Blood Oath by William W. Johnstone

Author:William W. Johnstone [Johnstone, William W.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Fiction, General, Thrillers, Westerns
ISBN: 9780786010097
Publisher: Pinnacle
Published: 1999-01-02T00:00:00+00:00

Blood Oath

Seven

To the disgust of the officers, and Mike Boyer's amusement, Sheriff Roberts swore them all to secrecy before he would allow Joe to say anything. Then Joe talked for fifteen minutes, outlining in detail his theory on Paul and Judy Evans and what was happening in Denton and Red Bay because of the events of that summer night, twenty-six years ago.

“I'll buy your theory,” Mike said.

“Yes,” the St. Louis psychiatrist agreed. “Everything fits.” He looked at Sheriff Roberts. “Why are you—were you—so opposed to pursuing this line of investigation?”

Mike Boyer allowed himself a tight smile.

Sheriff Roberts said nothing.

“I'm beginning to smell a rat around here,” Joe said.

Sheriff Roberts glared at him.

“We monitored your teletype transmissions and returns the other day, Joe,” Mike said. “After that, I sent a man in here to, ah, test the waters, so to speak. He couldn't pick up any sign of this department following up on those obvious moves of the boy with a head wound. I wondered why not.”

“What the hell are you?” Roberts said angrily. “A goddamn spy from Jeff City?”

He was ignored.

Mike continued, “I talked with Sergeant Carter of the state police. He could not understand why your theory was not being followed through, if only to tie up another dead end should it prove incorrect. So I then dropped what I was working on and did some investigating of my own. I found some rather interesting aspects to this case. They date back some twenty-six years, and caused the hairs on my neck to prickle a bit.”

Sheriff Roberts rose to his feet, his hands balled into fists. He was trembling. “Mister,” he said through clenched teeth, “you damn well better be able to prove any allegations.”

“Have I made any, sheriff?” Mike asked innocently.

The sheriff sat down.

“Joe,” Mike shifted his gaze, “I know you've kept records on the Evans case. When we had a few drinks in St. Louis several years ago, you mentioned just enough about them to arouse my interest. I kept what you told me that night in the back of my mind, and when this case came up I did a bit of digging, and kept what I found to myself. When this case began bogging down, despite all your facts and suppositions, I did a little more digging. Who was the deputy who worked the Evans case, Joe?”

Joe shrugged his shoulders. “I don't know. When we moved from the old office building—years ago—some files were lost. Part of the Evans file among them. I tried to find out who worked the case, but I never could.”

The state investigator looked at Sheriff Roberts. The man seemed to shrink a bit, and looked suddenly old. He refused to meet Boyer's eyes.

Mike said, “Care to elaborate on the Evans case, sheriff?”

“You know it all, I suppose,” the sheriff said in a voice no louder than a whisper. “Why don't you run your mouth a while longer?”

“A young deputy named Thomas Lang-ford Roberts worked the case,” Mike said. He had not moved from his spot in the rear of the meeting room—the War Room, as it is called by cops.

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