Page 9 of Justice Delayed

“That’s what clinched it for the jurors. The toddler went missing overnight while the parents were at a charity fundraiser, and Melender was supposed to be watching Jesse and his older sister, three-year-old Jillian. A frantic search uncovered Jesse’s sock in some shrubs along the driveway, but no sign of Jesse.”

Brogan didn’t glance at his notes. He’d spent so much time reading about the case since he’d left the Kwikie Mart, he had memorized the key details. “The police flagged it as a potential kidnapping given Quentin Thompson’s business connections and wealth. Then forty-eight hours later, a ransom note showed up, demanding payment of $1.5 million.”

“When did police suspect Melender’s involvement?”

“That’s not clear from the news reports.” Brogan had hunted through hundreds of articles to find when police attention turned to Melender. Not one of the early stories mentioned any hint that law enforcement considered Jesse’s disappearance as anything other than a kidnapping by outsiders. “Once the ransom note came in, the FBI got involved.”

“Standard procedure, but I bet it slowed the leak of news.”

Brogan agreed with Fallon. The Feds ran a tighter ship when it came to releasing information about a case than a local police department. “So the ransom drop was made, the money left in a trash can at a local park at a specific time.”

“I recall that the FBI left the money but didn’t see who picked it up.”

“At the time of the drop off, a huge group of teenagers descended on the park as part of some scavenger hunt, making it pure chaos. In the melee, the trash can wasn’t visible, and the kidnappers got away with the money.” The audacity of the plan pointed to someone who had brains.

“And no Jesse?” Fallon asked, an emotion in his voice Brogan couldn’t identify. Grief, or perhaps anger at a toddler’s death.

“No Jesse. The kidnappers never contacted the family again.” Brogan consulted his printouts. “That’s when the FBI turned its attention to the family members. From there, the investigation quickly focused on Melender, the outsider who had come to live with her rich aunt and uncle two years prior. Ruby Thompson, the sister of Melender’s father, took the girl in after the death of her brother and their grandmother—Melender’s great-grandmother. By all accounts, Melender wasn’t happy living with the Thompsons.”

“She kidnapped and killed her cousin because she was unhappy?” Fallon queried.

“That’s what the prosecution alleged.” Brogan rubbed his hand over his face. “The entire Thompson household testified to Melender’s unhappiness, but only the immediate Thompson family ever said anything about Melender being jealous toward Jesse. Apparently, Mr. and Mrs. Thompson left Jesse and Jillian with Melender quite frequently in the evenings when they had plans.”

“Doesn’t sound like the Thompsons were concerned about their niece harming their kids.”

“I agree.” Brogan hesitated. “There’s a lot that seems strange about the case.” The story had the potential to be the one that redeemed his career, but he had to do everything strictly by the book. And that meant getting Fallon on board with his digging deeper into Melender and what might have happened to Jesse. “Melender served every minute of her seventeen-year sentence, then was quietly released eight months ago. Instead of heading back to Maple Hollow, Virginia, and the mountains everyone said she loved, she chose to return to Fairfax.”

Fallon ignored the buzzing of his cell phone. “If I remember correctly, Melender never revealed the whereabouts of Jesse’s body. It seems to me that the original investigation left a lot of stones unturned.”

As the editor regarded him steadily, Brogan held his breath. But his pulse to accelerated with anticipation, something he hadn’t experienced since his fall from grace.

“Gilmore, this has the earmarks of being a good investigative piece.” The editor picked up his cell phone. “You’ll still need to turn in your regular assignments on time. I’ll expect to be kept abreast of any new developments too.”

Brogan let out a measured breath, then stood as Fallon began to scroll through his phone messages. “Yes, sir.”

He’d opened the door when Fallon added, “And Gilmore?”

Brogan turned to face his boss. “Sir?”

“Don’t blow this.”

“No, sir. I won’t.” Brogan hurried back to his desk. It had been a long time coming, but finally, he had his chance to show off his investigative skills. And perhaps spend more time with a certain woman with sad, blue eyes.

ChapterFive

Jared Thompson groaned as his half-sister’s number flashed on the screen of his cell phone. He wanted to let voice mail pick up, but experience taught him that to ignore Jillian would only make her more persistent. He swiped to the right and put the phone to his ear. “What’s up, sis?”

“I’m out front. Open the door. We have to talk.” Jillian’s voice had an edge to it Jared hadn’t heard before, so he quickly rose from the couch and rushed to his front door. After yanking the door open, he lowered the phone as Jillian shouldered her way inside his apartment.

“Well, hello to you too.” He shut the door, then followed her into the living room. “Why are you here?”

She shrugged and nibbled on her thumbnail.

Jared blew out a breath. It was just like his sister to pretend she needed something pronto, then dither when it came to asking. He really wasn’t up to playing twenty questions. “Jillian.” He dragged her name out.

His sister continued to worry the skin around the cuticle with her teeth. “Melender’s out of prison.”

“What? She’s out already?” He sank onto the leather recliner.

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