Page 9 of Wilderness Search (Eagle Mountain: Unsolved Mysteries #2)

“What’s your relationship with Olivia Pryor?” the sheriff asked.

“I don’t have any relationship to Olivia,” Gary said.

“You don’t know her at all?”

“I’d never even heard her name before today.” He had stopped fidgeting, and looked directly at the sheriff when he spoke.

“But you must have seen her around camp,” the sheriff said.

“I work in the maintenance department. I don’t have any contact with the campers. And I’ve only been there two weeks.”

“Where did you work before you were employed by the camp?”

“I was unemployed.”

“Before that, where did you live?”

“I lived in Vermont.” His gaze slid to Aaron. “I’m sure Deputy Ames already told you that. I’m sure he told you the whole story.”

Travis acted as if he hadn’t heard this. “Is your real name Gary Reynolds?” he asked.

“It is now. I had it legally changed.”

“Why did you change your name?”

“Because I was the chief suspect in the murder of a little girl in Vermont. I was released because there was no evidence against me, but my name was in the papers. It’s in every story online about a famous unsolved crime.

Me and my sister were harassed and threatened by people to the point where moving away and changing our names was the only way to have any peace. ”

“Why did you move to Eagle Mountain?”

“Because it was two thousand miles from Vermont, and a small town where nobody knew us from before. We hoped to make a fresh start here.”

“Why did you go to work for Mountain Kingdom camp?”

“Because I needed a job and they agreed to hire me.”

“Did you work yesterday?”

“Yes. I was at the camp from 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.”

“What did you do yesterday?”

“I dug a ditch for a water line.”

“All day?”

“Yes. It was a long ditch.”

“And you left the camp at six?”

“A few minutes after six.”

“Where did you go?”

“I went to the house I share with my sister, Willa.” He rattled off the address. “I was there all night.”

“She can verify that?”

“Yes.” He looked at Aaron again. “You know Willa. She isn’t a liar.”

“I spoke with her,” Aaron said. “She confirmed that Gary was at the house all evening.”

“Then why are we even having this conversation?” Gary asked.

“When you saw the photo of Olivia Pryor, did you recognize her?” Travis asked.

“No.”

“In two weeks working at the camp you didn’t recognize her?”

“They’re kids. Little girls. I don’t pay attention to them. I’m not that kind of man.”

“Is there anyone at the camp who does pay attention to the girls?” Travis asked. “The wrong kind of attention?”

“Not that I’ve noticed. I’m not there to keep tabs on other people. I’m there to do my job.”

“Digging ditches.”

“Or changing light bulbs or repairing the ice maker in the kitchen or anything else that needs doing.”

“Did you know Trevor Lawson?”

Gary blinked. “Yeah, I knew him. He worked part-time at the camp. He was a good guy. I was sorry to hear he died.”

“When was the last time you saw him?”

“The evening before last. We were setting up for the bonfire and he helped.”

“How did he seem to you?”

“What do you mean?”

“Was he upset about anything? Did he seem agitated, or depressed?”

“No. He was his usual self. Easygoing. Joking around with his brother.”

“Did you see him leave the camp?”

“No. I already told you, I left a little after six when my shift ended. Trevor was there, working.” He leaned forward. “Why are you asking about Trevor? Do you think he has something to do with Olivia?”

“I just wondered if you knew him.” Travis stood. “You can go now. We’ll let you know if we have more questions.”

“I need to call my sister to come get me.”

“You can wait for her in the lobby.”

Deputy Shane Ellis escorted Gary out of the room. When Travis and Aaron were alone, the sheriff said, “Tell me about Gary’s sister.”

Aaron crossed his arms over his chest, then uncrossed them. He had nothing to hide, yet he felt guilty. “Willa is a nurse at the clinic. She volunteers with search and rescue. Jake Gwynn’s wife recruited her.”

“You knew her in Vermont?”

The sheriff didn’t miss anything, did he? “She and I were in a relationship.”

The sheriff considered this. “How did she react when you questioned her about her brother’s alibi for last night?”

“She was upset. She accused me of targeting him because of what happened in Vermont.”

“Why was he a suspect in that girl’s murder?”

“Two campers separately reported they saw him talking to her shortly before she was killed.”

“Anything else?”

“We had a profile that pegged her killer as a white male in his late teens or early twenties who worked for the camp. Gary fit that description.”

“Anything else? Any DNA?”

“No.” At the time they had all been so sure he was Rachel’s murderer. Only later did Aaron realize they had been guilty of tunnel vision.

“Do you believe his sister is telling the truth about him being at the house all evening?”

“Yes. Though there’s always the possibility he sneaked out of the house after she went to bed. Olivia’s cabin mate said Olivia was meeting someone. Maybe Gary arranged to meet up with her later.”

“Talk to the neighbors. See if any of them remembers seeing him leaving.”

“Yes, sir.” He started to leave, then hesitated.

“Anything else?” Travis asked.

“Why were you asking about Trevor Lawson?”

“We got the autopsy report. His toxicology shows a blood alcohol level of twice the legal limit. He had also ingested secobarbital.”

“Sleeping pills?”

“Yes. His brother says Trevor didn’t take anything like that. Trevor also had a black eye and two broken fingers and a busted lip.”

“Injuries suffered in the accident?” Aaron asked.

“The coroner doesn’t think so. He estimates they happened a couple of hours before Trevor died.”

Aaron frowned. “So, he was in a fight?”

“That’s what I’d like to find out.”

“I didn’t notice any bruising on Gary Reynolds.”

“Neither did I. Or Trevor’s brother. It’s probably unrelated to Olivia’s disappearance, but they’re both connected to the camp.”

“Seems like an odd coincidence.”

“It does.” Travis moved toward the door. “Go home and get some rest. You can talk to the Reynolds’ neighbors tomorrow.”

Gary was gone by the time Aaron entered the front lobby. Willa must have arrived to pick him up. It was just as well Aaron hadn’t been there to see her. Earlier today she had made it clear how much she hated him.

He got into his car but instead of heading home he drove to the street where Willa and Gary lived.

It was too late to talk to the neighbors, but he wanted to see the house.

It was a small, square, wooden building on a fieldstone foundation—a miner’s cottage, dating from the turn of the twentieth century.

The older part of town was full of these small homes, many of them converted to rentals.

Willa’s car was in the driveway—the same blue Toyota she had owned when they were dating.

He wished he could talk to her. He wanted to explain what it was like to work a serious case, like a murder. The pressure to find the killer. How easy it was to see things one way.

Things that had looked so obvious to him back then weren’t so clear now.

This time was different. No one was going to charge Gary with anything. He wanted to reassure her of that, but she would never listen to him. Hate clouded her view of him.

As for him, he thought he could see her more clearly than ever.

She was still beautiful, and passionate—about her job, her volunteer work and her family.

But she would never feel that way about him again.

He had made a mistake, and he would have to live with the consequences, wanting what they had once had, and could never have again.