Chapter 49

Josie and Turner trudged up the trail as night fell. He walked in front, using the flashlight app on his phone to make sure they didn't step in any excrement. Not that it mattered. Josie was pretty sure that neither of them could smell worse than they already did. Josie's phone chirped with a message from Detective Heather Loughlin. Josie had called her before they'd left the scene.

I'll get Foster's dental records to Dr. Feist ASAP.

Josie tapped in a quick thank you and focused on Turner's back. Her body ached everywhere—again—and she was starving. "Slow down," she told him.

For once, he didn't give her any shit, slowing his pace until he was beside her. The trail was narrow, though, and his arm brushed and bumped against her sore shoulder. She made him switch sides.

"What do you think?" Turner asked as he swung his phone's flashlight back and forth in front of them. "Seth Lee thought or knew that April called DHS on him while Rosie was in school, and then he found out she was dating a police officer and figured she was going to tell him about the weird food restrictions he had with his little girl and so he killed the guy?"

Josie sidestepped a pile of shit. "Something like that. Seth has had delusions that some type of authorities have been after him for years. I'm sure that played into it as well. But I think April was also involved."

Turner kept his eyes on the flashlight beam. "Because of the bracelet? How can you be sure it's hers?"

"I can't be sure," Josie said. "But it makes the most sense. April told her mother that she lost the bracelet. She was extremely upset. So much so that when she supposedly found it, she never wore it again. Teresa Carlson also said that April was crushed when Shane Foster went missing, even though they had only been on a couple of dates. Heather interviewed April about Foster and also had the impression that April was devastated by his disappearance."

"But she was actually devastated because she lost her bracelet while she helped Seth Lee bury him," Turner said. "She never wore it again because she didn't have it. Why would she help him cover up the murder of a police officer?"

Josie stumbled, her boot slipping in mud. At least, she hoped it was mud. Turner offered a hand, but she didn't take it. "I don't know that she would unless she had some part in it."

Turner scoffed. "This guy got Mira Summers to do some crazy shit for him over the years, but I can't see him manipulating April Carlson into killing a police officer, especially one she was dating. She called DHS the second that she thought little Rosie was going hungry. She wasn't afraid of Seth."

"But if she knew he'd murdered someone, that was her chance to get him out of Mira and Rosie's lives forever. A custody dispute or even intervention by DHS would have only resulted in him taking Rosie and vanishing. She helped Seth cover it up because she had a part in it. Maybe it was accidental, I don't know, but once she made the choice not to tell, she and Seth achieved assured mutual destruction."

"She couldn't turn him in without implicating herself." The flashlight beam bobbed as Turner swatted at a mosquito. "Where does Mira fit into all of this? She got that note from April saying he's here—which April would only know if she helped bury this guy—and saying ‘we have to tell.' Obviously, Mira knew they killed Shane Foster. Hell, maybe she was involved, too."

"I think she wanted to get Rosie away from Seth before anything about Shane Foster's death came out. April gave her the brochure. She moved to Denton, got a job, a place, and started coming here. Maybe the meetings with Seth at the produce stand were like visitations—maybe that's when she got to see Rosie. A year later, April moves out this way, to Newsham."

"Looking for them," Turner said. "Any of them. Seth, Rosie, Mira. Somehow Seth found out she was nearby and started harassing her, trying to get her to go away. Why didn't she just tell then? Walk into a police station and say, ‘Hey, me and this nutjob my sister's been dating killed a cop and buried him at a horse farm.'"

"Maybe she knew that she would be implicated in Shane Foster's death—especially if she thought she'd accidentally buried her bracelet with him—but maybe she didn't think she could prove Seth's involvement. Or maybe she wanted to make sure Rosie was safe first. April knew what he was capable of. I don't think she could stomach the thought of him having Rosie. Given what happened between her and Mira at the school, I don't think she trusted Mira to do the right thing for Rosie."

"But why even report the vandalism?" Turner asked. "If she knew who was doing it and had no intention of turning him in?"

That was one of the things that Josie simply couldn't figure out. "No idea."

Turner huffed out a breath as the trail grew steeper. "So April is in Newsham for almost a year, poking around in Seth's business, and he kidnaps her. Then, instead of killing her right away and neutralizing that threat, he instead keeps her alive until that day at the produce stand. Do you think that Mira knew the whole time that he had April?"

Josie thought about the wounds on Mira's arms. "No. Unless Seth was using April as leverage to keep Mira under his thumb. To make sure that she didn't get any ideas about taking Rosie away from him."

Once they reached the road, Turner stopped to catch his breath. "These are some fucked-up people, Quinn."

There were three times as many police vehicles this time and one ambulance to carry the remains to the morgue. They crossed Prout Road. Beyond the lights of the police vehicles, the driveway was cloaked in blackness, but as Josie went to get inside her SUV, a beam of light bobbed, headed toward them. She could hear Rebecca and Jon's raised voices as they approached.

"I will not, Jon! I can't believe you would expect me to keep this a secret!"

"It's completely irrelevant! I'm telling you, Bec, I don't think he's ever set foot in the place!"

Turner was on the passenger's side. He tapped the roof and then pointed toward the Lees. Josie followed him. They met the couple where the first row of patrol cars sat, their beacon lights strobing. Rebecca looked even more furious than she had earlier. Jon looked like he hadn't slept in days. His clothes were dirty, his hair uncombed. He trailed behind his wife, hands outstretched in supplication. "Please, Bec."

Turner folded his arms over his chest, peering down at Jon like he was a rodent. "We just heard that whole thing, so we know Mrs. Lee's got something to spill. You can stop begging now."

Jon cursed under his breath and turned his back on them. Rebecca pointed her flashlight beam at his head. "Really? You're here. You should be the one to tell them."

When Jon said nothing, she swung her torch toward the ground. "You were right. My husband has been renting Seth a room at a boardinghouse for the last ten years. Behind my back."