Page 18 of Whispers Left Behind (Kinsley Aspen #1)

Chapter Eighteen

Kinsley Aspen October Tuesday — 3:51 pm

“I’m walking into the hospital now.” Kinsley turned her head as another gust of wind whipped through the parking lot. “The security footage from Halliday’s lone traffic cam confirms that Louise Baird was following her daughter that night. The angle made it too difficult to see if someone was in the passenger seat.”

“Do you have someone with you?” Alex asked over the drone of several conversations. He had shared with her the details of his morning. He was still at the Mott County Courthouse finishing some paperwork at the sheriff’s station. “I think there has been enough excitement for the day, don’t you?”

“Blake and Hendricks,” Kinsley replied as she stepped up on the curb. The two officers were right behind her. “And speak for yourself. It took me two hours to get a judge to sign off on our warrants.”

There was the slimmest of possibilities that Louise and Douglas were guilty of murder, but Kinsley was having difficulty connecting the dots. Tobias’ will confirmed that he had included his daughter and grandchildren. Kinsley had also taken the time to comb through Rachel’s phone records. Per their statements, Sebastian and Jack Hanson had given accurate timelines for their discussions with Rachel.

That wasn’t the case with two other individuals—Louise and Gage Baird.

“Are you driving back to Fallbrook?”

“In about an hour or two. Call me if I need to head back sooner.”

Kinsley disconnected the call as she entered the hospital. She would have turned to address both Officers Blake and Hendricks, but the sight of a familiar male subject standing at the information desk brought her to a halt.

Beck Serra was in a conversation with a volunteer behind the counter, having no sense of his surroundings. For having short black hair, it was nowhere near as perfectly trimmed as Alex kept his. Beck also sported an uneven five o’clock shadow, proof that he didn’t have a nine-to-five job.

“I’ll meet you both at the elevator,” Kinsley informed Blake and Kendricks without glancing in their direction. “I won’t be long.”

Beck turned around from the information desk. His gaze collided with hers, and she got the immediate sense that he hadn’t planned this encounter. He narrowed his eyes at the sight of the two officers veering toward the elevator banks.

Kinsley waited for Beck to close the distance between them. She wasn’t about to give him the satisfaction of it being the other way around. There was a confidence in his stride, yet the way he shoved his hands into the pockets of his coat gave way to his discomfort at being caught at the hospital.

“Detective Aspen,” Beck greeted, his voice casual despite the tightness in his jaw. “I don’t know if you remember, but we met last year during—”

“Save it, Serra.” Kinsley cut him off, her words clipped, leaving no room for misunderstanding. “In case you missed last week’s press release, this investigation has nothing to do with Calvin Gantz.”

“I’m not here about Gantz.”

Beck’s response had Kinsley refraining from stating aloud her preplanned response. She switched gears, fully aware that she was being lured into a conversation full of potholes.

“I didn’t realize you took up residency in Fallbrook.”

“I didn’t,” Beck replied, seemingly more comfortable with their conversation than before. His gaze swept over her face as if attempting to read her thoughts. “I’m still freelance. I drove into town last week when the rumors about Gantz started to surface.”

Kinsley remained silent, not wanting to lead this discussion to a topic she would rather avoid. It would stand to reason that Beck hadn’t left town due to curiosity about the case. Either that or her father had agreed to another interview. She wouldn’t put it past him to try and use the findings of the investigation to his advantage.

“I’m due home tomorrow, but I thought…why not write a piece about the Hanson murder while I’m here? I mean, it would be foolish to waste a trip.” Beck gestured over his shoulder toward the information desk. “I was just checking to see if Gage Baird was still in ICU.”

“Is that so?” Kinsley asked, mindful not to give out any information about the case. She had caught his interest in the two officers near the elevator. “Well, I don’t want to keep you. Good luck with your article, and have a safe trip home, Mr. Serra.”

“Is there any update on Gantz’s whereabouts?”

Kinsley managed to take three steps before Beck’s next inquiry had her stopping and shifting her weight. She debated being drawn back into another discussion, but it would only serve to delay the inevitable.

