Page 99 of Don't Say a Word

“I don’t have any active investigations at Sun Valley.”

“He didn’t die on school property, and the detective in charge ruled it an accidental overdose.”

“I really don’t know how I can help,” he said again.

Jack knew Hitch wasn’t this obtuse. It was like he didn’twantto help.

“I read the original case reports and we have some follow-up questions that you might be able to answer.”

“Look, I don’t have the time for this right now, Jack. If you uncover anythingspecificthat relates to the Bradford investigation, send it up the chain. But that case is closed, and the investigation into the supplier is one hundred percent under DEA purview. Sorry I can’t help you. I gotta go.”

He hung up so quickly that Jack just stared at his phone.

That was unusual. Something was definitely up with Hitchner.

He doubted there was another undercover investigation at Sun Valley—it would have come up at some point after Elijah’s death or Lena Clark’s murder. Maybe Hitch was trying to put something together. That didn’t feel right—if DEB had an active Sun Valley investigation, then he would have called Jack immediately to tell him such, and ask him to stand down. He wouldn’t have to give any details, and Jack would have put the case aside to leave room for Phoenix PD to do their job.

So what was going on?

He called Margo.

“Hitch called me back.”

“I’ll meet him anywhere.”

“He doesn’t want to help.”

“Why?”

“He claims he’s swamped.”

“Claims?” Margo questioned.

“He says there’s no active investigation involving Sun Valley, and that the supplier end of the Bradford case is on the DEA’s plate.”

“But I wanted to ask questions about how he investigated—”

Jack cut her off. “I know, and I pushed and he pulled back even more.”

“Why?”

“Maybe it has to do with the DEA investigation. I can’t force him to share.”

Margo said, “There was a DEA number attached to the Megan Osterman death.”

“You’re thinking that Osterman’s death might circle around back to Bradford’s supplier.”

“That’s exactly what I’m thinking.”

“If there is an active investigation,” Jack said, “maybe we should slow down.”

“Nope. I’ve been thinking about this on the drive up to Prescott. Elijah started working at the Cactus Stop in March. By all accounts, he loved his job. In July, Megan Osterman died across the street, early Sunday morning. Elijah didn’t work weekends but he knew her—and he knew about her death. After her death, he began taking pictures of people coming and going—in the evening, after he got off work. Megan died of an overdose, Elijah died of an overdose.”

“Megan was an addict.”

“Yes, and her death was probably accidental. But that tells me drugs are involved in whatever crime Elijah had uncovered.All the pictures he took, maybe he was monitoring drug deals. And yesterday, when I went to talk to Coach Bradford at Eyman Prison—”

“What the hell? You went to Eyman?”