Long Shadows

Chapter 75

“S​o, we have to find a missing and maybe murdered person from over four decades ago, no problem,” said White as they drove back to Ocean View.

“We have some things to go by,” noted Decker.

“Fellows also said her father wasn’t in the room and had nothing to do with the dead woman.”

“What else did you expect her to say? And he might have left by then so Roe and the other guy could clean things up.”

“What do you think happened that night?”

Decker shrugged. “Young Black woman dead in the bed of an older, powerful, rich, and married white guy running for the Senate? That’s a career-ender. Either things went sideways and he killed her, or she had some sort of medical emergency and died in his bed. He called a trusted aide to deal with it, and Kanak Roe stumbled on it somehow. I think the fact that Roe didn’t raise the alarm leads me to believe the woman wasn’t murdered but died of natural causes. Otherwise, I think Roe would have blown the whistle.”

“But still, even if it wasn’t murder, why cover it up? Why would Roe take that risk?”

“The guy in question had just done an event with the president that Roe was guarding. If the truth came out, it would not have been good for anybody. And Roe probably didn’t want to drag his boss into something that he had nothing to do with and knew nothing about. With news like that everybody tends to jump to conclusions.”

“So he helped with the coverup in return for what?”

“Maybe enough money to start his company.”

“So Kanak wasn’t so much of a straight arrow then. He saw an opportunity and took it.”

“A lot of people do,” replied Decker.

“Okay, how do we locate the dead woman?”

“More to the point, how do we locate the other guy in the room?” said Decker.

“Fellows thought he worked on her father’s campaign, but wasn’t sure about that.”

“He might be easier to track down than the dead woman.”

“How?”

“We can check on Tanner’s campaign staff. He was a senator for nearly twenty years. The Bureau should be able to get some names for us.”

“Okay, I’ll get on that. And the woman? I’m sure her friends and family would like some closure.”

“I’m sure they would, too,” Decker said quietly. “I know I would.”

White glanced at him, but didn’t comment on this. “Then we need to start digging. Missing persons reports in November of 1981. We have her description. Cold case file may be in some police storage facility.”

“If anyone filed one.”

“Shit, who would have thought this case would end up dragging us into the past like this? And someone might be killing people in the present over it all.”

“And maybe in the not-too-distant past,” noted Decker.

“What are you talking about?”

“Kanak Roe.”

“Roe. He kept silent all this time. Why would they worry—” She broke off as the possibility occurred to her.

“Right,” said Decker, looking at her. “Kasimira said her father was very religious. He was dying with a guilty conscience and wanted to clear that conscience.”

“And he let it slip to someone who didn’t want him to do that.”

“And he and his boat disappear as a result.”

“You going to share that theory with Kasimira?” asked White. “She might be a suspect. Andrews clearly doesn’t trust her.”

“Andrews’s view is ‘clearly’ biased, since Gamma wouldn’t hire him.”

“Children sometimes murder their parents, if those parents are a threat to them. And if Kanak was going to tell the world that his and now her empire was built on murder and blackmail?”

“If she did kill him, why ask me to find out what happened to him? That makes no sense.”

“That’s true. So, what do we do?”

“We keep digging. That’s all we can do.”

“On this case we might hit China before all is said and done.”

“And if my initial theory is right, this piece is only half the equation. So while you start making inquiries about Tanner’s aides and the missing woman, I’m going to follow up on who killed Julia Cummins.”

“How are you going to do that?”

“By talking to Barry Davidson again.”

“But you don’t think he did it.”

“But he might have some idea who did. And then I’m going to interview Dennis Langley again.”

“That asshole won’t say anything.”

“But by now his fiancée will have spoken to him. And maybe shared our suspicions about the timing of his marriage proposal. He might be rattled enough to let something slip.”

“Why does it feel like we’re back at square one on the game board?”

“Maybe because we are. Only now it might be a different game we’re in the middle of.”