Read Online Crucified by Adelle Laudan - Free Book Online

office
remained open for business as usual, with the addition of uniformed
officers posted on the doors and strategically throughout the
building. Dianne hadn’t interviewed the employees personally, and
thought it would be a good place to start. The postmaster directed
her to his assistant’s office. Delia Stewart’d been in charge most
of the times new photos were found. Unfortunately, she wasn’t at
work today.
    Dianne picked
up the phone on the assistant’s tidy desk and keyed in Ms.
Stewart’s home number. Delia Stewart answered on the first
ring.
    “ Hello?”
    “ Is this Delia Stewart?” asked Dianne.
    “ Yes, this is Delia. May I ask who this is?”
    “ This is Agent Parker with the FBI. I’ve just spoken to Ed
Tibert. He tells me you were responsible for locking up the last
time a photo was found. Is there any chance the door was left
open?”
    “ No, I don’t think so. In fact, the officer even checked the
door behind me.”
    “ I see. Thank you for your time” Disappointment doused her hope
of a new lead. She reached over to press “end call” when she heard
Delia shriek into the phone.
    “ Agent Parker? Have you talked to Jerry Cox?”
    “ Excuse me? Jerry Cox, did you say?”
    “ Yes, he’s the man who cleans the post office after
hours.”
    “ Does Mr. Cox have his own key?” Her pulse raced.
    “ Why, yes, he does. He has the key to many places in town.
Jerry’s been cleaning offices and the like for over twenty years.
Maybe he saw something.”
    “ You wouldn’t happen to have his number handy?”
    “ Hmm, let me look. I can’t remember the last time I had to call
him. He’s never missed a day of work as long as I’ve worked at the
post office.”
    Dianne tapped
her pen on the desk. “Please, Ms. Stewart, this is extremely
important.”
    “ Okay, here it is. 555-0738.”
    “ Thank you. You’ve been most helpful,” Dianne said, ending the
call and dialing Mr. Cox. She couldn’t punch in the numbers fast
enough.
    “ We’re sorry, the number you have reached is not in
service .”
    Her open hand
smacked the desktop. She jumped up and bolted for the door. Once in
the sedan she flipped open her cell and dialed. “Seth? I need an
address, stat! Jerry Cox.”
    “ Hey, slow down. Who is Jerry Cox?”
    “ He’s the last person to leave the post office. He has his own
key.”
    Dianne heard
the click of his keyboard.
    “ By the way, we just got the lab results back.” He yawned into
the receiver. “All they found were slight traces of
peroxide.”
    She sat
straight up. “Peroxide, commonly known as bleach.” Adrenaline
coursed through her body. “Jerry Cox is the cleaning guy.”
    “ Here it is. Jerry Cox, 378 Winding Road. Johnstown, New
Brunswick. Age, fifty-six. Height, six-foot-three-inches. Weight,
two hundred seventy-five pounds.”
    “ How do I get to Winding Road?” She turned the key in the
ignition.
    “ You aren’t going anywhere alone.”
    “ I’ll be right over to pick you up.”
    ****
    Taylor sat out
back of his house, breathing in the intoxicating scent of Lupins in
full bloom. He didn’t consider himself a flowery kind of guy by any
means. However, he did harbor a deep appreciation for nature and
all it entailed.
    He tossed and
turned most of the night. Every time he closed his eyes, he saw the
sexy agent, or the sickening smirk of the demented hardware store
owner.
    He took great
pleasure in smashing his face. If Dianne hadn’t been there, who
knew if he would have stopped. He couldn’t fathom how anyone could
hurt Casey. Sure she was a bit of a tease, but so was every other
red blooded teenage girl in Johnstown.
    Dianne hadn’t
called him, so he assumed they hadn’t learned the whereabouts from
Ray. There was one thing about the guy that didn’t quite mesh. Of
all the photos he’d seen in his apartment, not one would be classed
as inappropriate. From what he saw, they were only pictures of the
kids in town standing in the street in groups of