Sarah jerked off one of the boots she wore. “Check this against the boot imprint you found at the Appleton murder scene.” She yanked off the other one. “They belong to Lynda Pope. She takes the beta-blocker found in Alicia Appleton’s tox screen.”
“How did you come by these?” August picked up the first boot she’d shed. Studied it, though his face said he’d rather not touch it.
“Doesn’t matter,” Sarah insisted. “Just do it.” She was out of breath as if she’d run a long way.
For the first time since she’d entered the room, she looked at Kale. He couldn’t meet her gaze.
While August inspected the boot, the chief said, “Ms. Newton, we have four others here in Youngstown who are currently taking that drug and who knew the girls. We’re aware that Mrs. Pope is one of them. The others are Reverend Mahaney and Marta Hanover, Geneva Williams and Loretta Steele. Each of those persons has an airtight alibi for the times the victims went missing. Not to mention one of those five wouldn’t be physically capable of carrying out the abduction.”
“You’ve talked to Lynda Pope?” Sarah demanded.
“I talked to her half an hour ago. She’d just arrived home from the search.”
Sarah shook her head. “I left her house not more than half an hour ago.”
August nodded. “When we arrived, she mentioned that her husband was taking you back to the gym.” He tapped the boot. “By the way, these aren’t a size eight.”
“You saw me wearing it, didn’t you?” she argued. “You know that sizes can vary.”
Kale couldn’t take this anymore. He had to do something.
He was on his feet without any idea how he’d gotten there. “I’ve got to get back out there.”
“Now just a minute, son.” The chief pushed out of his chair and came around to where Kale stood. “The snow’s started falling hard again, and the temperature has dropped to well under thirty degrees. You can’t go back out there. The best thing you can do is get home and see to your folks.”
All the emotions that had drained from Kale suddenly erupted anew. “Are you out of your mind, Chief? I have to find my sister. Thisbastard is going to ...” He couldn’t say it. Couldn’t make his lips form the words.
“Check the boot,” Sarah demanded. “I don’t give a shit what kind of alibi she has. Check the damned boot.”
Kale couldn’t listen to any more of this. He jerked the door open and walked out.
Those same faces, faces he knew, stared at him as he strode to the rear entrance. Voices spoke to him but he didn’t listen. He just kept walking.
He had to do something.
He couldn’t just go home without his sister.
He pushed out the back door, stormed across the parking lot.
“Kale!”
He didn’t slow.
“Kale, damn it, stop!”
Sarah grabbed at his left arm, dragged him to a stop.
“Listen to me.”
He glared at her. Shook off her touch.
“There’s something ...” She shook her head. “Something about the Popes. I can’t explain it. I wasn’t even sure what or who it was that kept giving me this feeling until today. Matilda said ...” Sarah shook her head when he would have butted in, urged him with her eyes to listen. “You have to trust me. I know what I’m talking about. And I’m telling you it’s one of them or maybe both.”
He almost left her standing there. But the determination on her face, in her voice, made him hesitate.
The boots ... his gaze dropped to her feet. She stood there, the snow halfway up to her knees.
Then he remembered she’d pulled the boots off in the chief’s office.