Michael’s byline had been on the front-page story today, the most complete of the reporting to date on what had happened with the missing women, at Maggie’s home, and the search that had put the case together. She needed to call him, if only to say thanks for the fact he hadn’t called her. He had quotes from Sharon, Paul, a nicely done insert on Jim and Lynne, comments from cops at the various scenes, and information on the recovery of Jenna’s remains, including a statement from Jenna’s family. He was an honorable man, who meant it when he’d said she was his friend, not a source.
Michael would have been under enormous pressure from his boss to make that call to her, and through her to reach out to David and Maggie. That he hadn’t made the call impressed her. She’d debated calling him early on to share her own perspective, but the hierarchy of Sharon being the one to speak with the press protected the task force, and she wouldn’t impose on her working relationship with David or use her knowledge of his relationship with Maggie for a news story. Michael had put together a great story without her help, just as she’d expected he would. He’d always been excellent at his job.
“Need some help?”
Evie smiled at Ann as her friend came in. “I’m about done. Jenna is a small case compared to some others we’ve worked.”
She archived the electronic copies of the reports onto a flash drive and added it to the reference box. The Jenna Greenhill case would go back onto a shelf, only this time marked closed, once the medical examiner finished the final report on the remains.
Ann leaned in the conference room doorway. “Hey, David.”
“Hey back.”
Evie was glad Ann had come over. David had the fan mail Andrew Timmets sent to Maggie spread out on the conference room table, brooding a bit over it, trying to see if they could have picked out clues to what was going on before it had escalated so far. He needed to be interrupted, diverted to something else for a while. Evie had read the forty-two letters and emails. With hindsight she could see more than if she’d just read them as mail that came in over a stretch of years. She knew there was nothing that could have been done real-time just based on these letters, and David needed to get to that same conclusion.
“Maggie get away okay?” Ann asked.
David looked over to nod. “She’s safely on a flight back to New York and away from the immediate press attention. She wants to finish up the songs for the next album and plans to use that as a distraction while I figure out where she’s going to live in Chicago.”
“Double house hunting,” Evie called, and got the laugh she hoped for in reply.
David came out to join them. “I’m to find something equally as beautiful, and she still doesn’t want a gated community.” He leaned back against one of the empty desks. “While you’re here, Ann, I thought I’d mention to you both—I had an interesting call from Detective Jenkins this morning. A letter arrived at the DA’s office, written by Terrance L. Whitney—the real name of our Philip Granger—a man who entered WITSEC in 2014 and who died on the eighteenth of this month. The letter gives details regarding a body buried behind a wall in an Englewood building. The letter further stated he saw Blake Grayson shoot the man.”
Evie grinned. The WITSEC death letter had shown up. She looked at Ann and found her friend was apparently fascinated by the pattern in the carpet.
“They can’t prove murder with what they have,” David continued. “The ballistics don’t tie the gun to Blake, but to his bodyguard. And no one else so far is talking about what happened with Saul that night.”
“It’s not the first cold case solved where nothing could be done to bring justice,” Evie mentioned.
“Been here before, will be here again,” David agreed. “It just leaves a bad aftertaste.”
Evie understood the sentiment. “You should tell Lori thanks for us, Ann,” she teased, “and ask how she likes retirement. She must be living with a few hundred secrets like that of a guy being buried in a wall.”
“She’s not nearly as colorful as you’re trying to paint her, Evie,” Ann replied, amused.
“Uh-huh. That’s like saying you don’t have interesting friends. It doesn’t hold given I’ve met a few of them.” Evie slid a lid on the last box. “Sharon and the guys are coming this way for dinner. You want to join us? Taylor and Theo are now wrapped too. We’re going to choose a new county and move on as a group.”
“Sharon found her family?”
“A mother and two daughters, alive and well, with the case being closed simply as resolved. They don’t need the press attention, and the only one who could be arrested over what happened to cause them to run is already doing jail time, enough he shouldn’t get out even with early parole until after the girls have graduated college.”