“It seems as if your memory has failed you, Mr. Serra.” Kinsley still held her cell phone in her hand. She took her time slipping it inside the pocket of her sweater before turning to face Beck. “Calvin Gantz is a free man. While it is true the department performed a wellness check after receiving a phone call from Gantz’s employer, no foul play was discovered at Gantz’s home. It was obvious from the officers’ findings that the man simply left town…as is his right.”

“You don’t find it odd?”

“I find many things odd, Mr. Serra,” Kinsley replied with a slight shrug. “Gantz leaving town isn’t one of them. A free man has the right to come and go as he pleases. Given what took place last year, I’m sure he wanted a clean break.”

“Gantz never hinted in our interview that he wanted to leave town, Detective Aspen.” Beck wasn’t backing down, and it was apparent that there wasn’t a thing Kinsley could do or say to change his mind. “Considering the hate the man received after his arrest, I’m surprised that the department isn’t a little more concerned with the man’s wellbeing. Unless, of course, you discovered evidence in his home last Friday to he is safe and sound.”

Kinsley didn’t care for the way Serra’s last statement had been worded, and she found herself even more cautious than before. His demeanor suggested that he had some sort of knowledge of the truth, but that wasn’t at all possible. He was fishing for a story, and she needed to make sure he didn’t end up with one.

“You’ve already indicated that you’ve read our press release from last week, Mr. Serra.” Kinsley casually shrugged to indicate there wasn’t anything more to disclose. “I have nothing more to add. Have a safe trip back home.”

Kinsley strode toward the elevator where Officers Blake and Hendricks had managed to time the parting of the elevator doors. She stepped inside, purposefully avoiding any eye contact with Serra. Nothing about their conversation had made sense.

“Isn’t that the journalist who had a one-on-one interview with Gantz?” Hendricks asked as he pressed the button for the eighth floor. Kinsley noticed that Blake pinched the bridge of his nose in disbelief. “And your dad?”

“One and the same,” Kinsley responded as she wished for the elevator to move a bit faster. “Would you mind going back out to the parking lot to wait for the forensics tech? If all goes well and Ms. Baird cooperates, I’ll send Drew down with the car keys and the location of where she parked her vehicle.”

The elevator passed another floor with a muted beep.

“I can do that, but wouldn’t it be easier to—”

“Kendricks?” Officer Blake stepped forward when the doors slid open. He put out an arm and gestured for Kinsley to step out. “Go wait for the forensics tech.”

“Thanks, Drew,” Kinsley murmured after the doors closed. Seeing as the two of them ran the softball team for the department in the summers, he was aware of the toll last year’s trial had taken on her. “Let’s check the waiting room before bothering the staff.”

Kinsley came to a stop just inside the doorway. She spotted Louise and Douglas talking in hushed tones near the corner. Fortunately, there was only one other person in the waiting room, and she had a pair of earbuds in while speaking softly into her phone.

“Ms. Baird. Mr. Glynn.” Kinsley didn’t doubt that Tobias had gotten ahold of his daughter. If it was at all possible, the woman’s eyes appeared more bloodshot than yesterday. “I have a warrant to search your vehicle.”

“I need to explain that—”

“Don’t, Louise,” Douglas warned as Officer Blake handed Louise the thin piece of paper. “We should wait to hear back from our lawyer.”

Douglas took the warrant from Louise’s hand, but Kinsley didn’t think the woman noticed in the slightest.

“We should have been upfront in the first place,” Louise snapped back before turning her attention toward Kinsley. “Detective, we didn’t mean to lie to you. We didn’t lie. We simply didn’t tell you the whole truth because we knew you wouldn’t look for anyone else.”

“Why don’t you hand over your keys to Officer Blake, and then you can explain to me why you attempted to obstruct the investigation into your daughter’s murder,” Kinsley stated civilly despite her reluctance to do so. She truly empathized with Louise’s loss, but not at the expense of doing her job. “It might be best that we conduct this interview down at the station. I can—”

“No, please,” Louise pleaded, stepping forward and grabbing Kinsley’s arm. Officer Blake reached for the older woman, but Kinsley raised her other hand to stop him. “I can’t leave Gage. Please.”

