place?”
“Yes, sir.”
“Uh-hunh.”
“I agree that it’s strange, Sheriff. I know I said somethin’ about the wiring, but I can’t help but think it might be arson.”
“Well, we got us a real good fire marshal here, and he’ll figure it out.”
“Does insurance pay if it’s arson?”
“I don’t think so,” the sheriff said, watching Jake closely.
Jake dropped his head into his hands
The sheriff said, “Look here, son, it’d save us both lots of time and trouble if you know somethin’ about this. You need to go on and tell me. You got somethin’ you need to get off your chest?”
“No, sir…but do you remember almost two years ago…during spring turkey season, over in Sumter County, where two rednecks got killed one night chasing a man and his daughter and another girl through the woods?”
“Yeah, of course.”
“That was me. I’m the one they were chasing—me and my daughter and this high school girl. The police never caught at least two other guys from that gang. I’ve been worried that someday they’d come after me and my family.”
“So you think the ones that got away set your fish camp on fire?”
“Maybe. I killed two of ’em, and from what I understand, they were a real tight bunch. It wouldn’t surprise me.”
“I remember Johnny Lee and Reese. Those assholes kept us busy up here at times, and quite frankly, they both needed killin’.”
“I’d never even heard of ’em until that night.”
“Well, I’ll be damned,” the sheriff remarked. He carefully considered the gang torching Jake’s fish camp, but he knew their style of payback would be murder, not arson. An eye for an eye would be their response.
Sheriff Blue leaned back again and tried to analyze Jake Crosby’s body language. He was aware that it was very common for young couples to get way over their heads in debt and need immediate cash. The reasons were too numerous to count. Insurance fires were often a quick fix. That’s what this smelled like, and the man sitting in front of him sure looked stressed.
“Jake, those rednecks’ payback would be painful. Burning your camp ain’t vengeful enough.” The sheriff suspected that Jake was trying to throw him off the real trail.
Jake rubbed his face and looked uneasily out the window. After a moment, he said, “It’s the only answer I got, Sheriff.”
CHAPTER 28
T HE TWO-MAN KROGER security team was visibly surprised to see Samantha Owens representing Walter Severson. They politely invited Walter and Sam to the rear of the store, where they commandeered the employee lounge. On the way back, Walter waved to the friends he had made at the store. He was confident with Sam by his side. The lounge was small and cluttered. Sam and Walter seated themselves on the far side. Sam immediately placed a tape recorder on the table and turned it on with a click. Everyone stopped talking and stared at it for a few seconds. After a long moment, Sam casually glanced up and asked if the men minded. They looked at each other and shook their heads. Sam smiled.
In her best slow, sweet Southern drawl, Sam asked, “Are y’all charging my client with anything?”
“No, ma’am. We’re just trying to get some answers. We hope Mr. Severson knows something that will be helpful to us.”
“My client is very distraught about this and your threats to fire him. This job and his reputation are important to him.”
“He offered to resign of his own free will.”
“He doesn’t feel welcome anymore, and he feels intimidated.”
The men were silent. They had been suspicious of Walter’s sudden offer of resignation. They were under serious pressure to quietly solve the case and recoup the stolen funds. Corporate didn’t want to involve the police unless they didn’t have a choice. The ease of the crime was not something they wanted to become public. Each day that passed meant the money would be harder to trace and recover; it would be burning a hole in someone’s
“Yes, sir.”
“Uh-hunh.”
“I agree that it’s strange, Sheriff. I know I said somethin’ about the wiring, but I can’t help but think it might be arson.”
“Well, we got us a real good fire marshal here, and he’ll figure it out.”
“Does insurance pay if it’s arson?”
“I don’t think so,” the sheriff said, watching Jake closely.
Jake dropped his head into his hands
The sheriff said, “Look here, son, it’d save us both lots of time and trouble if you know somethin’ about this. You need to go on and tell me. You got somethin’ you need to get off your chest?”
“No, sir…but do you remember almost two years ago…during spring turkey season, over in Sumter County, where two rednecks got killed one night chasing a man and his daughter and another girl through the woods?”
“Yeah, of course.”
“That was me. I’m the one they were chasing—me and my daughter and this high school girl. The police never caught at least two other guys from that gang. I’ve been worried that someday they’d come after me and my family.”
“So you think the ones that got away set your fish camp on fire?”
“Maybe. I killed two of ’em, and from what I understand, they were a real tight bunch. It wouldn’t surprise me.”
“I remember Johnny Lee and Reese. Those assholes kept us busy up here at times, and quite frankly, they both needed killin’.”
“I’d never even heard of ’em until that night.”
“Well, I’ll be damned,” the sheriff remarked. He carefully considered the gang torching Jake’s fish camp, but he knew their style of payback would be murder, not arson. An eye for an eye would be their response.
Sheriff Blue leaned back again and tried to analyze Jake Crosby’s body language. He was aware that it was very common for young couples to get way over their heads in debt and need immediate cash. The reasons were too numerous to count. Insurance fires were often a quick fix. That’s what this smelled like, and the man sitting in front of him sure looked stressed.
“Jake, those rednecks’ payback would be painful. Burning your camp ain’t vengeful enough.” The sheriff suspected that Jake was trying to throw him off the real trail.
Jake rubbed his face and looked uneasily out the window. After a moment, he said, “It’s the only answer I got, Sheriff.”
CHAPTER 28
T HE TWO-MAN KROGER security team was visibly surprised to see Samantha Owens representing Walter Severson. They politely invited Walter and Sam to the rear of the store, where they commandeered the employee lounge. On the way back, Walter waved to the friends he had made at the store. He was confident with Sam by his side. The lounge was small and cluttered. Sam and Walter seated themselves on the far side. Sam immediately placed a tape recorder on the table and turned it on with a click. Everyone stopped talking and stared at it for a few seconds. After a long moment, Sam casually glanced up and asked if the men minded. They looked at each other and shook their heads. Sam smiled.
In her best slow, sweet Southern drawl, Sam asked, “Are y’all charging my client with anything?”
“No, ma’am. We’re just trying to get some answers. We hope Mr. Severson knows something that will be helpful to us.”
“My client is very distraught about this and your threats to fire him. This job and his reputation are important to him.”
“He offered to resign of his own free will.”
“He doesn’t feel welcome anymore, and he feels intimidated.”
The men were silent. They had been suspicious of Walter’s sudden offer of resignation. They were under serious pressure to quietly solve the case and recoup the stolen funds. Corporate didn’t want to involve the police unless they didn’t have a choice. The ease of the crime was not something they wanted to become public. Each day that passed meant the money would be harder to trace and recover; it would be burning a hole in someone’s
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