Leave No Trace by Robin Mahle

Author:Robin Mahle [Mahle, Robin]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Inkubator Books
Published: 2023-10-28T16:00:00+00:00

14

P ushback from Joel Brooks was to be expected. The man had lost his daughter, and no one had found her killer. His cooperation was something Ellis assumed would be a stretch. But knowing that Jake Gladstone had been the first person Brooks contacted after Jenna’s disappearance, and that he still lived in Woodland Heights, gave her something she could work with. Something that might lead to proof her theory was right.

Fletch held the file in her hand, glancing down as she walked toward Ellis’s desk. “I’ve cross-referenced the Brooks case with the current investigation.” She stopped and looked up at her. “Any luck contacting the family?”

Ellis leaned back in her chair, tossing a pen onto her desk. “I just got off the phone with Joel Brooks—the father. Needless to say, he wasn’t feeling very cooperative. But he did mention that his next-door neighbor at the time, Gladstone, was the guy he contacted before the police about his daughter. He still lives there, but it doesn’t appear that his family has been victimized by the intruder.”

Fletch turned down her lips and nodded. “Okay, that’s something. Sounds like we’ll want to push forward with speaking to the families directly associated with the Brooks case.”

“My thoughts exactly.” Ellis got up from her desk and grabbed her things. “You ready to head there now?”

Fletch gestured outward. “Lead the way.”

Ellis jogged down the steps to the first-floor lobby. Peering through the glass door, she noticed a clouded sky and glanced back over her shoulder at Fletch. “Looks like rain.”

“And here I am without my umbrella,” Fletch quipped.

Ellis pushed outside and walked into the parking lot. Dark gray clouds hung low, and a moderate breeze brushed against her skin. She pressed the remote to unlock her Tahoe and climbed into the driver’s seat. After Fletch entered, she fired up the engine and headed out toward the highway, north to Woodland Heights.

“Do we know if Mr. Gladstone is at home?” Fletch asked.

“Probably not, but the wife doesn’t work outside the home. I’d like to speak to her first anyway. That way, we stand a better chance at building a complete picture.” Her phone rang, and she checked the ID. “I need to take this.” Ellis answered the call. “Detective Alcott, thank you for calling me back.”

“It’s not every day you get a call from a detective whose ex-husband is involved with the target of my investigation,” he replied. “How can I help you today?”

Ellis noticed the curious look on Fletch’s face. “Like you said, I was contacted by Andrew Cofield. He’s asked me to look into things for him.”

“Look into what, exactly, Detective Ellis?” Alcott asked.

“Your investigation.” She pressed her lips together, knowing this wasn’t the place to be having this conversation. Fletch would ask questions. “Forgive me, I realize how this sounds. I suppose I’m looking to help out a friend. What can you tell me about your case against Myra Cook? Do the feds have something concrete?”

“She’s a suspect in an ongoing fraud investigation. That’s what I can tell you,” he shot back.

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