Read Under Suspicion - The Legend of D.B. Cooper Page 64
Joe finished measuring the length and distance between the axles of her Blazer and compared the plaster cast to her tires. They were identical. Everyone in the department drove Blazers, and last fall each one was outfitted with brand new tires. Her tracks would be identical to everyone else’s from her department and they matched the ones from the crime scene.
The revelation stunned her. Someone from the Sheriff’s department was the drive from the crime scene! But who…? The answer popped into her head before she could finish the question. Jim! Of course! she thought to herself as she heard the front door of the station swing shut.
She looked over to see Milhouse walking hurriedly towards the parking lot. She quickly looked at the tracks then back to Milhouse. She wasn’t ready to reveal what she’d discovered until she could talk to Jim. Grabbing the box of evidence, she slammed the tailgate shut, then hurried to the sidewalk to meet Milhouse.
“I thought you’d be at Buck’s?” Tom said.
“I was, but there’s something I need to discuss with Jim.”
Boom!…Boom!…Boom!
The gunshots startled her at first, but the recognizable sound calmed her. “Jim must be thinking.”
“Uh-huh,” Milhouse confirmed, then sighed. “He seems to be holding up all right, but I can’t help worrying about him.”
“How do you mean?”
“He seems distant. I mean, who could blame him with his best friend getting killed and all, but I hope it’s not affecting his judgment,” Milhouse replied.
“You don’t think Harper is up to this case?” Joe asked.
“No, it’s not that, its just…well…” Milhouse was trying to find the right words.
Joe saw the questions on his face. “You have mixed feelings,” she helped him start.
Tom nodded. “On one hand, we’ve known Buck forever and wouldn’t think of him as a criminal, but that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t investigate that possibility. I’m worried that because of his close ties to the case, Sheriff Harper may not be as impartial as he needs to be. And besides, there can only be one explanation for what happened out there, right?”
“Right,” Joe confirmed.
“Then why is it that Harper and Agent Bradley are so far apart on their views? I mean, Agent Bradley’s story sounds crazy and all, but he is an expert at this type of work. There’s got to be something to his story, right?” He looked at her for an answer.
Joe looked at him thoughtfully. “I understand where you’re coming from. In fact, I’ve asked myself similar questions.”
“You have?” Tom was relieved that he wasn’t alone in his concern.
“Sure, everyone probably is, it’s only natural,” she assured him. “But I know Jim. I don’t know Bradley. Jim will come up to speed quickly, and when he does, we’ll find our killer.”
“I hope you’re right.”
“I’m sure of it,” she insisted. “As his deputies, we need to—no― we’re obligated to do everything we can to help him catch up. That’s what I plan on doing. That’s our job.” Joe tried to emphasis that last point.
“Yeah, you’re right,” he finally agreed.
“We can talk about this more later,” she told him. “As for now, this box is getting heavy.” She laughed, trying to end on a lighter note.
“All right,” he smiled. “I have to be going anyway.”
They both turned and walked their separate ways. When she got to the front door she turned to watch Tom drive away. His words disturbed her. In order to solve this case, they all had to work as a team—as one united force.
Questions like that needed to be satisfied quickly. Getting Jim up to speed was now more urgent than ever. If the other deputies lost confidence, they may shift their support to Agent Bradley. She couldn’t let that happen.
Boom!…Boom!…Boom!
Joe turned as she heard three more shots from the firing range. Don’t worry, Jim, you’ll always have me, she thought to herself then opened the door and walked through it.