Chapter 48

FORTY-EIGHT

While we are talking Lucas gets a phone call from Lieutenant Sitzman at the jail. He puts the call on speaker so we can listen and asks, "Where was Duke supposed to be going?"

Sitzman says, "He went to get some stamps and envelopes. He should have been back by now. I just called because you and your partners talked to him yesterday."

Partners? I think that's stretching things a bit.

"Did you call to see if he's been to the post office?" Lucas asks.

I can hear Sitzman letting out a deep breath. Either he's offended, or he thinks Lucas is an idiot. I vote for the second one.

Sitzman says, "I did. He never got there. You know, these guys never wander too far. If he comes in liquored up, he'll get stuck in an isolation cell and that means no more trusty status."

"When you find him, call me." Lucas disconnects.

"Why would he go AWOL?" Ronnie asks.

"You heard what the jail said so you know what I know. The post office is five minutes from the station. Lieutenant Sitzman isn't worried and I'm not either. Happens all the time. If I hear anything, I'll let you know."

Will we? It's possible they're right. Maybe Duke is scoring some more drugs to sell in lockup. I remember seeing what I thought was a baggy of pot in Duke's pocket. He's more than likely off somewhere, his head in a cloud, literally. But I don't think this is coincidence given our last discussion that the kidnapper may have someone in the jail pulling strings. Duke knew about Victoria and her cornucopia of money. He has a taste of freedom. He's jumped to the head of the class as a suspect.

Ronnie says, "I've got Duke's records from the jail but I'm sure you know more than is in those records. Is there something we don't have, Sergeant Lucas?"

"Nothing to speak of. Just feelings. Same as you."

I say, "Duke told us he was Vinnie's only friend." Lucas raises an eyebrow. "And Duke knew Victoria was leaving money for Vinnie."

Lucas shakes his head. "But Victoria wasn't leaving thousands of dollars on her brother's books at the jail. Jail policy precludes any large amounts. I'm guessing Vinnie spent a couple thousand; for the van, the food and another couple hundred he gave away. Maybe his sister gave him the money after he got out, but I can't see someone with a drug and gambling habit giving everything he has away. Can you? Unless he knows there's more where that came from."

Or if Vinnie won the money? Not likely. But Lucas is right. Duke told us Vinnie spent money the minute he got it. I say, "Hattie said Vinnie was on foot. She didn't think he would be capable of committing a crime." As soon as I say it, I realize how stupid that sounds. Vinnie is a criminal. He's committed numerous crimes and is always in need of money. Between him and Duke as suspects, it's a tie.

But then, not all criminals have a record. They just haven't been caught yet. My thoughts turn to some of the people we interviewed at Semiahmoo, and I ask Lucas if he's done any digging on that side.

Lucas says, "If you've got a notebook with you, I'll tell you what I know on."

We don't need notebooks, but Ronnie always has one that she produces like magic. She opens it on the table and says, "Shoot."

"Roger Whiting is a recovering alcoholic," he begins, and I must have a surprised look on my face because he adds, "All of us have secrets."

I'm no exception. My secrets are a lot worse than Roger's. I wonder what Lucas's secrets are.

"Roger was involved in a little scandal concerning the Lummi Indian casino several years back."

"What kind of scandal?" Ronnie asks.

"Money laundering. The feds didn't charge him because he never handled any of the money. A gambling outfit was running money through the resort, and Whiting was in a position to deposit the money into an account in Canada. The feds could never prove he benefited from it."

"Why would he do that?" I ask. "He's just the resort manager. Jack is the owner. Jack's accountant would have discovered the illegal transactions eventually."

"The accountant is the one that blew the whistle on the operation. My friends at the FBI said the mob had some dirt on Whiting. Your dad was going to fire him but they convinced him to keep Whiting in place until they could clean up the others. They eventually arrested most of them and Whiting was never charged. Mr. Marsh decided to keep him on."

I tell Lucas about Missy's arrest for Assisting a Criminal. Lucas already knew because she had her probation transferred to Whatcom County.

"Anyone else we should know about?" Ronnie asks.

Lucas sips his coffee, grimaces, and puts it down. "Len Thundercloud. He worked at the casino as a blackjack dealer before he got the job as a floor guy at the resort. He was tied to the casino thing but was a very minor player. The FBI thinks he was the one who gave the mob Whiting's name so they could blackmail Whiting. The FBI couldn't prove Thundercloud benefited from any of it either so they left him alone."

Ronnie asks, "What was Roger being blackmailed about?"

Lucas says, "Sex with a minor. It was over thirty years ago. He was eighteen; she was sixteen. The FBI said the girl had two children, a one-year-old and a four-year-old. She reported Whiting because her boyfriend was angry she'd cheated on him. Whiting was charged but it was eventually dismissed when she failed to testify."

"How would Thundercloud know about a thirty-year-old arrest?"

"He was the four-year-old son. Roger's son. Small world, isn't it?"

