23

Tess went straight back to the station to enter the information on Anna Macpherson into NCIC, the national crime database. She was missing/endangered in NCIC lingo. Even her license plate was noted. If an officer came across her vehicle and ran the plate for any reason, the missing/endangered label would pop up. Any officer who came into contact with her and had reason to enter her information into the computer would see the flag and at least contact Rogue’s Hollow and let them know.

Unless, of course, Anna wanted to be missing.

There was no crime in an adult running away. If Anna was fine and in her right mind and told the officer she didn’t want to go home, there would be nothing anyone could do to bring her back against her will. But Tess’s instincts were telling her that Anna was not missing voluntarily.

And the text messages were a sinister wrinkle.

That twisted Tess’s gut with dread. Nice people like Anna Macpherson didn’t flake out like this or taunt their husbands with vague messages.

Even if they were despondent about a cancer diagnosis.

Tess had pondered that wrinkle for a long moment. She barely knew Anna but felt that she understood the woman’s pain. Yeah, it was a tough pill to swallow, but at least she had a faithful husband to lean on. Oliver was adamant that Anna was not suicidal.

“Yes, she was angry, but suicide would go against everything Anna believed.”

But then that question nagged: Was Oliver Macpherson all he seemed to be?

Tess had not heard anyone speak badly of the pastor. She knew his church was usually packed on Sundays; she could see the lot from her hotel room. He ran three full services. And another service on Wednesday nights was likewise well attended.

But then O. J. was popular before Nicole.

Tess wondered if it would be better to turn this case over to the sheriff. She certainly felt personally involved. Anna was a friend. But after reflection, she decided not to delegate the case to another department.

She e-mailed a be-on-the-lookout to all of her personnel, then sent out a county- and statewide BOLO. After that, she wrote out a list of those people she needed to talk to about Pastor Mac and his wife. Her own landlords would be a good start. Klaus and Addie were close to the pastor. The quilt group as well; she’d heard a couple of them were founding members of the church. And she’d have to talk to the mayor.

Tess tried to remember all she’d learned about tactful leadership.

–––

After Chief O’Rourke left, Oliver made the call he’d been dreading, to Anna’s parents, and wrestled with the fact that he’d not told the chief he recognized Tilly. He didn’t know why he withheld that bit of information and was a little unsettled by the omission. But Tilly was a lost soul and he believed she needed some protection. She must have had a good reason for doing what she did. After all, Glen, her only advocate, was dead.

Anna’s parents resided in an assisted-living home near Portland, about five hours away. Another aspect of collateral damage from the cancer was that because of Anna’s iffy health, they’d not been able to bring her parents to live with them. It had been Anna’s fervent prayer that somehow they could do it, but her father was fading rapidly into dementia and her mother had two bad knees. Moving them into a two-story house was not wise without a full-time caregiver. Anna couldn’t be that caregiver and had conceded as much, but Oliver knew that was a blow to his wife.

Oliver had spoken to his mother-in-law the first morning Anna hadn’t come home. He’d only called to surreptitiously figure out if Anna was there. When Esther asked to speak to Anna, Oliver got his answer. Now, with this call, he did his best to tell Esther the truth gently, but he could tell the woman was completely unsettled by this news. After he hung up, he called the nurses’ station at the home to let the head nurse know that Esther and Richard might need some extra care until Anna was located.

After speaking to the nurse, Oliver made a call to one of his assistant pastors, a rock of a man named Jethro Bishop who oversaw the prayer ministry. He was also the man Oliver had called to check out the cabin in Union Creek. He’d confirmed Anna was not there.

Five years a widower, Jethro volunteered in the prison ministry, working with hardened criminals. A onetime boxer, he reminded Oliver of an old football legend, Dick Butkus. He was as broad as the man had been in his playing days, and had a nose that had been broken so many times it lay flat on his face. But Jethro was the definition of a gentle giant and a formidable prayer warrior. Even though gossip was a no-no, Oliver knew that as soon as Anna’s disappearance was on the prayer chain, word would spread through the whole town and probably the whole valley. Was he ready for the onslaught of questions?

He punched in Jethro’s number and prayed that he was.

He’d just hung up after talking to Jethro when Travis May, the church youth pastor, knocked on the doorframe. Oliver hadn’t yet closed the front door, for no particular reason other than he just hadn’t thought about it.

