No One But You (Silver Springs #2)(113)

“You found the footage to prove it?”

“I did. He’s on video—clear as day—purchasing those items from Walmart. I believe it’s the same clothing he had on tonight.”

Sadie gaped at him. “That connects him to the fire.”

“Let’s just say it’s a piece of the puzzle, some fairly strong circumstantial evidence. We’d need more than that to get a conviction. But he’s going to prison regardless—for attempted murder.”

So whether her arson investigator came through with more evidence didn’t matter. She had what she needed.

She covered her mouth as she drew a deep breath. Her ex would no longer be around to intimidate, threaten or frighten her. It was almost too good to be true. “I’m free.”

“Yes.”

“Thank God,” she whispered, mostly to herself, but she sent the police chief a sideways glance. “Aren’t you going to warn me about making another mistake by getting involved with Dawson?”

He straightened his uniform. “No.”

“Because...”

“I’ve learned something about Dawson, too—something that makes me believe Dawson isn’t the man we thought he was, either.”

She tried to read his expression. “That’s good, right?”

“Yeah, that’s good. Aiyana Turner called me a few hours ago.”

At the mention of Aiyana’s name, Sadie came to her feet. “She was able to discover the name of the brother of that drifter Dawson believed killed his parents!”

“Yes. She worked on it all afternoon and evening. And that discovery led to the drifter’s name—Ronny Booker, a onetime welder and drug addict with a rap sheet a mile long.”

She curled her fingernails into her palms. “Will you be able to locate him, though?”

“Already have.”

“Where is he?”

“Jail, awaiting trial on a separate case.”

She wished Dawson could hear this. “For what?”

“Robbed a house about nine months ago—and killed three of the occupants with a butcher knife. They have his DNA as well as a witness who survived—a fourth member of the family. Booker will go to prison for sure, and he’ll never get out.”

“Oh my gosh!” she cried. “Dawson knew the man he met that night was the one, could tell he was unstable, not right.”

Chief Thomas’s voice filled with caution, but she could tell that he believed Ronny Booker was their assailant, too. “We don’t have a lot of hard evidence to pin the Reed murders on him yet, but—” he gave her a sheepish smile “—he does wear a size nine shoe.”

For a moment, Sadie wasn’t sure why that was so significant. Then she remembered the footprint found outside Dawson’s parents’ house—the one that was too small to have been left by Dawson. “Wow,” she said. “That wasn’t left by a random stranger as I heard reported in the news.”

“We don’t think so now.”

“That’s wonderful. Incredible, really. But...why didn’t Aiyana call us?”

“She planned to. She was just giving me a head start, didn’t want Dawson to get involved too soon and accidentally screw anything up—or do something he might regret.”

In other words, she’d still trusted Chief Thomas after Dawson had lost faith in him. “Thank you for following up on that lead. Ronny Booker killed the Reeds. I know he did, because it wasn’t Dawson—and no one else had any reason to hurt them. Booker was the only stranger around that night.”

“If it was Ronny, we’ll prove it.”

“Dawson hired a forensics specialist—”

“I know. If he finds anything, it will help, but I don’t think it’ll even be necessary.”

“I’m stunned,” she said as she sat back down. Dawson had tracked down his parents’ killer. He’d no longer have to live under the terrible suspicion that had plagued him since their murder. And Sly would go to prison even if they couldn’t prove he set the fire.

“Where is Sly now?” She’d paid little attention to what was happening with Sly once Chief Thomas stepped in. She’d been too worried about Dawson.

“They’re booking him at the county jail. He’ll be there until his trial. Then he’ll go to prison, like I said.”

She tried to imagine what the future might be like without him—and felt such hope and excitement. She’d be able to do whatever she wanted with her life with no thought as to how he’d react or whether he’d approve or let her. “I never want to see him again.”

“I don’t blame you. You won’t have to. He’s a cop. Any judge he gets is going to give him the longest sentence possible.”

The memory of Sly coming after her with that hatchet chilled Sadie to the bone. He’d shot Dawson and would’ve killed her if Chief Thomas hadn’t come charging in when he did. She and Dawson would both be dead. “He’s a monster,” she said.

“That’s another thing. Just before I left for the farm, as if what I’d already heard wasn’t enough, the bartender from The Blue Suede Shoe called to tell me how intimidating he’d behaved at the bar. I’m afraid he’s not the man I hired over a decade ago.”