Page 25 of Colorado K-9 Rescue
Evan listened intently, trying to catch anything in Toby’s interview that made him think he was guilty, but as it went on, he had to agree with Mckenna. The sheriff back then, a large man with a big belly who was obviously quite full of himself, was relentless. Toby told him over and over he didn’t know anything. He didn’t do it. It was so repetitive that Evan decided to skip ahead a little bit. That was when he realized that the interview was over twelve hours long.
People might say they would never confess to a crime they didn’t commit, but be interviewed—no, battered—for long enough and soon, you’d admit to anything just to make it stop. To go home. To get away. At one point Toby asked if he needed a lawyer. The sheriff never really answered, and anger boiled inside Evan.
Technically, Toby had neveraskedfor a lawyer. He’d only asked if he needed one. So, they didn’t have to stop the interview, but it would have been the right thing to do. Of course, any cop or agent knew that once a defense attorney was present all interviews were probably over, and they’d never get this opportunity again. He understood that side of it, but he still felt like it was wrong.
Evan continued watching until he couldn’t stand it anymore. Then he went back to the file with notes about Mckenna’s condition at the hospital. Not only did Mckenna have gashes on her side, but she was bruised. She’d told them that the kidnapper never touched her—that she had the bruises from running blindly while he was chasing and shooting at her. He’d never tried anything sexual either, which was amazing. That was usually the motive for taking someone. That or money. But she had said what Lily had—he’d wanted the thrill of catching themand then releasing them. He got off on the power and control. Whatever the reason, the more Evan went through the files the more he believed that Toby might have been framed.
By whom? Law enforcement? Would the sheriff have been so desperate to solve a crime that he’d plant evidence? Did the sheriff know about these parties? The current sheriff certainly had no clue this was going on in her area.
The more Evan read, the more he realized that Toby had never had a chance. Other leads weren’t followed up. His vehicle was never processed for DNA to see if Mckenna had been in it at some point. Even that wouldn’t prove anything necessarily. A good defense attorney could work with that and say that Toby had only given her a ride.
Evan stood and started pacing, trying to think better. If Toby didn’t do this, then who did? He needed to get Mckenna and Lily together and question Lily again to see if their stories continued to match up. If either of them could think of anything more, that might lead him to the real kidnapper. It was still a possibility that Rex was the culprit, but would Toby take the fall for his older brother? Evan had seen stranger things in his career, but this was a big one. Serving eight years in prison wasn’t something a person just did to help their sibling.
Wondering what the current sheriff knew about her predecessor, Evan went to her office, hoping she wouldn’t mind an interruption. He knocked on the door and she waved him in.
“Question for you,” Evan said.
“Go for it.”
“I’d love to chat with the detective and sheriff who questioned Toby. Do they live around here?”
“No, unfortunately, the previous sheriff died from a heart attack and the detective lives in Florida now. I’ve lost track of him. I could work on that if you need me to.”
“Not yet, but I’ll keep that in mind.”
“What’re your thoughts?”
Evan hesitated. How much should he share? He’d been burned at his other field office when he shared too much with the jealous agent, not realizing what was going on. He still mostly had working theories. But he liked the sheriff and trusted her, so he decided to run Mckenna’s theory by her. “Toby Hanson was forced into confessing. I’m not sure he’s our guy now or back then.”
“Holy…” The sheriff trailed off.
“Yeah. And if that’s the case, I have to wonder if this is the same person who took Mckenna? Or are there two different kidnappers out there? I’m going to go home for the night, but if I need those files and evidence again, would it be okay?”
“Of course, anytime. Just let me know.”
“Thank you,” Evan said, standing and realizing how much he needed some sleep. “I’ll keep you posted on anything I find out.”
“And vice versa,” said the sheriff.
As Evan headed out into the night that was starting to cool off, he had to wonder why the previous sheriff had gone after Toby so hard and had such tunnel vision. Thanks to him, a kidnapper could have been on the loose for a long time and there could be many more victims out there. He’d reach out to surrounding states and departments because he didn’t think someone with this compulsion could stop for nine years.
Another thought crossed his mind. If Toby really was framed and Mckenna had told others her theory, was she safe? Evan didn’t know what he’d do if something happened to her.
CHAPTER 17
The next morning, Evan was out early for a run. He’d slept fitfully, which he blamed on not working out the past few days. Plus, a run gave him time to think. The more he thought about Toby’s confession, the more he was certain that there was a kidnapper out there who hadn’t been caught.
But he had to prove it.
Arriving back home, he showered and was about ready to leave when his cell phone rang. The caller ID said it was the lab. Maybe with the tox results?
“Knox,” he said, picking up the call.
“Morning, Agent,” said a person who sounded way too happy for this early in the morning. “This is Allison from the medical examiner’s office and I have some results for you on the case you’re working. Is this a good time?”
“It is.” Evan started to pace around his living room. What type of drug would the results show?
“Both victims had alcohol in their systems. I know that’s no surprise. They had enough to be slightly impaired, but not enough to be intoxicated—at least at the time this blood was drawn. On a side note, the coroner found a .45 caliber bullet in Autumn, but he doesn’t think it killed her.”