“Wow.” Travis’s eyes went wide when he saw the destruction to Oliver’s home. “What happened?”

“Long story,” Oliver said, putting the phone down and facing the young man. Travis wouldn’t be knocking at his door without calling unless it was important.

“Maybe you’re not up for this, but Frank Devaroux is dead. His wife found him unresponsive in his recliner a little while ago. She called the church office. She’s a mess.”

Oliver closed his eyes and rubbed his forehead. This was a blow. Frank was a founding member of the church, a stalwart deacon and a man Oliver considered a good friend. He could only imagine how Sonya, his wife, was doing.

Opening his eyes, he looked at Travis. “This just happened?”

“Yeah, Sonya panicked and ran to a neighbor, who phoned 911, and then she called the church.”

Oliver didn’t hesitate. “I’ll head out there.” He searched around for his car keys.

Travis grabbed his arm, concern in his eyes. “You sure? It looks like something is going on here.”

“Travis, I think someone was looking for that money from last week, remember? Anyway, Frank and Sonya are good friends. I need to be there for her.”

“Can I at least call some folks to help clean this up?”

“Sure. I’d appreciate that, actually.” He found his keys and his phone and started to leave.

“Where’s Anna?” Travis asked. “Is she feeling okay?”

Oliver turned and faced Travis. “I’m not sure where Anna is at the moment. I’ve spoken to Chief O’Rourke about it. I’d appreciate your prayers. I explained a lot to Jethro. Call him.”

He turned away and hurried for his car, leaving Travis with a shocked expression on his face and feeling bad about that. But Oliver’s thinking was churned up like the water at the bottom of a waterfall. He couldn’t grip on to anything except the fact that Sonya needed some support immediately. That was a lifeline—doing his job, providing her with a little bit of comfort, and leaving Anna in the arms of God because Oliver had no idea where to put his arms around that problem.

–––

Tess finished all the details with Anna Macpherson’s missing person report and the report about the Macpherson house being burglarized and ransacked. She wished Oliver could give her a better description of his attacker but was very glad the burglar just wanted to get away and Oliver was not hurt badly in the attack. She notified Mayor Dixon.

“Missing? Anna Macpherson? My heavens. Do you have any leads?”

Tess told him what they had, which was nothing. He surprised her by being helpful and not trying to micromanage.

“A sweeter person never walked the earth!” He seemed genuinely shocked and dismayed by the news. Tess heard his voice break.

“I think so too,” she said, “but I need to look at this as a law enforcement officer.”

“Of course, of course. How can I help?”

“Have you ever seen any problems between the Macphersons?”

“No, they are what they seem, what they advertise. And that church—well, it’s the real deal. I’m an atheist and yet they welcome me to the men’s breakfast. I think no one knows the Macphersons better than Klaus and Addie.”

“Thank you for the information.”

“Certainly. If I can help, let me know.”

Tess hung up, glad that went well, and made a note to talk to the pair when she went home. She then called the Jackson County sheriff.

“I was about to call you,” the sheriff said. “When I saw that BOLO, I prayed it was a mistake. Do you want me to gear up for a full-scale search?”

“We need to be prepared, but further than that, currently I don’t know where to start. Anna and her car are in NCIC, but no one is certain about where she might have gone. I’m not sure where to stage a search.”

“Gotcha. I’ll make sure all my guys have this information and I’ll personally contact Josephine, Douglas, and Siskiyou Counties if you like.”

“Thank you, Sheriff. I appreciate that.”

“No problem. Anna Macpherson is a gem. I pray to God she’s okay.”

Tess already knew that Oliver Macpherson was a big name, not only in the Upper Rogue, but in the whole Rogue Valley. But it was hitting home now how big. His church was the third largest in the area. As soon as the local newspaper got wind of his wife being missing, they’d be all over it. That could help, but she needed to be certain Oliver knew about the possibility. She called to let him know.

“Yes,” he sighed. Tess heard weariness in his voice. “I knew this would be a newsworthy story. Is that a bad thing?”

“Not for me,” Tess said. “If Anna is news, that puts more eyes out looking for her. But I wanted you to be prepared.”

“I have a lot of people praying and looking. All I want is Anna home.”

