Rita Herron - Cold Case at Carlton's Canyon

Except they were all in their twenties and lived in Texas.

The groomsmen looked nervous as they settled into wooden chairs. Glenn Cates, Danny Latt and Lance Stephens. Fisher’s father, Ernie, was his best man. He stood beside his son with a hand on his shoulder.

Raymond looked even worse tonight, the strain of the day wearing on him.

Amanda had taken Kelly’s father to her back office to explain to him about the car and their findings.

“I want to thank you all for coming,” Justin said.

“Did you find Kelly?” Mr. Fisher asked.

Justin shook his head. “I’m afraid not, but we did find her car.”

Raymond jerked his head up, while the others exchanged worried looks.

“Where?” Ernie Fisher asked.

“Out on Old River Mill Road.”

“What was she doing there?” Raymond asked.

Justin crossed his arms, studying the group for their reactions—any sign that one of them might have already known about the car. But he caught no signs of deceit on their faces, only fear and worry.

“Our tech department studied the text that you received, Mr. Fisher, the one supposedly sent from Kelly telling you she was spending the night with Betty.”

“What do you mean, ‘supposedly sent’?”

“That text was sent from a burner phone, not from Kelly’s. That same phone sent a message to Kelly asking her to meet the person out on Old River Mill Road.”

Fisher’s eyes widened in horror. “Someone tricked her into going out there.”

“That’s correct,” Justin said. “Whoever it was sent you that text so you wouldn’t realize she was missing until the next day.”

Gasps and whispers rumbled through the group.

Raymond paced over to Justin, his breath wheezing out. “Someone kidnapped her, didn’t they?”

Justin swallowed hard. “It appears that way, Mr. Fisher. Her car had been run off the road and crashed into a ditch. We also found a small amount of blood on the seat.”

Fisher’s face crumpled with emotions. “Oh, my god. She might be...hurt or gone like those other women.”

“Why her?” Betty sniffled. “Everyone loved Kelly.”

“She was so excited about her wedding,” the girl named Anise said.

“And the shower,” Eleanor added. “She couldn’t wait to open the gifts and move into her new house.”

Mona wiped tears from her eyes and hugged Eleanor.

Justin made a low sound in his throat. “Can any of you think of anyone who’d want to hurt her?”

Heads shook, mumbled nos resounding through the room.

Amanda stepped from the back with Lambert who looked ashen-faced and distraught. “Please call us if you receive a ransom call,” Amanda told him.

He nodded, then looked over at Fisher, pain radiating from him. “Have you heard anything, Ray?”

Raymond shook his head no, rubbing his bleary eyes.

Amanda rapped her fingers on the desk. “Ladies, I’d like to talk to you individually.”

“And I need to interview each of the groomsmen,” Justin added.

Mumbled questions and protests sounded.

One of the groomsmen, Lance, scowled, his arms crossed. “You think one of us had something to do with her disappearance?”

“That’s not what we’re implying,” Amanda cut in. “But you might be able to help in some way. You do want to find Kelly, don’t you?”

Heads nodded, everyone piping up with yeses.

Amanda gestured toward Betty. “Why don’t you come with me first? It’ll only take a few minutes.” She glanced at Justin. “You can use my deputy’s office to interview the men.”

Justin pointed to Raymond. “Come on, Fisher. There are a couple of things I need to ask you.”

He looked sullen and nervous, but he followed Justin without a word. The moment Justin shut the door, the man turned on him.

“What else can I tell you? I don’t know who would send me and Kelly that text. And I sure as hell don’t know anyone who’d want to hurt her.”

“Mr. Fisher,” Justin said calmly. “You mentioned that Kelly’s ex wanted to get back with her. I’m going to question him as soon as I leave here. But Sheriff Blair pointed out another possibility.”

He hesitated, giving the man a moment to gather himself. “Do you have any ex-girlfriends that were unhappy about your upcoming wedding? Maybe a woman who wanted to get back with you? Or...one who wanted to get revenge against you for some reason?”

Fisher lapsed into a stunned silence for a moment, then dropped into a chair. “I don’t think so...I mean...”

“What? There’s something you remember?”

Fisher wiped his forehead with the back of his hand. “I did break up with my old high school girlfriend to date Kelly our senior year,” he said. “But that was ages ago. Renee wouldn’t do anything to hurt Kelly because of it. She’s probably already moved on.”

Justin gritted his teeth. “Where does she live?”

“Some small town north of here.” He drummed his fingers on his knee, thinking.

“What else?”

A muscle twitched in his jaw. “She chaired the committee to set up the high school reunion.”

“So she knew you were coming back for the reunion and to get married. Perhaps facing old friends as a single woman while you two were together pushed her buttons?”

“I suppose it’s possible,” Raymond said, but he didn’t sound convinced. “Although I just can’t imagine it.”

Justin shoved a pad toward him. “Write down her contact information. You do have it, don’t you?”

A sliver of guilt streaked the man’s face. “Yes, but only because of the reunion.”

“Right.” Justin watched him scribble the woman’s name and number, wondering if she could have kidnapped Kelly out of jealousy.

Now they had two feasible suspects, Kelly’s ex-boyfriend and Raymond’s ex-girlfriend.

His cell phone buzzed, and he checked the number. The ME.

“Excuse me,” he told Fisher. “I have to take this. You can go now.”

Fisher looked wary as he rose. “You want one of the other guys sent in?”

Justin nodded. “Send Lance Stephens in.” He’d start with the guy who’d protested. Maybe he had a reason to avoid questions.

His phone buzzed again, and he hit Connect. “Sergeant Thorpe.”

“It’s Dr. Sagebrush. We have an ID on the body from the creek.”

Justin held his breath. “Her name?”

“Tina Grimes.”

“Cause of death?”

“As we first thought—strangulation,” Dr. Sagebrush said.

“Any sign of sexual assault?”

“No, she wasn’t raped,” Dr. Sagebrush said. “But there’s something else that I noticed, too. I don’t know if it’s important, but her high school class ring was clenched in her hand.”

Justin frowned. What did that mean? That she’d hung on to it as the perpetrator killed her?

Or had the perp put it in her hand as part of his signature?

* * *

THE YEARBOOK ANNUALS were all laid out in a row on the top of the dresser. All the high school students from Sunset Mesa, four years’ worth of girls who’d finished their high school degrees and gone on to plan their futures.

They were successful, married, had babies of their own. One had even become a reporter who covered human-interest stories.

Ironic since the little witch had no sense of humanity.

Flipping the pages brought a sea of females who had to be punished.

Amanda Blair’s photograph stood out. She wore her softball uniform and was grinning from ear to ear after Canyon High won a game. Amanda had been a star player.

She’d also abandoned one of her friends, someone who’d needed her.

And she would have to be punished for that.

But there were others that had to be dealt with first. So many others...