The Night Killer

phone, so she told Travis she’d be in touch and switched to the other call. It was Brian McEarnest, Christine’s husband.
    “Roy Jr.’s in critical condition,” Brian said. “He’s got head injuries, broken bones, and some internal injuries. The doctors couldn’t tell us much. He’s in intensive care. At least he’s alive, and we’re real thankful for that.” Brian paused a beat. “The patrolman told us he was run off the road by another car.”

Chapter 25
    “This certainly sheds a little different light on things,” said Izzy.
    David shook his head. Diane imagined that he had already suspected something was not right. His paranoid mind railed at coincidences as tragic as what was happening to the Barre family.
    “At least the family can deal with White County authorities and not Sheriff Conrad,” said David.
    “That’s something,” agreed Diane.
    “Who you think did it?” asked Izzy. “The same perp who did the Barres?”
    “If it is the same killer,” said Diane, “it suggests that the killings were personal to the Barres. Then what about the Watson family?”
    “Maybe Roy Jr. knew something?” said David. “You said he was supposed to go through the house again today. Perhaps there was something the killer didn’t want him to see. Something that was missing that would point to him, maybe.”
    “What about the Watsons?” said Izzy.
    “The Watsons and the Barres knew one another. They went to the same church. That could be the connection. We need to talk to some of the other church members,” said David.
    “Either the Watson or the Barre murders could be a ruse to hide the real motive,” said Diane.
    “Or it could be a serial killer, and Roy Jr. just had a run-in with road rage,” said Izzy.
    David had taken a notepad from his pocket and was scribbling on it. Diane knew he was making a list of people to talk to. So many people—an entire church full, neighbors, the people at the Waffle House that Travis said Roy Barre frequented. It would be difficult with her restricted from going into the county. On the other hand, the sheriff couldn’t make that stick. He could cause her trouble, but he couldn’t legally keep her out.
    “He can’t keep me or Izzy out at all,” said David. “And he doesn’t know us.”
    Diane narrowed her eyes and looked over at him. “So, you can read minds now?” she said.
    “Don’t ever play poker. You have the worst face for hiding what you’re thinking. It was the small crease between your eyes and the set of your mouth that told me you were going to thumb your nose at the sheriff,” said David.
    “He’s right,” said Izzy. “It was pretty plain what you were thinking, and though normally I’m on the side of running people out of town, I don’t really trust those people up there. They’re a little squirrelly, if you ask me. He might throw you in jail and apologize later.”
    “I agree,” said David. “He has no idea you will come back and hand him his ass if he does anything. He would go ahead and hold you.”
    “I was thinking that Frank and I could be invited to be guests at the First Baptist Church where the Barres and the Watsons attended. Frank goes to Rosewood First Baptist. He could probably get Reverend Springhaven to speak to their minister. I think it would be harder in that circumstance for the sheriff to do whatever it is he planned if he caught me in his county. And most of the people I need to speak with will probably be in church. It sounds like a good plan.”
    “It could work,” said David. “It still scares me.”
    “Really, what do you expect him to do, except give me a hard time? He’s parochial in his attitudes, but he’s not a maniac,” said Diane.
    “Well, your mouth to God’s ear, lady,” said Izzy, with more vehemence than she’d heard from him in a while. “I’m with David. I’ve known about Sheriff Conrad for a long time. And maybe he means well, but he is hard-nosed and stubborn—and he thinks he’s right. I don’t think he’ll kill you, or beat you up, but . . .” He shook his head and looked from David to Diane. “I don’t know; there’s something about this whole thing that I don’t like. Reminds me of Hamlet.”
    Both David and Diane stared at Izzy in surprise. She never thought he was the type of person to read Shakespeare. Then she remembered Izzy saying he liked to read things his son had read so he could have ideas and words in his own head that his son had in his.