Page 94 of Cougar Point

“And you didn’t go to the resort to see Mom?”

“Your dad owns the resort. I’ve never been there. I don’t think I’d be welcome.”

Ronnie pulls a picture up on her cell phone and shows it to Vinnie. It’s the note left on Victoria’s door when she went missing. She doesn’t ask him if he wrote it. Good tactic. Let him talk.

“That’s the nickname I called her, still do, but it looks like a child wrote that. What’s that about?”

She ignores his question. “You were in Whatcom County Jail a few weeks ago. How did you get released?” she asks.

“I think you already know, but your mom bailed me out. We had lunch, talked about some things, and went our separate ways.”

“What did you talk about?”

“Do I have to say?”

Rebecca, who has been quiet this entire time, says, “Uncle Vinnie, just answer the questions. Mom is missing and we don’t have time to waste.”

Vinnie’s shoulders slump. When he looks up he says, “I don’t know if Victoria would want me to talk about it.”

For God’s sake, spit it out.

“Well, I guess you’ll find out eventually.” Vinnie’s eyes take on an angry look. “She said she was going to divorce Jack. She’dhad enough. She asked me if I thought she should. She was worried about how it would affect you girls.”

“We know about that,” Rebecca says.

“Then you know that Jack and I don’t get along. I don’t like the way he treats her and she was kept from her own family. Sorry, but it’s the truth.”

No one speaks for several minutes, so I ask, “Do you think Jack could be behind her kidnapping?”

He doesn’t answer right away. He thinks Jack could be involved. That doesn’t mean he’s right, but at least he’s thinking.

“How long has my sister been missing?” he asks.

“Six days,” Rebecca says.

“And she’s missing from the resort and that’s where you found the note you’re asking about?” he asks.

“Did you leave it on her door?” Ronnie asks.

“No. I did not. I have never been to the resort. But something is starting to make sense.”

Dragging things out unnecessarily must be a genetic trait in the Marsh family. They answer a question with a question, say “guess what” and “You’ll never believe this,” along with their innate intelligence. Maybe that’s how geniuses think.

“I was on my way over here and saw Duke. Do you know Duke?”

Ronnie pulls up his photo.

“Yeah. That’s him. He doesn’t look like much but he’s got an IQ that’s off the charts. Dope and gambling are his Achilles’ heel. Anyway, I saw him on the street getting into a black SUV a little while ago. I thought he was making a drug deal, but he didn’t come out of the SUV.”

I ask, “What about Duke makes sense to you?”

“Well, wherever Duke is, Thundercloud is nearby. They’re thick as thieves. And that’s what they do. Steal. Deal drugs. Rob people. And now that I think about it, it looked to me like thatSUV was watching this place. I wouldn’t put anything past Duke and Thundercloud. If they’ve hurt Vic, I’m going to kill them.”

Ronnie asks, “Would either of them know your nickname for Victoria?”

Vinnie asks, “You think one of them put the note on Vic’s door? To what? Frame me for her disappearance?” He doesn’t need time to think about that. “Yeah. Duke knew I called her Dinky. She brought me money sometimes when Duke was around. The three of us were in jail at the same time. Duke, me, and Thundercloud. But I stayed away from Thundercloud. Completely crazy that one is. Everyone in the jail was afraid of him. We’ve butted heads a few times. He made some nasty remarks about Victoria and the guards had to break us up. What an asshole.”

Vinnie makes fists. “Either one of them might have written that note to try and frame me. But I can’t see Duke taking Vic. He’s a coward. Thundercloud would be my bet.” Vinnie gets a worried look on his face but he doesn’t say anymore.

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