Page 44 of Silent Ridge

“Can you tell me where your husband is?” I ask.

She looks at me in an odd way and I can see the flicker of a light coming on behind her thick glasses. I’ve changed my appearance but my voice hasn’t changed. “You don’t have to tell me. It’s not part of what we’re doing. I’m sorry.”

“No. I’ll tell you. He’s in a nursing home. It’s been over a year now. I wasn’t able to care for him anymore here.”

I don’t want to bring up the past, especially since she’s dealing with another tragedy. I can understand why she’s aged. But I need to know if Rader has been back.

“Mrs. Blume, do you have children?”

She recoils as if I’ve punched her in the stomach. “We did. Not anymore.”

“Mrs. Blume, I’m so sorry to bring back sad memories. But I have to ask if you’ve been contacted by anyone saying they are investigating that case?”

“Not for a long while. A detective came by and told me he was looking for someone pretending to be a reporter. I didn’t like his looks. I didn’t tell him anything and to this day I don’t think he was really a policeman.”

He was a serial killer, so her instincts were good. She’s still looking at me. I can see wheels turning. It’s time to end this. I hand her my card. “If anyone calls or comes by asking about that case, please call me.”

I have an idea. “Detective Marsh, can you pull up the picture of Rader?”

She does and shows it to Mrs. Blume.

“Have you ever seen this man before?” I ask.

She studies it. Looks up at me, not Ronnie. “Does this have something to do with the burglar?”

“Maybe,” I say. “Have you seen him before?”

“No. I’ve never seen this man. Is he dangerous?”

I’m already scaring the wits out of her, but I say, “We suspect this guy of doing home invasion burglaries. You know: pretends to be someone so they can get in your house. So please don’t let anyone inside that you aren’t sure of.”

She’s still looking at me in that odd way.

“We’re sorry to have bothered you,” I say, and we go to the front door and let ourselves out. I try not to run.

On the drive back to the Sheriff’s Office, I can’t stop thinking about how Dan and I left things. That’s the problem with having a relationship. I always avoided them until Caleb came along, and after he broke my heart I thought I was finished with them for good. Apparently not.

“Why don’t you call him?” Ronnie asks.

Why don’t you mind your own business? “Speaking of calling someone, why don’t you call Marley and see what he’s found on the drug from the autopsy?”

Forty-One

I get back to the office and on the computer. I search the Internet for Alex Rader, Michael Rader, Steve Jones, Kim Mock and Arnold Cantu. I print out everything I find.

Steve Jones, a homeless man, was found guilty of killing a complete stranger, Shannon Blume. He died, beaten to death, in prison. I didn’t find anything showing that Michael Rader was in that prison at that time, but he could have been.

Kim Mock was found guilty of killing his girlfriend, Megan Moriarty. He was stabbed to death in the chapel of the prison. Michael Rader is the one who found him. Now Michael Rader has done a runner.

Arnold Cantu, convicted serial killer, confessed to killing Leanne Delmont. He was confessing to a lot of murders. They believed him and the case was closed. Monique wasn’t sure they had the right man. She thought they’d done a cursory investigation.

Alex Rader was the investigator.

Now Monique Delmont, a woman who helped me over some very rough patches—who helped me become the woman I am—is brutally murdered. Anyone the Raders touch ends up dying. Technically, I’m a Rader. I’ve killed before.

Technically, Hayden is a Rader also. But he’s the kindest, gentlest boy—man now—that I’ve ever met. He’s had a very messed-up life, but he’s overcoming it. Without me. Maybe in spite of me. He’s been visiting our mother in prison, the one who betrayed us both and lies as easy as breathing, but his foster parents gave him a good role model and a good life.

Sheriff Gray has already left and I don’t think what I’ve found is worth calling him at home. I say good night to Ronnie. She’s going to meet Marley to get the results. He’s being bullheaded and won’t give them to her except in person. That’s not very professional for the supervisor of the crime lab. But he’s putting all my stuff in front of the line, so I won’t complain.

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