Then Rowland met with the sketch artist and returned to the interview room with the other investigator. The sketch artist said, “Tell us everything you can about what he looked like. Hair style, size of eyes, mouth, jaw, nose.”
Billy began pointing out the pictures of eyes, mouth, and nose that he thought looked similar to the man. Then he pointed out the hairline, ears, eyebrows, and jaw.
After the sketch artist drew the picture, Rowland casually asked, “Did you happen to take a picture of the man on your cell phone? Or of the house?”
Billy shifted in his seat and glanced at his mother. She nodded.
“Yeah. I mean, I took it really fast. I was afraid they would see me in the truck. Especially the man my dad was talking to because Dad had his back to me.”
“Can we see the picture?” Rowland handed Billy his phone.
Billy opened his phone and showed him the pictures he had taken, not only of JE but also of the mansion and the vehicle behind JE. Possibly JE’s car. He hadn’t taken just one photo.
Rowland took the sketch the artist had drawn and compared it with the phone picture.
Kendra was surprised he had been brave enough to take several photos. Though she suspected he truly thought his dad might end up in jail, and he could take over the family business, since he was the one who was actually luring the girls into their trap. She could imagine he wasn’t thinking about how he could end up in jail for his own involvement in all this. Or that JE might want to kill him for identifying him.
She suspected JE wouldn’t want to chance giving a kid that young such a task, afraid Billy would flip on him if he got caught. Just like he was doing now.
So JE would have a good case for it.
“Okay, the photos are really good and look like the description of JE that you gave to the sketch artist.”
“You’re not going to let him know I took pictures of him, are you?” Billy asked, his hands trembling. He was visibly scared.
“We’ll use the sketch and photos to help identify him. If we can’t find him in the database, we’ll post it to get the public to help us locate him,” Rowland said. “We won’t reveal who identified him.”
“What if he thinks my stepdad told on him?”
“Since Younger is free, not incarcerated, and he gets his payments from JE, I’m sure JE wouldn’t believe Younger would give him up to the police,” Rowland said. “I’m sure others know about JE’s business—criminals like him, or friends and family who know what he’s doing. So anyone could have turned him in. Even someone who had a vendetta against him.”
“Okay.”
An officer entered the interview room and spoke privately with Rowland. He nodded and left the room with the officer. Rowland joined Kendra and Grayson and told them, “We learned JE is Andrew Kaminski. We’re getting a search warrant for his home in Whitefish. He was pretending to live in that mansion, as Kendra suspected.”
Grayson smiled at her.
“Are you going to question Billy further?” Kendra asked.
“Tomorrow. We’ll put him in jail and question him tomorrow,” Rowland said. “We’ll let you know what comes of the search of Kaminski’s home.”
“Okay, thanks, we’re headed home. We’re going to a special activity for the next couple of days,” Grayson said, “to celebrate becoming mated grizzlies. You can just text us in case we’re on the ropes course or whitewater rafting, and we’ll get back with you.”
“Are you sure you want me to bother you while you’re having your special time together?” Rowland asked.
“Yes!” both Rowland and Kendra said at the same time.
Rowland chuckled. “You are perfect for each other. Okay, get out of here and enjoy the rest of your night. Have fun on your adventure.”
“We will,” Kendra said.
Then they left to return to her home. “Shower time,” Grayson said.
“Oh, absolutely.”
24
Once they were at the house, Kendra barely remembered opening the door from the garage into the hallway. Grayson’s hand lingered at the small of her back, guiding her through the unlit hallway toward the master bedroom. Then they left a trail of shoes in their wake: her boots abandoned in the foyer, his shoes kicked under the antique bench, each layer stripped away before they even reached the master bedroom and the bathroom.
