Toby didn’t reply.
“I know this is a lot to swallow,” Cass said. “I know how much Josh meant to you, and I’m sure it’s hard to accept the fact that Josh knew what happened to Austin, and made the decision to cover it up for some reason.”
“Colin must have threatened him,” Toby insisted. “Josh would never cover something like that up if he didn’t have a really good reason to. Colin was a jerk, but Josh was a good guy.”
“I believe you,” Cass said. “At this point, we don’t know anything for sure, so it’s important that you don’t discuss this with anyone until we’re able to put all the pieces together and take the appropriate action.”
“I understand. I appreciate you guys filling me in.”
“And we appreciate you sharing what you know. If you think of anything else, you can call me anytime,” Cass said.
“I will. I don’t suppose you have any more information relating to Bobby’s death? The idea that his death could be related to Austin’s has been on my mind ever since I found out about it.”
“I’m looking at the homicide from a bunch of different angles,” Cass said. “Bobby’s relationship with Austin is just one of them. The only people who went on that campout and are still alive are you, Colin, and Larry. You are, of course, in Montana, I was able to verify Larry’s alibi on the day Bobby died, and Colin appears to have an alibi, but I haven’t been able to confirm the specifics yet. It really does seem that Bobby may have been killed due to a motive having nothing to do with Austin Brady’s death.”
“But it is possible that Colin is the bad guy here?” Toby asked. “It’s possible that he threatened the others to keep them quiet about what really happened, and it’s possible he killed Bobby if it looked like Bobby might talk after all these years.”
“Yes, it is possible,” Cass admitted.
“Do you think it’s possible that Colin killed Josh?” Toby asked.
“Josh died in a vehicle accident,” Cass reminded him.
“He did die as the result of a vehicle accident, but a witness saw a white sedan run the vehicle he was driving off the road. The white sedan was never identified.”
I looked at Cass. He was frowning.
“Cass?” Toby said over the phone. “Are you still there?”
“I’m here. I guess I didn’t realize that another driver caused Josh’s accident. To be honest, I was just a kid at the time, and don’t actually remember a whole lot about it, except for the effect his death had on the community.”
“Pull the police report. You’ll see. Someone ran Josh off the road and killed him.”
After we hung up with Toby, I looked at Cass. “So, what do you make of that?”
“I’m not sure,” he admitted. “But I find it hard to believe that something so horrific happened on a campout, that four years after the campout, one of the campers is intentionally run off the road, and then twenty-one years after that, a man is shot in his own home. The logical villain in this little drama is Colin, but keep in mind that he was just a kid when Austin went missing.”
“If not him, then who?” I asked. “As of this point, Austin, Josh, and Bobby are dead. Toby lives in Montana and has been gone from Foxtail Lake for quite some time, and Larry moved from the area before he even made it into high school. If someone did run Josh off the road, and that someone was one of the boys who were part of the fateful camping trip, it has to have been Colin.”
“But it seemed as if, while Austin and Colin didn’t get along, Austin and Colin were both tight with Josh. I just don’t see Colin killing Josh.”
“Yeah,” I agreed. “That feels like a stretch for me as well. It seems like we’re missing a player. Someone who was around for everything that happened, but hasn’t been named.”
“Like who?” Cass asked.
“The seventh sandwich. We still don’t know who the seventh sandwich was meant for.”
“So there is this nameless, faceless someone lurking in the forest orchestrating everything that happened and no one at any point ever mentioned his presence or his name? That sounds unlikely.”
“The campsite by the river,” I reminded Cass. “It wasn’t far from the boy’s camp. Maybe some of the older kids had an even older friend who was lurking around. Maybe this friend sold Colin the pill to give to Austin. It could even have been this friend who grabbed Austin after he ran off and forced him into the mine.”
“And this friend. How did he get into the mine if he was larger than Austin, who most likely barely fit through the opening?” Cass asked.
“Maybe he didn’t go into the mine. Maybe he simply shoved Austin in and waited for him to fall.”
Cass put a hand over mine. “I appreciate you brainstorming with me, but there are so many holes in that theory that I’m not even going to point them all out.” He looked at his watch. “It’s almost time for your dog training shift at the shelter. Why don’t you go on ahead and I’ll try to meet you there for playtime. We can go to dinner after. Maybe talk things through a bit.”
I nodded. “Okay. That sounds like a good idea. Perhaps we need to take a step back and look at all the evidence logically. Maybe if we do, something will come to us. Something that isn’t riddled with holes that are too numerous to mention.”
Cass smiled. “I think that sounds like an excellent idea.”
Chapter 17
Naomi was working with Nala when I arrived, so I put my purse in the volunteer room and joined them. “How’s our girl doing today?” I asked.
“She’s doing really well. I’m very pleased with her progress in both the basic commands and scent training. I’ve already worked with her on scent today, but if you want to take over and work on the basics, that would be great.”
“Happy to.” I knelt down and ruffed Nala behind the ears.
“So do I dare ask how the Austin Brady story is coming along?” she asked.
“I actually have news.” I looked around. There were a few other trainers in the area. “It might be best if I came by your place after my shift. I think most of what we’ve found is still being kept under wraps.”
“Oh, I’m intrigued. And yes, do come by after your shift. You and Cass both if he makes it out. I’ll open a bottle of wine, and we can catch up.”
“Sounds good.”
Naomi turned to leave. “Oh, before I forget, we have two new arrivals I’d like for you and Cass to work with during your playtime. It’s a brother and sister, who, according to the man who dropped them off, are around nine-months-old. They’re very sweet, but also very timid. They seem to be afraid of the volunteers, afraid of the other dogs, afraid of everything. I’m hoping if you spend some time with them, they’ll begin to relax a bit.”
“I’d be happy to. What are their names?”
“Gus and Ginny.”
“Why were they surrendered?”
“The man who dropped them off told me that the dogs belonged to his neighbor, who up and moved and left them behind. They’ve been sitting on the porch of their old home for weeks. The neighbor was feeding them but said he can’t keep them. He finally decided they’d be better off with us and coaxed them into his car.”
“Poor things. Cass and I will make sure they know they are safe and loved here.”
“That’s what I’m hoping. They’re beautiful dogs. And young. I’m sure I can find them a wonderful home together, but first, I need for them to greet folks who stop to talk to them rather than shying away.”
“Maybe you can take them to your house for a few days,” I suggested.