Page 13 of Whispers Left Behind (Kinsley Aspen #1)

Chapter Thirteen

Kinsley Aspen October Saturday — 12:22 pm

The rhythmic tick of the grandfather clock filled the room with each swing of the pendulum. The sound echoed off the vaulted ceilings, almost overbearingly so. The mechanical heartbeat was anything but soothing.

The Hanson residence exuded undeniable beauty. The walls were stark white, offset only by the vibrant hues of the Persian rugs strategically placed for pops of color. A grand piano commanded attention in one corner, while a lavish hearth on the opposite side of the room vied for awareness. Although there were remnants left behind from previous fires, it was clear that it had been a while since anyone had indulged in its warmth.

There were numerous framed photographs of the couple peppered throughout the room—always smiling, always close. It was difficult to ascertain whether the pictures were merely facades or authentic glimpses into their daily lives.

Kinsley stood with her back against the hearth, monitoring Sebastian Hanson’s reaction to her presence. The moment she had stepped through the door, Jack Hanson had done his best to prevent her from engaging in any form of conversation. He had then excused himself momentarily after issuing another directive to his brother to remain silent.

Jack returned shortly thereafter with a business card in hand.

“Sebastian’s lawyer. Any questions you have for my brother should be directed to his attorney.”

Kinsley deliberately took her time taking the proffered card while dissecting Jack’s last statement. Her hands were now tied when it came to questioning Sebastian. It wasn’t that much of a surprise given that she had opened by handing Sebastian a warrant to search the premises. She explained that other officers and a forensics team were on their way to the house, but she had a few questions for them before the others arrived on site. Many things, including all electronic devices, would be collected and then analyzed over the course of the coming days.

Fortunately, Jack had never once indicated that he was being represented by an attorney. Any questions posed to him would have to be worded carefully.

A quick rap on the front door revealed that Alex hadn’t been far behind Jack. She held up the card to indicate the change in their usual routine, but there was no need since the younger Hanson brother once again asserted his claim about Sebastian’s legal representation.

“We aren’t taking any chances you’ll misconstrue my brother’s replies.” Jack crossed his arms in what could only be termed as condescension. “He’s not saying a word until his lawyer arrives. I’ve already placed the call.”

Kinsley motioned for Alex to remain on the other side of the living room. She wasn’t sure what Sebastian’s reaction would be to her response, but she wasn’t about to sugarcoat their discoveries.

“Should we have any further questions for your brother, we will be sure to go through his lawyer. In the meantime, I’ll address my questions to you.” Kinsley said casually, though the abrupt stiffness in his shoulders suggested he was already on edge. She had debated bringing up his role in the domestic abuse claim, but she was afraid he would seek representation immediately. A different route where Sebastian could start his own line of questioning was a better inroad. “Is there a reason you didn’t mention speaking to Rachel on the night she was murdered in Lionel Cooper’s barn?”

Sebastian lost all color in his face.

“Jack?” Sebastian’s voice was barely above a whisper. “What is she talking about? What did you do?”

Before Jack could respond, Kinsley pushed forward with some clarification.

“Your brother failed to mention to us that he phoned Rachel on Wednesday night and asked her to meet him out at the Plow. An additional request was made not to tell you of said meeting.” Kinsley kept her focus on Jack, noticing that he had lowered his arms to his sides. The way he squared his shoulders suggested that he was afraid his brother would assault him. The air in the room had grown heavy, so she eased up on the throttle. It wouldn’t do to have the brothers come to physical blows. “I’m sure there is a reasonable explanation as to why you didn’t mention this to us yesterday, Jack. Would you care to explain?”

Jack shifted his weight in apprehension from one foot to another.

“Bass, it’s not what you think. I—”

“Not what I think?” Sebastian reiterated in disbelief. “Why did you want to meet Rachel in secret, Jack?”

“We didn’t meet up.” Jack’s denial contained a bit of desperation. “We didn’t, Bass. Rachel never showed.”

“Never showed? You didn’t think to mention this when—”

“Bass, can we speak privately?” Jack implored as his gaze flicked toward Kinsley and then to Alex. “We shouldn’t—”

“Jack, do you drive a blue pickup truck?” Alex’s interjection caused Kinsley to relax somewhat. It was only a matter of time before Sebastian gave in to his brother’s demands. Fortunately, Alex must have learned something from the neighbor, and his timing couldn’t have been more perfect. “An older model?”

“Yes, he does,” Sebastian replied, his features hardening. “My brother is a project manager for those commercial buildings being constructed north of town. He sometimes drives the company truck. Why?”

“The neighbor mentioned she spotted Jack sitting outside your residence for quite a few hours last week. Neither you nor your wife were home at the time, and now I’m wondering if that visit has anything to do with requesting to meet Rachel at the Plow.”

“Jack, what the hell is going on?” There was an emotion in Sebastian’s tone that Kinsley couldn’t pinpoint. Fear, maybe? “What did you do?”

“Nothing,” Jack quickly answered before taking a step forward. He lifted his hands up as if imploring his brother to listen. “I really think we should talk about this in private. The police won’t understand, and I—”

“I don’t give a damn about the police, Jack! My wife is dead. Dead! So help me, God, if you so much as—”

“Maybe if you had given a damn about Rachel in the first place, you would have told her the truth,” Jack shot back, his anger finally rising to the surface. “She deserved to know, damn it!”