“Me too. Where are you now, Oliver?”

“On my way to a parishioner’s home. Her husband died suddenly this morning. She needs me.”

Tess didn’t know what to say. “But if I need to contact you—”

“I’ll leave my phone on. I need to do this. It’s more than my job. This is family.”

Tess hung up and wondered about this man of faith. He had his own personal crisis going on, yet he was seeing to someone else in their time of need. Crazy, dedicated, or guilty? She wasn’t sure of the answer to that question.

She didn’t believe in God per se—she wouldn’t call herself an atheist, but this all-knowing, all-seeing God didn’t make sense to her. She’d gone to church for years with her dad when she was a kid, but stopped when she was sixteen and he was murdered. The idea of a good God and a murdered father did not mix in Tess’s mind, so she never tried to force it.

After doing all she could for Oliver Macpherson, Tess went back to pondering Glen’s case. But even after time percolating, she could find no new insight. A knock on her doorframe interrupted her musing. She lifted her gaze and saw a welcome familiar face.

Steve Logan.

She’d been thinking about him, wondering if he’d pop up to help with the Elders homicide, and had even considered calling him if he didn’t show. He was the type of guy she was used to. Military-style haircut, squared-away tan uniform, and a steely gaze that had cop written all over it.

“Chief O’Rourke.” He flashed a bright smile and Tess had to fight the jump in her heart rate.

“Now there’s a hunk of man,” she could hear Jeannie say. Thinking of the leer that would follow almost made her smile.

Clearing her throat, Tess said, “Sergeant Logan, after reading your last text, I was afraid you’d not step foot in Rogue’s Hollow ever again.” She flashed her own smile, thinking about the text he’d sent, detailing how Bubba Magee had barfed in the back of his patrol car twice before he could get the man to jail. The mess and cleanup kept him from being able to help with the homicide yesterday. She felt not a little pleasure at seeing him now, in spite of that unfortunate event.

He stepped into the room and Tess stood.

“You know, stuff happens. I was able to clean the car out, and after about a hundred dollars’ worth of air freshener, it smells okay. I’m concluding that Rogue’s Hollow is going to be a tough place to stay away from. And now you have a murder. When it rains, it pours. I’d like to help. And I’m cleared to.”

Tess held her breath for a minute. With blond hair, blue eyes, classically chiseled features, and a build that said he worked out, the man was devastatingly handsome, but so was Paul, her ex-husband. Underneath Paul’s beautiful exterior had lurked a shallow, selfish heart. Tess needed to be on guard. But the crush of loneliness that had stalked her for two months was going to be a difficult bear to combat.

“I think things are handled so far, Sergeant.”

“You know, I think I’d rather you call me Steve. I mean, we handled a few scrapes together, and I have a feeling we’re going to be working together a lot. No need to be formal.” He smiled warmly and extended his hand.

Tess took his hand and relaxed. She liked Logan as a cop and could be a little less formal, but was she opening a door she wasn’t ready to step through?

“Come, have a seat. You have something for me?”

“I do.” He held up a folder and stepped past the chair to drop it on her desk. “Coroner’s report.” Logan sat in the offered chair.

Nonplussed, Tess picked it up and then sat back in her chair. “So soon?” She was used to waiting a week or more in Long Beach.

“Except for the tox screen. That’ll be a couple of weeks.”

She opened the folder and pulled out the report. Time of death interested her right off the bat. Coroner estimated that was between 5 and 5:45 a.m., while it was still dark but getting light. He then stated what had been obvious from the scene: death was a homicide, caused by a 9mm bullet to the head. As Tess feared, there was no usable bullet or fragments found. The head shot was too badly deformed, and in the body the fast-moving projectiles had gone through and through. She made a mental note to go back out to the scene and search again for a bullet. But for the slug taken from the dog, it might be the only piece of evidence tying the killer to the murder. She wasn’t holding out hope they’d find prints on the casing.

“He put up a fight. There were scratches on his face and a defensive wound in his hand; the round went through and through.” Logan held his hand up. “He was trying to stop a bullet. Elders was shot at least four times.”

Tess considered this, visualizing the scene in her mind. “I wish I had a better picture of what happened that morning. Because he held his hand up, do you think there’s a possibility the bullet was aimed at someone else? Maybe he was trying to shield a friend. Or his dog.” Even as she asked the question, she thought of Tilly. Had she been with Glen?

