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She descended the porch steps and turned left rather than walking back to the truck.
“Where are you going?” Griff asked, hurrying to keep up.
“Around back,” she said. “They might be in their backyard and can’t hear the doorbell.”
Griff kept pace, coming to a stop at a wooden gate.
Voices sounded in the backyard. A man’s deep one and a woman’s muffled response.
“Hello,” Rachel called out. “Anyone home?”
The voices stopped.
A few moments later, a man with gray hair opened the gate and peered out. “Can I help you?”
Rachel nodded. “Are you Mark Severs?”
He frowned. “Yes, I am.”
Rachel stuck out her hand. “I’m Deputy Rachel West from Fool’s Gold in Teller County.”
Mr. Severs took her hand. “Ms. West.”
“This is my…partner Griff.”
Griff took the man’s hand. “Nice to meet you.”
“What can I do for you?” Mr. Severs asked.
“Sir, do you mind if I ask you some questions about your daughter Christy’s case?”
Mr. Severs’ lips thinned into a tight line. “It’s been fifteen years. Why now?” His eyes narrowed. “Have they come up with anything new?”
“No and yes,” Rachel said.
“That should be either a yes or no answer, not both,” the man said.
“Could we come in and talk?” Griff asked.
“I don’t want you upsetting my wife. She’s never gotten over the loss of our only child.”
“We’ll be brief,” Rachel said.
Mr. Severs held the gate wide for them to enter and called out, “Donna, we have company.”
A woman with short, salt and pepper hair rose to her feet from where she’d been working in a flower garden. She smiled and brushed the dirt off her hands. “Please, come in.”
“They want to ask questions about Christy’s case.”
Donna Severs’ smile faded. “I don’t know what good it will do. They never found her killer. That bastard is living free while my only child is buried in a cemetery.” She sighed. “But where are my manners? Please, come sit down.”
Rachel and Griff crossed the patio to settle into a couple of cushioned outdoor chairs.
“We’re very sorry for your loss, Mr. and Mrs. Severs,” Griff said.
Rachel nodded. “I can’t begin to imagine the pain of losing a child, but I know what it feels like to lose a loved one. I lost my little sister recently.”
“Oh, dear.” Mrs. Severs’ brow furrowed. She reached for Rachel’s hands and squeezed them gently. “I’m so very sorry for your loss.”
