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“Around eight.”
Chase’s heart rate picked up speed. That was less than twelve hours before she was murdered. Was Silas telling the truth about dropping his sister off in town, or was he trying to cover his tracks? Chase was suspicious but kept his tone and expression neutral. “You didn’t think it was strange that Hillary asked you to drop her off in town? Why didn’t she simply drive herself?”
Silas took another swig of water and wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. “Her truck was having carburetor problems. I was a mechanic before drinking took over my life. While she was running her errands, I was going to repair her truck. She was going to catch a ride with a friend back to my campsite.”
“Weren’t you worried when Hillary never came back for her truck?”
Silas tore at the label on the water bottle. “No. In hindsight, I should have, but Hillary warned me that the person she was meeting was Anna’s dad. I figured she’d simply made up with him and they were enjoying some time together.”
Chase held his pen tighter. “Who is Anna’s dad?”
“I don’t know. Hillary never told me.” Silas’s gaze skittered away. “Like I said, our relationship wasn’t good for many years.”
Chase leaned back in his chair. Silas’s story was convoluted, but that didn’t make it untrue. And nothing in his statement amounted to a crime. It was time to push him and see where that led. “It’s my understanding you were angry with your sister because she received all the inheritance money when your grandparents died. We spoke to some of Hillary’s neighbors. They said you threatened her.”
A flush rose in Silas’s cheeks. He picked at the label on the water bottle with one finger. “I’m not proud of my actions. I was a drunk and a mean one at that. My grandparents were smart to give Hillary the money.”
There was no anger in his voice, only embarrassment. Chase tapped his pen against the pad of paper. “Did you kill your sister, Silas?”
His head snapped up. “Absolutely not. I would never hurt Hillary.”
“You’ve been arrested for assault. You’ve hurt people before. Why not Hillary? She had the money you wanted, the money you deserved. You’ve got this strange story about dropping her off in town; then she goes missing for hours. You never once try to locate her or call the police—”
Silas slammed a fist on the table. “I didn’t kill my sister!”
The passionate flare of anger confirmed Chase’s suspicions. Silas had a temper. Had he and Hillary gotten into an argument when she came to see him at the campsite? Or worse, had he lured his sister to the campsite to kill her? It was a possibility that couldn’t be taken off the table.
Silas unclenched his fist. He sucked in a deep breath and then let it out slowly. The heat in his cheeks darkened, but the fire went out of his eyes. He sagged against his chair. “I’ve never hurt anyone while sober. Drunk is a different story. I’ll admit that.” Silas licked his lips and his leg began jittering again. “I should’ve reported Hillary missing. In hindsight, I wish I had, but I didn’t know she was in trouble.”
He met Chase’s eyes. “I know this looks bad. I don’t have an alibi for the night Hillary died and her truck was in my possession. But you have to believe me, I didn’t kill my sister.”
Chase studied the man sitting across from him but stayed quiet.
At the moment, he didn’t know what to believe.
