The Night Killer

Agent Mathews to the sheriff and his deputies.
    “Investigate all you want. You got no authority here,” said the sheriff.
    “Rendell County isn’t a separate country or another state,” said Mathews. “You’ll find that a great many people have authority here, in view of your misconduct. I fully expect criminal indictments and orders removing you from office to follow quickly.”
    Diane walked outside with Frank and took a deep breath. She was tired of listening to Conrad’s pigheadedness. Others followed—Neva, Mike, David, Andie, and Liam. They all stood in a group on the sidewalk.
    “Are you all right?” Frank asked Diane.
    “Not yet. But I will be,” she said. She turned to Liam. “I had your things tested to protect you. The sheriff in this county has a reputation.”
    He eyed Diane for a moment before he gave her a quick smile. “I know.” He looked back at the door to the sheriff’s department. “He’s some piece of work.”
    After several moments, the paramedics came out with the large guy on the stretcher and loaded him into the ambulance. “We’re going to have to call for another ambulance,” one of them said as they went back inside.
    Diane didn’t want to wait for the others to be brought out.
    She reached for David and hugged him tight. “Thank you,” she said.
    “We always have each other’s backs,” he whispered in her ear.
    He was right. Especially since the massacre in South America, they watched out for each other like family.
    Frank was shaking Liam’s hand when Diane let go of David. She thanked Liam again.
    “You did okay,” he said.
    She shook her head. “It wouldn’t have ended well had you not been there.”
    Diane felt exhausted. She turned to Frank.
    “Let’s go home,” she said.
    Frank put an arm around her. She leaned on him as they walked to his Camaro parked at the curb. She just about fell into the front seat.
    “You know, I liked this suit,” said Diane, when Frank got in the driver’s seat.
    “Bill it to Conrad,” he said. He started the car and pulled out onto the main street and headed for Rosewood.
    Diane asked Frank what happened at the church after she was taken by the sheriff.
    “More quarreling between the members. They were split in their opinions. The Watsons, the Barres, and most of the younger people supported you. Some of the older people did also. The sheriff had a definite vocal contingent—mostly among the older residents. But his rough treatment of you gave them pause—I’m not sure how much. I’m afraid a lot of them feel you caused a rift in their church.”
    Diane shook her head and leaned back against the headrest.
    “Andie and I left them arguing,” Frank continued. “Izzy stayed to try to get more information, hoping that in the heat of conversation people would say something unguarded. On the way to the sheriff’s office, I stopped at the Waffle House to pick up David, Neva, Mike, Gil, and Colin. I’m not sure how David knew he should organize a rescue before the fact,” said Frank. “I was going to play it by ear.” He reached over and squeezed Diane’s hand. “I didn’t think it would get that bad.”
    “I didn’t either. I’m not sure how David knows these things,” she said. “Part of it is that his own paranoid view makes him always come prepared for the worst.” She paused. “I know he’s always had little or no respect for Sheriff Conrad. But I suspect there is something more personal. You know David teaches some of the classes for certifying deputies and sheriffs. I think there may have been some anti-Semitism from Conrad.”
    “It wouldn’t surprise me,” he said.
    Diane closed her eyes the rest of the way home.
    She headed for the bathroom and drew a hot bath the first thing, slipped out of her clothes, and soaked in the tub until the water cooled. When she got out, Frank had prepared a light dinner of bacon, lettuce, and tomato sandwiches and tomato soup.
    “Gil Mathews called while you were in the tub,” said Frank. “He got a call from his partner. Tammy and Slick want a deal. They say they can tell us where there is a cave with two bodies in it that don’t belong to them—I think that’s the way Tammy put it.”

Chapter 45
    In the early morning, the woods at Slick Massey’s place were cool and there was a wispy fog low to the ground. Diane was wearing her favorite caving jeans, shirt, and hiking boots. It had crossed her mind on more than one occasion that perhaps she