Kinsley and Alex shared a knowing glance while observing the scene unfold before them. The tension was now palpable, but the floodgates had been opened. It was only a matter of time before they learned the truth.

“I couldn’t take it anymore, Bass.” Jack’s voice cracked, but he held himself together. Kinsley finally understood the man’s involvement. He had been in love with his brother’s wife. “You let Rachel believe she was at fault when it was you all along.”

“At fault for what, Mr. Hanson?” Kinsley didn’t care which brother thought she was addressing him. She only wanted answers. “The more we know, the faster we can make an arrest in Rachel’s murder.”

“Bass is sterile.” Jack set his hands on his hips as he stared at his brother with both disgust and anger for the decision made after the fact. “You should have told her, man. I was only going to do what you couldn’t.”

Sebastian finally made his move, but Alex managed to step in front of the man before the situation turned violent. The abrupt motion had Jack wisely backing up a step in caution.

“…don’t do this,” Alex murmured, his voice low enough that Kinsley only caught the last few words.

Sebastian pushed away from Alex, placing his hands on his head in disbelief.

“How could you, Jack? How could you do that to me?”

“To you?” Jack’s laugh was sharp and without humor. “Rachel was in so much pain, Bass. She thought she failed you. While you were using your promotion as an excuse to postpone her finding out the truth, she took the delay as a lifeline. She was secretly meeting with specialists, who kept telling her that there was nothing wrong. She’d move on to the next one, not believing a word they said to her. It was just a vicious cycle, and it was tearing her apart.”

“Did you tell her?” Sebastian’s voice was strangled with anguish. “Did Rachel die knowing that I lied to her?”

There was no stopping the emotional breakdown. Alex eventually steered Sebastian toward the kitchen. The house had somewhat of an open layout, but there was enough space to offer Kinsley some privacy with Jack. He had turned away from his brother’s emotional outburst. She tucked the business card that he had given her into her pocket next to her phone.

“Jack, we were granted a warrant to search your residence. A forensics team is there now.” Kinsley stepped in front of him before he could make his way to the front door. “Talk to me. You were in love with her, weren’t you?”

At first, Kinsley thought Jack wasn’t going to respond. Ever so slowly, he nodded his reply. It was progress that she would run with until another brick wall materialized out of nowhere.

“Is it true what my partner said earlier about you sitting out front of the house for hours?” Kinsley asked softly while positioning herself at such an angle to give her a better view of the kitchen area. “Why?”

“They were both at work.” Jack appeared angry with himself. “I thought that I could leave proof of Bass’ results out in the open for Rachel to find. I just couldn’t bring myself to go through with it.”

“What made you change your mind?”

“Sebastian had that conference in Bismarck, and Rachel was planning on calling in sick to work on Friday. She was going to see another specialist, and I couldn’t…” Jack cleared his throat. “I couldn’t stand to see her go through it again. I called Rachel that night and told her to meet me out at the Plow. No one we know usually goes there, so it was a safe meeting spot. Only she didn’t show. I stayed there until well past midnight.”

“What time did you call Rachel?”

“Right after she left work. Around five-o’clock.”

The timeline wasn’t in Jack’s favor. If he left the Plow at midnight, he had ample opportunity to locate Rachel, force her car off the road, and hunt her through the woods to Cooper’s farm.

“What time did you arrive home?” This was the moment when Kinsley figured she would lose Jack to an attorney. To buy herself some time, she made one more plea. “Help me clear your name so we can concentrate on someone else, Jack. Walk me through that night.”

He drew in an uneven breath, but she relaxed somewhat when he finally supplied her with a timeline.

“I got to the Plow around seven o’clock. The bartender can vouch for me.”

“Chuck?”

Jack nodded his reply, though it was clear he wasn’t really present. His mind had gone back to Wednesday night.

As for Chuck Wharton, he was the owner of the Plow. He preferred to bartend himself, but he made exceptions on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday nights. The Plow hosted a large crowd on the weekends, and Chuck relied on a handful of part-time employees for those three days.

“I waited for Rachel until around midnight. I tried reaching her, but the call went straight to voicemail.”

“Did you leave a message?”

“No.” Jack compressed his lips together before revealing the reason behind his decision. “I didn’t want Bass to figure out what I had planned to do that night. Anyway, I left the Plow and drove straight home.”

“You were home before one then?”

Jack hesitated, but he must have realized from her expression that she would eventually discover the truth.

“I might have taken a detour, but it was only to see if Rachel was still awake. Since she always parks in the garage, I parked out front. I then walked around the side of the house. There was a light on in the kitchen, but not in the living room. No sign of her, either, and I assumed she was in bed.”

“And you got home at what time?

“Two o’clock, maybe? A little after? I didn’t really look at the time.”

Kinsley had heard that excuse often throughout many investigations. She had a difficult time believing that someone didn’t take note of their vehicle’s clock before turning off the engine. She could vividly recall the neon numbers before exiting her vehicle to confront Gantz. She ignored the flash of green at the edge of her consciousness.

“Jack, did anyone see you? Do you have a security system, maybe a doorbell camera? Anyone who can verify the time?”

Wally had stipulated in the autopsy report that Rachel had been murdered between one and three o’clock in the morning. Jack had ample opportunity to kill his sister-in-law. By the expression on his face, he was well aware of why he needed such verification.

“Detective Aspen, I loved Rachel. I know it wasn’t right, but I loved her anyway. And I swear to you that I didn’t kill her.”