Page 117 of Reading Between the Lines
“Your phone call reporting arson that suggested weout-of-townerswere responsible is a neat and tidy diversion. He’s good at that. He wanted to keep you busy and ensure we wouldn’t show up and spoil his attempt to salvage his life’s work. When did Abercrombie report the arson?”
Hercules didn’t look like he wanted to answer, yet at the same time, I’d piqued his curiosity. “Less than an hour ago.”
“And he called it arson?”
Hercules said nothing.
“Seems to me only the fire department can determine that. Was the fire department called?”
Again, no response, but Hercules’s brows drew closer together.
“They weren’t. I know they weren’t because we’ve been waiting for the news report all day. Abercrombie waited until the fire burned itself out. He couldn’t risk any evidence being retrieved. Then he called you, not the fire department, and told you some out-of-towners set fire to his cabin. Sounds like a good way to keep us both busy, doesn’t it? Did you send the fire department to investigate?”
“Yes.”
“And where’s Abercrombie? With them?”
“No. He said he—”
“Ah, see. While the fire department is on the scene, and you’re busy hunting us down, sticking us in an interview room, and questioning us for fuck knows how many hours, he’s out there taking care of business.”
“Out where? I don’t understand. Are you saying—”
I threw the Jeep in Drive.
“Hey,” Hercules shouted. “You can’t leave. I have enough cause to arrest your ass.”
“Then you’d better get in your car and chase me down, Officer Dumbass. A smart cop would have blocked me in. I’m going to Holy Oak Cemetery. Meet me there.”
I stepped on the gas, and the Jeep lurched forward. Hercules jumped back, still shouting as I pulled into the street with a squeal of tires and burned rubber as I accelerated down the main street of Port Hope.
Tallus shifted to look out the back window and laughed. “Oh, he’s pissed at you.”
“Good. I hope so.”
“You did that on purpose, didn’t you?”
“Yep.” I peeked in the rearview mirror as Constable Hercules ran to his patrol car. “If he’s smart, he’ll follow with lights and sirens. Hopefully, he’ll radio for backup.”
“And you told him exactly where we’re going. You’re a genius, D.”
I smirked. “A genius who’s probably going to spend the night in jail when the day is over.”
“Do you really think Abercrombie is at the cemetery?”
“Only one of his books undoubtedly identifies him as the killer. He knows we figured him out, and his phone call blaming us for arson was a diversion. His only chance of keeping his ass out of prison is to ensure no one finds his wife’s dead body because if she’s not there, it’s only speculation, and no one will be able to prove the truth.”
The roads weren’t snow-covered or slippery like they’d been after the ice storm, so I pushed the rental hard, especially once we left town and landed on an empty county road heading north. I tipped a hundred at one point but didn’t dare go faster since we were driving on packed dirt rather than paved surfaces. An unseen pothole could be disastrous.
I checked my rearview mirror more than once, anticipating the lights and sirens of Constable Hercules’s cruiser, but he wasn’t there.
“Idiot.”
“Where the hell is he?” Tallus asked.
“Probably ensuring he has backup first. Pussy fucking cops in this town, afraid of their own shadows.”
“Maybe we should slow down and let him catch up.”
