The Sorority Murder (Regan Merritt, #1)(14)
Lucas said, “Officer Carroll also confirmed, because NAUPD makes all reports public, that there had been multiple complaints about Mr. Abernathy, and after the last time he was removed, he was told he would be arrested if he returned.
“We need your help to retrace Candace Swain’s steps. She disappeared Friday night, just after midnight, at the Spring Fling party three years ago. She was last seen talking to Taylor James when she walked off, apparently angry. Did you see her that night? Did you see Candace at any time in the days before her body was found? Did you see her Sunday night, late, in the dorms when her card key was used? Call in and share what you know.”
Chrissy’s voice came back on. “I just want to know what happened to my sister. I want to know who killed her. I want to know why.”
Lucas said, “If we can re-create Candace Swain’s steps, we might just solve the Sorority Murder.”
Five
“What do you think?” Regan asked her dad when the first episode ended.
“I think he’s playing Hardy Boys and is going to ruffle a lot of feathers for no reason.” John rose from his seat and stretched.
“It is a cold case,” Regan reminded him. “Three years. Maybe some feathers need to be ruffled.”
Her dad grunted. He didn’t agree or disagree with her, he wanted more information. But he was curious. Just like she was.
“Nightcap?” he asked.
“Sure.” As her dad walked behind his small bar and pulled out a bottle of Jack Daniel’s, she asked, “You didn’t hear about this last week when he aired the first episode?”
She remembered when her dad and her older brother had built the bar between the kitchen and the family room. It had ended up being a central gathering place when the family got together.
“No one mentioned it to me, and I don’t think I’ve listened to a podcast in my life.”
“He told me earlier today that he has evidence she didn’t drown in the lake. I’m surprised he didn’t share that on his podcast.”
“He has evidence? That he didn’t turn over to police?”
She shook her head. “He read the autopsy report, and because he’s a forensics student, he understood that the water in her lungs was heavily chlorinated. The lake is not.”
“Then, the police know that and are investigating accordingly.”
“Maybe.”
Her father handed her the JD over ice. “Maybe. You know how these things work.”
“After three years it seems the police are stuck. Maybe this podcast can jump-start the investigation and solve Candace’s murder, give closure to the family. Her sister is cooperating.”
Her dad didn’t comment. He wouldn’t be easily swayed, but he was a fair man.
“Ready for the cobbler? It’s good,” he said.
“I can get it.”
“No, go ahead, start the next episode, I’ll dish you up a bowl.”
He sounded like he wasn’t interested, but she knew her dad well enough to know if he didn’t want to do something, he wouldn’t do it. He just wasn’t ready to admit the case intrigued him.
She started the second episode. After the music, Lucas gave a brief summary of the first episode and reminded his listeners that the podcast was live and if anyone had information about the case, and in particular Candace’s whereabouts during the days she had been missing, they were encouraged to call in. He gave the studio number, his website, and his email.
“Remember,” he said, “Candace was missing for over a week—but she was alive. We know this from the autopsy report, which indicates that she was murdered between ten in the evening and one in the morning the Saturday night before her body was found in the lake. Where was she all that time? Someone knows. Even if you only saw her in passing, anything you know will help us piece together her last days, and maybe together, we can solve this horrific crime.”
Her father settled back into his chair after handing Regan a bowl of cobbler. It was amazing, just like he said. He was having a bowl himself.
On the podcast, Lucas talked about how the missing-person case was handled before it turned into a murder investigation. He frequently paused, likely hoping for a call—but still no calls came in.
Lucas was right about one thing: the delay in reporting first to campus police, then to Flagstaff police, was problematic. Officer Carroll came on to explain how missing persons were handled by NAUPD. “There is no one standard protocol because each case is unique, but the first thing we do, in the absence of any indication of foul play, is to call the individual’s family, contact their friends both on campus and at home, and talk to their professors. Usually when a student is reported missing, it’s because they didn’t check in with someone when they were expected. Ninety-nine times out of a hundred, the individual is fine. But it is better to be embarrassed than to have something happen and no one look for you.
“For Candace Swain, we alerted all local law enforcement Wednesday, after we first contacted family and close friends, just in case she was with one of them and not really missing. We reached out to her parents and talked to the girls at the sorority and her professors. Her vehicle was on campus, which led us to believe that she may have walked off or called a ride. We checked with her off-campus boyfriend, the app-based rideshare companies, and taxis with the assistance of Flagstaff PD. Once we exhausted standard avenues, Flagstaff PD took over the investigation.”