Page 37 of Canyon Killer
“I haven’t seen anyone unfamiliar around here,” Ian said.
“They could have come here while you were busy supervising the construction or running an errand in town. If they parked somewhere else and slipped in on foot, it would be possible.”
“But why even come here?” he asked. “And why leave this ring?”
“I don’t know.” She pocketed the gold band. “But I’m interested in hearing what the sheriff’s department has to say.”
* * *
Aaron examined thethin gold band Bethany had handed over when he’d first met up with her and Ian at the sheriff’s department. “There’s no inscription or anything,” he said. “It could belong to anyone.”
“But does it belong to Abby Boston?” Bethany asked. “Did the investigators somehow overlook it when they were collecting evidence from the cave?”
He shook his head. “I don’t think so. They were very thorough.”
“Was Abby wearing a ring?” Ian asked.
Aaron frowned. “I’ll have to check.”
“Then do it,” Bethany said. “This could be important.”
He left the room. Ian and Bethany sat side by side at the table, the only sound the ticking of a clock as each minute advanced. “I never spent so much time in a sheriff’s office before this,” she said. “Or any law enforcement office.”
“Where did Aaron work before he came to Eagle Mountain?” Ian asked.
“Waterbury, Vermont, police. But I never visited him at work.”
The door opened and Aaron returned, followed by Gage. “Abby Boston was wearing her wedding ring when we found her,” Gage said. “A gold band with an inset of diamonds.” He held up the plain band Abby had found. “Whereexactlydid you find this?”
“It was on the floor of the cave,” she said. “The beam of my flashlight caught it, very near where the skeletons were. I think it would be hard to miss, especially if you were trained to look for evidence.”
“We’ve got photographs taken at the scene,” Gage said. “None of them show a ring like this.”
“Do you think someone came to the cave after your investigators went away and left this?” Ian asked.
“Have you seen anyone hanging around?”
“No. But there are a lot of construction workers coming and going these days. It wouldn’t be too difficult for someone to slip in on foot.”
“Why leave a wedding ring?” Aaron asked. “Even one this small and plain would be worth something.”
“I could make up a hundred stories about why someone would leave a wedding ring at the site where two lovers died arm in arm,” Bethany said.
“You could?” Ian sounded surprised.
She was aware of all three men staring at her. Did they not have any imagination? Or see the romantic possibilities? “Maybe someone’s own marriage ended and they felt sympathy for Abby and Gerald,” she said. “They left the ring as a symbolic gesture.”
“Or maybe they just wanted to confuse all of us,” Aaron said.
“We’ll keep this and see if anyone comes looking for it,” Gage said. “I don’t think we can do more than that.”
“What about the man Katherine was seen with?” she asked. “The one who left her lying hurt after she fell out of the car?”
“When we interviewed him, Craig Boston said he didn’t know who he was,” Gage said.
“If he left her after his car ran over her, I can’t imagine they were ever close again,” Aaron said. “Why would someone like that kill Abby and Gerald? And don’t say you can think of a reason because whatever it is, it’s as illogical as your ring story.”
“I didn’t say the ring story was true,” she said. “And people do behave illogically. Every day. Especially when it comes to strong emotions like love.”
