Don't Make a Sound (Sawyer Brooks #1)(61)

“Good. Now block off the house with caution tape,” Chief Schneider told him.

Aspen got to work.

“So, what sort of questions did you plan on asking Theodore the second time around?”

She was tired of beating around the bush. Maybe the chief could answer a few questions. “I wanted to know more about the rape fantasy parties he used to take Aria and me to.”

Chief Schneider cleared his throat.

“When I brought it up this morning, Uncle Theo said the parties weren’t his idea. He acted as if he’d had no choice in the matter. When I questioned him on that, he started sobbing.”

“Why didn’t you mention all that earlier?”

“Because it isn’t easy to talk about being raped by your uncle and his friends. I wanted to keep it private, sort of like how you don’t want to go around talking about your drinking problem.”

His eyes hardened. “Watch yourself. You know, I always worried about you girls, but I never heard of any party like you’re talking about, and although I do appreciate your candor, I don’t appreciate your insinuation.”

He scratched his jaw as he inhaled, looking around as if to pull himself back together. When he turned back her way, he met her gaze straight on, daring her to look away. “I get the point you’re trying to make, so I’m going to let it go this time.”

She held his gaze, didn’t blink. She was fired up, and yet she knew she needed to calm down. Too much whiskey or not, Chief Schneider was one of the good guys. “Thanks,” she said without much feeling.

“Anything else you’d like to add?” Chief Schneider asked.

“Yes, there is. I’m doing a human-interest story on Isabella Estrada, and I was wondering if it would be possible to see the police report.”

He shook his head. “Not a chance.”

“Why not?”

“Because we don’t disclose investigatory records.”

“Chief, you know the law, and you know those records need to be made available to me upon request. Otherwise, I’m going to report that you denied me access.”

“What are you trying to prove?” he asked.

“Nothing. And I’m not trying to be disrespectful. I’m just doing my job like you and attempting to report a crime so people in the community won’t be in the dark about what’s going on. That’s all.”

“I received a call from Mr. Estrada,” the chief said. “He didn’t appreciate you coming by to talk to his son. I gave your mom a call this morning. It would be best, Sawyer, if you left the investigation to me and my team.”

Sawyer came to her feet and dusted herself off. “Answer me this, Chief. Did you ever talk to anyone in this godforsaken town when Peggy Myers and Avery James were murdered? Or did you turn the other way and pretend it never happened, like everyone else in River Rock?”

“Clearly you’re upset about your uncle. We’ll talk another time.” The chief started walking away.

“I want to know when you’re going to bring in Jonathan Lane for questioning. You know, the forty-year-old married man who was fucking his sixteen-year-old math student?”

The chief’s face reddened. “Jonathan Lane is my brother-in-law. My sister told me everything. Sounded to me like you were trespassing, but if you feel the need to fill out a report, I’ll file it away with the others.”

“Are you fucking kidding me?” She gestured at her throat. “He strangled me.”

“You better watch your tongue.”

Aspen appeared out of nowhere and ushered her away before Sawyer could respond.

Sawyer gritted her teeth. She didn’t like having his hands on her. “Let me go,” she said. “What are you doing?”

“What am I doing? I’m saving you from being locked in a tiny cell downtown.”

“The chief can’t lock me up for being rude.”

“You’re being naive. People are taken in all the time for mouthing off. They call it disorderly conduct. So what were you thinking back there?”

He brought her to her car and said, “Go home.”

“I don’t want to go home.”

“You sound like a three-year-old. You can’t go around pointing fingers and accusing people of murder. I’ve never seen anyone cause more trouble in such a short amount of time.”

“Don’t you see it, Aspen?”

“See what?”

“Nobody cares what happens in River Rock. Isabella Estrada was murdered and strung to a tree, and nobody gives a shit!”

“That’s not true.”

“What about Peggy and Avery? Nobody wants to talk about them. Is that what’s going to happen with Isabella?”

“You’re starting to sound like a broken record, Sawyer. And you’re not being fair to Chief Schneider. There is protocol to be followed. The state police will be called in shortly. Everything doesn’t happen in a day.”

She started to speak, but he cut her off. “You seem to have forgotten that you can catch more flies with honey than vinegar.”

She looked at him then. He was serious. She laughed.

“What?”

Being nice and following the rules rarely got results. “You sound like an old man.”