from the filing cabinet and was following them to the door.

Reese, who had been standing near the desk, scooped up the black cat. “Not this time, Major,” she said softly, stroking his fur. “You’re staying here with me.” She glanced up at the others. “You guys be careful.”