Page 28 of A Dark Place

“I tried to get them away from him, but I wasn’t able to,” Charlotte said without noticing their surprise.

“What happened to them?” Olivia tried to keep her voice steady while her heart thrashed in her chest. Something big was coming.

“He killed them, or at least that’s what I believe. I lived near them at the time it happened. Young Joel walked over to my house in the middle of the night, shaking all over and terrified. He told me he couldn’t find his family. Once I calmed him down, I called the police.” She shook her head. “I told them I believed my son-in-law had hurt his family. They went to the house and searched the property, but there was no one there. They believed the family had left the area on their own accord, which was foolish. For a while, the police searched every lead, but they were never found.”

Olivia was mesmerized by the story. “Where was this farm?”

“The one in Virginia? My son-in-law owned a three-hundred acre spread there. My home bordered his property.”

“How long ago was this?” Asher asked.

“Twenty-two years ago,” Charlotte said in a sad voice. “I stayed at my home with Joel for a while—I guess I hoped I was wrong about my son-in-law killing his family. And then, someone started lurking around my house.” She caught their surprise and said, “Oh, I never saw the person clearly, but I was certain it was Hamill—that’s Joel’s father. I reported it to the police, but they were no help. I was terrified he’d come back to hurt Joel and me, so I got in touch with an old friend here in Arizona and moved us here. For a long time, I went off the grid with no paper trail that could lead anyone to us.”

“And you never saw Hamill or your daughter or the two boys again?”

“No, never.”

Something about the story troubled Olivia. “Why would Joel return to the same area where he endured so much heartache?”

Charlotte smiled. “Joel was a survivor. He’d moved past all the terrible things his father did to him, but there was always a dark cloud hanging over him. He wanted to be free of Hamill’s influence once and for all.” Tears filled her eyes. “Now this.”

“I’m so sorry.” Olivia tried to gather her thoughts. Was Joel really guilty? Someone who had gone through such terrible things in his childhood as Charlotte had explained would be the perfect patsy for a madman like Edward Buckley. “What about the other children? Were they older or younger?”

“Older. Hawk was twelve at the time, and Hamill Junior was ten and becoming as mean as his old man.”

On an instinct that Olivia couldn’t even begin to understand, she pulled up a photo of Director Holden. “Do you recognize this man?”

Charlotte took the phone from her and stared at the screen without blinking. Her hand flew to cover her mouth. “It’s been twenty-two years, and I can’t be certain.” She turned shocked eyes to Olivia. “But I think that’s Hamill Junior.”

It was as if the floor had fallen away and the world was tipped on its side.

“Are you sure?” she asked. “Take another look.”

Asher had seen the photo of the director she showed Charlotte. He gripped the arms of the rocker, just as shocked as Olivia.

“Yes, I’m sure. That’s Hamill Junior.” Her eyes darted between Olivia and Asher. “Where is he? Is he okay? Does he have word about the rest of his family?”

Olivia tried to hold back her excitement. “We don’t know about the rest of your family, but his man is the director of the FBI, and he’s going by the name Robert Holden.”

Charlotte’s eyes widened, and she shook her head. “I don’t understand.”

Olivia took the phone from her and rose. She couldn’t sit any longer. She wanted to pull Asher aside and go over everything they’ve learned. “Charlotte, until we know what’s going on, I’m going to ask you not to mention what we’ve discussed.”

“But that’s my grandson. If he’s working for the FBI, he can help clear Joel’s name.”

Asher shook his head. “That’s just it. The director is the one leading the charge against Joel. That’s why we need you not to mention this to anyone until we get back in touch. It’s important that you don’t speak to anyone about this. Your grandson’s life could be in jeopardy.”

Charlotte clambered to her feet. “All right, but please, help my Joel. Help Hamill Junior. Find out what happened to my daughter and Hawk.” She grabbed for Olivia’s hand. “Please.”

“We will, I promise.” Something dawned on her. “If I showed you a map, can you point out the location of your son-in-law’s former home?”

“I can. In fact—” She left the room and returned with an envelope. “This has the address of my former home.” She handed the envelope to Asher. “Take it. I hope it helps you.”

Asher tucked it into his jacket. “It will. Thank you.”

“Do you have anything of Hamill Junior’s that we could take?” Olivia asked on a hunch.

Charlotte thought about it for a moment. “I do. Hamill had an old shotgun he loved. I took it with me because it meant so much to the boy.”

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