Page 28 of Whispers Left Behind

“How well did you know Mrs. Hanson?”

“Only in passing,” Deborah replied as she met his gaze. It was clear she wanted to share something with him. “They are relatively new to the neighborhood. Not even a year, I believe. The younger ones tend to flock together, anyway. Sometimes I think our addition is the older version of high school.”

“Did you notice anything unusual recently?”

“There was a pickup truck parked out front of their house for several hours last week. I almost called the station last night, because I didn’t think to mention it to the officer yesterday. Then I spoke to my husband, and he didn’t seem to think it was a big deal.” Deborah lifted one side of her mouth in hesitation.Her husband probably didn’t want anything to do with a murder investigation. “I’ve seen the man stop by from time to time, but I don’t want to talk out turn, Detective.”

“Nothing said here is out of turn, ma’am.” Alex made note of her doorbell camera, as well as the overhead security camera above her garage door. Both devices had a clear line of sight of the Hanson residence. He would politely request the footage if she said anything substantial. “Please, continue.”

“Well, it was an old beat-up truck. Light blue in color,” Deborah described as she crossed her arms. The cold wind was picking up, and since her residence was on a corner lot, there wasn’t much to block the strong gusts. “The man just sat behind the steering wheel for at least three hours. I finally walked across to ask if there was something he needed, but he drove off without rolling the window down.”

“Can you describe the man?”

“Late twenties or early thirties. Short brown hair. I don’t mean to make assumptions or anything, but he stopped by often when the husband wasn’t home. It’s one of the reasons I found it so odd that he would sit in front of their house for so long. Neither of the Hansons were home at the time, either.”

“What day was this?” Alex asked for clarification.

“It was over a week ago. Maybe a Thursday? It must have been, because my husband and I went out of town last weekend.”

Alex pulled his cell phone out of his jacket. It didn’t take him long to pull up a picture of Gage Baird. Out of the male subjects questioned so far, only Baird and Zayn drove pickup trucks.

“Is this the man you witnessed sitting outside the Hanson’s residence?”

Deborah reached into the pocket of her coat and pulled out a pair of reading glasses. Once she had them perched on the end of her nose, she peered at the display of his cell phone.

“No.”

Alex lowered his phone in confusion, certain that Mrs. Welling would have identified the male subject outside of the Hanson residence as Gage Baird. Maybe she hadn’t been close enough for an accurate identification. Alex was proved wrong when Deborah removed her glasses and squinted at something…someone…across the street.

Alex shifted to the side to discover Jack Hanson had exited the house. He strolled to his car with purpose before yanking open the driver’s side door. After retrieving whatever it was he had forgotten inside the vehicle, he returned to the front entrance in a matter of seconds.

“That’s him, Detective. He is the man I saw sitting in the truck.”

Chapter Thirteen

Kinsley Aspen

October

Saturday — 12:22 pm

The rhythmic tick ofthe grandfather clock filled the room with each swing of the pendulum. The sound echoed off the vaulted ceilings, almost overbearingly so. The mechanical heartbeat was anything but soothing.

The Hanson residence exuded undeniable beauty. The walls were stark white, offset only by the vibrant hues of the Persian rugs strategically placed for pops of color. A grand piano commanded attention in one corner, while a lavish hearth onthe opposite side of the room vied for awareness. Although there were remnants left behind from previous fires, it was clear that it had been a while since anyone had indulged in its warmth.

There were numerous framed photographs of the couple peppered throughout the room—always smiling, always close. It was difficult to ascertain whether the pictures were merely façades or authentic glimpses into their daily lives.

Kinsley stood with her back against the hearth, monitoring Sebastian Hanson’s reaction to her presence. The moment she had stepped through the door, Jack Hanson had done his best to prevent her from engaging in any form of conversation. He had then excused himself momentarily after issuing another directive to his brother to remain silent.

Jack returned shortly thereafter with a business card in hand.

“Sebastian’s lawyer. Any questions you have for my brother should be directed to his attorney.”

Kinsley deliberately took her time taking the proffered card while dissecting Jack’s last statement. Her hands were now tied when it came to questioning Sebastian. It wasn’t that much of a surprise given that she had opened by handing Sebastian a warrant to search the premises. She explained that other officers and a forensics team were on their way to the house, but she had a few questions for them before the others arrived on site. Many things, including all electronic devices, would be collected and then analyzed over the course of the coming days.

Fortunately, Jack had never once indicated that he was being represented by an attorney. Any questions posed to him would have to be worded carefully.

A quick rap on the front door revealed that Alex hadn’t been far behind Jack. She held up the card to indicate the change in their usual routine, but there was no need since the younger Hanson brother once again asserted his claim about Sebastian’s legal representation.

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