Page 40 of Long Gone

The store sold all things Arkansas with a major focus on Razorback décor but close to the register I found a stand with foldable maps. Some were for state parks in the surrounding area, but I found a beat-up looking copy of a map of Wolford stuffed in between some state maps. When I opened it, I could see that it showed a good chunk of unincorporated land outside of town. I carried it up to the register and the older man looked over his reading glasses in surprise when he saw what I was purchasing.

“I didn’t realize we still had one of these,” he said. “It’s gotta be at least ten years old.”

“Even better,” I said, taking my wallet out of my purse.

He waved with his free hand and passed the map back to me. “It’s yours for nothin’. If I’d known it was there, I woulda thrown it away.”

“Thanks,” I said as I took it. I started to walk out the door, then stopped and turned back. “Say, do you know anything about the disappearance of Hugo Burton?” It was a long shot and anything he knew would probably be gossip, but gossip could sometimes yield a clue or two.

His nose scrunched up as he pondered it, then his eyes lit up. “That businessman who stole all those guys’ money?”

“Yep, that’s him.”

“Not much. Only that he stole the money and ran. Left his family in the lurch. Ruined a man’s life.”

I inclined my head. “Ruined a man’s life?”

“Poor Bill O’Murphy. His son practically disowned him for spending his inheritance on that land project.”

“Mr. O’Murphy was an older gentleman, right?”

He nodded. “That’s him. He was a frugal man all his life, and then he decided to hand over nearly three hundred thousand dollars to that shyster. Shawn O’Murphy never forgave his father.”

Shawn O’Murphy sounded like an entitled asshole.

“Did Shawn ever try to confront Hugo Burton?”

He laughed again. “Nah. He sure would have liked to, but nobody could find the man.”

“So he found out after Hugo disappeared?”

“His daddy confessed a few weeks afterward that his money was gone. Shawn was livid and even tried to find the man himself. Of course, that was wasted effort. Burton was long gone.”

Interesting. If he had his timeline right, Shawn O’Murphy wasn’t a potential suspect, but it might not hurt to check him out.

“What about Tim Heaton?” I asked. “Do you know anything about him?”

He shook his head and tsked. “He sunk a lot of money into that land too, but he wasn’t in as bad as shape as poor ol’ Bill.”

“I heard he died in a car accident.”

“He did, and left his wife a lot of insurance money. Lots of rumors goin’ round that he ran into those trees on purpose, if you know what I mean.”

“Suicide?” I asked.

“Yeah, but the sheriff told his wife it wasn’t. Said there were skid marks on the road and there was a dent on the side of his car.”

“Like someone ran him off the road?”

“They didn’t come right out and say it, but they sure insinuated from what his wife said. But she was grateful, ’cause the insurance wouldn’t have paid out for suicide.”

Interesting.

“What about a man named Pete Mooney?” I asked. “Know anything about him?”

He pursed his lips before he said, “Nope. Never heard of ’im.”

“I’m guessing you know Brett Colter.”

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