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“She was that. That’s what makes it hard to know where to direct you. Actually— Ah, nah, he wouldn’t even know where to find her.”
Trent faced Amanda, and they made brief eye contact before he turned toward the windshield again.
“Here’s the thing,” Amanda started. “Katherine made news in the local paper, and it’s also available online. She’s also working with her aunt at her successful diner and has received public attention for that.”
“Shit. Then he might have caught up with her.”
Again with he. Tingles ran down Amanda’s arms. “Who is this person?”
“Lowell Mooney. He’s lowlife scum who just got released a week ago. He was sent away for fifteen years for killing the mother of his son when she was awarded full custody. Guy was a druggie and a deadbeat.”
Amanda enjoyed how his accent flowered his words, such as transforming mother to mudder. What he was saying wasn’t as pleasant. “And it was Katherine who made the collar?”
“You bet. She even testified in court against the guy. There was a history of mutual abuse. The mother was no cherry either, but she held a steady job and provided a roof over the boy’s head.”
“You sure he’d go after Katherine after all this time?” Trent inserted.
“I wouldn’t put it past the guy. Assuming prison hasn’t changed him, I can see him on the rampage to get back at Kat. He’s never going to see his son again, and even though that’s on him, he blamed Kat. I’ll go by his place and have a chat.”
The slights he’d mentioned could support the messages and tone of the typewritten threats they’d found. “Sounds like a good idea. Maybe you could also talk with Elias Rush.”
“Oh, you found out about him, did ya? He’s another good suspect. Has himself a dangerous brother too.”
“Who we’re told is locked up on a life sentence,” Amanda volleyed.
“He is that, but hardened criminals have ways of working out carnage from behind bars.”
This detective wasn’t one to sugarcoat things, which she appreciated.
“Elias looks like he’s a family man these days,” Trent put out there.
“Don’t let that fool ya. I’ll drop by and feel him out too.”
“Do you know of any written threats to Kat?” Trent asked.
“There were some over the years, not that I have any idea where I’d look for that now. She could have taken them with her or destroyed them, but she didn’t seem to take them too seriously. Though she did up and leave in a blur.”
That was news. Amanda had been curious what had her moving to Prince William County, before learning about her relation to May Byrd. Her previous online “research” led her to believe Katherine had been squeezed out when a relative of the police chief took over her position. If that was the case surely Mickey would have said as much. “Do you know why?”
“She said it was time, that she did all she could here. A load of crap. I mean, obviously. We’re a city of nearly nine million people. We only oversee a chunk of that, but there’s enough crime to keep everyone in blue busy day and night.”
“Your personal opinion for why she moved?” Trent asked.
“Her mother was murdered. Maybe she felt she had no reason to stay.”
“Had she lived in NYC all her life?” Amanda countered.
“From what I know, yeah.”
Katherine would have sacrificed a lot by moving. “I’m sure she had friends who didn’t want to see her leave.” The detective might be able to give them some names. All they had was Natasha Bauer.
“Oh, I’m not sure Kat had much of a social life. She lived for the job.”
That sounded like what May and Katherine’s neighbor had told them. They’d also said it seemed Katherine was holding something back from them. Mickey might know what that was. “So you don’t think she was running away from someone? Possibly a person who scared her?”
“If she was, she wasn’t telling me. Then again, near the end, she was my boss and we didn’t shoot the shit much. I wish I could be of more help.”
“Hey, you’re going to talk to those two people we discussed, that’s a big help,” Amanda said.
