Chapters (97)
- Cover
- Back Cover Text
- Praise
- Booklist
- Dedication
- Epigraph
- One
- Two
- Three
- Four
- Five
- Six
- Seven
- Eight
- Nine
- Ten
- Eleven
- Twelve
- Thirteen
- Fourteen
- Fifteen
- Sixteen
- Seventeen
- Eighteen
- Nineteen
- Twenty
- Twenty-One
- Twenty-Two
- Twenty-Three
- Twenty-Four
- Twenty-Five
- Twenty-Six
- Twenty-Seven
- Twenty-Eight
- Twenty-Nine
- Thirty
- Thirty-One
- Thirty-Two
- Thirty-Three
- Thirty-Four
- Thirty-Five
- Thirty-Six
- Thirty-Seven
- Thirty-Eight
- Thirty-Nine
- Forty
- Forty-One
- Forty-Two
- Forty-Three
- Forty-Four
- Forty-Five
- Forty-Six
- Forty-Seven
- Forty-Eight
- Forty-Nine
- Fifty
- Fifty-One
- Fifty-Two
- Fifty-Three
- Fifty-Four
- Fifty-Five
- Fifty-Six
- Fifty-Seven
- Fifty-Eight
- Fifty-Nine
- Sixty
- Sixty-One
- Sixty-Two
- Sixty-Three
- Sixty-Four
- Sixty-Five
- Sixty-Six
- Sixty-Seven
- Sixty-Eight
- Sixty-Nine
- Seventy
- Seventy-One
- Seventy-Two
- Seventy-Three
- Seventy-Four
- Seventy-Five
- Seventy-Six
- Seventy-Seven
- Seventy-Eight
- Seventy-Nine
- Eighty
- Eighty-One
- Eighty-Two
- Eighty-Three
- Eighty-Four
- Eighty-Five
- Eighty-Six
- Eighty-Seven
- Eighty-Eight
- Eighty-Nine
- Acknowledgments & A Personal Note
- Excerpt
A half hour later, before they left the diner, Jurek checked with his office again, made calls, then turned to Ben.
“Lou Sloan’s on her way back from Brandon to Winnipeg and she’s got time to swing down here and meet us at the Tullocks’ house.”
Sixty-Six
Eternity, Manitoba
Present day
Ben was surprised that he was going to see Louella Sloan, the RCMP’s lead investigator on the case.
In her last message to him, Lou, now a superintendent, had indicated a meeting was unlikely because she was busy preparing for a six-month assignment with Interpol in Lyon, France.
“I put in a good word for you.” Jurek winked. “Lou made some adjustments, the timing worked, so there you go.”
The Tullock property on Old Pioneer Road was not that far from town and not far from the streets where the girls lived.
“So they walked to the Tullock place that night,” Jurek said, giving Ben a timeline of events. “First, they finished off their vodka by that grove.” He stopped, pointed. Ben made notes. Then Jurek resumed heading down the winding tree-lined driveway, just as he had that awful day.
“The Tullock family still owns the house. Don’t ask me why. They rent it, usually to executives. It’s empty at the moment. They gave me permission to show you around.”
It was a beautiful house. The grounds were meticulously maintained. A solitary sedan was parked in front of the four-car garage. Jurek stopped beside it and a woman got out and greeted them.
She was in her late fifties, Ben guessed, with short gray hair, wearing jeans and a polo shirt.
“Lou Sloan,” she said as she shook Ben’s hand.
“Thank you for making time for me.”
“Not a problem. But I want to be clear.” Quick, sharp eyes drilled into his from behind her frameless glasses. “Whatever I say is not to be attributed to me. Don’t use my name in your book.”
“I understand.”
“I can point you places but much of this case is still sealed and protected. As for Bill—” she smiled at him “—he can take care of himself.”
“I sure can.”
Resuming with the timeline, Jurek led them along the side of the house toward the pool in the rear, but stopped at a basement window.
“The girl who babysat and claimed the Tullocks owed her money left this window unlocked prior to that night.”
They returned to the front door, Jurek unlocked it and they entered.
The air smelled of cleaner. The house was unfurnished. Light streamed through the windows. As quiet as a mausoleum, Ben thought.
“The family arrived home early,” Sloan said. “The girls used steak knives from the kitchen to attack the parents downstairs here.”
Ben shook his head, then took pictures and made notes.
“Connie died in hospital later,” Sloan said.
“In Alden, not far from here,” Jurek added.