He gave a head tilt. “You think someone else was there with Glen?”

“Let me show you the pictures, see what you think.” Tess turned to her computer and pulled up the crime scene photos. Logan got up and walked around to look over her shoulder. The familiar squeak of leather gear and the light pleasant scent of his aftershave very nearly went to Tess’s head. She worked to concentrate on showing him the scene photos.

“This is not a local fishing spot. Look at the smashed grass. It just looks like more than two people were there.”

“Hmm, maybe. But maybe there were two killers?”

His nearness caused a jolt of attraction to flare. She pushed back a bit.

“At this point I guess anything is possible. Are you familiar with Tilly Dover?”

He grunted and rolled his eyes. Straightening up, he moved around to the front of her desk but stayed standing. “Everyone knows Tilly. I went to school with her and her brother, Bart. She was relatively normal then—I mean, on medication and stuff. She’s bipolar. But she hasn’t always been on the streets. After high school she took some junior college classes, wanted to be a paramedic. If I remember right, she might have even become an EMT-1. She also taught Sunday school in church and was functioning for a while. But then her dad died. That sent her around the bend and she’s been on the streets ever since. I think Bart washed his hands of her.”

He made a fist with his left hand and tapped it with his right palm, pensive expression on his face. “Yep, she and Glen were close. I see where you’re going. You think she was with him? That’s why you gave us the information about a possible body in the creek.”

Tess nodded. “I’m guessing if someone did go into the creek right there, their body would have been seen or located by now.”

“Most likely. The creek calms when it reaches the Rogue. Lots of people swim there and fish; a body making it that far would attract attention. It’s not cold right now or deep enough to keep a body from decomposing and floating to the surface.”

“I thought so. I also recovered a piece of fabric.” She frowned. “I’d have wagered money someone went into the creek there.”

“And you think it’s Tilly?”

“You said yourself that they were close.” Tess told him what Pete had said about the tab Glen started for Tilly.

“So if she was there, and she hasn’t washed up because she’s alive somewhere, she’d be a witness?” Logan shook his head. “Don’t bet on it. Girl’s brain is scrambled. You’d have better luck with the dog as a witness. Why do you think Glen was there anyway?”

“I can only guess he was meeting someone for some reason. I’m trying to get phone records.”

“You find a phone?”

“No, but I have his number. He’d dropped his ride off for repairs, called someone; then a few days later he’s dead.”

“Well—” Logan hiked a shoulder—“Glen Elders was a dirtbag. He ran with a rough crowd. He probably owed someone money.” He held his hand up like a gun. “Pow—said person got tired of waiting.”

Tess thought about the bag of money Elders had handed Anna. That certainly was enough money to kill for. She closed the autopsy file and told Logan about the money.

His eyes widened. “Fifty grand? No lie?”

“A notice is due to print in the paper next week. Other than his staff, Pastor Macpherson decided to keep quiet about it until the notice comes out.”

He didn’t hide his shock. “Well, that’s a lot of motive.”

Tess agreed. “You dealt with Elders a lot?”

“It’s a small valley. He normally bounced between Shady Cove and White City. They don’t have their own PDs, so they contract with us—you know that. Elders was a frequent flier. The only thing I’m sure of is that the money wasn’t his.”

“Money is always a strong motive for murder.”

“You just have to find the guy short fifty grand.” His smile was brilliant, warm, and Tess bit back a sigh.

She held up the coroner’s report. “Thanks for dropping this by.”

“Not a problem.” He checked his watch. “How about I buy you lunch, get to know the new chief better.”

This time Tess thought carefully. He’d been a great help for two months, and she did like him, wanted to get to know him better, but where she came from, too many cops were players. She doubted it was any different here. But she was hungry. She’d done everything she could do for Anna and Glen to this point. Rule #10 applied: “Good cops never get wet or go hungry.” And it was better to be on Logan’s good side than not.

“I have an investigation to get back to, but it is lunchtime.” She smiled back, deciding she’d play friendly for the time being. “You have any place in mind?”

“Sure do. Max’s Grill makes the best bacon burger in the Upper Rogue.” He stood. “Shall we walk or drive?”