June settled her thin frame into a chair upholstered in a fabric covered with faded pink cabbage roses. Butler sat across from her on the matching love seat.
“It was reported that Josie Doyle and Becky Allen were here last night,” Butler said, getting right to the point.
“They were,” June said. “I talked to them around seven o’clock or so. They were looking for a dog. I told them they could go and look for it on the property.” She picked up a pill bottle from the table next to her and struggled with the lid.
Sheriff Butler held out his hand and June handed him the bottle. “How long were they here?” Butler asked, twisting the lid open.
“Not long,” June said. “Thank you,” she said gratefully when Butler handed her the open bottle. “Twenty minutes? Maybe less. They waved goodbye when they left.”
“Do you know if your son had any interaction with the girls?” Butler asked.
June tapped two pills into her palm, put them in her mouth, and took a drink from the glass next to her. “Not that I know of,” June said after swallowing. “He didn’t mention it.”
“Can you think of any reason Jackson would take off when he saw me?” he asked.
“What do you mean?” June asked warily.
“He saw me after he dropped you off at the door and then rushed off. Now, why would he do that?” Butler asked.
June waved Butler’s concern away. “Last time he talked to one of you, he was arrested. Can’t blame him for being a little reluctant.”
Sheriff Butler suddenly remembered the incident June was speaking about. About six months before, Jackson had been picked up after a woman from Burden called saying a man had walked into her house drunker than a skunk and tried to climb into bed with her.
Jackson ended up spending a few nights in the county jail and pleading guilty to public intoxication and trespassing.
“Who was driving the truck that brought you home today?” the sheriff asked.
June’s eyes narrowed. “I did,” she said firmly. “Jackson came with me to my chemo appointment, but I drove.”
Sheriff Butler nodded but had his doubts. Jackson lost his driver’s license due to his drinking a long time ago but was most likely still driving all over the county when he had the chance.
“Would you mind if I looked around the property a bit?” Butler asked. “You know we don’t have any time to waste. We need to find those kids.”
“Then you better not waste your time looking here,” June said sharply. She struggled out of the chair and to her feet. “I told you that the girls were here looking for a dog. They looked and they left. That’s all we know.”
By the time June reached the front door, she was out of breath. Butler followed. “Now, Mrs. Henley, you know we need to do all we can to find those girls. Can you please tell Jackson that I need to talk to him?”
June opened her mouth to argue, but Butler held up a finger. “Just to talk. I know Jackson is skittish around law enforcement, and I have no reason to think that he knows what happened to Becky Allen after she left your property, but she was here, and I need to talk to everyone who came into contact with her. You can understand that, can’t you?”
June pressed her thin lips together and nodded. “I’ll tell him you want to talk to him, but he won’t be able to tell you any more than I did.”
Butler stepped from the coolness of the house into the heavy, oppressive heat. He had made a mistake by putting June Henley on the defensive. He’d be back, though, and if Jackson refused to speak to him, he’d come armed with a search warrant. Maybe they could get some answers that way.
29
The girl’s father did show up, though it would take three more days. He came through the door carrying a bucket of chicken and a plastic bag filled with containers of mashed potatoes, corn, coleslaw, and gravy.
The smell of the food made the girl dizzy. She was so hungry. She looked to her mother to see if it was okay to go to her father, but her mother’s face was hard. Angry. So she stayed put. Her mother got shakily to her feet and stood in front of him, hands on hips. “You left us,” she said. “You left us with no food. We haven’t eaten in three days.”
“Well, you have food now,” he brushed past her and set the food on the table.
Her mother followed him. “You can’t do that,” she grabbed his arm. “You can’t leave us like that.” Her father turned and glowered down at her mother. She released her grip on his elbow but boldly stared back at him.