Never Tell (Detective D.D. Warren #10)(90)

“Nada,” Neil supplied. “We just spoke to Detective Russ Ange from the JSO; he personally worked with Bill Conner and has been investigating the MVA on and off for years. Road was rural, no cameras, but Ange is sure it was foul play due to damage on the rear fender consistent with impact. Height of the damage indicates a large vehicle, say, a truck or SUV. No paint, however, so maybe a chrome bumper. Unfortunately, there are a lotta trucks and SUVs in Jacksonville; without any witnesses, it’s been difficult get any traction in the case.”

“Surely he’s looked at Conner’s active investigations? Suspects, criminals the detective has come into contact with over the years and had reason to hold a grudge.”

“Detective Conner had a couple dozen open cases at the time,” Carol reported. “Two are worth noting: First, a significant domestic abuse case. Asshole husband, rich, entitled, kept beating up his wife and, given that he was rich and entitled, didn’t think her restraining order should apply to him. Situation had been going on for months. Detective Conner had taken a personal interest, meeting with the wife several times. Week prior to the accident, asshole husband showed up again, drunk, enraged, tried to break into the house. Detective Conner arrived at the scene. He and asshole had an exchange. Asshole ended up in the slammer for the night, with a black eye, and none too happy about it.”

“Detective Conner punched the man?” D.D. asked in surprise.

“In self-defense,” Neil clarified. “Husband took a swing at Detective Conner first.”

“Okay,” D.D. said. “But one way or another, I’m taking it the rich husband didn’t care for some local cop’s intervention into his self-perceived right to beat his wife?”

“Exactly.” Carol this time. “Apparently, the husband, Jules LaPage, yelled some pretty nasty threats at Detective Conner during his arrest. Unfortunately, LaPage owned a Porsche, not a truck. Jacksonville detectives couldn’t find any evidence he borrowed or rented a second vehicle. On the other hand, LaPage had no alibi either, so he hasn’t been ruled out as a person of interest in the Conners’ murders.”

“What happened to LaPage?” D.D. asked.

“He violated the restraining order two weeks after Detective Conner’s death. Shot his wife in the face. She lived. Barely. LaPage is now a long-term resident of the state. Still a smug bastard, though. According to Detective Ange, LaPage spends his days filing appeal after appeal. Ange believes it’s only a matter of time before LaPage finds the loophole or uncovers the technicality necessary to overturn his conviction. LaPage has got unlimited time and resources. Not like the JSO can say the same.”

“What happened to the wife?” Because Detective Ange was right, anyone with enough determination and money could often beat the system. If Jules LaPage had been angry and arrogant enough to take out the cop standing in his way, there was no telling what he might do upon discovering the detective’s son was still investigating the case all these years later. Which also made her more and more curious about what exactly Conrad Carter had been doing in his free time.

“Courtesy of the gunshot to her left jaw, Monica LaPage had to undergo several rounds of reconstructive surgery. She testified with the bandages still on, then took her new face and fled the state. General consensus is, the moment LaPage gets out of prison he’ll come after her again.”

D.D. made several notes. “Is anyone from the sheriff’s office still in contact with her?”

Neil shook his head. “No, but according to Detective Ange, if she’d stayed in touch with anyone, it would’ve been Detective Conner.”

“Does Ange know where she is?”

Neil shook his head again. “No, and Ange was pretty blunt that it was in Monica’s own best interest to keep it that way. A man with LaPage’s money can buy a lot of information, including from underpaid public servants.”

“Meaning the sheriff’s office itself could become the weak link. Has Ange heard from Conrad about the case?”

“According to Ange, immediately after his parents’ death, Conrad spent a lot of time at the JSO, talking to various detectives who’d worked with his father. He asked about all his father’s active cases. Basically, like we just did.”

“And presumably got the same answers?”

Neil cleared his throat. “Detective to detective, Ange let it slip they may have made some copies of … pertinent details … for Conrad. Bill Conner was the kid’s dad after all.”

D.D. arched a brow. In other words, the detectives at the JSO had duplicated case files for their friend’s son. A definite procedural no-no and yet … Detectives were people, too. And sometimes, particularly after a hard loss, the rules mattered less than justice. Detective Conner’s fellow investigators wanted it, and by the sound of it, his son, too. “So Conrad was actively investigating his parents’ deaths?”

“Definitely.”

“To the extent he took on an alias and ran away to Massachusetts?” D.D. murmured, then corrected herself. “Or discovered something dangerous enough, he had no choice but to get out of town?”

“Detective Ange had no idea Conrad was living under an assumed name in Massachusetts,” Carol reported. “He says he heard from Conrad often in the beginning, but it’s now been years. He assumed Conrad had moved on with his life. Ange also thought that was healthy and exactly what his parents would’ve wanted.”