Caught (2010) by Coben Harlan

Author:Coben, Harlan [Coben, Harlan]
Format: mobi, epub
Published: 2010-12-26T00:41:57.061000+00:00

Chapter 22

WENDY CALLED WALKER from the car. The call got routed three different ways before

Walker picked up.

"Where are you?" she asked.

"In the woods."

Silence.

"Anything yet?"

"No."

"You got five minutes for me?"

"I'm on my way back to the manor now. There's a guy named Frank Tremont. He's in charge of the Haley McWaid case."

The name rang a bell. She had covered a few cases he'd handled in the past. The guy was a lifer, fairly smart, overly cynical. "I know him."

"Cool. We can meet you there."

She hung up. She drove back to Ringwood, parked with the other reporters, and approached the cop guarding the crime scene entrance. Sam grabbed the camera and started to follow. Wendy stopped him with a head shake. Sam pulled up, puzzled. Wendy gave the cop her name and was waved through. The other reporters didn't like that. They hurried over and started demanding access. Wendy never turned around.

When she got to the tent, another officer said, "Sheriff Walker and Investigator Tremont said you should wait here."

She nodded and sat on a foldout canvas chair, the same kind parents used on the sidelines at soccer games. There were dozens of law enforcement cars--some marked, some not-parked every which way. There were uniformed cops, cops in street clothes, and several officers sporting nifty FBI windbreakers. Many were on laptops. In the distance, Wendy could hear the clacking whir of a helicopter.

Standing by herself on the edge of the woods was a young girl Wendy recognized as Patricia McWaid, Haley's younger sister. Wendy debated whether this was the right time or not-but the debate didn't last long. Opportunity knocking and all that. She started toward the girl, telling herself that this was not about nailing a big story but about finding out what really happened to Haley and Dan.

A new theory had wormed its way into her brain. Patricia McWaid might have information that could prove or disprove it.

"Hi," Wendy said to the young girl.

The girl gave a little startled jump. She turned and faced Wendy. "Hello."

"My name is Wendy Tynes."

"I know," Patricia said. "You live in town. You're on TV."

"That's right."

"You also did a story on the man who had Haley's phone."

"Yes."

"Do you think he hurt her?"

Wendy was surprised by the girl's directness. "I don't know."

"Pretend you had to guess--do you think he hurt her?"

Wendy thought about it. "I don't think he hurt her, no."

"Why not?"

"Just a thought. I have no reason for believing that. Like I said, I really don't know."

Patricia nodded. "Fair enough."

Wendy debated how to approach this. Start with something small like, "Were you and your sister close?" Normally that was the way to go with any interview. Open with some softball questions. Get them relaxed, develop a rapport, get them in the rhythm. But even without the time constraint--Tremont and Walker could pop up any second--that felt like the wrong track. This girl had been direct with her. She might as well try the same.

"Did your sister ever mention Dan Mercer?"

"The police asked me that."

"And?"

"No. Haley never mentioned him.

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