“I didn’t think they wanted that kinda retail out here,” Reese said.
“Based on the threats, you’d think not,” Charlie answered. “However, they’ve done their homework, and it looks like the overwhelming response is positive.”
“If that’s the case, do we still think Hawkins’s disappearance is related to that land purchase?” Slade asked, looking at all the faces at the table.
“I’m not leanin’ that direction,” Brantley admitted. “I don’t see how someone benefits by kidnappin’ him after two of the partners turned up dead. To me, he’d be dead like the other two.”
Reese was in agreement.
Brantley grabbed his iced tea. “Personally, I think it’s somehow tied to the wives.”
Reese stared at Brantley, not surprised he was going down the same path. It was hard not to think that, considering the conversations they’d just had.
“And Nancy Wright’s nowhere to be found,” Brantley continued.
“Speaking of Nancy,” Evan said. “There’s something I noticed that stands out in JJ’s notes, not sure if you’ve had time to see it.”
Reese shook his head. He hadn’t realized she’d been sending them already.
“Go on,” Brantley urged, dragging another chip through salsa.
“Nancy Wright filed a restraining order against her husband six years ago.”
Reese pulled out his phone, too curious not to look for himself.
“She never followed through with it,” Evan continued, “claiming it was at the urging of the hospital when she came in for treatment.”
“Treatment for?” Reese asked, still skimming his phone.
“A broken arm and a laceration to the head. She later stated she fell down the stairs.”
“Any hospital incidents since then?” Charlie asked.
“None.” Evan’s disbelief was evident.
“Not a single one,” Reese reiterated, reading the details. “In fact, she hasn’t seen a medical professional of any sort since then.”
“Sounds off,” Brantley said. “Have JJ dig deeper.”
Reese typed up a note to JJ requesting more details.
“Do we know how long they’ve all been members of the country club?” Evan asked.
“Hawkins and Jacobs were members first,” Charlie answered, clearly having memorized the details. “Wright not until a few years ago, when they brought him on as a partner. From what I read, he came into a financial windfall and wanted to pursue the investment angle.”
“What was the windfall from?” Slade asked.
“JJ didn’t know,” Charlie answered. “Not sure it’s relevant.”
Maybe, maybe not, Reese thought.
“Which is when the wives met?”
Reese knew no one would have the answer, so he typed it up, shot it to JJ, told her to follow up on details along those lines, looking into Brian Wright’s history and more on Nancy.
“We learned something interesting,” Charlie added, her dark eyes bouncing between everyone at the table. “When I asked to see the scene where Wright’s body was found, the manager informed us he’d never been there.”
Brantley leaned back. “What do you mean?”
“Exactly that. Seth Jacobs did not die at the country club, nor was his body ever there,” Slade commented. “The manager was rather convincing, too.”
“The police report states he was discovered there,” Reese argued, glancing back at his phone and reading up on the details, wondering if they’d gotten it wrong and, if so, how the fuck they could’ve gotten it so wrong.
“It actually makes sense that he wasn’t there based on what I learned from the medical examiner,” Evan said. “His COD was suffocation. He found particulates in the lungs, said it would’ve likely come from a pillow. The country club doesn’t tie in with that. I mean, sure, maybe they’ve got pillows, but it specifically states the locker room.”
“Was he drugged?” Charlie asked.
“His blood alcohol level was well above the legal limit, but other than that, he found no drugs.”
“What about the other guy? Was he also suffocated?” Slade asked, eyes darting at every person at the table.
“Brian Wright,” Evan clarified. “No, he wasn’t. ME said he ingested a lethal dose of nitroglycerin.”
“Was it his prescription?” Charlie asked.
“ME said it wasn’t in his medical history, nor did he find any reason to believe he should be on it based on the autopsy.”
“I’ve got JJ digging into Mrs. Jacobs’s medical history,” Reese told them. “To see if she’s been prescribed nitroglycerin.”
Reese felt Brantley’s eyes boring into him.
“What?”
“You caught that, too?”
“Caught what?” Trey asked, looking intrigued.
“When we were talkin’ to Mrs. Jacobs, she kept clutching her chest,” Reese explained. “I thought it was worth lookin’ into.”
“I don’t believe in coincidence,” Brantley muttered.
Neither did Reese.
Charlie leaned in. “You think she drugged him?”
“At this point, anything’s possible. The only thing I know for certain is that Annie Hawkins and Mallory Jacobs are both hidin’ something.”
“And Mrs. Wright is MIA,” Slade offered.
Reese glanced at Brantley.
“The ME did say Wright’s liver had seen better days,” Evan added.
“Heavy drinker,” Slade commented.
“For quite a number of years,” Evan agreed.
“No foreign DNA found on either of them?” Brantley asked.
Evan’s eyes lit up. “He found a couple of hairs, sent those off to the lab. Said he should have information back by the end of next week.”
“We can get that pushed through,” Brantley informed him.
“One step ahead of you,” Trey answered with a smile. “I called JJ, figured she’d be the one to make things happen. She said she’d get it taken care of. Somethin’ about callin’ Rhonda to get the governor to make a call.”
“I’m still hung up on why the police report says Jacobs’s body was found at the club. Something’s off,” Charlie said. “Did someone tamper with the report? Or was it deliberate?”
“Damn good question,” Evan replied.
Reese didn’t like the direction this was heading. It was all getting turned around and quickly, and they were focusing their efforts on the deaths rather than the missing person. It was easy to do, but he knew it wasn’t going to help Cedric Hawkins.
He typed up another message for JJ, requesting she create a timeline for when they got back to the office. They needed to see this mapped out because there were too many inconsistencies.
He was just finishing typing when his phone rang.
“It’s Detective Mathis,” he informed Brantley before answering.
“We were able to get in contact with Mrs. Wright,” Mathis said curtly. “She agreed to come down to the station to speak to you.”
“Perfect. What time?”