“Sit down, Ms. Baird,” Kinsley directed quietly so as not to cause a scene. The other woman in the waiting room was no longer focused on her phone. “Where are your keys?”

“Louise, don’t—”

“Enough, Douglas.” Louise shot him a glare as she retreated a few steps to the chair where she had set her purse. She collected her car keys before handing them over to Officer Blake. “Here. Do you need Douglas’ keys, as well?”

Kinsley had to amend the warrant to exclude Douglas’ truck after the judge made it clear he would only sign off on Louise’s vehicle. She kept that detail to herself, responding that the woman’s keys were all that was needed at the moment.

“Do what you have to do, but please do not make me leave my son’s bedside.”

Kinsley nodded to Drew that he could leave the waiting room. It wasn’t like they had any evidence for an arrest, and Kinsley wasn’t about to drag a mother away from her son’s bedside just because of a mistake. At least, she was hoping that was all there was to the decision to omit the truth.

Douglas seemed torn between staying with Louise and accompanying Officer Blake down to the parking lot. He chose the former and claimed the seat next to Louise.

Kinsley took her time positioning one of the empty chairs so that she could face the couple. She even removed her sweater and laid it over her lap before getting straight to the point.

“I’ll refrain from asking any questions until you give me a full explanation as to what took place last Wednesday night.” Kinsley then met Douglas’ stare. “Not a word from you, Mr. Glynn. Am I clear?”

“Yes.”

It was obvious that Douglas wasn’t thrilled with Louise’s decision to speak with Kinsley, which meant that she needed to hear the woman out before he changed her mind.

“We didn’t mean to cause any trouble,” Louise said as she clasped her hands in her lap. The tissue could be seen peeking out between her fingers. “I didn’t want to be a distraction in the investigation. You see, I found out last Wednesday that my father has lung cancer. To hear that he could die…well, I realized that I was being petty. Had been for years. He always put the farm above his family. He still does, and it took me a long time to understand that I can’t change him. I called Rachel, and I asked her to meet me in Halliday. We arranged a time, but I didn’t want to tell her what we had discovered over the phone.”

Douglas reached out and covered Louise’s hands with his. His touch appeared to give her the strength to continue her version of events. Kinsley kept her promise to remain silent during the recollection.

“Rachel and I met at the front entrance gate. I explained what I had learned while at dinner. I suppose I should clarify what happened earlier that day. I ran into an old family friend at the restaurant. She works at my former doctor’s office, and she asked me how I was doing,” Louise said as her voice became softer with emotion. “I knew then that something was wrong, so I went along with the conversation. Audry let it slip that the oncologist my father was referred to happened to be the best in the state of North Dakota. She even went so far as to say the oncologist specialized in lung cancer.”

“We left the restaurant right afterward,” Douglas added on as he kept ahold of Louise’s hands. Kinsley arched a brow to remind him of her warning, and he quickly finished what had been on his mind. “Louise called Rachel while we were on our way home.”

“When I met Rachel at the farm, I explained everything. She was, of course, upset. She talked me out of confronting Dad, stressing over and over that she believed he would tell us about his diagnosis when he was good and ready. If I hadn’t driven away…”

“I’m having difficulty understanding why you didn’t tell me the truth last Wednesday night.” Kinsley couldn’t help but think that Louise’s story fell short. “Why would you lie to the police, Ms. Baird?”

“I had nothing to do with my daughter’s murder, Detective Aspen.” Louise had straightened her shoulders in defense of her actions. “Nothing. If you had known that I was the last one to see her alive, you would have wasted time on me or…”

Kinsley was beginning to understand Louise’s thought process. She was concerned about Douglas.

“What time did you meet Rachel at the farm?”

“I suppose it was a little before eight o’clock,” Louise replied as she quickly shifted, the abrupt movement causing Douglas to release her hands. She reached into her purse to retrieve her wallet. Before too long, she was holding out what appeared to be a receipt. “I had to stop at the gas station. I spotted Rachel’s car at the intersection, but I didn’t notice anyone following her. As a matter of fact, I was able to pull out behind her and follow her through town to the farm.”

“Who drove away first?”

