River Bodies (Northampton County #1)(56)

When Parker had been a kid, the fact that Clint had not only been chief of police but also Becca’s father had been more than intimidating. Clint had had a formidable presence, standing at six feet three and weighing 215 pounds. Parker would watch Clint walk through doorways just to see if his shoulders would fit through the open space or whether he’d get stuck, wedged in the door’s frame.

Now, Clint was nothing but bones covered in dull, translucent skin, a shell of the man he’d once been. He gave up his struggle to sit up and slumped back on the pillows. His eyes were glassy. Pain hung on his face like a bad picture. He grimaced and waved his hand at Parker, signaling him to speak.

“I was hoping you could help me on a case.” Parker took a small step closer to the bed, ignoring the scratchy lump caught in his throat. “I’m not sure if you heard about a body we pulled from the river a couple of days ago.”

Clint stared at him.

“There are a lot of similarities in this case to an older case you had handled originally.”

Clint continued staring hard and long at Parker. He could see in Clint’s eyes that he understood what Parker was telling him.

“I thought you were here for my daughter.” Clint talked through labored breaths, every word filled with pain and effort.

“No, sir,” he said. “You’ve got the wrong guy.”

Clint looked confused. Perhaps he wasn’t aware of the pretty boy downstairs.

Parker tried to stand a little taller after feeling his shoulders slouch. “I’d like for you to tell me what you remember about the river body case.” He stopped when Clint waved his hand at him again, this time telling him to go away.

Parker held his ground. “It’s important to my case.”

“Becca.” Clint’s voice cracked.

“Sir, with all due respect, my being here has nothing to do with your daughter. This is about the river body case.”

Clint’s crooked fingers balled into a fist. He started to cough. His entire body shook from the force of it. When he stopped, he looked Parker straight in the eye. He was very clear when he said, “I have nothing to say to you.”

“I don’t understand.”

Clint waved his bent fingers at him for a third time, dismissing him again as another round of coughing rattled his insides.

Jackie rushed into the room, shooting Parker a look that asked what he’d said to Clint to upset him so much.

Parker didn’t know what he was supposed to do, but it was clear Clint wasn’t going to answer any of his questions. “If you change your mind,” he said, “you know how to reach me.”

He strode out of the bedroom, sailed down the stairs and out the front door, avoiding the kitchen and Becca. He passed by the pretty boy’s BMW. It took all he had not to pound his fist on the hood, shoot out the tires. He hopped into his patrol car and slammed the driver’s-side door. Becca came rushing out of the house, calling his name. He threw the car in reverse and backed out of the driveway, tires squealing as he raced down the road. He’d allowed her to distract him from doing his job, and for what? She had a boyfriend, apparently. Parker felt as though he’d been played. And then her father’s refusal to talk with him had made him feel all the more humiliated.



Parker continued driving at a speed well over the speed limit. Who was going to stop him? Toby? Let him try. Besides, it would save him a trip. He was on his way to see the new chief anyway. After all, Toby had been the captain on the first river body case. Maybe he knew something about what Clint was hiding. And Clint was hiding something. Parker had sensed it when he’d been talking to him. He’d felt it in his gut the moment he’d mentioned the body they’d pulled from the river. He was sure he’d seen something in Clint’s eyes, a fear that had had nothing to do with his illness. It had been there in the room with them, hanging in the air with the scent of death. Clint had been afraid, but what had he been afraid of? Sometimes it wasn’t what the person said but rather what they didn’t that told you more than their words ever could.

He continued to Delaware Drive, when his phone went off. He pulled over to take a call from Rick. And why not? He wasn’t getting much help from anyone else.

“I found something that might be of interest to you,” Rick said.

“I’m listening.” Parker watched a couple walking hand in hand, making their way toward the pedestrian bridge. He looked away.

“The victim had a girlfriend, Candy. I found her online on one of them social media sites. Man, people blab about everything these days. Why can’t they keep their mouths shut? But hey, who am I to complain? It makes our job that much easier. Anyway, seems she has a connection to some people in your town.”

“Oh yeah,” Parker said, knowing who Candy was. Did Rick think because Parker was a rookie he didn’t know how to do his job? Maybe. Maybe that was the real reason he’d been given the river body case in the first place, and it had nothing to do with his connection to the town. Let the rookie have it, and maybe he’d mess it up, because no one wanted the case solved anyway. No one wanted to disrupt the symbiotic relationship between the motorcycle gang and the entire Slate Belt area.

Rick continued. “She was posting about how much she missed her boyfriend, blah, blah, blah. But she mentioned her aunt who had passed a few years ago of cancer, a Beth Jackson, married to a John Jackson. Ring a bell?”