The Sorority Murder (Regan Merritt, #1)(22)

“Yes. But I also think you can help frame my questions in a more productive way. I really expected more people to call in.”

“I think your questions are a bit open-ended. For example, after the caller said she saw Candace in Kingman, you asked who else saw her? And why was she there? You need to invite people in a more direct way. You did it in the first episode when you asked if people were at the party, if they saw Candace. You handled the interview with the caller very well, got as much information from her three-year-old memory as I think anyone could have gotten. The fact that the date was memorable for her because it was the weekend of her sister’s birthday tells me that it’s an accurate memory. People generally associate memories around such events. Holidays, birthdays, deaths, special occasions. I interviewed a witness once who was credible because he was a football fan and saw the suspect we were looking for, remembering the individual because he was rushed to get home to watch the Super Bowl and the suspect delayed him at the store. Details like that ground the average person.”

“Would people get in trouble if they have information but didn’t tell the police?”

“Not unless they lied to the police. If the police never asked someone a question, how would someone know they had answers the police might need?”

“Makes sense.”

“Now, I really only have one rule.”

“Anything you want. I just appreciate your time.”

“No personal questions.”

“Okay. And that’s it?”

“Yes. I’ll let you know if something else comes up.”

Regan was going to have to trust him. She didn’t have anything to hide, but she was private and planned to keep living that way.

“Tonight I’m going to reveal the fact that Candace didn’t drown in the lake.”

“How certain are you?”

“One hundred percent,” he said with confidence. “I might not know how to run a police investigation, or how to interview witnesses, but I know how to read a lab report. She drowned in a highly chlorinated body of water, most likely a swimming pool. They’re a dime a dozen, but it still tells me that someone intentionally moved her body to either cover up the crime or destroy evidence.”

“Or both.”

“Exactly. I also want to read the email on the air. The fact that Candace was on campus Sunday night gives us another point in the timeline, and that might jolt other memories.”

“I agree.”

“So I’m going to restructure what I planned, and instead of leading with forensics, I’m going to read the email and then ask you what you, as someone who has found missing persons, would ask.”

She agreed. “And your goal?”

“I need people to call. To trust me, to believe in what I’m doing. Three years is a long time, but I think people would remember the last time they saw a person who later died, right? If Candace went back to the sorority late Sunday night, why didn’t anyone see her? When did she leave? Maybe they thought it was a different day, maybe they got confused, or maybe the police never asked them. Or someone did see her but never told anyone.”

Very valid questions.

“I spent the afternoon at the library reading everything about Candace Swain’s murder. I’d like to know what you have. I might be able to help more than directing callers or offering advice.”

“You’d be willing to do that?” He sounded surprised.

“Yes. I think Chrissy Swain needs to know what happened to her sister. I’ve met with survivors before. The year I worked in the courthouse, I sat in on dozens of trials. And the one thing that survivors have in common—other than loss and grief—is a sense of closure once they watch the justice system work. It works more often than not.”

“That would be—well, awesome! I mean it. If you have the time.”

I have nothing but time. But she didn’t say that.

“If you’re right, and Joseph Abernathy is not her killer, Candace’s killer is still at large.”

“I didn’t actually say that,” he said.

“But you don’t think he did it.”

Lucas shook his head. “I have doubts. Mostly about how he transported her body and why. If he was in a drunken rage and killed her, would he have the wherewithal to steal or borrow a car and dump her body? And while I know his disappearance is suspicious, I find it hard to believe he could disappear for three years. The police have his name and his picture, and he had a routine. How could a drunk elude authorities for so long?”

“What do you think happened to him?”

“I don’t know.”

“You think he’s dead?”

“I guess I do,” he said. “I never thought about it that bluntly, but yeah, it seems the only explanation. A witness saw him jump into a freight car the Sunday Candace’s body was found. I’d like to talk to that witness, but the name wasn’t in the paper, and I couldn’t get the notes from the police report.”

“Then, you need to ask the right questions,” Regan said. “I can help there. You know a lot about this case, and if Candace’s killer is listening, that could put you in danger. I don’t want to light the match tonight and walk away. If we push—and especially if we start gathering better information about Candace’s missing days—I fear you’re putting a target on your back.”