Womack nodded. “There was a picture found in Jamison’s car. The kind you print off the internet from articles you’ve googled. Stuff like that.”
“What picture?” Wyatt didn’t recall hearing anything about any pictures.
“A picture of Addy.”
Rage roared inside Wyatt. “And you kept this information from the investigation?” Keeping his hands at his waist and off Womack’s throat took every ounce of willpower he possessed.
“There were dates written on the page. Address. Occupation. Indications that Addy was adopted. Stuff like that. Apparently Jamison had been researching Addy for some reason. But it wasn’t relevant to the case or to what he’d done to his wife.”
“What did you do with this information?” Wyatt demanded, his jaw clenched so hard he could hardly utter the words.
“My buddy in Laurel recognized Addy and gave me a call. I convinced him that this was sensitive information and that maybe we should keep it between the two of us and that I would handle it. Like I said, it didn’t appear to have anything to do with what the bastard had done to his wife.”
Womack shrugged. “I figured Clay would be more than glad to get his hands on this information. I didn’t see how it could hurt anything. Addy was long gone from here anyway. And Clay would like nothing better than to figure out a way to prove she wasn’t a legitimate heir so he did all the inheriting. I’d heard him talk that shit before. I was convinced it couldn’t hurt anything, but it could help ... save my son. I’d give the info to Clay and my son would be off the hook.”
Wyatt restrained the urge to beat the hell out of the guy. “But then Addy showed up here with info on the Prescott case,” Wyatt suggested, his blood boiling in his veins. “That made you a little nervous, didn’t it?”
Womack didn’t answer at first. Just stood there looking like the dog he was. “Yeah, it made me start thinking, but there wasn’t any connection. Seemed like a coincidence that she showed up not long after the photo was found in Laurel.”
“Then Arnold went missing and you started to think maybe this wasn’t a coincidence.” The idea that a man with this many years in law enforcement would do such a thing sickened Wyatt. What the hell had he been thinking?
“It wasn’t until you called from Jones County and confirmed Jamison was the one behind these abductions that I knew for sure. Ibegged Clay to let it go. To leave Addy alone,” Womack admitted, then shook his head. “Her momma’s dead. And she don’t need no more bullshit. But he wouldn’t listen.”
Wyatt stilled. “What do you mean, you told him to leave Addy alone?”
Womack plowed a hand through his hair. “He was the one who slashed her tires. He slashed her clothes and left that message on the motel room mirror.” He gestured to the road. “Evidently, he’s still got a plan to have his revenge.”
Revenge. Jesus Christ. “Do you have any idea what he’s planning to do?” Fear ignited deep in Wyatt’s arteries.
Womack shook his head. “He just said it was a joke. A way to mess with her head and get his revenge for what she did to his brother. He swore it had nothing to do with the missing women. That’s all he told me.”
“I can’t believe you’re scared of that piece of shit.” Wyatt shook his head. “That’s pretty damned pathetic,Deputy.”
“When you have a son,” Womack challenged, “you’ll understand.”
Wyatt wanted to kill him. “One more question, how did Clay know about the letters? The kind of paper? Glue? How did he learn those details?” Wyatt already knew the answer, he just wanted to hear the man say it out loud.
Womack looked away.
“Deputy Sullenger.” Wyatt glared at Womack. “Read Deputy Womack his rights and put him in lockup.”
Sullenger looked less than happy about the assignment but she said, “Yes, sir.”
“Guthrie,” Wyatt said to his other deputy, “I want you to get the whole department out of bed. I want everyone here in twenty minutes. Call Chief Parker. We need all the help we can get, including from Pascagoula PD. We’re going to find Addy and that piece-of-shit cousin of hers.”
Guthrie pulled out his cell and started making calls. “Wyatt, wait,” Womack said even as Sullenger took him by the arm. “I can help.”
Wyatt was so pissed off and disgusted with the man he was lucky he hadn’t beaten the crap out of him right here. “What the hell can you do?”
“I know a lot of Clay’s friends and”—he shrugged—“contacts. Let me check around and see if any of them have some ideas on where he might take Addy.” Womack jerked his head in the direction of Clay’s truck. “If he asked her to meet him here, they can’t be that far from where he left his truck. Chances are, when he’s finished with whatever the hell this is he’s planning on coming back for it.”
That was the first thing Wyatt should have considered. This was way too personal for him ... he wasn’t on his toes. And Addy needed him to do this right. “All right.” To Sullenger he said, “Don’t let him out of your sight.”
Sullenger nodded.
Wyatt closed his eyes and prayed for Addy’s safety. Whatever Clay was up to, surely he wouldn’t kill her. He was a dirtbag, that was for certain. But Wyatt wasn’t sure he was capable of killing anyone.
The old man, now that was a different story. He might just be capable of anything, despite the good deed he’d done for Addy’s mother all those years ago.