Chapter 52

CHAPTER FIFTY-TWO

The sun had just begun its ascent, casting long shadows over the fields as Harry Crawford worked on repairing the fence line that bordered his property. He skillfully maneuvered the wire, securing it to the wooden posts. He enjoyed these quiet moments, just him and the land. It put things in perspective for a man.

He straightened up to stretch his back, allowing his gaze to wander across the field. His gaze slid over the gently waving fronds of hay, then snapped back as a glint of something shiny in the grass a few yards away caught his attention. Curious, Harry wiped his hands on his overalls and walked over to investigate.

As he drew closer, the object became clearer. It was a knife, half-buried in the tall grass. Harry frowned. The knife looked out of place, its dull, silvery blade catching the morning light.

Harry glanced toward the road that ran about ten yards from where he stood. Could someone have tossed it out of a passing car? But why? There was no hunting allowed on his property, and he hadn't seen any strangers around recently.

He bent down to inspect it more closely. The blade was clean, but the knife itself was of a kind not typically used around these parts—definitely not a hunting knife. More like the kind that came out of a kitchen set.

A sense of unease crept into his bones. Deciding it was better to be safe than sorry, Harry pulled out his cell phone and dialed the number for the sheriff's office.

* * *

Cam's ass had just hit the chair in his office when his phone rang. He picked it up on the second ring. "McCoy."

"Lieutenant, I've got Harry Crawford on the line. Think it might be related to the Collins murder."

"Patch him through."

A moment later the call connected, and Cam introduced himself. "Yvonne said you found something?"

"That's right. I was out workin' the field this morning and found a knife pretty close to the road. Looked a little out of place, so I figured I should report it."

"Have you touched anything?" Cam asked as he pushed his chair back and met Sawyer's gaze across the room.

"No, sir. Left it right where I found it."

"Perfect. We'll be there in twenty."

Sawyer followed suit and stood as Cam pulled on his jacket. "Someone found a knife in a field off the old highway."

Sawyer's brows shot up. "You think it could be that easy?"

"I can only hope so," Cam muttered. The case had been a clusterfuck; they needed an easy break.

Less than a half hour later, Cam and Sawyer parked along the side of the road and cut through the tall grass to where Harry stood next to a barbed wire fence line.

"Morning, Lieutenant. Detective." Henry tipped his head their way. "It's right here. Haven't moved it."

"I appreciate that." Cam knelt down to examine the knife, careful not to touch it. "You've done the right thing calling us, Mr. Crawford. We'll take it from here."

He took out an evidence bag and carefully placed the knife inside, sealing it tightly. "We'll have this checked out. If it's connected to anything, we'll let you know."

Harry nodded. "Hope it's nothing serious, but you never know these days."

Cam gave a reassuring smile. "We'll find out soon enough. Thanks for bringing it to our attention."

They thanked Harry one last time, then headed back to the cruiser. Cam dug his phone from his pocket on the way and called the Medical Examiner's office to speak with Dr. Seidel.

"Doc, we have a weapon here that we need to test ASAP. Mind if we stop by?"

"I'll be here," the doctor promised.

Cam cranked the engine and headed toward the ME's office. From the passenger seat, Sawyer tossed him a look. "We still need to test the DNA to link David to Misty's murder—if this is the knife."

Cam nodded. "But if we can find any blood on here and match it to Misty…" He shrugged. "Maybe he'll give us the answers we need."

* * *

A few hours later, Cam walked into Dare's office, a preliminary report in one hand, the evidence bag in the other. "Dr. Seidel found traces of blood on the knife we collected from Crawford's farm. Type matches Misty Collins."

"And…" Sawyer dragged out the word. "From what Seidel can tell, the blade matches the wounds inflicted on Misty's ribs."

A smile curled Dare's lips. "Just what I wanted to hear."

Extracting the bag from Cam's outstretched hand, Dare weaved through the station toward the interview room and gave a quick knock.

Dare pushed open and the door and glanced at David's lawyer. The sharp-eyed woman sat beside her client, her expression unreadable, and he tipped his head her way. "Glad I caught you before you left."

The woman arched a perfectly manicured brow, and Dare dropped into the seat across from her. Gaze fixed on David, he reached out and set the evidence bag in the middle of the table.

He knew he was caught.

The moment David laid eyes on the knife, his entire body went rigid. Myriad emotions played over his face, but he didn't say a word.

Dare leaned forward. "David, this knife was found near the road by Henry Crawford's farm. Have you ever been out that way?"

David's lawyer placed a firm hand on his arm. "Don't say anything. We can discuss this later."

She started to stand, but Dare continued. "We found traces of blood on the blade." He tipped his head to one side. "Want to guess whose blood we found on there?"

"Sheriff, you can't?—"

"It's okay." David's eyes remained fixed on the knife, his face a mask of defeat. He shook his head slowly, his voice trembling. "There's no point in lying anymore."

The lawyer tightened her grip, her voice low and urgent. "David, don't say another word."

Ignoring her, David looked up at Dare, his eyes filled with a haunted regret. "It was an accident—I swear. Just a stupid, terrible accident."

Dare had suspected as much, but hearing the confession was crucial.

David's lawyer sighed, releasing her grip. "David, this is not the time or place?—"

The whole story poured out then—how David had killed his stepmother and hidden the weapon, then disposed of her body. How, when he'd heard that the police had found her body in the lake, he'd immediately returned to Brookhaven.

He'd killed Max, then stole his identity so he could move around undetected. He'd had eyes on his old house—Kinley's house—and had learned that she'd hired Hayes to do some work.

"He did steal her money and probably had no intention of going back." David shrugged. "But I couldn't risk it. If he found the weapon and made the connection…"

The lawyer's face was a mix of frustration and resignation. She knew there was no stopping this confession. "David, you've just admitted to multiple crimes. This will go on record."

David slumped in his chair, the weight of his actions pressing down on him. "I know."

As the officers moved in to transport David to the county jail, the lawyer threw a disgruntled look Dare's way. "Better hope that holds up in court."

With that she was gone, and Dare barely repressed the urge to roll his eyes. Fucking lawyers.

Back in his office, Dare sat with Cam and Sawyer, going over the details of David's confession.

Cam shook his head. "It's hard to believe he admitted everything just like that."

Sawyer leaned back in his chair. "Sometimes, the guilt becomes too much to bear. He knew he was caught the second he saw that knife."

Dare nodded. "We've got him for all three murders now. This is the closure we needed for Max, Hayes, and Misty."

Cam made a face. "We need to go through the evidence, make sure everything will hold up in court. But with his confession, it should be straightforward."

Dare nodded his way. "We need DNA to confirm the knife was used in Misty's murder, so put a priority on that. But regardless, he's going away."

Sawyer agreed. "And Lance—he'll be cleared. We need to make sure he knows that."

Dare smiled slightly. "He'll be relieved to hear it."

The dark secrets were finally coming to light, and justice was being served. It was a small victory in the grand scheme of things, but for the victims and their families, it meant everything. The people of Brookhaven could move forward, free from the shadows of the past.