Chapter Twenty-One
“It’s good to see you both again.” Shane shook Charlie and Ryan’s hands. “Will tells me me you want to talk to me about my past?”
Charlie saw a change in Shane that went deeper than growing older. He looked healthy. The anger that had been part of his personality in the past had vanished. “When did you become a minister?”
He accepted a cup of coffee from Will. “Thank you.” Shane took a sip. “I hit rock bottom about eight years ago when I overdosed on heroin. I died for a little bit. When I got out of the hospital and realized I’d been spared, I knew it wasn’t an accident.” He shook his head. “I was living in Denver at the time. I found a church and started attending. That’s when I found God and he changed me. He gave me the courage to get off drugs. The church pastor helped me get a place to live and then when God called me into the ministry, he was there to guide me through it.”
Charlie was humbled by his story. “I’m happy for you, Shane.” She couldn’t imagine going through the things he had.
“Thank you.” He smiled at Charlie. “But I’m guessing you didn’t want to talk to me about how I became a minister.” His attention turned to Boone.
“We spoke to Noah Briggs today. He told us you two used to hang out.” Boone appeared to key in on Shane’s reaction.
He chuckled. “Wow, yeah—we really did.” Shaking his head, he added, “I’ll have to look him up. Noah got picked on a lot back then. I think he stuck close to me for a little backup.”
Boone looked at Charlie and Ryan before continuing. “Noah said you used to hang out with some bad people back then. He mentioned some of them coming to town that winter when Abby went missing.”
Shane didn’t shy away from the questions. “I figured that might be what you wanted to know.” He confirmed he’d sold more than pot. “I was high most of the time. I started selling heroin. I’d pick it up from my dealer in Denver and sell it here but I ended up using more than I sold so they paid me a visit. They roughed me up and told me I’d better pay them back and soon.”
“What did you do?” Charlie asked, his story terrifying.
“Well, I’d gotten myself in deep. I’d been using so much—and giving even more than that away to my friends—that they forced me to give them the names of my friends I’d given the heroin to.” He shrugged. “So I did. They roughed them up too and threatened them. Somehow my friends came up with the money.”
Boone wrote down Shane’s answers. Without looking up he asked, “Who were your friends?”
“Noah wasn’t one of them, if that’s what you want to know. He just kind of hung around us sometimes. There was Jason Owens and David Cartright. Oh, and Tyler Jennings, although I never saw Tyler use.”
Charlie couldn’t believe she heard him correctly. “Tyler bought heroin?”
Shane’s eyes softened. “Yeah, I know. He was always a straight arrow. But he was one of my best customers. Like I said, I never saw him use it, though. Maybe he bought it for someone else.”
It turned her stomach to think Lila’s twin had been so deceptive. She was certain Lila had no idea.
“Why’d you leave town when you did?” Charlie remembered Noah saying it was just after Abby’s disappearance.
Shane’s attention locked onto her and he guessed. “I didn’t have anything to do with whatever happened to Abby. I’m sorry, I wish I knew what happened to her.”
Once more the bottom fell out of Charlie’s world. She’d hoped the questions they longed to find answers to would be laid to rest.
“What about your dealers from Denver?” Ryan asked. “Maybe they came across Abby by accident the night she left her house, and they had to silence her.”
Shane held his gaze. “I guess it’s possible. I was pretty messed up back then. Truth is, I left because I wanted to get away from them. I traveled around the state. I went up to Montana and Alaska for a while. Then I ended up in Denver and right back into my old ways.” He crooked a grin. “The funny part is all those bad guys I knew back then were either dead or in prison by then. But there was a whole other group waiting to sell my drugs.”
Charlie tried not to give into her disappointment. “What about Jason? You said he was one of your customers.”
Shane nodded. “Right. And he had the money to pay for it unlike Tyler. Jason ended up paying off my debt to the dealer for me. At least they weren’t going to kill me.” He shrugged.
“Do you remember those days following Abby’s disappearance?” Boone looked up from his notes.
Shane frowned. “Somewhat. Why do you ask?”
“I’m wondering what Jason was like following her disappearance. We’ve spoken to him and his father, and they deny any involvement.”
Shane set his cup down. “Grant would do whatever was necessary to keep his son out of trouble. I remember Jason being jumpy in the days that followed. He kept looking out the window whenever we were together as if he expected trouble to come calling. I asked him what had him so worried. He told me it was best I didn’t know.”
The words shivered along Charlie’s spine. This could be something. If Jason had hurt Abby with all the attention on finding her around town, he’d be worried about the truth coming out. The only question that she couldn’t answer was why? Why would Jason hurt Abby?
“What about Tyler?” Charlie remembered at one time Tyler and Jason appeared to be friends. Maybe Jason would have confessed something to Tyler.
