Page 32 of Once Marked
“Not to mention his reaction when we brought him in,” Beeler added.“That’s not the behavior of an innocent man.”
Riley felt a pang of unease.The evidence was circumstantial at best, yet their belief in Callahan’s guilt was unshakable.As for his behavior at the time of his arrest, that was far from proof of guilt.It was like a cornered animal lashing out in self-defense.Callahan was a suspect, certainly, but he could still be innocent of murder, no matter how obnoxious his personality.
“We appreciate all your help, Agents,” Beeler said, his tone softening a little.“But I think we can take it from here.We know these people, this community.We’ll get Callahan to crack, and it all will be over, tied up tight.”
Riley caught Ann Marie’s eye, seeing her own hesitation reflected there.They were outsiders here, swimming against a current of local belief and long-forged bonds.Any objections could be easily dismissed.
Then Ann Marie spoke up for both of them.“Sheriff, Chief, I understand where you’re coming from,” she began, her blue eyes steady on Beeler and Thorne.“But maybe there’s more to this than we’re seeing right now.”
Riley registered the minute shift in Beeler’s posture, the slight crease in Thorne’s brow.These men were rooted in their convictions, but Ann Marie’s composed challenge stirred something, a ripple of consideration perhaps.
“Look, we’ve come this far together,” Ann Marie continued, her politeness unwavering even as she stood her ground.“Wouldn’t it be prudent to explore every possibility?For the sake of thoroughness?”
“Thoroughness,” Beeler repeated, rolling the word around as if tasting something unfamiliar.He considered Ann Marie, then Riley, his expression caught between annoyance and respect.Riley felt a flicker of pride at Ann Marie’s poise.She was young, yes, but beneath her carefully styled hair and polished appearance was a sharp and agile mind.
“Chief Thorne, Sheriff Beeler,” Ann Marie continued, “I think we might be jumping to conclusions.Callahan’s behavior is certainly suspicious, but it doesn’t necessarily make him a killer.”
Riley watched Thorne’s reaction, the man leaning back, arms crossing over his broad chest like a barrier.“So what are you suggesting?That we just let him go?”he challenged, his tone edged with frustration.
“No,” Riley interjected quickly, seizing the opening.“But maybe we should go ahead and explore all angles before we close the case.”
“Such as?”Thorne grumbled.
Wheels turned in Riley’s head as she tried to think of any plausible reason for her and Ann Marie to stay on the case.
“There’s at least one loose end we haven’t tied up yet,” Riley said, and the eyes of the others turned towards her in expectation.“After Julie Sternan’s murder, you said you visited a vintage swimwear store called Tidal Beauties, right?To see if they might have sold the 1920s-style swimsuit the killer dressed her in?”
Beeler’s nod came with a hint of impatience, his voice carrying the weariness of long days tethered to this case.“Yeah, and the owner, Steven Walsh, assured us he’d never carried anything like it.And I didn’t see anything like it in his catalogue, so I believed him.”His eyes met Riley’s, demanding an explanation for her thinking.
“What about the second swimsuit, the one from the ‘80s?”Riley asked.“Have you checked back with Walsh since Billie Shearer was found?”
The sheriff shook his head, his eyes fixed on the road ahead.“Nope.Yesterday was a whirlwind, and there was no time.Besides, I can’t see much need for that.If one of the killer didn’t bother to buy one of the swimsuits there, there’s no reason to suspect differently for the other one.What’s your point?”
“My point is that it’s a lead.And it’s our job to follow leads, no matter how unlikely they seem.We owe it to the victims.Since you haven’t gone back there since Billie Shearer was found in that 1980s-style suit, wouldn’t it be worth checking if they might have sold that one?”
Beeler just looked at Riley skeptically as she plunged ahead.
“Maybe Walsh missed something, or maybe...”She paused, trying to solidify her thoughts into words that would resonate with the local lawmen.
“Or maybe,” she continued, finding strength in her reasoning, “he lied.And we’ve only got his word to go by, right?”
“That’s right,” Ann Marie chimed in, offering support.
Beeler scoffed, the sound rough and dismissive.He shook his head, clearly unimpressed by their line of inquiry.“Like I said, if the suit on the first victim wasn’t bought there, what reason do we have to think the second one was?”His question sounded like a challenge, daring them to come up with a better argument.
“We won’t know unless we ask,” Riley said firmly.“I’m still assigned to this case by the FBI, and I think we’ll have to pay Mr.Walsh another visit.Something isn’t adding up, and I want to look him in the eye when he tells me he doesn’t know where those bathing suits came from.”
When Beeler made no immediate reply, she added, “If that’s not convenient for you, my partner and I can drive there after we get back to our company car, or even rent some other vehicle along the way if necessary.But we are going to make that stop one way or the other.”
Beeler and Thorne exchanged glances, a silent conversation passing between them.Riley held her breath, aware that this could be the turning point—or the end—of the local law enforcement’s cooperation.That would make their investigation difficult, and it could lead to the end of FBI involvement in the case.
But she wasn’t going to walk away quietly from a situation like this if she could help it.She and her partner had been called into the case at the request of the Sheriff, and he needed to realize that the FBI wasn’t to be so casually dismissed.On the other hand, an open conflict over a local case would leave no one happy.
Riley waited while a moment of tense silence enveloped the table.
Ann Marie held up her phone, displaying her research, “If we get started soon, the shop will still be open.”
“Well, we have to drive that way anyway on our way north back to Teomoc,” Beeler grumbled, his voice carrying the gravelly texture of compromise, “We’ll drive right through Scudmore.I guess we can stop by Tidal Beauties on the way” He nodded, then added, “But after that, I think it’s time for you two to head back to Quantico.And I will notify your superior that you’ve done fine work here.”
