Save Your Breath (Morgan Dane #6)(41)

“Right. The chief has called a press conference.” Stella checked her watch. “He’ll put out a tip line and ask for the community’s help.”

“He didn’t want you to talk to the press?” Sharp knew the current asshat of a police chief liked to trot out Scarlet Falls’ only female detective for the press. The chief was all about politics.

Stella sighed. “I told him I had to run down a lead. Thankfully, the chief likes to be in front of the camera.”

Sharp rubbed the top of his scalp. “It’ll generate a hundred calls about everyone’s suspicious neighbor and at least one false confession.”

“There’s nothing we can do about it now,” Stella said. “It’s going to happen. The story was all over the news last night.”

“And the chief wants a piece of the press coverage.” Sharp’s phone went off, and he glanced at the screen. “It’s Olivia’s sister. I should have called her already.” How could he feel any shittier? He answered the call. “Valerie. I’m sorry. I should have called you with an update.”

“That’s not why I’m calling.” She sounded upset. “We trust you to update us when you know something.”

“Then what’s wrong?” he asked.

“There is a crowd of reporters outside,” Valerie said. “The street is full of them. They’re broadcasting from the sidewalk in front of the house.”

“Can you see any particular news stations?”

“Yes. JBT News.”

Sharp covered the phone mic and turned to Morgan. “See if there’s some live coverage on the website for JBT News.”

Morgan turned her laptop around and typed on the keyboard. “There is. I can see vans from other stations as well. They’re all in front of the Cruz house.”

Sharp lowered his hand and spoke into the phone. “Do you want us to come down there and talk to the press?”

Valerie paused, as if thinking it over. “Not unless you think it will help find Olivia.”

“The police chief is holding a press conference later,” Sharp said. “He’s going to give the public a tip line to call. I don’t see how stressing your mom and dad out with a horde of reporters is going to accomplish anything.”

“Then we’ll sit tight and ignore them,” Valerie said.

“If you change your mind, Morgan can set up your own press conference. For now, we have a few leads to follow up on this morning.” Sharp didn’t want to get their hopes up with specifics. Nor did he want to give them information in case a reporter got to them. “I’ll call you if I have any news.”

He ended the call and turned to Morgan. “Are the reporters giving any real information?”

“Not really.” Morgan shook her head. “Feels more like entertainment than news, but they are showing her picture and encouraging anyone with information to call the SFPD.”

Stella sat in a chair facing his desk. “I want to interview the former manager of Olander Dairy. His name is Ronald Alexander. He was fired a few months ago when the farm went belly-up.”

Sharp shifted forward, his fingers curled around the arms of his chair. “Why do we want to talk to Ronald?”

“Because I have questions about the Olander dairy farm, and I want to ask someone besides Kennett Olander.” Stella pulled her chair forward and rested her forearms on his desk. “Kennett and Lena Olander married in Iowa in 1982. Lena was sixteen. Kennett was twenty-three. Erik was born in Iowa. Kennett Olander has no criminal record in the state of New York or in the National Crime Information Center, which is normal. But get this. He also has no employment record with Social Security prior to 1994. He didn’t file a tax return before moving to Scarlet Falls.”

The National Crime Information Center, or NCIC, was an FBI database that tracked crime at the national level.

“What about Lena?” Morgan asked.

Stella shook her head. “There are barely any records for Lena at all, even here and now. She isn’t listed on the deed of the farm. Kennett’s name is the only one on the property tax records or recent mortgage. Lena Olander had a driver’s license, but no vehicles are registered in her name. She had no credit cards. The couple had one joint bank account. The rest of the accounts are in his name only. The gun she used to commit suicide is registered to Kennett. His license on the weapon was for on-premises only. He didn’t apply for concealed carry.”

“So Lena, who married very young, had no assets, no credit, and no income separate from her husband.” Morgan leaned on the corner of the desk. “When she came here to speak with me, she acted anxious.”

Abusive men often maintained control of their wives by making sure they did not have access to money. Financial dependence could be a heavy chain.

“Hopefully, Ronald is a disgruntled former employee and will tell us all about his former boss.” Stella rose.

Sharp stood. “Do you have a current address for this Ronald Alexander?”

“I do.” Stella nodded.

Sharp grabbed his keys. “Let’s go talk to him. Maybe he can tell us what official reports won’t. We can drive out to Joe Franklin’s place too.”

“OK.” Stella held up a hand in a stop gesture. “I’ll let you come with me on one condition.”