Until Dark - Mariah Stewart [76]
“Christopher was one of the kids who lived on the ranch, the son of one of Sierra’s friends who’d come for a weekend and never left. He was younger than Ian and Zach, maybe seven at the time.” She looked up at Adam and added, “I think at trial it came out that he suffered from fetal alcohol syndrome, he had a lot of problems. Anyway, he had seen the boys leave, and followed them. Several of the other kids said that they’d seen Chris sort of sneaking along behind the boys. Apparently it was something this boy did often. Just follow behind the other kids.”
“How had he escaped the murderer?” Miranda frowned.
“Actually, he didn’t. The police pulled Webster over because the car he was driving had been reported stolen; Christopher was in the front seat. That’s how the police first realized something was wrong. The boy was sobbing hysterically and babbling incoherently. The police ran a check on Webster and learned that he’d only been released from prison three weeks earlier. He’d served eight years for assaulting a child.” Kendra got up and poured herself a glass of water. “Once the police realized that Chris had followed the boys, they started searching for them.”
“And they were never found,” Adam noted.
“Not a trace. And Christopher couldn’t help a bit. He had a breakdown and was placed in a home for children with severe emotional problems. Webster said he’d found Christopher wandering by the side of the road, crying and talking garble, and that he’d picked him up and was taking him to the next town. Which was, incidentally, eighteen miles in the opposite direction.”
“So Webster’s credibility was in question from the start. What evidence had been presented against him, I wonder,” Adam murmured.
“I don’t recall, frankly. I attended the trial, but so much of it was a blur. The only thing I remember is that Ian’s jacket was on the front seat when the police pulled Webster over. He said that Christopher had had it in his hands when he picked the boy up, but no one believed that.”
“And Webster is still in prison?”
“Yes.” Kendra nodded.
“Well, it’s obvious that there’s some connection between the deaths of those two boys and the killer who’s trying so hard to get Kendra’s attention. Ian’s watch showing up after all these years can’t be an accident. The little hair clips in the victims’ hair that are identical to those Kendra wore, the gold crosses . . .” Adam leaned forward, his arms resting on his knees. “Someone’s getting real personal with you. The question is who? And why? Kendra, how do you feel about a trip to Arizona? Starting with a trip with your aunt?”
“I’m not sure I could even find her ranch,” Kendra admitted. “I’ve had no contact with her in over ten years.”
“It’s well documented in the FBI file, and we should have a copy of that by seven tomorrow morning. The Bureau has booked two seats on a flight to Tucson that leaves at ten from Philadelphia. Miranda, maybe you’ll do the honors and drive Kendra and me to the airport?”
“You’ve got it.” Miranda stood up. “Come on, Kendra, it’s almost three A.M. You don’t want to have dark circles under your eyes when you see your aunt for the first time in, what’s it been? Ten years?” Miranda tucked her shoes under her arm and started for the door. “Thanks for dinner, Adam. We’ll be back at seven for breakfast and a look at that file before you take off with it.”
Chapter
Fifteen
“I thought I remembered there being more desert.” Kendra looked out the window as Adam sped onto the interstate. “I don’t remember there being so many hills.”
“There’s plenty of desert. But Arizona has its share of hills, too,” he said, checking his rearview mirror before hitting the gas and jolting the rented sedan up to seventy-five miles per hour, twenty miles over the speed limit on this section of Route 10.
The rental car had been awaiting their arrival at Tucson International Airport, and while the sedate model would not have been his first choice, Adam was determined to make it to Bisbee in as close to an hour as possible. The sedan would just have to rise to the occasion. He