The Vanishing Gary Brown (booksvooks TXT) 📖

Inspector Maddox had left specific instructions with his secretary to announce Claire as soon as she arrived. By eleven-thirty they had spent half an hour elaborating on Walter Pennimore’s case history for Maddox’s report.

“I kept thinking about the name you gave me last night, ‘Kre’,” Maddox said. “Unfortunately, it’s not ringing any bells. I’ll tell you what I can do for you though. I’ll run it through our database and see if we get a hit, either as a partial or a full name. I can’t promise you anything, but at least we can try it. If I find something, I’ll let you know. That’s about the best I can do for now.”

“I would appreciate that, Inspector.”

“I’ve got to be honest with you though,” Maddox continued. “If you believe Pennimore was telling you the truth, then it’s not me you should talk to. This is a case for the FBI. Their technology is much more sophisticated for searching this kind of information than what we have available to us. Our search will be statewide, but the boys at the Bureau can search federally. The problem is, I don’t have an active investigation to work from, only speculation. And I’ll bet my badge the Feds aren’t about to invest their time and resources on a hunch, especially when they realize the only lead is coming from a guy who was under your care as a psych patient. Let’s just say Pennimore’s credibility would be... suspect.”

“I understand perfectly,” Claire said, “but I’d appreciate it if you’d check it out for me. Any information you find will be better than nothing.”

“No problem. I’ll do my best. But we’re backlogged around here. I’ve already got a basket full of paperwork to get through. Give me a few days. I’ll make a few inquiries and see what turns up. I wouldn’t get my hopes up just yet. These things can take time.”

“Thank you, Inspector.”

Maddox hesitated. “You’re welcome.”

Claire didn’t need to rely on her professional abilities to see that Maddox was trying to suppress his displeasure at the prospect of re-opening the investigation. “You seem troubled, Inspector,” she asked. “What’s wrong?”

Maddox turned uncomfortably in his chair. “I pulled the jacket on your parents’ accident before you arrived.”

“Yes?”

“Well, you may find the eyewitness statements made to police on the scene to be rather unsettling.”

“I don’t understand.”

Maddox picked up the manila folder from his desk, removed the occurrence report, handed it to Claire.

“It seems everyone we interviewed commented on the rapid speed at which your father left Zion Point. He was clearly not in control of the car. The consensus was that he was swerving and driving recklessly when he left the parking lot, apparently engaged in an altercation of some sort with your mother. He almost struck one witness. Based upon these statements, it seems your parents may have been arguing. When your father tore out of the parking area, he lost the ability to control the car at high speed. The accident ensued thereafter.”

Claire knew this behavior was entirely out of character for her father. She also knew he had far more self-control than to have ever put her mother in such peril. He would have pulled the car over to the side of the road and they would have talked. Most likely, he would not have left the parking lot until they had resolved the disagreement.

“Investigators on the scene were at a loss to explain mechanical failure as the reason for the accident,” Maddox continued. “As you know, the car was winched from the bottom of the cliff and taken to the vehicular investigation center, where a team of police and insurance investigators examined it. The braking, steering and acceleration mechanisms, what was left of them anyway, checked out. The skid marks where the car left the road served as a vulcanized fingerprint, which showed it jerked suddenly and violently, as if to avoid something in its path. Perhaps a small animal darted in front of the car and your father took his eyes off the road for a split second. Maybe he looked up at that very moment and tried to avoid hitting the creature, pre-occupied with the argument, too late to correct the vehicle before it went over the cliff. They found fragments of tire debris both on the road and in the gravel shoulder near the top of the cliff. The insurance investigators matched it to the melted rubber on the tires of the Porsche. An animal in the road is just one theory. The accident could also have been caused by something as simple as the car running over a nail or any sharp object which could have pierced the tire, caused a blowout, and sent it over the cliff. Tragic? Yes. Unfortunate? Absolutely. But an accident nonetheless.”

Claire passed the report back to Maddox. “I’d appreciate it if you would keep an open mind, Inspector. At least until we can find out if your computers can tell us more than we know right now.”

“As you wish,” Maddox said.

“Thank you, Inspector. I’ll be in touch.”

14

AT ONE O’CLOCK Kelly called to check in on Claire and tell her that her name had been added to the guest list for the party that evening.

“Wear your black dress,” Kelly insisted. “You'll knock ‘em dead.”

Her excitement over the coming night’s festivities was infectious, and Claire looked forward to the party.

“You sure it’s not too dressy?” Claire asked.

“Honey,” Kelly replied, “if I had a body like yours, I’d be wearing that dress seven days a week.”

Even before Kelly's phone call, Claire had tried on several dresses which she thought would be suitable for the evening. Kelly’s choice had also been her favorite. A full-length black gown, side-slit with a deep plunging neckline and spaghetti shoulder straps. The dress fell gracefully over her delicate frame, accentuating her long shapely legs and the fullness of her breasts. It had been one of Steve’s favorites. Whenever she wore it, he had always told her how beautiful she looked.

“Okay, you’ve