Rick Mofina - Into the Dark

Nearly buried by other files, a corner of it reached out as if pleading for his attention.

Tanner reached for it.

He studied the headline Miracle Rescue in Fiery Freeway Crash. The news picture of a car in flames and a small picture of Robert at the hospital with the caption Hero Pilot Robert Bowen Saved Mother and Baby.

Pilot, Tanner thought.

Why was that familiar?

Pilot.

Tanner blinked at all of the cold case files as understanding began dawning on him. His heart began beating a little faster. At first he was mistrustful of what was emerging.

Is it a reflexive reaction to Larch being ruled out?

Am I that desperate?

Tanner studied the clipping, rubbing his chin.

The facts: in the last six months of their lives all of the women had traveled, but he had not pursued that angle, until now. He began flipping through the cold case notes he’d made on each victim.

Leeza Meadows had flown to Boston to visit a friend in college.

Esther Fatima Lopez had gone to Las Vegas and Atlantic City to work.

Fay Lynne Millwood-she’d gone to Denver for a conference.

Bonnie Bradford had gone to New York to talk to a literary agent.

Monique Wilson had visited Chicago, Houston and Philadelphia.

But here it is, the remark Wilson’s sister had made back in 2005.

Monique had flown so often she got to know some of the airline crews.

That meant she’d used the same airline.

What airline? Did they all use that airline?

Tanner checked the older reports on the files.

StarBest Airline .

What about Bonnie Bradford?

StarBest Airline.

Fay Lynne?

StarBest Airline.

Esther?

StarBest Airline.

Leeza?

StarBest Airline.

Was this it? Was this the common factor?

Tanner’s keyboard clicked as he typed rapidly, consulting the files and compiling a list of flight numbers and dates for each of the women. As soon as he was finished, he’d send it to FBI Special Agent Brad Knox with an urgent request to work with TSA and the airline to obtain flight crew manifests for those dates.

As he typed, Robert Bowen’s photo stared back at him.

Los Angeles, California

Julie Glidden got back to Los Angelessooner than she’d expected.

She’d been in San Diego working on a fraudulent compensationclaim, but the case was now miles behind her.

For much of her trip, she’d focused on Claire.

Driving north along the 5, Julie had listened to radio newsreports of Amber Pratt’s disappearance and its link to the Dark Wind Killer. Butpolice still hadn’t found Amber and there were no updates on whether they’darrested her husband. And now, on top of Amber’s tragic situation, Julie’sdigging into Robert’s past was becoming more disturbing.

As a private investigator she knew that it was not uncommon forpeople to change their names. The story was always in the reason.

Why did Leon change his?

Where was his wife, Cynthia, and was hestill in love with her?

While Milt Thorsen kept investigating in Canada, Julie had onlymanaged a superficial search of Leon’s background in the U.S. But the fact that“ Robert” had never told Claire about his past troubled Julie.

If he’d deceived her on his name, whatelse was he hiding from her?

It was early evening, but traffic flowed smoothly as Julie madeher way downtown. Her agency was in L.A.’s Bunker Hill district in athirty-five-floor postmodern skyscraper. She parked in the building’s near-emptyunderground lot and took the elevator to the twenty-fifth floor where her smalloffice was slivered between a global accounting corporation and a law firm.

As the elevator rose, Julie texted Claire.

Again.

I’mback-will be working @ office for a few hrs. I could come over after or meetyou? Anything to help.

love and prayers,

J.

She waited for a response. Claire’s reply was usuallyinstantaneous but nothing came, as was the case earlier when Julie had textedher before she’d left San Diego.

Claire had a lot to deal with. Julie’s heart went out to her.In pursuing the truth about Robert and his first wife, Julie was fearful of whatmore Milt Thorsen might uncover.

How much more bad news could Claireendure?

Stepping from the elevator, Julie went to her office, unlockedthe door and entered. Everyone had gone for the day. She glanced at the time,growing a little uneasy that she hadn’t heard anything from Claire.

Julie was also expecting an update from Milt in Canada. Thelast time he’d contacted her, he said he had a lead on more information on thehistory of Leon Elliott and his wife.

Julie got a bottle of juice from the fridge in the kitchen,along with some cheese and crackers. She went to her desk and began fine-tuningher report from San Diego, then moved on to catching up on work she’d missedwhile away. It took close to an hour to get through her emails. She’d finishedresponding to the last, an invitation to address a security conference, when anew email from Milt Thorsen arrived, along with several attachments.

Julie opened it.

Milt had more on Robert’s life in Canada.

Julie held her breath as she burned through Milt’s coveringemail.

Leon and Cynthia Elliott had embarked alone on a full day hikealong the Iceline in Yoho National Park in British Columbia. Parts of the trailwere steep with the hazard of fallen trees where trail ridges ascended over ariver gorge. Leon Elliott stated to investigators that he was off the trail,making a small day camp for their lunch, when Cynthia walked off out of hissight to take in the view over the trail edge. At that point Elliott heard ascream. Cynthia had lost her footing and fallen into the gorge.

Milt’s information went on to say that her body was recoveredby park wardens later. An autopsy showed her injuries were consistent with afall and being battered amid the rocks on the fast-flowing mountain river.

Officially, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police and MedicalExaminer attributed her death to a wilderness accident. But as Julie continuedreading, her jaw dropped, tears filled her eyes and she covered her face withher hands. She skipped along passages listing the impressive scope and findingsof Milt Thorsen’s work. Records attached…led to law enforcement familiarwith…a former Royal Canadian Mounted Police officer… Arising from his owninvestigation of the subject, provided further insight about Leon RichardElliott and his wife, Cynthia…

Julie began printing off pages, reading as fast as she could,the words blurring by.

…No record of divorce, no separation…former Mountie indicatesthat according to a friend, to whom Cynthia had confided, there was stress inthe marriage which led to Cynthia contemplating divorce…the Mountie pressedLeon Elliott on the matter and he made a bizarre revelation…

Elliott claimed that months before his wife’s death, he’d beenapproached by an international drug cartel to make an illegal delivery flight.Elliott refused and suspected the drug dealers had followed him and his wifeinto the mountains, and that they killed Cynthia to send him a message. Elliottstated that he was too frightened to report it to authorities. When pressed,Elliott could not provide the Mountie with any information, a name, number,contact, or phone record, to support his cartel claim…

The Mountie discounted Elliott’s drug-flight-wife-death storyand had discussions with the prosecutor on possible charges against Elliott forhis wife’s death. The prosecutor said there was no solid evidence to support thecharges. The case was closed.

In his covering letter, Milt wrote that upon obtaining this newinformation, he made a number of urgent calls to his trusted sources, includingthose with U.S. national security, as well as those with Canadian and U.S.aviation security, to confidentially enquire about the link between Leon RichardElliott and Robert Bowen.