Or not.

"Is there a connection between Thundercloud and Victoria?" Ronnie asks.

"Nothing I could find."

Ronnie asks something I never would have thought of. "What does he look like? Thundercloud, I mean."

Lucas takes out his cell phone and flips through some pictures, stopping at one. He holds the screen toward her. Her eyes narrow.

"Can you send us the files and pictures. We were going to ask for them," I say. "But that was back when you were pissed at us for being involved."

"What makes you think I'm not still pissed?" He smiles and just like that we're all friends. Fellow officers. Band of brothers, or sisters. Whatever. Not quite coworkers because we will still lie to each other but we're beginning to win him over to our side.

"So how are these people connected to each other?" I ask.

Lucas says, "I was getting to that. Vinnie was arrested with Duke once. Theft of a vehicle. Duke took the car. Vinnie claimed he thought the car belonged to Duke. He was still arrested and went to court. He was found guilty and they both did a year in jail. Thundercloud was in jail during the same time. It's a big jail. I don't know if they knew each other but they were trusties at the same time."

Sheriff Gray had sent the file on Missy's arrest for harboring a criminal but I hadn't a chance to read it yet. I hold a finger up to wait and pull the file up. I find what I need near the front of the information, pull up a photo, and show it to Lucas. "Recognize this guy?"

The only change in Lucas's expression is in his eyes. "He looks familiar. Who is he?"

I hold a napkin over the top of the head of the man in the photo blocking out the bleached hair.

"Thundercloud," Lucas says.

"According to Jefferson County's arrest record, his name is Donald Sutherland. Probably made up. Different color and length of hair, no facial hair, but it's him. I guess he thought it was funny to take a celebrity's name. He's the guy Missy was hiding from the police."

Lucas takes my phone for a closer look. "Well, I'll be damned. That's why I couldn't find any other criminal record on the guy."

Never trust computers. Given what we now know I wonder if the resort's video surveillance was accidentally turned off, if Roger and/or Missy might be behind it, or know who was. Someone, primarily Whiting, had two days to erase the video so it might not have been turned off.

I ask Lucas, "Can you get a copy of the resort's video from Thursday night until Saturday evening?"

"I can. Why? You said it was turned off during those times."

I explain my idea.

"I'll have forensics see if they can recover any missing video. They know how to collect it as evidence. If you're right, we might have our kidnapper on video."

We leave Lucas to go about his business. He has been doing more than we thought but given time we could have come up with what he finally told us. The investigation has taken a different direction, and we head back to the house. Ronnie is busy tapping keys on her phone.

I say, "I saw the look on your face when you saw the picture of Thundercloud. What was that about?"

"He and Duke look very similar."

"You're thinking maybe he's the guy who was hanging around Rebecca and your mom in Birch Bay?"

"Rebecca isn't positive about Duke even. If we had shown her this photo before she saw Duke, she might have said Thundercloud looked like the man. She didn't really get a good look."

My phone dings and I hand it to Ronnie. She says, "It's from Lucas."

She opens the file and shows me a newer photo of Thundercloud from his personnel file at the casino. In this one his hair is a little shorter than Duke's. His acne is more prominent. "I'm going to send this to Rebecca. The hair's more of what Rebecca described." Ronnie sends the photo to her sister, and my phone rings almost immediately.

Ronnie says, "Hold on, sis," and puts it on the handsfree link.

Rebecca's voice comes from the car speakers. "That's him. I'm almost sure. He has the same sneer on his face, and I remember the rotted teeth. Who is it?"

"His name is Len Thundercloud, sis. He used to work at the resort. He's connected to Missy and to Duke."

Rebecca says, "I want to be there when you talk to Duke."

Ronnie says, "Duke's missing and can't be found."

"He escaped?"

I say, "The jail isn't considering his absence as an escape yet. They're trying to find him. They said it's not unusual for a trusty to be late coming back from an outside errand."

Rebecca's voice drips with sarcasm. "My tax dollars at work. So what do we do now?"

"We're coming home, Rebecca," Ronnie says. "We'll pick up dinner on the way."

"Dad had dinner delivered. Pizza. I'll heat it up when you get here."

Ronnie ends the call and hands my phone back. "Rebecca can operate the oven, Megan."

"I didn't say anything, Ronnie."

I'm starving. I'll eat anything. Cold or hot. I plan to get some sleep if nothing happens. Ronnie will most likely be on her iPad until late. The plan is to get up early and start looking for Duke. If he's not around, I'll settle for Missy or even Roger Whiting. Someone is going to talk. Someone always does.

It's already dark by the time we get to Cougar Point. We eat warmed pizza and wine, and I tell Ronnie I'm going to turn in. I want to leave the sisters alone to discuss sister stuff.

In my room I take another shower, shampoo my hair with this great product Rebecca must use, brush my hair and teeth, and slip on a new nightshirt and shorts Rebecca has laid out on the bed. I need her at my apartment.