“I did.” Louise’s voice had dropped to a whisper. “If I had known—”

Louise leaned back in her chair, unable to finish her sentence. Once she had composed herself, she diverted the conversation to her son-in-law.

“Sebastian and Jack have to be the ones who murdered my daughter, Detective Aspen. Three million dollars? Why would he take such a policy out on Rachel’s life?”

Kinsley had posed the same question to Sebastian Hanson’s lawyer. He had taken his brother’s advice, and there would no longer be any interviews without legal counsel present. An answer had been supplied to her this morning, and she could only assume such a quick turnaround had been at the behest of said representation.

“I spoke with Tobias this morning, as you well know. He mentioned that you have known about the policy for a while. It’s also my understanding that the life insurance policy was taken out a couple of years ago when your daughter and son-in-law first began talking about starting a family. Sebastian took one out for himself, as well.”

Kinsley paused when a man entered the waiting room. He didn’t even glance their way as he made his way to the small coffee station on the opposite side of the room.

“Ms. Baird, you were adamant that Sebastian would never have hurt Rachel, even with the knowledge of such a hefty life insurance policy. Why the sudden change of heart?”

“Sebastian called me yesterday,” Louise revealed with a quick sniffle. “At first, I thought he was calling to check on Gage. Then my son-in-law went into the details of what happened this weekend. He admitted that he lied to Rachel about being sterile, and how Jack was going to tell her the truth. Sebastian lied to my daughter, Detective Aspen. He let Rachel believe something was wrong with her. Any faith or trust that I had for the man evaporated during that phone call.”

Kinsley took a moment to weigh Louise’s statement. It was plausible that her phone conversation with her son-in-law had panned out in such a way. The same went for the woman’s decision to omit the truth about being with Rachel last Wednesday, though Kinsley would reserve judgment until more of the timeline from that night was filled in.

“Mr. Glynn, were you with Louise last Wednesday night?”

Douglas and Louise shared a concerned glance.

“I was home. Alone.” Douglas snapped his fingers as if something had just occurred to him. “Our neighbor across the street has a doorbell camera. It has a direct view of our driveway. That footage will confirm that I didn’t leave the house with Louise.”

Unless the doorbell camera had been activated during the evening hours, there would be no footage to confirm the man’s alibi. And even if such confirmation could be determined by such a recording, Douglas could have exited the back of the house without being noticed by anyone.

“Did you purchase brakes for Gage?”

“Yes,” Douglas replied, seemingly confused by the switch in topics. “Gage asked if I could get him a discount through my company, and I said yes. He had to go out of town last week, and he didn’t have time to pick them up. Are you saying that…”

“We believe the accident was a result of high speed and the lack of pads on the brakes,” Kinsley revealed truthfully. Considering there was no evidence to the contrary, she would stick to the facts in the case. “I’ll have Officer Blake return your car keys when forensics is done examining your vehicle.”

Kinsley stood before slipping her arms through the sleeves of her sweater coat. Louise was attempting to reassure Douglas that the accident wasn’t his fault, while he kept repeating that he should have made time to give the equipment to Gage. Kinsley took her time to place the chair back in its designated spot before requesting an update on Gage.

“Is there any update on your son’s condition?”

Douglas put his arm around Louise as her eyes filled with tears. She broke down, and he pulled her gently against his chest.

“The doctors believe that he will gradually come to by this evening. We’ll know then if there was any permanent damage to his brain,” Douglas revealed in anguish as he rubbed Louise’s back in comfort. “Detective Aspen, we didn’t mean to hurt the investigation with our omissions. We just wanted you to focus on catching the son of a bitch who is hurting this family.”

“If the two of you believe Sebastian Hanson killed Rachel for her life insurance policy, what reason would he have for going after Gage?” Kinsley asked, not bothering to keep the skepticism from her voice. “Gage wasn’t even listed as a co-beneficiary on the policy.”

Louise had composed herself enough to answer Kinsley’s question.

“When Gage called me on Friday to let me know what time he would be arriving at the house, he mentioned that he wanted to talk to me about something,” Louise disclosed while Douglas retrieved more tissues for her. “I didn’t think anything of it at the time, but what if Gage figured out who murdered Rachel? What if my son was nothing more than a loose end to the Hansons?”