Island of Bones(31)

“So we’re looking at an abduction,” Horton said. “We’d better get with Lauderdale and see if there’s anything similar over there.”

Louis took a step forward, but Landeta spoke first. “The father said something strange,” he said. “They said when they were taken in to ID the daughter they weren’t sure it was her at first.”

“How come?” Horton asked.

“They said she had changed, said she was a lot thinner. And the mother was upset about the girl’s hair being cut off. She said that her daughter had long hair, like down-to-the-waist long, and never wanted to get it cut. Always wore it in a braid.”

“I remember her hair,” Louis said. “I thought it looked weird, like someone had tried to cut it off with a knife or something.”

Landeta glanced at Louis. “Why didn’t you say something at the scene?”

“It didn’t seem important then,” Louis said. “But this is a girl from a family with money, a girl who cared about her appearance and was probably strong enough to put up a fight. Whoever abducted her might have cut off her hair to humiliate her as a control thing.”

“And kept her outside and starved her,” Horton said. His voice trailed off as images filled the silence.

Louis shook his head. He had to get this over with.

“Chief, can I say something?”

They both looked at Louis.

“I think I have a suspect.”

Landeta stared at him through the yellow glasses. Louis couldn’t tell if Landeta was annoyed or impressed.

“You been doing a little investigating on your own?” Horton asked.

“Not really. A woman came to me a day or two after the body was found and asked me to follow her father. She thought maybe he was involved.”

Horton and Landeta exchanged glances but said nothing.

“The father had the New-Press article on Jane Doe. He also had an old article on another missing woman from 1953.” Louis took a breath. “His name is Frank Woods. He works as a librarian here in town.”

“A librarian?” Landeta asked.

“So you investigated this man?” Horton asked, ignoring Landeta.

“I followed him. That’s all I was asked to do.”

“All you were paid to do, you mean,” Landeta said.

Louis shot Landeta a look. “He did nothing,” Louis said. “He’s as ordinary as a Ritz cracker. I was about to tell the daughter I couldn’t do any more when she dropped the ring on me.”

Landeta took a step toward Louis. “Ring? A ring like the one we found on Shelly Umber?”

“Yeah. Just like it.”

“You have this ring?” Horton asked.

Louis shook his head. “The daughter has it.”

“When did she show it to you?” Landeta asked.

“Yesterday.”

Horton stood up, his face flushed. “Yesterday?”

Louis tightened. He started to say something, make an excuse, but there was none. He had waited too long. He had been sucked into believing Frank Woods was harmless. Even believing he was suicidal. He’d been wrong to wait.

Landeta’s face was suddenly in his, the yellow glasses an inch from his own eyes.

“You got that kind of lead in a fucking homicide and you sit on it? Jesus Christ —-”

“Mel, back off,” Horton said. When Landeta didn’t move, Horton pulled at his arm.

“Stupid sonofabitch,” Landeta mumbled as he moved away.

Louis stared at the window behind Horton, his chest tight.

Horton slid a legal pad at Louis. “Okay, give me names, addresses, and anything else you can think of, you got that?”

Louis grabbed a pen and starting writing.

“Where is this Woods guy now?” Horton asked.

Louis drew in a deep breath before he looked at Horton. “I don’t know.”

“You don’t know?” Landeta asked from behind Louis.

Louis slid the pad to Horton. “I think he’s gone under. I’ll let you know if he tries to contact me.”

Horton rubbed his face, his eyes on Mel Landeta. Louis waited, knowing that Horton wanted to chew his head off but knowing that he wouldn’t. Not in front of Landeta, at least.

“Mel, go see the PIO,” Horton said.

“What for?”

“To set up a press conference. I want to use the media to help us find this guy. And tell her to make it clear that Frank Woods is only a person of interest at this point.”

“Chief, what about —-?”

Horton held up a hand. “I’ll take care of it.”

Landeta gave Louis a final look of disgust and left. The office was quiet and it was a moment before Louis could look at Horton.

“Okay, what the hell is going on here?” Horton asked.